174 



INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL. 



scended again to the very bottom of the ravine, and, 

 crossing the stream, ascended almost immediately a 

 narrow path built along the side of the precipice to the 

 top, being on the same side from vs^hich we started. It 

 is impossible to give any idea of the wildness of this 

 double crossing of the ravine. It terminated abruptly, 

 and at the extreme end, on a point, was a small hacien- 

 da, on one side looking directly up this awful opening, 

 and on the other upon a soft valley. 



At three o'clock we struck the rituello of San Jacin- 

 to. On the opposite side was a fine table of land, with 

 mountains rising beyond, and covered to the top with 

 noble pines. There was no cultivation, and the whole 

 country was in primeval wildness. At five o'clock we 

 crossed the stream and entered the village of San Ja- 

 cinto. It consisted of a collection of huts, some made 

 of poles and some plastered with mud. The church 

 was of the same simple construction. On each side 

 was an arbour thatched with leaves of Indian corn, and 

 at the corners were belfries, with three bells each. Iij 

 front were two gigantic Ceiba trees, the roots of which 

 ran along even with the ground more than a hundred 

 feet, and the branches spread to an equal extent. 



The village was under the care of the cura of Quez- 

 altepeque, who was then at San Jacinto. I rode up to 

 his house and presented the letter of the cura of Es- 

 quipulas. My muleteer, without unloading the mules, 

 threw himself down on the piazza, and, with my great- 

 coat on his unthankful body, began abusing me for kill- 

 ing him with long marches. I retorted ; and before the 

 padre had time to recover from his surprise at our vis- 

 it, he was confounded by our clamour. 



But he was a man who could bear a great deal, being 

 above six feet, broad shoulder edj and with a protuber- 



