Chap. IV.— B. S.] 
A SHORT CUT. 
51 
We started early next morning, and soon after left 
the cart-road, which ever since our departure from 
Leon we had been able to follow, and which passed 
over tolerably level ground, though round the large 
volcanoes and over fields of lava. The road we now 
took, Cleto informed us, was a short cut, but, like 
most short cuts if one is not quite familiar with them, 
it turned out to be rather a long one. The whole 
day we did not see a house or meet a single human 
being, and, except two stagnant pools, the only water 
we found was a little brook. On advancing, the 
country became more hilly, and we had to cross valleys 
full of large boulders, resting on black mould, in 
the rainy season one mass of mud. It was very 
warm indeed, and, as most of the trees were quite leaf¬ 
less, as ours are in the depth of winter, we suffered 
very much from the sun. We soon finished a few 
bottles of water which we carried along with us, and 
to quench our thirst ate some hog-plums and “ uvas ” 
(.Ardisia coriacea ). One of the valleys was full of trees 
bearing fruits like oranges ; and Captain Holman, de¬ 
lighted at the sight, galloped ahead to gather some. 
To his disappointment, though not to mine, these 
u oranges” turned out to be the fruit of a calabash- 
tree (Crescentia alata ), the seeds of which the Nicara¬ 
guans make into a cooling drink, and sell in some of 
the shops of the towns, whilst the shell is turned into 
drinking-cups. 
After continued travelling in this inhospitable 
region, we were glad to perceive, towards sunset, a 
farm, which stood on the top of a hill, and rejoiced in 
E 2 
