35 
it is the centre of a large coffee growing district. The collapse 
of the coffee market in the 90’ s ruined a great many of the 
planters. In 1897-8 political troubles and revolutions added 
to the miseries of the town. In 1902 it was entirely destroyed 
by the great earthquake, and six months later the greater 
part of the coffee belt on which its existence depends was 
devasted by a tremendous eruption of the neighbouring 
volcano, the Santa Maria. To-day Quezaltenango is but a 
shadow of her former self. 
The town is situated on the northern slopes of the Cerro 
Quemado, at an altitude of almost 8,000 feet, and is rather 
difficult of access, part of the journey to it from Champerico, 
the nearest port, being by roacl through hard country. From 
Champerico there is a railway to San Felipe, a distance of 
41 miles, and from this point a cart road of rather poor surface, 
leads to Quezaltenango. The journey lies through country 
full of beauty. Midway en route lies the lake of Atitlan, the 
beauties of which are unsurpassed anywhere in the world. 
The lake is some 2,000 feet below the road, and is 
encircled by an unbroken ring of precipitous mountains. 
Far away on the other side three great conical volcanoes 
stand solemn sentinels over the peaceful waters ; great 
masses of black clouds encircle their summits and cast a sombre 
shadow over the further waters of the lake. The waters 
of the lake have no visible outlet, and it is surmised that 
they escape through cracks in the bottom. The lake is of 
great depth, and though plumbing experiments have been 
carried out, no bottom has been reached in the centre of the 
lake. It is supposed that the lake is really an old crater, 
as its length is about 20 miles and its mean width 10 ; this 
would mean that is is probably the largest crater in the world. 
The journey forward from the lake takes us through the 
valley of Nahuala, inhabited by a tribe of independent Indians 
who have practically no duties toward the state. They speak 
nothing but their own language and it is practically im- 
possible for the traveller to obtain anything from them in 
the way of sustenance, either for himself or his beast. They 
are peaceful and industrious. They number fully 60,000, 
and, with the exception of the priest, no white man lives 
amongst them. 
Guatemala, through its situation on one of the most active 
volcanic centres of the earth, has always been remarkable 
for the number of disastrous earthquake shocks and volcanic 
outbursts. History does not, however, record any disasters 
of the magnitude of those of the year 1902. The disturbances 
of that year began apparently on January 18th, when a 
