70 INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL. 



CHAPTER IV. 



Purchasing a Bridle. — A School and its Regulations. — Conversation with an In- 

 dian.— Spanish Translation of the " Spy." — Chiquimula. — A Church in Ruins. 

 — A V^eteran of the French Empire. — St. Stephanos. — A Land of Mountains. — 

 An Affair with a Muleteer. — A deserted Village. — A rude Assault.— Arrest. — 

 Imprisonment. — Release. 



The next day we v^^ere obliged to wait for our mule- 

 teer. Our guide of the night before had stolen one of 

 our bridles ; and here we found the beginning of an 

 annoyance which attended us throughout Central Amer- 

 ica, in the difficulty of buying anything ready made. 

 There was a blacksmith who had a bit partly made, but 

 had not charcoal enough to finish it. Fortunately, du- 

 ring the day an Indian arrived with a backload, and the 

 bridle was completed. The headstall we bought of a 

 saddler, and the reins, which were of platted leather like 

 the lash of a whip, we were lucky enough to obtain 

 ready made. The arrival of the charcoal enabled the 

 blacksmith to fit us out with one pair of spurs. 



At Zacapa, for the first time, we saw a schoolhouse. 

 It was a respectable-looking building, with columns in 

 front, and against the wall hung a large card, headed, 



" 1st Decurion (a student who has the care of ten other students). 2d Decurion. 



MONITOR, &c. 



*' Interior regulation for the good government of the school of first letters of this 

 town, which ought to be observed strictly by all the boys composing it," &c., 



with a long list of complicated articles, declaring the 

 rewards and punishments. The school, for the govern- 

 ment of which these regulations were intended, consist- 

 ed of five boys, two besides the decurions and monitor. 

 It was nearly noon, and the master, who was the clerk 

 of the alcalde, had not yet made his appearance. The 



