COSTLY TIMBER. 



59 



bake. This is repeated for every meal, and a great 

 part of the business of the women consists in making 

 tortillas. 



When Mr. Catherwood arrived the tortillas were 

 smoking, and we stopped to breakfast. They gave us 

 the only luxury they had, coffee made of parched corn, 

 which, in compliment to their kindness, we drank. 

 Like me, Mr. C. was struck with the personal beauty 

 of* this family group. With the advantages of dress 

 and education, they might be ornaments in cultivated 

 society ; but it is decreed otherwise, and these young 

 girls will go through life making tortillas. 



For an hour longer we continued on the ridge of the 

 mountain, then entered a more woody country, and in 

 half an hour came to a large gate, which stood directly 

 across the road like a tollbar. It was the first token 

 * we had seen of individual or territorial boundary, and 

 in other countries would have formed a fitting entrance 

 to a princely estate ; for the massive frame, with all its 

 posts and supporters, was of solid mahogany. The 

 heat was now intense. We entered a thick wood and 

 forded a wild stream, across which pigs were swim- 

 ming. Soon after we came to a cochineal plantation, 

 and passed through a long lane thickly bordered and 

 overshaded with shrubs and trees, close to suffocation. 

 We emerged into an open plain, on which the sun beat 

 with almost intolerable power ; and, crossing the plain, 

 at about three o'clock entered Gualan. There was not 

 a breath of air ; the houses and the earth seemed to 

 throw out heat. I was confused, my head swam, and 

 I felt in danger of a stroke of the sun. At that mo- 

 ment there was a slight shock of earthquake. I was 

 unconscious of it, but was almost overpowered by the 



