The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1857-04-02
Fron. the New Orh ans Delta.
SCENES AND INCIDENTS IN CENTRAL
AMERICA.
THE PLAIN OF LEON AND IT'S PRODUCTIONS.
ny DIR. J. II. SIGUH.


The plain Of Leon is plateau of i'm.
mense extent, stretching north and Yves,
from the Western shores of Lake Managna
to the port Of Realcjo on the Pacific, and
the Eastern Real, an arm of the Gn!f OF
Fenseca, almost due nol,h. North and
eastsit is bounded by the nine volcanoes Of
the M"r"hios, beyond which another plain
of similar elevation and climate stretches
away in a north-casterly direction, until it
breaks i'll pillows of luxriant vegetation
against the rocky bases Of the mountains of
- Nueva Segovia.
OF the plain Of Leon proper, the city of
Leon forms the geographical as well as the
political centre, lying eqni-distant betwren
the Lake OF Managua and the Pacific Ocean.
1t is one Of the largest cities in Central
America-the largest in the State of Mica.
ragua; and possesses population Of twen-
1y:hvo thousand souls, including the Sub
tiaha or Inlian suburb in the estimate
; Its cathedral of San Pedro is the fines,
public edifire i'll the country; and the social
and political Importance Of the place wnull
we'll 'entitle it to :, more elaborate .lrscri,,.
ton, lIad not the ground hccn already oc-
cupied by MIR. Squi.r, who I,us devoted
nearly hundred pages of his invaluable
work on the people. scenery and m"nm-
ments Of Nicaragua, to an Exhaustive pic.
ture of all the more Interesting features of
the capital.
Referring our readers, therefore, TO Mr..
Squicr, for I'LL sucl, information lis they may
desire about the city, VT shall cun.ine our.
selves III the present chapter to IN cxpns;-
ton Of those agricultural RESOURCES which
MUST eventually restore this plateau tnu
commercial importance even higher than
that Of whiclI the rava"rs "f civil war
and the general insecurity OF property, h;vc
temporarily dcprivclit.
The general surface of The plain is.a ta-
ble land of considerable height, diversified
with dclS Of tho richest, luxurilnrc and
beauty. The heaven Which arches il, ,iu-
ring the greater par, Of the year is of un
s:!a:ded blue, am! the atmosphere has :,
purity whicl, enables one, with glass. to
distinguish small objects. as u tree. or the
mast Of 81, ship. AT an ncr,.lil.!c distance.
Compared to Grrna.l:,. lis climate is healthy
IN the extreme; and with ii very moderate
degree of cauiot rs to the use of fruit and
exposure at Understandable hours, the Inl-
elgner may s"j"urn i'll this plain as safely
as III must other parts of the wurll; the
SOIL, as general rule, is extremely fertile
and lnxuriant, and even ON lis higher slopes
could only te ca'lel poor when ron,r;,st..l
with the excensling richness of the lotion
lands out Of Which the accliviies are lifted.
Comparing the very prore>t soil Of the
plateau will, the best farming lands of the
United States, VIC fra. we should rct .lcc-
E dedly the worst Of it. The whole plain is
luxurant pasture ground, and SO alum
dant andnulrilions is The grass. that, if de
voted to cattle breeding alone, Il suflricm
quantity Of hides might he raised to supply
tie whole consumption Of the United
States! And surely. after such I'm estimate
1t must I've the fault of the inhabitants them
selves if they are short of beef.
Under such government as may easily
TO contemplated in theory hut Of which,
in practice, there seems now less hope ,:n
1.-THE Whole OF this magnificent field
might lie devoted to those more valunt,Ic
productions. such rs sugar, cotton, indigo
and rice. for all OF which it is PERHAPS bet
ter adapted: by climate, character and soil,
zfhAHs any other spot of equal extent to Je
found upon the continent. :.
9 The sugar game WAS introduced into this
country from tic West Indies, bnt may be
considered an Indigenous production, and u
very, different plant 20 any tn" Le f",nL ut
present in tho West India. Isand#, it grow
ing mnc), larger and ts.ases*ing. d mucI,
greater pr'r'tis't,nt of 'snccl,:,rrii,sg jJFmipe
tliar that Of tire lslas.,s. Il may &C.. c,,,.
here Twice a .ye"r, rrqairing tra,,splainy
pniy once in sever or eig'r: years. wl,ereas
: in5isss fesuid regions i, nust be repIan,~I
on aeeenht Of ile exhaustion of, .i,e soil,
esHy three or feur'yeats. Iiniee,l, we fava
seSn good sugar amade from ca,,es tsl,o.sst. q
j parent srodts. iaye srvmaineI untonerisl in
& :searly norty years; but IIpn,ss
sdsy g keepths plan. a: its highest pfssl. Of
periodical ,re,nayal ffssli