192 
GUATEMALA. 
of the breath would overset these heavy sail-bearers, which 
go in Indian file. We had no time to follow them home 
on this occasion; 1 2 for when we came to Azacualpa, still 
some eight leagues from Jutiapa, we found this large village 
(twelve hundred inhabitants) had no posada. Indeed, it 
had nothing but corn and beans, and even water was 
scarce; so we pushed on into the night through an un¬ 
known country. After dark we could buy no maiz for our 
bestias, though a senora sold us a bottle of excellent honey. 
We had seen from the hill above, in the fading light, a 
magnificent valley of great extent, broken by ridges and 
ravines, and we had hoped to find some decent shelter. 
But when the moon rose over a volcano, we decided to 
camp; and picketing our steeds on a fine pasture, we 
slept on our blankets, undisturbed except by the wind, 
which was strong at times. Our barometer told us we 
were 3,152 feet above the sea. I noticed that in the 
highlands it was apt to be windy at night. 
In the morning our honey, a little bread, and some 
unripe oranges gave us a very unsubstantial meal; never¬ 
theless at daybreak we saddled and rode on. We saw 
many pigeons, little gray quails that ran along the path, 
and crows. At La Paz we found a very neat house, 
where we stopped for almuerzo; but alas for external 
signs ! my bowl of black-bean soup contained a patriarchal 
cockroach. It was pleasant to see through the open door 
our animals eating a good breakfast of scicaton. A little 
farther on was a clear stream ; but most of the way was 
over a dusty plain among espina blancas ? ( Acacia ) and 
1 See note on Zompopas in the Appendix. 
2 These acacias not only yield gum-arabic, but the pods contain so much 
tannin that they are used to make ink. 
