New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-08-16


dery," who is immediately dispatched to contribute
Ahe labor Of n week or two 10 the cause of rapid
transit One result of this arrangement has been 10
produce unwonted circumspection in the conduct Oh
the inhabitants.
Occasionally little difficulties of somewhat I'M
expecied nature arse IN the conduct OF the "oIA
The other dav a considerable disturbance was pro-
6uced among the workmen by the introduction OF
watch to regulate the hours of laboT Inc men hSu
adopted the theory that certain donkey EMPLOYED
an tho Oor}, braved accurately at 4 o'clock the
quitting timc) each afternoon So long as the time
niece and the donkey agreed approximately, no diff
6cnltv was encountered but day the watch
was half an bour slow or the ackass brayed half an
bour ahead of time and the men nearly revolted IN
n body because the watch was decided by the fore
men 70 be the more reliable timepece. The super
intendept in charge Of all the foremen and ahoers
is native General Of great fame in this country
from the fact of his having spent the larger part OF
his life I'm heating revolutions most Of the Cen
tral American States. an occupation which mas let
him more thoroughly perforated with bullet-holes
than any living man whom have vet CHANGED TO
meet He is thought to be employed by the Gov
eminent party under the superstition that while IN
the pcaceable receipt of a salary. and with some
thing t. occupy his attention. he will be rather less
likely to devote his energies to overtuning the
powers that be.
A few DAYS ago l maue q IMP DS ullEVHOo nun
this city to Managua. This method of travelling is
not by any means luxurious one the diligence con-
sisting of ather rickety wagon, ana
drawn bv four little mules. whose ordinary
gait is hard gallop; while though the road Is
considered good one in Nicaragua, only those who
have soourned in Spanish American countries
would fancy it possible to traverse 1t with any
wheeled vehicle. At point, where the road
seemed to disappear down small prccpice'
Il ., ~. pfi inn
TO the Spanish custom at places where murders or
violent deaths have occurred. l asked the driver
of the diligence what death this cross commemo-
rated OBJ said he, THAT Is where the diligence
tipped over and killed a passenger Go! we shame
less ones W this last remark being addressed 10 the
muleSl ana away Went, bouncing and rafting
down into the gulley, while chung to the frame
work of the stage and mentally weighed the proba-
biIties of another being erected to accompany
the one l had just seen.
part Of our road lay close by the south shore
Of the beautiful lake of Managua, girt with steep
volcanic hills rising from the waters edge. The
most prominent is the great volcano of Mono
tombo with dense wreaths of smoke slowly curling
from its three eraters, while near its base the little
island of MomotombitO perfect volcanic cone
rises from the waters of the lake. This island was
regarded with superstitious respect 10y the ancient
inhabitants, aud contains many affairs and idols
carved from stone numbers of which show that
careful and elaborate workmanship which has
explorers By the side Of the road, the
lake is a rock known among the country
neople as the. "piedIa del nucrto' which is a
Classify memento of one of the many wars
winch have ragged in Nicaragua. wounded soldier
dragged himself TO this rock, and there died and
Law unbUried until only his skeleton remained The
rock bears a dark stain, showing clearly the shape
of a mans body with OutstTetched arm. At the
town OF NagaTOte, half way between Leon and
Mauagua, is one of the most beautiful shade-lrees
have ever seen, descriptions OF which are to be
found Ian almost ali books of Aicaraguan travel 1t
is Of the KIND called GenlsarO WiIh dense foliage
and wde-Spreadng limbs. The oX-dryers who
pass through the town use il rs q shelter for their
animals. and hundred teams with their carts
readily lind shelter beneath MS branches.
The CITY of Managua. the capital of the country,
owes It's elevation TO that honor to much the same
reasons which led TO the selection OF Washington for
fhatpurpose. 1t lies about midway between Leon and
Granada, whose rival pTetenslOns to the dignity of
the capital were maintained with such bitterness
that when the seat OF government was placed IN
Managua as a compromise, the Leon faction called
in the aid of Walker and his flbustars TO help them
in making good their claims. The result of that
to make il probable that the Ncaragnans will again
appeal TO their neighbors for help their domestic
difficulties.
tered upon principles of economy which,
could they be applied in the United States
taxpayer. The Presdegt receives salary of
800 a month, and the Ministers receive 5000 each
This amount is strictly for time actually employed;
and believe that when the Minister Of FOreig On At
fairs for instance betakes himself 10 has estate to
attend to his coffee crop his salary Is carefully
docke1 in an amount corresponding to the length of
his absence from Managua. These salaries, too, are
not paid in the gold dollars Of the beniGhted North
ern mOn0-met0l lists, but IN PERUVIAN sQIs" or
Gillian silver dOaTs-abOut equal IN weight aud
fpeneSs to the silver dollar OF the United states,
and hence worth somewhere between so and 30
cents ian gold, according TO the fluctuations OF the
silver market. The currency of Nicaragua, by the
way is well calculated to bewllder the unsophistl-
Gated foreigner. The Government COINS no money
except nickel 1-cent pieces, about the size and
weight of the United states nickel scent pScie e,
The dollar used in Government TRANSACTIONS, and IN
dealing with foreigners, which IS generally speci-
fed as strOng" dollar, Is the IerqVaan OF Cnian
coin already referred to, ana suDdlNlded INTO III
reals, the real being represented by the American
silver dime, the Spanish real, the French halt franc,
or IN fact any silver coin having approximately the
same weight size the foregoing The dollar used
in ordinary business transactions, however. is an
imaginary coin of eight reals IN value. Besides
this all coins having holes punched IN them or so
much worn as to have all traces OF their Orlgna-
design obiterated form q sort of deprecated curl
rency, and pass at discount varying from 10 to
90 per cent of their presumabie originalyalu Inc
precise epoch during the process of abrasion at
which a coin passes into this category Is of course
somewhat difficult TO Tx, and is the cause OF occa-
sona wrangling IN the small money dealings OF the
natives could not understand the remarkable
prevalence of the coins with holes in them, until II
was explained to me that in some portions OF the
Republic, where the dress OF the natives consists
principally of string of beads around the neck the
universal way of carrying money consists OF punch
ing holes in il and stunglng It with the beads afOre-
said. In addition to tins ingenlOusly complicated
system of currency. there rs another mag nary com
called "cincO." exclusively used by the market
women and for the sale OF all articles OF food LOT
daily use. 1t has the highly inconvenient value of
fve-twelfths of a cent, and was, believe, formerly
represented by five beans. The cacaO
beans however, no longer circulate as currency, or
only IN few out-of-the-Way districts; ana now,
when you send your servant TO market III the morn
ing he purchases five cents worth OF meat divided
into twelve equal parts which be then proceeds TO
exchange for fruits and vegetables CT equivalent