130 INDIANS OF THE MOSQUITO TEERITORY. Book I. 
The savanas of this table-land are green throughout the 
year, there being no such distinction as that of a dry and 
a wet season, or of summer and winter. The temperature 
is always mild, and a due proportion of sunshine and rain 
prevails at all periods. Gigantic trees are . scattered here 
and there over these prairies, affording shades to which 
the herds repair during the noontide heat. The trees and 
shrubs are principally exogenous, a few goyol-trees being 
the only kind of palm, which, with the exception of the 
little supa, I saw on the table-land. 
In this district the outermost settlers from Nicaragua 
dwell in immediate contact with the independent Indians 
of the Mosquito territory. As some families of them lived 
in the neighbourhood of Don Tomas I went to see them, 
and my friendly host accompanied me. After we had 
proceeded three miles, passing the Rio Mico — which, at 
the place of the passage, was a little river running over 
pebbles of porphyry — we came to an impenetrable thicket 
of shrubs and reeds, where we halted, alighted from our 
horses, and entered an almost imperceptible path leading 
into the jungle. In a zigzag, like the entrance to a fortress, 
this path suddenly brought us to a large open shed, under 
which eight or ten Indians — men, women, and children — 
were assembled. Apparently they were surprised and felt 
uneasy at our arrival. Their good neighbour, Don 
Tomas, took pains to dissipate the suspicion I seemed to 
inspire, and I too did my best to insinuate myself into 
their friendly feelings ; but I was unable to overcome the 
mistrust of the old women of the family even by making 
them a present of cigars, some small silver coins, and other 
trifles. On our way back Don Tomas gave me an ex- 
planation of their behaviour. These Indians believed me 
to be an Englishman from Bluefields, who, under the 
