The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1897-07-24

arrived; chocolate was hastily. served and in
half an hour we were on the way Thoush
the City of San Salvador lies only eighteen
miles from La Libertad las the crow fies,"
and about twenty-five miles by the wagon
road, the journey is an event of magnitude to
the incident Salvadorans. The "diligencia'
with its five frisky mules, harnessed two
abreast and one ahead for leader, makes the
trip in eight hours if it doesn't tip over some
where along the route, or sundry partings OF
the rope-spliced harness occasion delay.
Travelling ut Night.
DO you ask, Why start at such an unearthly
hour for so short journey? AS elsewhere
IN tropical regions, where the midday siests
prevails, most travelling is done at night, tc
escape the heat and glare of the sun; and here,
to also avoid the heavy showers which are
almost sure to fall in the early afternoon.
Transient visitors to Salvador usually patron
lie the springless, vermin- infested stage, but
the natives know better than to trust thei,
ocnes TO It's tender mercies. Like them. we
preferred the saddle for ourselves, but con-
signed our luggage to the 'diligencia," all
but the precious camera, the loss of which
"CulG be irreparable. 1t was carefully packed
On special burrO, in charge of man who
walked alongside. The rest of our impedi-
menta gives little concern, for we are too
old travellers to be burdened by unnecessary
articles; but the transportation of our re-
spected Telescopes and shawl-strap bundles,
slowed under the seats of the otherwise empty
coach, cost us about as much as each persons
regular fare.
At first the way led close alcng the thunder
ing surf, the hot, moist breath of the sea
heavy with the fragrance of tropic fruits and
flowers; but presently it turned eastward
and climbed the foothills to cooler atmos-
rhere.
A Picturesque Road.
The road was rough and winding, but Of
EASY grade and wide enough for four horse
men to ride abreast between it's bordering of
" cacti and bushes aflame, withqscarlet blooms.
There were no houses in sight, though Vie
barking of ours and the Growing of cocks and
the odor of oranges and bananas gave evil
dence of nearby human habitation. But the
way was by no means lonely, for many tray
elers were coming and going, some mounted,
like ourselves, others on foot, or in ox-hide
covered carts, and each hailed us with a
CHEEKY "Buenos dias. senoritas senoras'
Good morning, ladies and gentiemen). We
passed several bullock-trains, which had
camped by the wayside during the early part
Of the night. bound for the port to bring up
freight from incoming steamers. Each great
skin recovered cart was drawn by four animals,
their poor heads bowed almost to the earth
bv heavy wooden yokes tied above the horns,
continually yelled at by the half naked dflV-
ers and prodded with long, iron pointed poles.
The Society for the Prevention OF Cruelty to
Animals Is not abroad in Salvador, If any
where in Spanish America. The first, flush OF
dawn upon the mountain tops was heralded
by wonderful concert, from trop1c bros OF
prismatic-hu plumage-hoOting, screaming,
chattering; but it must be confessed that not
one of them can sing as sweetly as our less
beautiful Northern warblers, The face Of the
country grew more broken with the wider
view from higher attitudes; hills and dales on
every hand ,behiEd US magnificent stretches OF
ocean, before us The two towering volcanoes,
Yzalco and San Miguel, their heads still hid
den in night caps Of mist and cloud Both
these monsters are active, or "vivos" (alive),
as the Salvadorians say, and none on the face
of the globe are more violent.
Two Towering Volcanoes.
They present magnificent display to the
passengers of steamers sailing along the west
ern coast of Central America or anchored in
the harbor of La Liberated and Acajulta.
Fiery streams of molten lava are constantly
flowing down their sides, and the sky is H.
lumined by the flames which issue from their
craters with the regularity of clockWork.
It is impossible to conceive a grander spec
tacle than that of Yzaloo with the morning
sun behind 1t. Rising 900 feet directly from
tha sea level and Near tn the onast. it is annro-
priately called ell Faro gel Salvador" (tne
lighthouse Of Salvador), for the immense VOL
urne of smoke, waving above it like a colossal
plume, and the masses of flame that shoot
a thousand feet above it, are visible far out
on the Pacific. At it's feet are fertile planta-
tions. and beyond them, more than half way
up the mountain side, are dark, impenetrable
forests whose foliage is perennial. Above the
forest is a ring of bright red scoriae; and
above that, the live ashes and lava, which the
beating of the monsters mighty pulse casts
forth every seven minutes-livid yellow when
first elected, and turning to silver gray as they
cool.
In many RESPECTS Yzalco lis the most re-
markable volcano on earth; first, because its
discharges have continued $50 long and with
such perfect regularity; again, because it's
interior tumult can always be heard, its con-
slant rumblings and explosions being audible
hundred miles away, sounding like the noise
which greeted Rip Van Wrinkle when he
awoke from his long sleep in the Catskills;
and, finally. because it is the only volcano
which has been born on the American con-
" tinent since Columbus discovery. Its story
Is as follows: For more than a century the
place where the mountain now stands had
been profitable plantation of coffee and
indigo, in possession of the EraZo family, by
grant from the Spanish GROWN.
The History of Yznlco.
The latest owner, Senior Don Balthazer
Erazo, gay and wealthy hidalg0, was dis
porting himself in Europe, when, in Deem
Der of 1859, the poems on the hacienda were
frightened out OF their wits by numblings
under ground and violent tremblings of the
earth, which did not extend over the country
like the earthquakes so common in Salvador
but were confined to that particular locality.
They fled from the place in terror. and, re-
turning after week or two found all the
buildings had been shaken down, trees up
rooted, and large craters opened in the fields
where level earth had been before. A few
brave "vaqueros' Cattle herders) remained
q near by to watch developments. On Feb. 23,
ITO, they were entertained by spectacle
such as probably no other mortal eyes have
: ever witnessed Early in the morning came
series Of terrific explosions, which lifted
the crust of the earth several hundred feet
and out Of the cracks issued flames and lava
and immense volumes of smoke The men fell
upon their faces. believing that the last day Of
the world had come. An hour or two later