123 MONKEYS. Book I. 
the Gerro de Juigalpa, which stands to the right, and is 
marked by its abrupt steepness. Where the valley opened 
into the plain of Acoyapa, the view passed over the 
lower country, beyond which the lake expanded itself 
at the foot of an extensive region of mountains and hills. 
Just before the opening of the valley, the two peaks of 
Ometepe rose from the water. Beyond this island the 
hills of the Isthmus of Rivas were seen, and on the farthest 
horizon, faintly traced, the volcanoes of Costarica were 
discernible. The Mombacho, a little ore to the right, 
marked the site of Granada. 1 
A house stood at the very edge of the plateau, so as to 
command the view down the valley, as described. 
Continuing my journey over the table-land, I was struck 
by observing the number of springs in this region. Within 
a circuit of not many miles in diameter a river is formed on 
which the canoes of the Indians can pass down to Blue- 
fields. Most of these springs are surrounded by trees and 
thickets of bamboo, and of the little supa palm mentioned 
above. At one of these localities, while passing under a 
tree, I disturbed the peace of a family of monkeys. With 
loud and angry chatterings they fled, and soon were hidden 
between the branches. But in this hasty flight a young 
one had been left behind on a branch just above the path, 
and so near that I could reach it with the muzzle of my 
gun. I stopped my horse to look at the little creature, 
which seemed to be so much frightened that it did not dare 
to move when its mother came back to save it. It was 
interesting to watch the struggle between fear and maternal 
love in the old monkey, alternately approaching, now 
1 The view accompanying this page was taken at one or two hundred feet 
below the summit. 
