Chap. III. NATIVE INHABITANTS OF GEANADA. 45 
the family of Coccinellidae marched along with the ants 
from one hole into the other, not quite of their own will, 
for I observed that several times one of them tried to 
deviate from the line, but was quickly brought back to the 
ranks by some of the ants placing themselves at its side. 
The fact of little beetles of the very family just mentioned 
existing in the nests of ants is well known, but it is of con- 
siderable interest to see the fact repeated in distinct 
climates, with different species of insects of both tribes, and 
under opposite circumstances. 
My intercourse with the native inhabitants of Granada 
has not been very extended. The unfortunate Ponciano 
Corral, a man of an excellent character, who was then the 
military commandant of the place, but who, a few years 
later, was shot by order of William Walker, accompanied 
me one day to see the Padre Vigil, a distinguished 
member of the Nicaraguan clergy, who was afterwards 
sent by the Walker government as a diplomatic agent to 
Washington. The conversation, in which other eminent 
persons participated, turned upon that favourite topic of 
Hispano- Americans — the mines; all the gentlemen present 
having some interest in a certain mine in the province of 
Chontales which yielded a yellow substance respecting 
which a doubt existed as to whether it was gold or not. 
In the course of the conversation I was asked by which of 
the planets the gold was produced and by which the silver. 
The Padre Vigil is a man of eulightened views in religious 
matters, who has always belonged to the liberal party of 
the country, and has ever been favourable to foreigners. 
Religious toleration and hospitality towards them were the 
constant theme of his sermons delivered in the cathedral 
of Granada during the time of my residence. 
It was not without interest to me, to make the 
