ACROSS THE CONTINENT, WESTWARD TO COBAN. 91 
This city, although at an elevation of 4,500 feet, is 
surrounded by much higher hills; and from the pass 
over which the road winds, the view of the surrounding 
coffee-region is very fine. The streams were in flood, 
and some of the lower plantations were under water. 
Near the town we 
saw the method of 
raising coffee-plants 
under frames cov¬ 
ered with dried 
ferns. Crossing a 
good bridge, we 
came up a paved 
street, and soon 
after ten o’clock 
rode into the Hotel 
Aleman, where we 
had a very comfort¬ 
able room and two 
beds with sheets 
and pillow-cases, — 
the first we had 
seen since we left 
Livingston; and we 
were not now com¬ 
pelled to sleep in our clothes. Our breakfast was the 
best we had found since we had been in the country, 
and consisted of soup, sausages, frijoles negras , wheaten 
.rolls, fried plantains, tortillas tostadas , tomato salad, fried 
potatoes, and good coffee. The potatoes here are native, 
seldom larger than an English walnut, and very mealy. 
In the patio of the hotel bloomed roses and violets. 
