586 EASTWARD BOUND. Book III. 
CHAPTEE XL 
Eastward Bound — Filibusters on board — William Walker — Return to 
NewYork. 
On the 20th of November, 1855, 1 embarked in the beau- 
tiful steam-ship Cortez, destined to San Juan del Sur. 
Besides a numerous company of cabin passengers of 
Californian gentlemen and ladies, there were about one 
hundred armed men on board, proceeding to join the army 
of William Walker, in Nicaragua. With some of them 
I was personally acquainted, and I can say that, though 
reckless fellows, they had many good qualities, and were 
seriously convinced that they had engaged in a glorious 
and praiseworthy undertaking. 
The course of our steamer lay close to the coast of 
Mexico and Central America. The summits of the gi- 
gantic cones of Guatemala, appearing above a stratum of 
clouds represented a picture of sublime grandeur. As we 
passed along the coast of San Salvador we could see, at 
tbree different localities, the action of volcanoes. At one 
place, violent emissions of smoke followed each other in 
regular intervals of time, each producing a globular cloud, 
which, after having been ejected abruptly as if by an explo- 
sion, rose slowly into the air. 
We arrived in the port of San Juan del Sur on the 3rd 
of October. Here William Walker had his head-quarters 
at that time. The men who had come from California in < 
the Cortez joined him there. 
I have nothing to add to my former remarks on San 
