174 
GUATEMALA. 
entered Amatitlan, where we found a pretty little posada. 
Our mozos, who were fine fellows, were not far behind us. 
The barometer told us that we were 3,650 feet above San 
Jose. 
In the morning, finding sacate very dear, we made 
up our bestias’ breakfast with maiz, and started betimes. 
We rode to the Lago de Amatitlan, which is very shal¬ 
low, but clear near the shore. In the depths of t his lake 
were thrown, according to tradition, immense treasures; 
and every now and then some ancient idol or bit of pot¬ 
tery is dragged up. On the banks were willows of con¬ 
siderable size; altogether, the whole scene was very 
different from any¬ 
thing we had found 
in the republic. 
The fishermen’s 
boats were of a pe- 
culiar shape, — 
projecting below 
the water-line, so 
Section of Boat at Amatitlan. 
that a cross-section 
amidships would be like the diagram. In trying a short 
cut back to the main road, we were lost in a cafetal , and 
had to ask the people in charge to open a locked gate 
and let us out upon our road. We ascended seven hun¬ 
dred feet and found a good path. In various places there 
were deposits of fine pumice, much of which had been 
excavated, leaving caverns large enough to shelter many 
people from the weather. We entered the capital about 
noon, meeting Santiago on the outskirts, who conducted 
us to the Hotel del Globo. At this hotel, which was kept 
by a wretched German, we found our mozos, and the 
