, 1888-04-21

English is used to a certain extent. The
upper classes use French as their CONVEX
SatiOn idiOm, and a traveller is astOuiShed
to see how many people speak French and
how few English.
In the Northwestern corner of the Re.
public stretches the magnificent Gulf Of
FOnSeca. Three Republics adiOin this
gulf, Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua,
and two Of them have their narb0rS on the
shores of this interior sea Salvador has
an Old Spanish town. LII Onion, Honduras
is in possession Of Amepala, on the island
OtTigre, Nicaragua has none. Still through
the territory of the last named country;
there flows IL magnificent stream, ESterO
Real, broad and deep, and many vessels
OF MI natlonS except American, run INTO
and take a rich cargo Of precious wood,
mahogany, Brazil, cedar and nisper0.
There are only two small stations on the
banks of this magnificent river, TempiSqU9
and Pueute Real. The country on both
sides is low and covered with mangroveS,
though farther, where the water Of the
river becomes fresh, there stretches All
uDbrO6en forest Of costly wood, where
parrot, macaw, watt and tapir reign SUI
preme.
The Gulf Of FonSeca is one Of the most
beautiful eXpanses Of water in the world,
and is dotted with many delightful islands.
The scenery here is as Il dream of II poet,
as IL vision from the "Arabian Nights"
When | climb the rocky summit of COSe.
gulna volcano, | behold an enchanting
panorama, fresh and radiant as in the
first days of creation. The noble sheet of
water SparkleS and glistenS in the warm
rays OF the sun with all hueS of an exqui-
site blue, and the numerous islands, slowly
emerging from an embrace Of Silvery morn.
ing mist, shine with all the colOrs of trOpi.
cal veg -tatiOn. Farther on the horizon,
appear and disappear the rugged peaks of
the Andes, here emerald, then brown, and
then again yellow aud all cOlOrS of a rich
velvety hue. look in the deep crater of
COSrguind andSee the grey vapOrOus clouds,
ascending from the lake, which rests in
the bottom OF the crater. The bOulders
and rocks, sharp and titanic in their di.
mansions, lay around me, and a few steps
below there begins an immense forest, I'M
trOdden by any human being, unknown in
It's extension, unlimited like the horizon,
unknown like eternity. Only wild beasts
and birds are its inhabitants, for here the pu-
ma reignS supreme aud here the ring-tailed
monkey, the green parrot, the red yellow
blue mac1w, the wild turkey and the mag
nlticent hOcO or CuraSSOw (crdC GlectOr) find
their shelter,
Opposite CoSeGuina, in the territory of
Salvador, the mighty peak of Couchagua
watches over the entrance to the gulf, its
fantastic forms covered with red trachytic
lava, and to my left the silent Pacific burns
in the rays of the sun like vivid quicksil-
yer. Farther to the south extends the
rocky coast, steep and perpendicular like
an immense wall, and still further [ see
white breakers and a phantom circle of d
moaning sea.
Southwark of the gulf of FOnseca there.
are two important harbOrs, CoriutO and
San Juan del Sur. The development of
COriutO has been phenomenal and the
has the brightest outlook for the future.
Its Spac Gus harbOr is connected by rail
road with Chinandega and Leon, two cities
of fifteen and thirty-fve thousand inhabi-
tantS.
Leon, though it has lost a great deal of
its former SplendOur, is even now an i'm
pOrtant and, before all, Il very gay city.
1t seems that the inhabitants do not wish
anything else. but to amuse themselves.
The ''dOlce far niente" is here a monarch,
and the music, sometimes good and some
times bad, sounds here all day aid
night and especially night. During my
%sojourn in this vOluptuOus city, when [
emerged from the wilderness, to enjoy for
a moment IL civilized life, we had nothing
ulco in ToOu hut muCin con naOd fluHanOO