114 POLITICAL CHAKACTEBS. Book I. 
and as to the natural charms of the site for a family resi- 
dence, they cannot be surpassed in any part of the world. 
From this place I returned to Rivas, whence I sent to 
Granada for my horse. While waiting for it, I made the 
acquaintance of two men who have acted prominent parts 
in the recent history of Nicaragua. One of them was the 
licentiate Laureano Pineda, at that time a lawyer at Rivas, 
but shortly after elected Director Supremo of the Republic, 
though he filled the presidential chair for a few weeks only. 
Mr. Pineda had the appearance and manners of a gentle- 
man equally dignified and popular. It has been said that 
when he was elected, and he departed to the capital, he 
remarked that he knew he was going to his death, but that 
he was resolved to do his duty as a citizen. He was well 
aware of the exasperated feelings of the different political 
parties. These his election was intended to allay, but 
only contributed to bring to an outbreak. Scarcely had 
he been inaugurated when both parties accused each other 
mutually of meditating violence, and these accusations were 
followed by the fact. One night the whole government of 
Leon was quietly arrested. The gentlemen composing it 
were taken from their houses, placed on horses, and carried 
out of the country. The banishment of Mr. Pineda was 
not of long duration. From the State of San Salvador, 
where he had taken refuge, an English vessel brought him 
to San Juan del Sur, whence he came back to Rivas. 
The state of politics, however, had completely changed in 
the mean time, and he was not placed in office again. 
A public character of much superior interest was Fruto 
Chamorro, at that time Prefect of the department of Rivas. 
I had a conversation with him with regard to a projected 
settlement of Germans at San Juan del Sur, an idea to 
which he was decidedly opposed. Nicaragua, he told me 
