JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 



CHAPTER XII. 



Departure for St. Salvador.— The " Mai Paso." — Town of Ocotepeque.-— 

 Scruples of a Quondam Monk. — An Hacienda. — Throwing of the La&o. 

 — An Awkward Mistake.— The Liberal Housekeeper. 



On the 23d of May — three days after my arrival at Es- 

 quipulas — I took my departure for St. Salvador, with Mr. 

 M., two arrieros and four mules. I was furnished by the 

 curate with a letter to an inhabitant of the village of Ocote- 

 peque, nine leagues distant, where it was our intention to 

 pass the first night of this journey, and where a fresh set of 

 mules would have to be engaged for taking us to St. Sal- 

 vador. Don Jose had given me two letters for persons 

 residing in the latter place, and had, moreover, added to 

 my baggage a basket, of the contents of which I was left 

 ignorant, but which, he said, would be found useful on 

 the road. To this gentleman, whose wit and amiable dis- 

 position had thus far enlivened our route, and whose ser- 

 vices I foresaw we should miss, and to his hospitable 

 relative the curate, I said, on parting, every thing that 

 friendship and gratitude suggested. 



We proceeded on our journey through a pleasant coun- 

 try, consisting of extensive meadows, with tracts of wood- 

 land at intervals, where we saw large herds of cattle graz- 

 ing, till we came to the Empa, a considerable river, which 

 we forded with difficulty. Further on, we came to a 

 place called the nialpaso. This was a deep ravine, over- 

 hung with rocks and bushes, in passing which it was 

 necessary to proceed through a natural lane, or gulley, 

 formed by the rocks, which on each side presented a wall 

 some ten feet high. On the opposite side, the ravine, as 

 well as the gulley, were commanded by an eminence 

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