49 
CHAPTER IV. 
A DEEP WELL.—A SHORT CUT.-FARM OE PXLON.—ACHUAPA.- 
THE SCHOOLMASTER ABROAD.-REGION OE OAKS AND PINES.- 
BONBON. JAMAILI. — FUTURE OF NICARAGUA. — ARRIVAL AT 
OCOTAL. 
“ Foe drinking here beasts pay half a real apiece, 
Christians nothing,” said a man who was sitting at 
a well in the shade of a huge mimosa-tree. We had 
travelled several leagues over a hot and dusty road, 
where not a drop of water was met with; and now, 
when there was a chance of quenching our thirst, we 
found that conscientiously we could not be classed 
amongst the customers whom the man was ready to 
accommodate. To get a good drink from a well one 
hundred and two varas deep for nothing we should 
have to pass ourselves off as “ Christians ”—Chris¬ 
tians, be it remembered, in the Nicaraguan accepta¬ 
tion of the word, equivalent to Roman Catholics. In 
this part of the world no Protestant is popularly sup¬ 
posed to be a Christian, or to have even been bap- 
E 
