National Republican., 1885-09-05
COCnINEAL CULTURE.
Visiting u hug Ranch-A Mule Back
Journey in the Interior of Central
America.

America.
QUEZALTENANGu, GUATEMALA, Aug. 10.
This "dcpartmcnt'--or county, rs we
should call it-of Quczalcnango is one of
the most important Of the twenty into
which Guatemala is divided though 1t con
tains lcss than 800 square miles, while there
are others which cover from 1000 to 1900
square miles The capital city of the de-
partmcut, which is also calso called Quezal
tCnnugo, has a population Of about 22,OO0.
II is u trim, wcll-built town, with numerous
churches. many-tOwered cathedral, casino,
thcatcr rcd-tilcd roofs upon its low casas
Of plastercd adobe, irOm.barrcd windows,
aud Moorish inner courts, plazas shaded
with cocoa palms and orange trees;
gentle, plcasurc-loving but unstable pco-
pie, and all the other characteristic features
of llispano American cities.
The town Is about fifty miles north of
Guatemala In Nueva, and within half that
distance to the boundary line the Mexican
state Of Chapas, II lies directly in the line
of that series Of volcanoes, score In num-
ber, which traverse this small republic, and
Is surrounded by most remarkable scenery,
In which the beauty of trOpic nature blends
with the bleak grandeur Of the mountains.
Most Of the volcanoes hercabouts are
"uctivc," aud pn whatever direction YOU
to the turquoise skies ofan endless summer.
The most conspicuous of the nearby vol.
CaniC group Is the TcrrO Quemada which
has an altitude of 1900 feet, and whose
last grand eruption occurred exactly 100
years ago. A little to the southwark rises
the pcrpctually smoking Nolcan de Santa
Maria, whose crater opens 1000 feet above
the plain.
About midway between the capital city
and Quczaltcnango, the highway skirts that
wonderful
LAKE ATITLAN,
which is thirty miles long and apparently
bOttOmless, us Il line 800 feet in length has
failed to find soundings. Two stupendous
volcanoes OvcrshadOw II, separated from one
another hy Il narrow arm Of water. These
twin giants, called San Pedro and Atitlan
are forever in COmmotiun, and only few
years ago one Of them bClChcd forth such
quantity Of stones and lava us to form
considerable island In that end Of the lake
Words fail to portray the mysterious fas-
cinatiOn of this lonely lake. Drifting idly
about in an Indian canoe, under the solemn
shadows OF the mOuntains-with one eve
open for unknown monsters Of the deep
and the other on the threatening volcanoes
! your correspondent felt rs If translated to
another planet or in the domain of gnomes
and gcnii.
Indeed the whole journey from the CAPT
tai to QuCzaltcnangO is like Il dream, bar
| ring the rather "stcrn reality of eight
| hours per diem on mulC-back, alternating
| from dusty roads to dangerous mountain
| passes. Sometimes our little beasts could
scarcely lild Il footing upon narrow trails
! winding along the edge of prccipiccs so
| high that we appeared to be ambling in the
| clouds, while the lndia-rubbcr and ma
! hogany forests at the bottom of the abyss,
| OvcrgrUwn with tangled crccpers and many
| CulOrCd orchids, looked from our bird SIEVE
| point of view rs If their lofty tops were on
II level with the emerald surface Of the plain.
