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NARRATIVE OF A 



on the execution of which his reputation depended ; "and," 

 said he, "I would rather be cut to pieces than that you 

 should receive the slightest injury." I then learnt from 

 him that he had commenced his military career as a private 

 soldier, and had risen by his own merit to the rank of 

 lieutenant which he then held. He had distinguished 

 himself at the time when the country was invaded by the 

 Mexicans under Filisola, and had served under General 

 Morazan, to whom, and to General Saget, he was person- 

 ally known. 



By an easy transition we came to the subject of the 

 existing revolution, and its author the famed Carrera. 

 " How, if we should meet with that rebel hero in person ? " 

 said I. " What better fortune could I wish ? " he replied. 

 * Set him before me on this road, man to man, and well 

 armed and well mounted as I am, and, vive Dios ! you 

 shall see me return to St. Salvador with his recreant head 

 hanging from my saddle-bow." These words I have no 

 doubt he would have made good ; for although — as the 

 reader will have observed — the lieutenant was a little giv- 

 en to boasting, this defect is so common with his country- 

 men, that it is not always an argument against courage. 



As we proceeded on our way, a deep rumbling noise 

 was heard, like distant thunder. It was occasioned by the 

 eruptions of the volcano of Isalco, from which we were 

 only a few miles distant. A little further on, having as- 

 cended an eminence, we came in full view of the volcano, 

 and could see the smoke bursting in a thick column from 

 the crater. The scoria and ashes emitted by the eruption 

 fell in a shower round the mountain, and a stream of lava, 

 though not then visible to the eye, could be traced by a 

 line of smoke reaching from the crater to the base of the 

 volcano. We approached within a mile of the base of this 

 burning mountain, where the ground was covered with 

 pumice stones and fragments of solid lava. It was a vol* 

 cano of recent formation ; its commencement dating not 

 more than fifty years back. It broke out from the top of 



