Chap. VI. NINDIRI. 89 
the Santa Clara, the Viejo, and some smaller cones of this 
chain ; and the islands of Tigre and Sacate Grande, in the 
gulf of Fonseca, may be considered as a north-westerly 
continuation of the series. 
Between these three lines of elevations the traveller can 
pass on a level road from the Ail antic to the Pacific ; and, 
in the direction to the latter, this may be done by two 
principal routes, — one on the south-western side of the 
Maribios, from Leon to Bealejo ; the other on the north- 
eastern side of that chain, from the northern corner of the 
lake of Managua through the plain of the Eio de Palma 
and the Estero Real to the gulf of Fonseca. 
On the 31st of January I left Leon on my return to 
Granada. From Managua I took the regular road to 
Nindiri and Masaya. The first of these two places is a 
large Indian village, representing one of the most charm- 
ing scenes I have ever seen. Its little thatched huts are 
built with great regularity in rectangular streets, with plan- 
tain gardens behind them. Most of them are situated in 
the shade of orange, mango, and other fruit-trees, and half 
concealed by groups of the most exquisite ornamental 
flowers, while the tallest cocoa-palms gently waft their 
crowns above them. Brown girls with smiling faces stood 
in the doorways, greeting the passing traveller in a friendly 
tone w T ith their "goodooawee, Americano!" — -good-bye, 
American ! 
In the neighbourhood of Nindiri the road crosses an old 
stream of lava ejected from the crater of the volcano of 
Masaya. From the summit of the mountain it has de- 
scended into the plain, where it was arrested by the hori- 
zontally of the surface, and the progress of cooling. It is 
an awful sight, looking as if a broad stream of melted iron, 
raised in wild commotion like the sea in a storm, had 