There were no "hair-brcadth 'scapcsn to
chronicle, however, not even with rcvolu-
| tiOnists or LudrOncs, for In their normal
condition these people are politcncss and
good nature persOnillcd, being consttu-
tiOnally too indOlcnt for successful robbery
or any other enterprise They reason wisely
that since bcnciccnt mother earth has sup
piled all their simple needs, why should
they not enjoy dolce far nicnte forever :
Fruit and fish abound for food, the cloud
less sky is an ample rOOf-trce, and single
garment, which lasts a lifetime, is sufficient
covering in this balmy atmosphere; there
fore the casy-gOing native has small incen-
tive for strcwing the highway with
"DEM'D UNPLEASANT CORPsEs.n
But in the present unsettled state Of the
country foreigners should not attempt II
journey outside any of the Central American
cities unless protected by a strong military
escort With this strange and contra
dictory race a rumOr of war works like
madness in the blood, making robbery and
murder pastimc. In lonely canyons and
dclics of the mountains the reyOiutionists
are lurking like birds Of prey, ready to
swoop down upon travellers, and with as
little reasoning power rs to the questions
ut issue, regardless whether their victims are
Guatcmalans, San Salvadorians, or I'M
offending foreigners If only they have fire
arms and other equipments that may he
appropriated
Cattle ranches, sheep ranches, even
chicken ranches are common enough in
the United States, but a bug ranch Is in
deed a curiosity In this queer country
the raising Of hcmipterous insec's of the
bark louise family-notably the cOccus
cacti or Spanish cOchinila--is profitable,
If not pleasant industry. In this portion
Of Guatemala vast plantations are devoted
to the cultivation of the "Indan hg,n OF
: nOpal, OF the genus CaCti (Opuntia COchi-
milla fera), especially for the nourishment
) Of bark lice. Between the attitudes OF
5000 and 5000 feet is the favoritc locality
for cOChincal raising, particularly in the
! vicinity OF Guatemala Ia Antigua (thc an
: ccnt capital founded by Alyardo) and IN
, this department of Quczaltcnamgo.
: THE CoCHISIAL HACIENDA,
which we were invited to visit, is the prop
> crty of Senior Don Felipe Ortiz de Espanosa
!, and lies about six miles from the city OF
Quezaltenango. The Espanosa family re
side during half the year upon II in the midst
!, Of unnumbercd millions Of bugs. Happily
/ the insects are not migratory in thcirhabits
: but cling with remarkable pcrtnacity tC
their Indian figs, or otherwise residence
/ among them might he the reverse Of agree
! hlc.
- The hacienda is walled and FASHIONED lik,
the domain of Il baron of old, with corner
towers and lOop-hOlcs for guns, and showl
, indubitablc traces Of having withstoot
', many Il revolutionary siege. Upon arriv
: ing-accompancd by pleasant party o.
. Castillanos from the city, and escorted by
I the genial prOprictOr-wc gallopcd, accord
: ing to universal custom, through the on,
: front door Of the casa, directly into its innc
y court, where, amid an indescribablc con
! glomcration Of dogs, pigs, goats, burros ant
- other domestic animals, our horses wcr,
= given TO the care Of the servants, and our
: selves warmly welcomed by the Sonora d
Espanosa and her bcvy of dark-cycd daugh
!, tiers. Being only . o'clock in the morn
ing, II was of course too early by SOM
- hours for breakfast; but, under the bios
sOnng lime trees OF the garden, coffee wa
Immediately served, accompanied with pai
uHl't l0illll lOdNcb Ol bWcctcllcu Dfcau
goats milk, cheese, and pomegranates-al
c Of which dclicacies, you may be sure, disap
). pcared in Il twinking before American an
n pctitcs, "slarp sct' by Il siX-mic morning
Cantcr
y Breakfast was served at the usual hou
G (about O'Clock p. m,), consisting of
Is dozen elegant courses, with eXcellcn
l. Spanish wines and all imaginable fruits AM
, salads, supplemented with cigarettes 70
II both ladies and gentlemen and strong blac
~ coffee, At O'Clock came the ineyltabl
Il chocolate, with more pan dulce, cheese, am
Is wild honey. Dinner we could not renal
"a for, though pressed to do SO, as that mea
"a is never partakcn earlier than Z in the ever
h ing, and we were obliged to return to tin
,r city to meet engagements on the morrow.
Il The EspmOra plantation Of Opuntia cOch
n milln fprn imClnlrs 900 nrrns nnl