232 . INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL. 



face is polished. We discovered no treasure, but our 

 day's work was most interesting, and we only regret- 

 ted that we had not time to explore more thoroughly. 



In the mean time Don Joaquim had made arrange- 

 ments for us, and the next morning we resumed our 

 journey. We left behind a mule, a horse, and Bobon, 

 and were re-enforced by Pawling, well mounted, and 

 armed with a pair of pistols, and a short double-barrell- 

 ed gun slung to his saddle-bow, and Santiago, a Mex- 

 ican fugitive soldier. Juan was an interesting invalid 

 mounted on a mule, and the whole was under escort of 

 a respectable old muleteer, who was setting out with 

 empty mules to bring back a load of sugar. 



At a short distance from the village we commenced 

 ascending the Sierra Madre. The first range was stony, 

 and on the top of it we came upon a cultivated plain, 

 beyond which rose a second range, covered with a thick 

 forest of oak. On the top of this range stood a cross. 

 The spot was called Buena Vista, or Fine View, and 

 commanded a magnificent expanse of mountains and 

 plains, five lakes and two volcanoes, one of which, 

 called Tajamulco, our guide said was a water volcano. 

 Beyond this rose a third range. At some distance 

 up was an Indian rancho, at which a fine little boy 

 thrust his face through a bush fence, and said " adios" 

 to every one that passed. Beyond was another boy, 

 to whom we all in succession said " adios," but the 

 surly little fellow would not answer one of us. On 

 the summit of this range we were almost on a level 

 with the tops of the volcanoes. As we ascended the 

 temperature grew colder, and we were compelled to put 

 on our ponchas. At half past two we reached the top 

 of the Sierra Madre, the dividing line of the waters, be- 

 ing twelve miles from Gueguetenango, and in our de- 

 vious course making the second time that we had 



