Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-01-27
Incidents and Scenes from Travel in San
Salvador.

Contributed to the Public LEDGER
We have stopped at San Vicente
under the hospitable roof of Senol
Jyacinthe Losado, to whom we had
letters and who was lavish in his civil
tiles to us during our stay in the city
We found the Senior quite a cultiva-
ted gentleman and his society and
companionship was doubly agreeable.
as he spoke English quite fuently.
VIZ soon a%scertained that he was a
person Of note in the city, from the
marked Difference paid him by every
one.
San Vicente is a delightful little
city of about 1900 inhabitants, stu
ated at the base of a volcano of the
same name. Unlike the activity So
%perceptible in San Miguel, this city
seems content with its limited trade.
and is making no issue with its -four
ishing sister city. 1t has regular paved
streets and some very fine buildings.
Its plaza, like most cities in this coun-
try, is used as a general market and
was covered by numerous little i'm
prOyised sheds of cloth and the large
number Of these wore the appearance
of an eneampment of soldiers. The
principal dealers, who presided over
these various stands, were young ma
tive women. These young Spanish
women are almost always beautiful
with regular features, symmetrical.
forms, black lustrous eyes and luxu.
rant locks, which fall back over the
shoulders, or donned up under a tur-
ban-shaped covering for the head.
Silk shawls are a mania for Spanish
women, and the almost universal use
of this costly article is something as
tonishing, even with the poorer class.
who will appropriate their last penny
to crafty their %extravagant fancy.
Often you might observe one wearing
this elegant shawl, while they were
barefooted, and with an actual indie
cent scantiness in their other apparel
There are numerous mineral springs
about the city and
THE VOLCANO,
whose truncated cone rises above the
clouds, was once the terror of its pop-
u%lation, though many years have
elapsed since it poured forth its sea
Of lava" In company with Senior
Losado we visited the summit of this
volcano. The pathway, which formed
the passage to the top, was very nar
row, being simply a gully which
threaded a serpentine route to the
summit. The streamlets, which flow
down its sides during the wet season
have scooped out immense cavities.
which, at certain places, are difficult
to cross. After several hours Of ia
tiguing travel we reached the TOP.
when several craters opened before
us, some Of which held a quantity OF
water, though this being the dry sea
son, a considerable part of the water
had e%vaporated. We descended into
one OF the craters, though with con
siderable difficulty, The walls. which
surrounded us bore a dark color and
the sides were rough and angular. On
one side was a dark subterraneous
passage, apparently an immense crack
In the earth and peering in. the eve
was lost in darkness. The point wa,
inaccessible and we could not extend
our explorations there. The sediment
of the basin was composed Of a create,
part of birthstone, and felt almost tn,
weight of lead. We were told tina.
some of the craters and cavities. be
coming filled with water, the volum,
Is so great that at times it has beer
known to break through the sides o
the mountain and pour down in al
overwhelming food. 1t has bee
many years since such an occurrence
From the summit Of this volcan,
is a magnificent view. You look [,
the east and to the west and the Wis
ion loses itself among ragged chains o
mountains, dotted here and there witt
villages; to the south, over broa,
stretching savannahs, with stream
threading their zigzag course TO tn
sea, and in the distance, dim and in
distinct, we could see the great Pacific
twenty-six miles distant.
At the base of the volcano is a no
spring, capable of boiling an egg i
two minutes. There is a perpetua
steam arising from this spring, whic.
can be seen for a distance of six mile
and looks like a volume of smoke
The water has mineral properties. i
which we could only detect by tast
iron and sulphur. There are othe
springs Of chalybeate, magnesia an
arsenic waters about here.
Our stay at this city was one of un
ceasing pleasure. During the haateI
term Of the day we would retreat int
a fine library of the Senior and loo
over some well known volume or ex
anime the numerous curiosities an,
pieces of hieroglyphics which file
n side Of the spacious room. Tn
Senior had also supplied himself wit
a very rare luxury in this remote re
zion. in a handsome billiard table. II
was a fine player, and, being somethin,
of an expert myself, many were tn.
match oamesplayed. II was amusingt I,