CHIMALAPA. 



183 



CHAPTER IX. 



Chimalapa. — The Cabildo. — A Scene of Revelry. — Gustatoya. — A Hunt for Rob- 

 bers. — Approach to Guatimala. — Beautiful Scenery. — Volcanoes of Agua and 

 Fuego.— First View of the City.— Entry into the City.— First Impressions. — 

 The Diplomatic Residence. — Parties in Central America. — Murder of Vice- 

 president Flores. — Political State of Guatimala. — An embarrassing Situation. 

 — The Constituent Assembly. — Military Police. 



At peep of day I bathed in the Motagua. In the 

 mean time the deaf and dumb boy prepared chocolate, 

 and the corpse of the young man was borne to its final 

 resting-place. I went over to the desolate house, bade 

 farewell to the mourners, and resumed my journey. 

 Again we had on our right the Motagua River and the 

 mountains of Vera Paz. The road was level ; it was 

 excessively hot, and we suffered from thirst. At noon 

 we stopped two hours at the village of Fisioli. Late 

 in the afternoon we came upon a table of land covered 

 with trees bearing a flower, looking like apple-trees in 

 blossom, and cactus or tunos, with branches from three 

 to fifteen feet long. I was in advance ; and having 

 been in the saddle all day, and wishing to relieve my 

 mule, I dismounted and walked. A man overtook me 

 on horseback, who touched me by telling me that my 

 mule was tired. The mule, unused to being led, pulled 

 back, and my new acquaintance followed, whipping her ; 

 and remembering the fable, and that I could not please 

 everybody, I mounted, and we rode into Chimalapa to- 

 gether. 



It was a long, straggling village, with a large church, 

 but there was no cura, and I rode to the cabildo. This, 

 besides being the town-house, is a sort of caravansary 

 or stopping-place for travellers, being a remnant of Ori- 



