The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-02-28

towns IN Nicaragua is this, nestled close
under the volcano of the same name.
and boasting population of 00OO
The moving cause CT cur coming was
because we were told that here was to
be found that rGrG dViS, good hotel
1.-THE very best in Central America. u
Let me Tell you what they call coed
hotel in this part OF the world. The
landlords have 20 idea of permitting
one guest to seIdshly moncpolize
WHOLE ROOM TO HIxsELF,
CT even parties, of two or three; there
lore the largest inn has but three or
four sleeping apartments, around the
halls of which single beds are ranged
as in the wards of hospital. OF course
our party cannot consent to such a
plan, and so we are compelled to pay
several prices, in order to buy up an
entire room and secure it from intru-
sion.
The little iron bed-steads, (all single
ones), are bottomed with ox-hide,
stretched tightly from end to end, upon
which are thrown sheep-skins with the
wool on, or mattrass, or a pair of bian-
kets,-the result being a couch to which
a good pine board would be downy by
comparison.
AT the head of each bed is tho skeleton
of table, painted black, upholding u
tin basin filed with water, which is
supposed to be all one will need during
"a hours, for ablution or any other
purpose. The chamber maid" is
always maitland rather cross one
too, who cannot be bribed by a bit OF
ribbon, fan or other femenine para
phernalia 10 great unusual indulgences,
as with the Donny hotel maids of
Yankee land-HeaVen bless them?
Soap and towels. there are none, but
will generally be furnished, (such as
they are) by the payment of dos reGles,
(25 cents) extra; and if you are so IN
reasonably eXtravagant as TO desire
other illumination than that of luna
to go to bed by, you may buy a tallow
dip stuck into an old bottle for 8 nsediO,
Is cents); or come provided as the
natives sometimes do, with pocket
full of casioroll beans, which, strung
on stick and ignited, furnish a better
light than many civilized lamp. Not
for love or m1ney-not even q chair,
unless yon reckon on the inventory a
peg Or two, stuck in the wall, upon
which you are privileged to hang your
clothes without extra charge. For these
accommodations you pay at the rate of
81. 60 per day, per capita, with almozas
or first breakfast, thrown 1.-THE latter
consisting OF small, land generally
Pnffnn oh 0Vof g.
each person, accompanied by tiny
LOAF OF UNBUTTEBED BREAD,
which looks like croqust-ball, and is
about as easily masticated. Dinner
you must forage for elsewhere; bat
there is generally a fOndita, or restau-
rant, attached to each hotel.
One ceases to wonder that the use of
water is limited at Massaya. when he
learns how the city supplies itself with
that necessary liquid. Thera Is not a
spring Or a well within radius OF
many miles, and all the water used
must come from Lake Aassaya-which
may be reached by two routes, by
down q precipics only half a
mile from town. Or by following a
rough and circuitous road for thrt or
four miles. The cattle, mules and
horses are, of course, driven around to
be watered; while the women, and girls
of Massaya make the climbing of that
preclpice the greater ipalt of their
daily labor.
Az about the sunset hour-the
fashionable time for promenading in
this iatitude--we joined the female
procession to the bank of the pre-
cipioe. Every body but ourselves, had
watter-jar at her back, held in place
by band of leather around the fore
head, and queer network of twisted
strings. The waiter jars of Nicaragua
are the oldest l have yet seen,-not of
pottery like those of Mexico, or OF wood
or stone, as il some parts of Central
America but huge gourds. the natural
shells of which are painted and glazed,
and have strange figures scratched upon
thems
A hslf.mile walk brought US to the
bank of the speer cliff. at the foot OF
which, 100 feet below, sparkles the
clear, cool sheet of water. bearing the
same name as that of the village beside
it, and the mountain that oyershadoWs
them both. The descent is almost
perpendicular,-in one place by serit 8
of rude ladders, and in others by
ster s cut into the solid rock.
For moment we thought OF com
pairing it to Jacobs historic ladder
but no. those half-nsked figures ascend
ing and descending would never be
recognized by that Biblical worthy as
the heroines of his dream. Most of
these were young girls. many
CLAD ONLY IN THE BROWN SUIT
that nature has provided, with the sole
addition of scanty chemise, while the
oldest and best dressed matrons have
nothing more than a short petticoa.
above the chem Sc.
Going down, and pausipg at the bot
tom by the waters edge, they chatted
and laughed as gaily as so many mag
pies; and though respectful enough in
deportmen Mt toward US, spectators of
another race, We more than once dis
tinguished the words las estrongerds
AnaericGnos, followed by shouts Of
laughter, evidently in geod.na,ureG
ridicule of Cur Ito theml barbarous
attire. including hats, shoes, gloves,
um brellas, etc.
But long before they gained the top,
each bending beneath her burden OF
water, they were silent and breathiess,
the perspirs ton streaming from their
fares N the % -linSt davs Of tho nm