140 DOTTINGS ON THE ROADSIDE. [Chap. IX.— B. S. 
appointed; he carried me safely to Managua, just as 
everybody was going to bed, and earned high praise 
from the people at the inn, who could hardly believe 
that man and beast had passed over a dark and diffi¬ 
cult road, previously unknown to both. The inn was 
a fair specimen of those institutions throughout the 
country kept by natives, and is known by the nickname 
of ‘Hotel de Hambre,’ from travellers having the pri¬ 
vilege of paying pretty highly for being kept just 
above starvation point, on sun-dried beef, brown 
beans, a few eggs, and some maize-cakes. In con¬ 
juring up such an inn, dismiss from your mind all 
notion of comfort or cosiness. If taken in, which in 
one sense one always is, you may have to share 
your room with half-a-dozen fellows. There may, 
perhaps, be a few empty bedsteads; but unless you 
bring your own bedding or hammock, you have a 
most miserable time of it. On the night of my ar¬ 
rival the inn kept up its reputation. There was not 
a handful of grass or corn for my poor mule, and he 
had to content himself with a pailful of water for the 
night. I myself fared little better. The landlord 
informed me that there was nothing to eat on the 
premises, except one egg and a couple of maize cakes, 
which, with a cup of colfee—milk I should have in 
the morning—might be sufficient to keep body and 
soul together till breakfast-time. 
From Managua I returned, by way of Matiaris, 
Nagarote, Pueblo Nueva, and Leon, to Corinto, and 
there embarked for Panamd. After roughing it for 
several months, I was glad to find myself once more 
