the echoes of the hills, calling and answering one to another as if their reverberations would never cease. One of the sailors had also dived, and brought up three fine young turtles, and these with the birds provided us no contemptible dinner.

Slowly ascending the river, and passing an immense number of beautiful little creeks, diverging to the right and left, many of which contain springs of excellent water, the traveller reaches the mouth of a second lake, where the Spaniards have erected a fort, called by them Castillo del Golfo, or the castle of the gulph. The appearance of its huts from the river is picturesque. The fort however consists only of a ruinous wall defended by about twenty carib soldiers, who live there surrounded by their families.

We landed to show our passports, and were led to the commandant's house, through rows of plantain trees, on the fruit of which he and his troops subsist. It was a miserable hut, with a clay floor not even levelled. A hammock was slung across the room in which an old woman was reclining,—a few coarse prints of the virgin, and a brass crucifix ornamented its mud walls, and two or three common wooden stools constituted the whole of its furniture. But as if to make the contrast more striking, on one of them stood several beautifully cut-glass decanters, cream jugs and tumblers, with three or

four clay jars of excellent water. One of these was handed to us with a glass, by a fine young woman, apparently about sixteen and nearly naked. The females here seemed to have lost all sense of modesty and propriety, wore considerably less clothing than the men, and appeared if possible more depraved. They perform all the manual labour, and are treated as a degraded sex numbers of them were bathing round the vessel and some of them asked permission to come on board.

This settlement is very beautiful, and its inhabitants unconscious of their wretchedness seem to a superficial eye contented and happy.

Our passports being backed by the commandant's secretary, who seemed to have some difficulty in inscribing his name, we crossed the lake on the shore of which stands the little town of Yzabal. Here we anchored for the night, and landed early in the morning.

CHAPTER V.

Yzabal,—Mountain of Mico,—Indians,—Character of these Aborigines,—Superstitions,— Iguana.

This port consists of about fifty or sixty huts raised at the foot of one of the mountains, and is in fact only a depot for goods passing from Belize to Guatimala.

On landing we were conducted to the commandant's house, and before him our boxes were opened, but immediately closed on an assurance that they contained nothing contraband, with "tengo confianza en vmds" "I have confidence in you," and no further notice taken of them. In one of the largest of these habitations we took up our temporary residence, boarding with the owner, and sleeping at a neighbouring hut. The provision was by no means despicable, consisting generally of soup, eggs, a hashed fowl and a clarety kind of wine mixed with water for dinner, and coffee in the morning and evening. This hut, by far the best in the place, was spacious, well built of wild cane, and covered with the leaf of the bay tree.

Considerable quantities of goods were remaining in it, waiting for mules to be forwarded over the mountains. Besides the requisite articles of furniture it contained a thermometer, a French writing desk, and about thirty volumes of books neatly bound, chiefly translations from the French, one or two of Mad. Genlis' novels, and a life of Napoleon.

About 6 o'clock every evening the drum beats to call out the military force of Yzabal, which is composed of about twenty men, not only out of uniform, but almost without dress, one wanting a hat, a second a coat, and all without shoes or stockings. These armed with rusty muskets and old swords, and totally without discipline, are its only defence.

The people are excessively indolent, sleeping the greater part of the day on mats stretched upon the floor, and lying on the ground at their house doors, talking with each other during the night. The heat is considerable, varying during the hottest months from 90 to 100° Fahrenheit, in the shade; and to Europeans the climate is very dangerous.

Our mules having at length arrived, we prepared to set out over the mountain the following morning at day break. The bustle of preparation, saddling and loading of cargo being over, we started in good spirits and good temper, one fol

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lowing another merrily, and forming a line of considerable length. Our party consisted of a lady and four gentlemen; three servants followed with provisions, and the arriero or muleteer with fifty mules loaded with goods brought up the rear. Each Spaniard was armed with a brace of pistols in holsters, and a large knife fixed in his belt, and the servants with swords.

Immediately on leaving Yzabal the traveller begins gradually to ascend the mountain, winding in a serpentine direction towards its summit, through narrow passes, lined on each side with trees. In consequence of this circuitous rout, without which it would be utterly impassable, the ascent is very gradual, and is not one continued rise, but varies according to the difficulties of the way.

After riding onward for about an hour the road becomes very steep, some of the ascents appearing almost perpendicular from their base. Over these the mules pass with amazing care and sagacity, invariably placing their feet on the same ledge of rock or treading on the same crag, over which their predecessors have passed. Many of these are worn with their footsteps, and they are never willing to change them.

On reaching the summit of one of these precipices, a most beautiful ravine suddenly burst upon our view, into which we immediately began slowly