196 Doc. No. 15. 



as already stated, the Rio Grande and other streams of considerable she 

 flow into it from the direction of Segovia, yet they vary much with the 

 season of the year, and seldom furnish a greater quantity of water than is 

 requisite to supply the evaporation from so lar^e a surface in a tropical' 

 climate. The lake sometimes rises a few feet from the influx of water^ 

 but according to the concurrent testimony of the inhabitants on its shores^ 

 its average level is considerably ]esf^ than it was some fifteen or tvi^enty 

 years ago, before the terrible eruption of Consegnnia, already referred to. 

 Nevertheless, a reservoir like that of Managua^ with 1,200 square miles of 

 surface, would be adequate to supply all the water required for a ship 

 canal at this point, without any sensible diminution of its volume. The 

 wands on the lake blow freshly from the NE. during the afternoon and 

 evening, and subside towards morning, causing an ebb and flow in its 

 results corresponding with that produced by the tides of the ocean ; hence 

 the vulgar error of a subterranean communication with the sea. The 

 same is true of Lake Nicaragua. 



Lake Nicaragua. — Lake Nicaragua is unquestionably ^ in all respects, 

 one of the finest bodies of water on the continent, and needs only to be 

 made easy of access to become as famous a resort of the lovers of the grand 

 and beautiful in nature as any now known in the Old or New World. 

 In common with Lake Managua, its size has been rather under thcin over- 

 estimated. Mr. Bailey calculated its greatest length at 100 miles, and its 

 greatest width at 40 or 45 miles. It is probably nearer 120 miles in length >r 

 by 50 or 60 in breadth. Upon its southern shore, near the head of the 

 lake, is the ancient city of Grenada, the most important commercial point 

 in the republic. It has a considerable trade, which is carried on through 

 Ihe port of San Juan on the Atlantic by means of small boats of peculiar 

 construction, and capable of carrying from four to ten tons, called bungos. 

 These make the trip to San Juan aiid back in about three weeks time. A 

 few miles below Grenada, and projecting boldly into the lake, is the ex- 

 tinct volcano of Momobacho, not far from 5,000 feet in height. At its 

 base in the lake is a group of innumerable small islands of volcanic origin^ 

 rising in the form of cones from 20 to 100 feet, and covered with verdiire. 

 Some of them, upon which the soil has accumulated, are inhabited by 

 Indians, and their thatched cottages shadowed over by tall palms, and 

 with a dense background of broad-leaved plantains, form the most pictur- 

 esque objects which can be conceived. Upon the same shore with Gren- 

 ada, but 40 miles distant;, is the city of Nicaragua or Rivas, the capital of 

 a very large, fertile, and comparatively well-cultivated district, but re- 

 cently the scene of butcheries too horrible to relate. The remaining sec- 

 tion of the southern shore of the lake has scarcely any inhabitants, except 

 a few wild Indians called ^'Braves," who alternate betT\reen the mount- 

 ainous district towards Costa Rica and the shore. The northern shore^ 

 called Choutales, is undulating, and m ell adapted to grazing. There are 

 a great number of cattle estates, some embracing many ihousand head of 

 cattle and mules. There are a number of considerable islands in the lake^ 

 the largest of which is Madeira or Ometepec, which is almost wholly in- 

 habited by Indians. It abounds in numerous traces of aboriginal occu- 

 pation and art, and is distinguished by two immense cones, visible from 

 every point of the lake and from the Pacific . These are called respect- 

 ively Ometepec and Madeira. The cone of Ometepec is the most regular 

 in outline of any which I have seen; and iS; I think; the highest in the 



