Chap. IX. A THUNDERSTORM. 153 
which are not uncommon in this western part of the coun- 
try during the rainy season. The eastern and western sides 
of Nicaragua, and, I believe, of Central America in 
general, are very different in this respect. The whole 
western coast of the Continent, from Nicaragua to the 
Peninsula of California, is frequently visited by thunder- 
storms of a frightful violence. Mazatlan, for instance, is 
ill-reputed for this feature of its climate ; while at San 
Francisco, on the contrary, thunderstorms are of rare 
occurrence, and not very heavy. In our case, we had 
reason to congratulate ourselves on having reached a 
shelter before it broke out. The flashes of lightning were 
most frightful, and the claps of thunder altogether appal- 
ling. The rain poured down so densely that it seemed 
doubtful whether a man could breathe in such an atmos- 
phere. The house we had entered was inhabited by a 
widow and her two daughters. As soon as we had 
alighted, the curate of the village, curious to see the 
foreign travellers, hastened to pay a visit to the ladies ; 
and now, while heavy strokes of lightning fell in every 
direction on the trees of the forest, the trembling women 
looked to the priest for consolation, and the young divine 
availed himself of the opportunity of showing his superior 
information. " When I was a boy," he said, " I too was 
afraid of thunder and lightning. But since that time I 
have studied philosophy "—a terrible clap — " Ave Maria 
santisima ! — and our professor has taught us that the 
heavenly bodies are too high up to fall down upon us." 
Another clap — "Jesu Cristo, mi mejor pararayo J" The 
next stroke drove the trembling padre into a dark room, 
where the women had taken refuge, and as long as the 
storm lasted we heard their loud and pious " or a pro 
nobis ; " but scarcely had it passed away, and the thunder 
