The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1918-01-26
VAR upon the horizon lowered
the twin volcanoes Of Atitlan,
their dark TANKS wreathed In

AN upon tHc uOTlLOH lO"Vitu
- the twin volcanoes Of Atitlan,
their dark TANKS wreathed in
a. white masses Of clOudlike 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
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, ~
ing on the rolling bosom Of the cool
table-lands with their schools and tenn
Piles 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 a change of scene we had
plunged into the quiet depths Of
giant forest, dark after the brilliance
Of the tropical sun, where mighty trees
rose as the stately pillars of cathed-
raj. to find upon emerging that turn
of the rOad brought in view piano.
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 splen-
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 crystnl-clear atmosphere
of the highlands, huge dark masses Of
forest, and beyond, extending their
thousands Of spurs and TANKS, rose
the prodigious Cordilleras. To the left
the peaks Of Atitlan lowered to the
heavens, majestic, symmetrical, recall
ing in their perfect contour the famed
Fujiyama Of Japan.
Lake AtItIan and Volcanoes.
It 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-
ting sheer mile to 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 a vast crater
lake q miles in greatest length and II
miles wide, is a remarkable body of
water. Rev. Father Garcia Of Naguala,
graduate Of the University Of Rome,
and one who has given enthusiastic
study to the meteOrology of the region,
Informed me that official soundings 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 few Of the larger. Into its
shores plunge the volcanic hills, often |
in precipitOus, forested hogbacks,
often In steeply sloping wheat fields,
In 10 r ;rI, |
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 rivaling 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
If them. broad and sweeping, leads
from Panajachel on the southeast
shores OF Atitlan 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 q remarkable
piece of construction accomplished by
)ne or the generals Of President ca
Drera's army. SO steep is the road
hat cascades fall at its very edge and
heir waters are borne beneath il nv
'uiverts. AS 1t skirts the gigantic
)lu1ls, the traveller obtains enhancing
visions of the lake and of the many
Villages upon it's shores.
All the highland country is denselv
populated; at least all that portion
which lies between Guatemala Civ
IND QuetZaltenaago, the second citv
II the republic. The mountains arc
ItenSively cultivated up to a height
# almSt 10000 feet. Fine schools have
en- built "A the pucbos and cities