The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1827-02-21


subject, which, connected with the fact,
seemed to be plausible. Antigua (old)
Iau.emala is situated near the upper
end OF an extensive valley of great fer
'Ililly, on a small river which winds its
course 10 the South Sea, through the
crotch of the Volcan de Aqua Twater1
and The Volcan de Fuego fire. These
maJesuc towns seem TO have arisen from
the zane basis, and to have attained al.
most the same height. Their altitude
IS varipusly estimated at from Is 20
2o,ooO leet. The inhabitants claim for
mem a superiority over Chimborazo
But III his they must be mistaken. be-
Cause atfhis time their SUBMITS are no,
covered with snow, The former. When
aglfaiedt throws its water contents tOl
the north whilst the latter is coniioS}sI-
" emi'titg columns of smoke Or ,ite il
southern direction. The spmmit OF
The formlr can be speached W hen il is
mute; By 60 s6Rs.bas ever had The te-
merlty of attempting TO gain the top of
the latter
When Alvarado,* the companion oil
Cortes, c;me from Mexico, he selected
spot near the base of Volcan de Aqua,
On which 10 erect city. No;with-
standing the frequent warnings of In
pending danger, the city continued to
improve until September, 154I, when
the moth lip of the water bursted, and
an ERUPTION Of water from the bowels of
The mountain, rolling from the summit
IN tornnts so immense as to sweep be-
fore trees and rocks. and to over
"heln the city, and bury many of the
Inhabitants beneath the ruins. This Ca
tastroDhe lnduced the survivors 10 fix on
he sIoi one league distant, where Anti.
qua sands, for The city and their future
residence. The widow of AIvarado
" as among The victims Of this Calamity.
The city was rebuilt on the new site
with 'stonishing rapidity, and continued
TO be Inc capital of the kingdom until
the year 1878, when il was demolished
by anearthquake. From the period of
lis foundation, scarcely year passed
without alarms from the neighboring
volcanoes. A priest, who resided in
Antigua at the time, gave me desorp-
ton 'f the tremendous vibrations of The
earif, OF the fright Of the inhabitants,
and The prostration of houses, which |
"In uUI Vvut-.r~ Imttduc. i MS VEN
cradle man, now upwards of eighty
years old, after speaking of the water,
soh and climate of this ill-fated CITY
closed his observations by this emphatic
remark, that God Almighty had blessed
Antigua with both his hands. spen
some time in examining The ruins of tn.
city and the sepuichres of the dead. The
cathedral is the depository of the bone.
OF Alvarado, the conqueror of the coun
try. At the time of the destruction Of
he city the population amounted TO 40.
600. The private dwellings were bull
IN good style, and public edifces were
magnificent.
The design and exquisite finish of The
dIiaPldated churches, about 80 liz mum
Der, will compare with the public build
ings in modern times. After the earth
quake of l773, the King of Spain, by .
royal ordnance, transferred he CITY tt
The spo; where new Guatemala stands
Many of the surviving inhabitants were
so devotedly attached TO Antigua, Ina
they we're removed at the point of thu
bayoaet. Since the establishment of ;
free Government and the people are a
liberty to exercise discretion in h.
choice OF place of residence, mau,
have returned 10 Antigua, aud its popu
latlon, at this time, amounts to l5.OO(
inhabitants. The water, soil aud eli
mate, hold out so many seductiy,
charms, than the CITY will be rebuilt
the Volcanoes TO the contrary notwith
standing. One night that said in Ina
neighborhood, the Volcan de Fueeo wa
heard in growl twice, bur the motion o
the earth was scarcely felt. INTENDED
reaching The sumuit of the Volcan ds
Aqua. and asceGded several thousand
feet bur discovering that the cloud.
would intercept view of the Atlantic
to the aorth, abandoned it with the in
tention OF returning, so soon as tht
rainy season is over in that quarter
From the height reached, had a fin,
view Of the valleys below, on whose
PERCEPTIONS sides, woods, mountains anc
VOLCANOES are profusely heaped in mag
nihcent confusion; whilst your sigh
falls or the three Gua;emalas, the two
first illustrated by sad catastrophes
hamleis, towns, plantations, streams anc
lakes, spread beneath the eye, forming
a delightful contrast with the rude gran.
denr of the surrounding scenery. The
Curate of Antigua, Padre Castro (my
hosD entertained me with great hosui