JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 



Ill 



illuminating the sky, and casting a lurid light over the 

 mountains. These eruptions were preceded by a report 

 like a clap of distant thunder, or the discharge of artillery ; 

 but though fierce, they were of short duration, for after 

 blazing for a few seconds they subsided, when the burn- 

 ing lava that streamed down the mountain, shone 

 brightly and awfully through the darkness of the night. 

 It was one of the grandest and most imposing specta- 

 cles I had ever witnessed. 



The following morning my worthy lieutenant came to 

 take leave of me. I had, in compliance with his wishes, 

 made some interest to obtain him the command of the 

 escort that was to take me to Guatemala ; but another 

 officer, he said, had been appointed, who would call on me 

 forthwith to confer with me on the subject of our journey. 

 As I shook his brawny dark hand, I felt the necessity of 

 presenting him some little token of friendship, and taking 

 up a very pretty silver-mounted dirk that I had bought in 

 New York, I presented it to him with a request that he 

 would keep it for my sake. He promised to do so, as with 

 a smile of complacence he put the dirk under his sash. 

 He then asked me to give him a certificate of his conduct, 

 which I immediately wrote out. But on my desiring 

 him to satisfy himself by reading it, a deep blush crim- 

 soned the dark features of the lieutenant : he could not 

 read ! And thus a brave soldier, who might one day have 

 been a general, was doomed, so long as he followed his 

 profession, to abide in the humble station of a subaltern. 



All that day was employed in preparations for our de- 

 parture on the next. The officer who had succeeded to 

 the lieutenant, apprised me that he was in readiness with 

 the escort, which, agreeably to my wishes, would consist 

 of twenty-five infantry and twelve cavalry, and Mr. S., the 

 English gentleman whom I have already mentioned, and 

 who had just arrived in Sonsonate, kindly offered to ac- 

 company me during the first day of the journey. 



Accordingly, the next morning — the third of June— the 



