REPUBLIC OF CENTRAL AMERICA. 



423 



San Salvador, the capital of the State of the same name, is agreeabl}^ situated, in the nnidst 

 of fine indigo and tobacco plantations, and has an active commerce and extensive manufactures. 

 Population, 39,000. Comayagua, the capital of Honduras, with 20,000 inhabitants, contains 

 a college. Truxillo and Omoa, in the same State, have good harbors on the Bay of Hon- 

 duias, but they are sickly. Leon, capital of Nicaragua, is regularly laid out and handsomely 

 built, and contains a university and a cathedral. It has 38,000 inhabitants. Jficaragua h 

 the second town in the State. Realejo has an excellent port. -San Jose or Costa Rica, with 

 20,000 inhabitants, and Cartago with about 25,000 inhabitants, are the principal towns o'' 

 Costa Rica. 



7. Commerce. Cochineal and indigo are the two staple productions, and furnish the large? 

 articles of export. Gold and silver, and cacao are also extensively exported. 



8. Inhabitants and Government. The inhabitants resemble those of the Mexican States 

 about one fifth are Creoles, two fifths mixed, here called ladinos, and the remainder Indians, 

 with a few negroes. Slavery is abolished. The government is a copy of that of the United 

 States. 



The following interesting account of the manners and customs of the Guatemalcans is from 

 the work of Mr. Montgomery, who visited the country in 1838, as an agent of the United 

 States. "It is only in the city of Guatemala and a few of the larger towns, that the arts 

 have made any progress. In the country and villages, the simple mode of life of the inhabi- 

 tants differs slightly from that of the Indians. The ladies in the city wear the mantilla and 

 veil when they go to church, and appear without any covering on the head when going out to 

 walk or on a visit. They adorn their hair with flowers, and high combs, some of which are 

 very costly and beautiful. In the evening the head Is protected by a shawl or handkerchief 

 and when on horseback, by a hat, with a profusion of feathers ; but caps are never used. The 

 pride of a Guatemala lady is a richly embroidered veil, a costly fan, and valuable jewels. 

 They are generally well formed and graceful, and are very proud of a pretty foot. The men 

 display their taste for dress chiefly when traveling ; then their swords, their spurs of massive 

 silver, their poniards with silver sheaths, the embroidered trappings of their horses, and their 

 other ornaments, imply an expense of not less than 1,000 dollars. 



" Both sexes are amiable, courteous, and attentive to strangers, of a mild disposition, lively 

 imagination, and good natural talents ; but in education they are extremely deficient. Hospi- 

 tality is one of their virtues, gambling one of their faults, and they are addicted to cock-fighting 

 and bull-feasts. They have a peculiar mode of speaking with a whining accent, not unlike that 

 of the Andalusians, and in some points of pronunciation, they difler from the European Span- 

 iards. Their amusements consist chiefly of dancing, and riding on horseback ; there are no 

 carriages of any kind in Guatemala. Almost every house is open to visiters, and many a 

 small party meets every evening and passes the time in social intercourse. When a stranger 

 is told, that ' the house is at his disposal,' he may consider himself a guest. 



" They have a great fondness for religious processions and ceremonies ; these consist of a 

 cavalcade of well-mounted and well-dressed citizens ; then follow a crowd on foot, with lighted 

 tapers ; next come the authorities and the clergy, arrayed in their robes of ceremony ; the bish- 

 op, if present, walks under a canopy of silk, embroidered and fringed with gold, and on his 

 approach every head is uncovered, and every knee bent ; a military guard and band bring up the 

 rear. On such occasions the streets are covered with awnings, and hangings of silk and velvet 

 adorn the houses ; the altars glitter with lights, iTiirrors, and precious metals." 



9. History. The country was conquered by Alvarado, who was sent from Mexico by 

 Cortez, in 1523. The natives, called Quiches, lived in cities, and some ruins of their works 

 are yet visible. The province was erected by the Spaniards into a captain-generalship by the 

 name of Guatemala, and continued dependent upon Spain until 1821, when it declared itself 

 independent. A constitution was adopted in 1824. 



CHAPTER LVT. WEST INDIES. 



1. Situation and Extent. The West Indies are an extensive cluster of islands, at the entrance 

 of the Gulf of Mexico, stretching from lat. 10*^ to 28^ N.; between the coast of Florida on the 

 north, and the river Orinoco, on the continent of South America ; the Bahama Islands being 

 the most northern, and Trinidad the most southern. These islands were first discovered by 



