Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1839-07-18
M 1 y e L Il L " X.
Fnom the Rerubl,can Review.
NARRATIVE OF A JOURNEY TO GUATE-
MALA, IN CENTRAL AMERICA.
ny O. W. MONTGOMERY.

saw Nib0t ~ VI AfEds Hft1SIitt dVA nhNti tdHt
much of interest and instruction. it ia inscribed
to the Hon. John Forsyth, Secretary OF State. /,
contains a full description Of the authors travels
to that country, from his embarcstion at New York
TO his arrival at Washington, given with q vividncss
indicative Of no ordinary talent in the author. His
advantages, (being entrusted by this Government
with a commission to Guaiemals } enabled him To
furnish us with true geographical and picturesque
scenes OF the country, and OF the manners and cus-
toms of a people with whom we are but little &C.
qusinted. Notwithstanding the yawuing precipi.
ces, raging torrent, the lurking bandit. or rebel
guerilla, volcanic e~ruptions and earthquakes. which
characterize the country through which he passed,
he accomplished his undertaking in safety, and pre-
pared q pleasant and nut icious morscl to satiate
the novel sppetites of the reading public. The
FIRST place at which he landed was Havana, a de.
%sctiption of which in his own words, VIZ:
1.-The poit was crowded with vessels, one.,bird
part at least Americans: the wharves were cover
ed with people; some busy and bu,tling. others
lettering and looking on. In a little while we
were visited by the captain Of he port, who reeei-
we'd our passports; and afterwards by the officers
ofthe customs. These fuuctionaries cane in thei,
several barges; and | could not help contrasting
the manner in which similar duties are discharged
in New York and Havana. In the former port the
doctor and custom house officer go off to a vessel,
each in a ligh, boat or Gig, pulled by four oars al
most, and in q mere simple business way, without
any parade. Here, on the contrary, with the love
Of the grondtose proper to a Spaniard the captain
Of the port is attended with two or three subalterns;
and the delegates Of the customs are FIVE or six ia
number. Each party has it's twelve Dared barge,
with coxswsin at the helm, and a man with a boat
hook at the bows, ard sits in becoming state under
| a capacious awning of painted canvass, above which
the flag OF Spain floats proudly to the breeze"
We shall now leave our author. who has taken
his departure from Havana, and ursuing hs jour
ney sNan-like DER the migh,y deep. His sketch
Of the city Of Guatemala is high wrought. amusing
and ~edifying, We clase this hasty notlce by pre-
senting the canvass as pencilled and colored by the
author:
"The cities OF Central America are twenty-nine
in number. but those entitled to any notice are on
" the following: Guatemala, in the State Of that
name, with a population Of about twenty-five thou
sand souls, Antigua, or old Guatemala. and CHI.
qnimula ST Salvador, IN the State so called, which
Is now the Federal district, comprising u circle
around the ciiy twenty miles in diameter, and the
residence Of The Goveinment; Santana bud Sonso-
| nate, in the same State; ST. Jose. in Cn.tnr ca ;
Leon and Granada, in Nicaragua and CrmaSa
qua and Ttuxiilo. in Honduras.
The city OF Guatemala stands in t. middle Of
a large AMI beauniui plan, surrounded by noun.
| tains. la the suburbs and enyiions there are nu-
merous e, oves and gardens. The streets cross each
other at right angles, and being rectiIinear, present
at each ,xuemity d charming prospect ot the aeja-
cent country. The houses consist pi only oue sto-
ny, which rarely exceeds twenty feet IN height, IN
order to their moie easily resisting the shock al an
earthquake" They are all provided Win iunei
courts aud corridors. In tho centre of these courts
there is generally "a fountain or some ornamental
tees, or both in many of tn. houses there are
two courts Ind u garden. The space occupied by
thass hntspa An q cprtaluiy vplv ri,af in prnnarttnu
to the accommodation they afford, but they are
delightful dwellings, and have a light, cheerful op.
pesrance, with this convenience, that every room Is
ON the same floor. The doofs-strsnge as II may
seem-ate provided, in some cases, With two ksock-
ers, one considerabl, higher than The Other the
under one fr prrsoa- on floor, the upper for those
on horseback. The doors, however, are never shut
except IN the nighttime.
"Ths plaza, or great square in the centre of the
city. is provided on thee sides with a colouadr,
which afford. passengers a shelter from the sun
and rain. On the other side stands the cathedral
"a splendid ed fee. in the best style OF modern
architecture. IL has three entrances in front, With
a fl Ight of steps. The interior Is divided into three
sisles, formed by two rows Of arches, supported by
lofty MASSIVE pillars. In the centre Of The plaza
there is a fine fountain the area is used as n mar
ket- place. The best shops are situated in this part
Of The town. as also most of the public Offices.
1 II z luDilC DbtlulnEs OF 1NdLtmdld deserving
any notice are those Of a religious character. The
most conspicuous, next to the cathedral, is the con.
vent of St. Francis; but this noble structure 10 now
falling 10 ruins, having been much injured by an
earthquake, all III church and pictures
have been removed, and the place is now shut up
and untenanted. The convent Of la Recollection,
where, since the extinction of he Monkish orders.
a high school ia kept, is another magnificent pile.
1t contains. among other works of art, a fine pain
ting of Lazarus rising from the grave. The chnr-
ehes of ST. Dominic, SANTA Teresa, and la Meiced,
are also structures Of great beauty and merit, and
among the chief architectural ornaments of the c-
ty.
"There is a chapel or hermitage called la Her.
inita, which is remarkable only for its antiquity
and for its charming and romantic site. 1t was
erected there long before the capital was transferred
10 its present situation, and at a time when The
space occupied by the city of Guatemala was a yer.
dant waste. This chapel is in the suburbs, on a
little hill, the sides and foot of which are covered
with shrubs and wild flowers. 1t commards a wide
and charming view of the city and country, and il
a favorite place Of resort in the afternoons.
There is an university in Guatemala, but the
students are very few. 1t contains a library, which
| visited. The books are principally old Spanish
chronicles Herrera's general history Of America,
and that 81 Torquemada. some Of the ancient elias
sizes, among which was an Italian version of Virgil
by Antonio Ambrogi-a fine edition some OF the
Spanish classics, two or thee encyclopedias, aud
some dictionaries and vocabulaIies of Indian Ian
guages. There is also a mint; but the machinery
necessary for coming being incomplete, it is not now
IN operation. The printing Offices, ! think, are on
ly Two. The newspapers are also two. There is
no theatre, no reading'room, nor any hotel or cot
fee-house in the place.
Guatemala was originally built near the sea,
twenty-five miles 10 the south of irs present situa-
ton. The old city called Antigua, is still popu-
lous, and contains ten OF twelve thousand inhabl-
tants. 1t is situated on the decliviiy Of a noun
tain, the summit Of which is crowned by the gIand
volcano. 1t was overwhelmed by an earthquakes in
1851. but was rebuilt a few years after. la iva
il was again destroyed by another earthquake, and
several shocks we've experienced, at intervals, from
that period to l775, when il was determined by the
Government 10 remove the city to a more eligible
site. The situation selected was that where new
| Guatemala now stands The capital was accordins.