Chap. IX.— B. S.] SAGACITY OF A MULE. 139 
been built in the public squares and other open places 
in which the inhabitants took refuge. The priests 
did not allow this occasion to slip by without obtain¬ 
ing considerable contributions from the frightened and 
repenting multitude. The longer the earthquakes 
continued, the faster money was coming in. There 
were three slight shocks on the day after my arrival, 
interpreted by the inhabitants as the harbinger of the 
wet season; and sure enough, in the evening of the 
same day, the rain came down in torrents, rapidly 
converting the dusty streets into foaming rivers. 
Everything having been arranged satisfactorily 
about the purchase of the Javali Mine, which I finally 
obtained for <3T 50,000, I was able to start for Europe, 
Captain Holman remaining behind a little longer. 
From Granada my way led once more to Managua, 
passing Masaya, with its curious crater lake, out of 
which all the water used in the town is carried on 
the heads of women. It was late in the day when 
I left Granada, and stopping some time in Masaya to 
let a heavy shower of rain pass, I entered, about 
sunset, a virgin forest. My cargo-mules and ser¬ 
vants had been left far behind, not being able to 
keep up with my pace. The rain coming down in 
regular bucketfuls, I trotted on as fast as the nature 
of the ground would admit, but ere long I found my¬ 
self in utter darkness. When the rain abated, in¬ 
numerable fireflies appeared, the brilliant flutter of 
which completely blinded me. Allowing the mule 
to have his own way, he went along at a very slow 
pace; but my confidence in his sagacity was not dis- 
