A KINGDOM OF FLORA. 



67 



the idea of his confounding his comfortable figure with 

 the saints ; but he had so much good sense and good 

 feeling that we were not disposed to be captious. 



The next morning our muleteer came, but, through 

 some misunderstanding, he had not mules enough to 

 carry all our luggage. Eather than wait, we started 

 without him, and left part of the baggage for him to 

 bring on to Zacapa the next day. 



Leaving Gualan, we had on our right the Motagua 

 River, which had now become to us a friend, and be- 

 yond it the great range of the mountains of Vera Paz, 

 six or eight thousand feet high. In an hour we com- 

 menced ascending. Soon we were in a wilderness of 

 flowers ; shrubs and bushes were clothed in purple and 

 red ; and on the sides of the mountain, and in the ra- 

 vines leading down to the river, in the wildest posi- 

 tions, were large trees so covered with red that they 

 seemed a single flower. In three hours we descended 

 from our mountain height, and came once more to the 

 river side, where it was rolling swiftly, and in some 

 places breaking into rapids. "We followed for about 

 an hour, and rose again several thousand feet. At two 

 o'clock we reached the village of San Pablo, situated 

 on a lofty table of land, looking down upon the river, 

 and having its view bounded by the mountains of Vera 

 Paz. The church stood at the entrance of the village. 

 We turned our mules loose to graze, and took our meal 

 in the porch. It was a beautiful position, and two wa- 

 terfalls, shining like streaks of silver on the distant 

 mountain side, reminded us of cascades in Switzerland. 



We procured a guide from the alcalde to conduct us 

 to Zacapa ; and, resuming our journey, for two hours 

 more had the same great range upon our right. The 

 sun was obscured, but occasionally it broke through 



