The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1911-06-02

pressive. We forded rushing, tumbling noun
tain streams, looking like cascades of silver,
and we rode through silent Indian villages
where the inhabitants were sleeping in front
of their strange little bamboo huts. The only
sound to break the silence was the plaintive
call of the whppoorwil
We reached the village of San Lucas, on the
borders Of the lake, and there we found IN
readiness the little steamer which was to
take US across to the hotel on the opposite
shore, a trip of an hour and half.
Words are inadequate to portray the scene
which was before us. The great expanse OF
water lay like molten silver in the moonlight
the mountains, solemn and aWelnsplrlng'
standing in serried ranks like giant sentinels
to guard this treasure A soft, pearly mist
hung over all, but not SO dense as to hide
the perfect outline Of the three great Volca"
noes-the two Atitlans and San Pedro. These
stupendous giants rise to the height Of nearly
$4,000 feet and fall in one unbroken sweep to
the waters edge.
In this peaceful spot the days slip by I'M
needed The world and its busy life beyond
the towering mountains is forgotten and We
drift out upon sea of romance and poetry.
There are many delightful excursions to be
made in the vicinity, eleven quaint Indian vii
lagos, named after the apostles, dotting the
shores; considerable commerce is carried on
between these towns by means Of canoes, and
the steam launch makes the round of the lake
regularly twice week. The town of Atitlan
is very picturesquely situated on a bay run
ming inland between the two volcanoes-San
Pedro ard Atitlan. Not far away, Struggled
close to the waters edge at the foot of Att
Ian, is the "Cerro del Oro'-Mountain of Gold
where a great treasure is believed by the
natives to lie buried, and the ruins of an old
fort can be vaguely discerned.
Two thousand feet above the lake is the
large town of Solola, capital of the province
of the same name and center of commerce.
Here is obtained a fine view of the surround
ing country, but by far the most beautiful is
that from the height of Goodness. We find our
selves at an altitude of 5000 feet and the
whole world appears to lie before us. It is
true we have not the snow peaks of Switzer-
land, but instead Is the unusual spectacle of
range after range of mountains on all Sides
dominated by the majestic heads of great vol
canoes, seven in all, magnificent in their
imposing grandeur and jealousy guarding the
beautiful lake, which, like great sapphire
lies 5000 feet below.
The filmy veil of mist which is characters
tic of this region during the greater part Of
the year occasionally melts away, and as we
stood on this spot, speeches. before the won
der Of this panorama, 1t seemed for our ben
eHt alone 10 nave crept sllently away III the
night, and earth and sky and water we're per
fectly revealed, outlying each other in deepest
tones of blue
But even as we gazed soft clouds formed in
the valleys below and crept stealthily up
writing and twisting like great white snakes
until once more they had encircled the noun
tains like giant serpents whose power ever
the great hills could not withstand.
Nature seemed to say that we had looked
already too long upon her secret treasures
and softly but swiftly she again drew arount
them the gauzy mantle in which, except a
rare intervals she keeps them wrapped.