VISIT FROM GENERAL MORAZAN. 



93 



CHAPTER VI. 



Visit from General Morazan.— End of his Career.— Procuring a Guide.— Depar- 

 ture for Guatimala.— Fright of the People.— The Rio Paz.— Hacienda of Pal- 

 mita.— A fortunate Escape.— Hacienda of San Jose.— An awkward Predica- 

 ment —A kind Host.— Rancho of Hoctilla— Oratorio and Leon.— Rio de los 

 Esclavos.— The Village— Approach to Guatimala.— Arrival at Guatimala.— A 

 Sketch of the Wars.— Defeat of Morazan.— Scene of Massacre. 



In the morning, to our surprise, we found several 

 shops open, and people in the street, who had been 

 concealed somewhere in the neighbourhood, and re- 

 turned as soon as they knew of Morazan's entry. 

 The alcalde reappeared, and our guide was found, 

 but he would not go with us, and told the alcalde 

 that he might kill him on the spot ; that he would 

 rather die there than by the hands of the Cachurecos. 



While I was taking chocolate, General Morazan 

 called upon me. Our conversation was longer and 

 more general. I did not ask him his plans or pur- 

 poses, but neither he nor his officers exhibited des- 

 pondency. Once reference was made to the occu- 

 pation of Santa Anna by General Cascara, and with 

 a spirit that reminded me of Claverhouse in "Old Mor- 

 tality," he said, "we shall visit that gentleman soon." 

 He spoke without malice or bitterness of the leaders 

 of the Central party, and of Carrera as an ignorant 

 and lawless Indian, from whom the party that was now 

 using him would one day be glad to be protected. 

 He referred, with a smile, to a charge current among 

 the Cachurecos of an effort made by him to have Car- 

 rera assassinated, of which a great parade had been 

 made, with details of time and place, and which was 

 generally believed. He had supposed the whole story 



