86 
GUATEMALA. 
unaccustomed eyes, most horrible ; but they must have 
appeared in holier form to the poor worshippers, for 
marigolds and amaranths were strewed before them, and 
votive candles burned on the floor. The ancient name 
of this town w r as Tucurub (meaning “town of owls”); 
but the Spaniards re-christened it by one of the saints 
called Michael, — which I do not know, but apparently 
not that one whose churches in western Europe are usu¬ 
ally perched on some almost inaccessible pinnacle, as at 
Le Puy in France, St. Michael’s Mount in Cornwall, 
etc. Only one man in the town could speak English, 
and he could give us very little information about our 
road. Indeed, all the way w r e were in that delightful 
condition of travelling without knowing exactly what is 
coming, and constantly meeting the unexpected. The 
rain at last came down in earnest, and drove us within 
doors. A Boston boy who has a fine coffee estate in 
the neighborhood came in as we were at dinner and 
initiated us into the mystery of tortillas tostadas. Cer¬ 
tainly by toasting, the tough, clammy, cold tortilla is 
made even better than new. 
At four in the morning our boy Roberto lighted the 
candle and waked us up. We had settled our score the 
night before, and so did not disturb the family, but com¬ 
pleted our toilet on the doorstep, as we saw to the sad¬ 
dling of our horses, by the light of the solitary candle. 
It was so dark as we rode away that we could not see 
the road, and blindly followed our guide’s white horse. 
A gate across the road gave us some trouble, as we could 
only feel it. By daylight the scenery must be fine ; but 
as the noise of rushing waters, and a blacker streak by 
the road-side, alone indicated the torrents and barrancas 
