JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 



79 



and the soil produced only a meagre and stunted vegeta- 

 tion. With considerable labour, and after two hours' 

 travel, we arrived at the summit of this mountain, when 

 we had a view of a plain called the valley of Chiquimula, 

 and of a range of mountains beyond, extending far away, 

 till they faded on the sight. This, from my experience 

 thus far, I found to be the general character of the coun- 

 try in Central America, which is a succession of moun- 

 tainous ridges crowned with wood, and of vallies, more 

 or less extensive, but generally well watered, and ex- 

 tremely fertile. 



We reached the town of Chiquimula early in the after- 

 noon, and 'concluded to stop there for the rest of the day. 

 This we found to be a place of some importance, and the 

 head of a Department. Its population may be from four 

 lo five thousand ; the streets and houses have a good ap- 

 pearance, and the church — which, as every where else in 

 that country, is situated in the plaza — is a large hand- 

 some building, but spoiled in its interior by a number of 

 vulgar images. The plaza — one of the characteristic fea- 

 tures of Spanish towns — contains^ moreover, a fine foun- 

 tain, shaded by several palm trees. 



As we had not proposed passing the night in this 

 place, we had come without any letter of introduction, 

 and, in consequence, had to apply to the alcalde for quar- 

 ters in the Cabildo, or town-hall. This is generally the 

 resource of travellers in Central America on arriving at 

 a town where they have no acquaintance ; for, as I have 

 heretofore observed, public houses are unknown in that 

 country.* The alcalde very kindly offered us his own 

 house, or he would billet us on any of the inhabitants. 

 But we declined both these offers, and proceeded with 



* Cabildo, in the common acceptation of the word, applies to a town- 

 hall, but in the present case means a resting-place for travellers. It is, 

 in fact, a sort of caravansary, and in this light it may be regarded as a 

 vestige of the oriental practices still prevalent in Spain, and introduced 

 by the natives of that country into their American possessions. 



