26 THE GUATUSOS. Book. I. 
continuing, after this romantic episode, his journey to 
California. According to his statements, he would have 
remained with the Indians had he been able to endure the 
life in the wilderness, which he found rather too ill- 
provided with accommodations for enjoying his honey- 
moon. During the rainy season the tribe lived almost 
exclusively on the trees, and he speaks in very high terms 
of the dexterity with which they would leap from branch 
to branch, a mode of travelling in which he often found it 
too difficult to follow his nimble spouse. At the time of 
each full moon the whole tribe met in council, for which 
the place was designated from one meeting to the next by 
the chief, and whatever was done by common agreement 
was regulated according to the phases of the moon. 
Some years before the period of my first arrival in 
Nicaragua, the officer then in command of the fort of 
San Carlos fitted out an expedition for the purpose of 
exploring the country on the Rio Frio, which is known to 
be rich in gold. This little corps, having hit upon a 
deserted village of the Indians on the bank of the river, 
and resting in the shade of some trees on the outskirts of 
the forest, was suddenly assailed by a shower of arrows, 
and with the exception of the commanding officer, who was 
severely wounded, but succeeded in hiding himself between 
the reeds till a boat from the fort came to his rescue, 
every man of the expeditionary force was killed. 1 
At San Carlos my luggage had to pass the custom- 
house visitation. When the first of my boxes was opened, 
and a botanical work, lying uppermost, and being recog- 
nisable as such by its plates, came to view, all further 
1 Mr. Squier, in his recent work on I given some very valuable information 
the ' Central American States,' has in reference to the Guatusos. 
