The Ordway new era., 1918-01-11

- the twin volcanoes OF Autlan,
their dark fianks wrenthed in
white masses of cloudike spark
ling fields of snow. The cones, thou
sands of feet above, stood out sharply
against the deep blue vault of the
tropic skies. For five days we had
been riding to them through the en-
chanted highlands of Guatemala,
marvellous land of fragrant pine for
ests, flowers. singing birds. broad
winding roads, and fertile fields of
wheat and corn cultivated by hundreds
of thousands of industrious Indians,
writes Hamilton NJ. Wright in the
Bulletin OF the Pan-American Union.
And many pueblos we had passed, ly-
Ing on the rolling bosom of the cool
table-lands with their schools and tenn
pies to Minerva, goddess of wisdom,
and their white mission buildings and
churches from whose thick-walled tow
ers the pealing bells summoned the de-
vout Indians TO prayer. Almost with
out sensing change of scene we had
plunged into the quiet depths of
giant forest dark after the brilllance
of the tropical sun, where mighty trees
rose as the stately pillars of a cathed-
raj, to find upon emerging that turn
of the road brought in view a pano-
rama of 200 miles of magnificent noun
tain country, forests, plains, the silver
CLINT of lakes and streams, and vol
canic cones two miles high enshrouded
in turbans of fog.
Such is Guatemala, land of majestic
contrasts. of unwonted, almost appall-
ing surprises. Here is one of the splep-
did show places of the world. Far
from the beaten path of most tourists
Its wonders are becoming better
known.
Below lay cities with their public
squares and white churches, fields of
yellow grain like golden patches of
light In the crystal-clear atmosphere
of the highlands, huge dark masses of
forest, and beyond, extending their
thousands of spurs and fianks, rose
the prodigious Cordilleras. To the left
the peaks of Atltlan lowered to the
heavens, majestic, symmetrical, recall
ing in their perfect contour the famed
Fujiyama of Japan.
Lake Atitlan and Volcanoes.
1t was more than half days ride
from this point before we came to
GOdines crest and beheld, 5000 feet be-
low us, the deep blue waters of Lake
Atitlan, and on its opposite shores, ris-
ing sheer mile to a mile and one
half above the surface of the lake,
seven great volcanoes, of which the
two known as Atitlan are the most
wonderful.
Lake Atitlan, itself vast crater
lake q miles in greatest length and 10
miles wide, is remarkable body of
water. Rev. Father Garcia of Nagunla,
graduate Of the University of Rome,
and one who has given enthusiastic
study to the meteorology of the region,
Informed me that official soundngs of
this lake give an extreme depth of
more than 1000 feet. Its surface Is
5000 feet above the level of the sea.
Its waters teen with trout with which
1T has been stocked and, while walking
upon its sandy beach near Panajachel,
we saw great schools of smaller fish
and not a few of the larger. Into its
shores plunge the volcanic hills, often
In precipitous, forested hogbacks,
often in steeply sloping wheat fields,
or again ending in mile-high cliffs of
bright red sandstone or perpendicular
walls marked by the slate grays and
purplish hues of volcanic ash. Such
are the walls of Lake Atitlan, often
called Lake PanaJachel, painted by
nature in her most glorious, riotous
colors, and riyaling even the famed
hues of the Grand Canyon of Arizona,
Fine Mountain Highways.
Some splendid roads have been built
in the neighborhood of the lake. One
of them, broad and sweeping, leads
from Panajachel on the southeast
shores of Atltlan to the picturesque
pueblo of Solala, which is perched on
mountain bluffs thousands of feet
above. The road Is blasted from rocky
cliffs and its sides and walls are. lit
orally. of granite. 1t is remarkable
piece of construction accomplished by
one of the generals of President Ca,
brera's army. So steep is the road
that cascades fall at its very edge ant
their waters are borne beneath it by
culverts. AS 1t skirts the giganti,
bluffs, the traveller obtains enhancing
visions of the lake and of. the many
villages upon its shores.
All the highland country is densely
populated; at least all that portion
which lies between Guatemala City
and Quetzaltenango, the second cit.
of the republic. The mountains ar,
intenslvely cultivated up to n heigh
of almst 10000 feet. Fine schools hav,
been built in the pueblos and cite.