126 
DOTTINGS ON THE ROADSIDE. [Chap. VIII.—B. S. 
Indian families about Libertad, but there are now a 
few only. Earlier still, centuries, ages ago, there must 
have been a large Indian population in the grassy 
districts of Chontales. A great number of ancient 
tombs, met with in almost every direction, sufficiently 
attest this. These tombs are found in plains having 
a rocky soil and good drainage. The Indians never 
selected ill-drained sites for their villages, and many 
of the most healthy towns built by the Spaniards in 
America are in localities originally selected by Indians. 
From what I saw, it would seem that in these ancient 
Chontales villages the houses were in the centre, and 
the tombs, placed in circles around, formed the out¬ 
skirts. The tombs are of different heights and sizes. 
One of the largest, which was about twenty feet long 
by twelve feet wide and eight feet above ground, I 
saw opened by people in search of golden ornaments. 
It took four men about a fortnight to remove the heap 
of stones placed on the top of the grave, and to lay 
the grave itself completely open. No gold was found, 
but a round pillar, seven feet high and eighteen inches 
across, which was standing upright in the centre of 
the tomb, a hand-mill for grinding corn or cacao, in 
shape like those still in use in the country, a knife 
ten inches long, a hatchet like a reaping-hook, of 
which I give a woodcut, and a tiger’s head (natural 
size)—all of stone—and, besides, some broken crocks 
and a quantity of balls as large as peas, and made 
of burnt clay. In some instances gold ornaments 
have been met with, but not in sufficient num¬ 
bers to offer much inducement for people to destroy 
