drift—The glacial period in Central America-Evidence that the ice extended to the tropics—Scarcity of gold in the valley gravels—Difference of the Mollusca on the east and west coast of the Isthmus of Darien—The refuge of the tropical American animals and plants during the glacial period—The lowering of the sea level—The land shells of the West Indian islands- A Nicaraguan criminal-Geology between Ocotal and Totagalpa- Preparations at Totagalpa for their annual festival—Chicha- drinking-Piety of the Indians—Ancient civilisation of tropical America-Palacaguina-Hospitality of the Mestizos—Curious Concordia—Jinotega—Indian habits retained by the people, Indian names of towns-Security of travellers in Nicaragua -Native flour-mill—Uncomfortable lodgings—Tierrabona- world— Distribution of European land and fresh-water shells Iguanas and lizards — Granada — Politics — Revolutions - Cacao Indian population of the country lying between the great lakes of Nicaragua and the Pacific-Discovery and conquest of Nica- ragua by the Spaniards-Cruelties of the Spaniards— The Indians of Western Central America all belonged to one stock-Decadence of Mexican civilisation before the arrival of the Spaniards—The designation “Nahuatls” proposed to include all the Mexican, Western Central American, and Peruvian races that had descended from the same ancient stock—The Nahuatls distinct from the Caribs on one side PAGE . ALLIGATORS . . . . . . . . . . 9 ORE . . . . . . . . . . . 92 . . . . . . THE NATURALIST IN NICARAGUA. CHAPTER 1. Arrival at Greytown — The river San Juan-Silting up of the harbour-Crossing the bar-Lives lost on it-Sharks—Christopher Columbus-Appearance of the town—Trade—Healthiness of the town and its probable cause-Comparison between Greytown, Pernambuco, and Maceio-Wild fruits-Plants—Parrots, toucans, and tanagers—Butterflies and beetles-Mimetic forms - Alligators — Boy drowned at Blewfields by an alligatorTheir method of catching wild pigs. At noon on the 15th February 1868, the R.M.S.S. Solent, in which I was a passenger, anchored off Greytown, or San Juan del Norte, the Atlantic port of Nicaragna in Central America. We lay about a mile from the shore, and saw a low flat coast stretching before us. It was the delta of the river San Juan, into which flows the drainage of a great part of Nicaragua and Costa Rica, and which is the outlet for the waters of the great lake of Nicaragua. Its water-shed extends to within a few miles of the Pacific, for here the isthmus of Central America, as in the great continents to the north and south of it, sends off by far the largest portion of its drainage to the Atlantic. In the rainy season the San Juan is a noble river, and even in the dry |