ARRIVAL AT OCOTAL. 
63 
Chap. IV.—B. S.] 
discipline, however, is not enforced by a row of stocks, 
as in one of the country villages through which we 
passed. 
The inhabitants follow agricultural pursuits, and 
cattle and mule breeding; several of them are said to 
carry on a lucrative contraband trade with Honduras, 
the absurdly high import and export duties in most 
Spanish American republics conferring a premium 
upon that illicit traffic, and there is besides a dash 
of romance about it. On the latter point I can 
speak with all the force of authority, for, though I 
have never been a smuggler myself, I was on hoard 
her Majesty’s vessels which, on the Mexican coast, 
used to do some little smuggling of silver dollars, in 
the profits of which the admiral of the station, and the 
captain, officers, and men of the ships participated. 
The Mexican government, having almost prohibited 
the export of coined dollars by high export duties, 
the merchants found it cheaper to buy over the whole 
coastguard, and pay a handsome bonus to our naval 
officers, rather than let their treasure pass through 
the custom-house. Hence sprang up the Mexican 
treasure-smuggling, winked at by the Admiralty, and 
distasteful to many subordinate naval officers, some of 
whom have openly refused to accept the usual pro¬ 
ceeds of such a service. 
The neighbourhood of Ocotal is famous for its silver- 
mines, and we did not fail to visit them. We also 
found some extensive tracts of grass-land, suitable 
for sheep-farming, which might be bought at a very 
cheap rate, and which I recommend for that pur- 
