DEFEAT OF MORAZAN. 113 



them than Mr. Chatfield. A picket of soldiers was sta- 

 tioned on the roof of the house, commanding the plaza 

 on the one side and the courtyard on the other. Orel- 

 lana, the former minister of war, was on the roof, and 

 cut into the staff with his sword, but desisted on a re- 

 monstrance from the courtyard that it was the house of 

 the vice-consul. At sundown the immense mass of In- 

 dians who now crowded the city fell on their knees, 

 and set up the Salve or hymn to the Virgin. Orellana 

 and others of Morazan's officers had let themselves 

 down into the courtyard, and were at the moment ta- 

 king chocolate in Mr. Hall's house. Mrs. Hall, a 

 Spanish lady of the city, asked Orellana why he did 

 not fall on his knees ; and he answered, in jest, that he 

 was afraid his own soldiers on the roof would take him 

 for a Cachureco and shoot him ; but it is said that to 

 Morazan the noise of this immense chorus of voices 

 was appalling, bringing home to him a consciousness 

 of the immense force assembled to crush him, and for 

 the first time he expressed his sense of the danger they 

 were in. The prayer was followed by a tremendous 

 burst of " Viva la Religion ! Viva Carrera ! y muera el 

 General Morazan!" and the firing commenced more 

 sharply than before. It was returned from the plaza, 

 and for several hours continued without intermission. 

 At two o'clock in the morning Morazan made a despe- 

 rate effort to cut his way out of the plaza, but was driv- 

 en back behind the parapets. The plaza was strewed 

 with dead. Forty of his oldest officers and his eldest son 

 were killed; and at three o'clock he stationed three 

 hundred men at three corners of the plaza, directed 

 them to open a brisk fire, threw all the powder into the 

 fountain, and while attention was directed to these 

 points, sallied by the other and left them to their fate. 

 Vol. II.— P 



