CONTENTS Arrival at Greytown-The river San Juan-Silting up of the harbour-Crossing the bar-Lives lost on it-Sharks-Chris- topher 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 Commence journey up San Juan river-Palms and wild canes- Plantations-The Colorado river-Proposed improvement of the river-Progress of the Delta-Mosquitoes-Disagree- able night-Fine morning-Vegetation of the banks- Seripiqui river-Mot-mots-Foraging ants: their method of hunting-Ant-thrushes-They attack the nests of other ants-Birds' nests, how preserved from them-Reasoning PAGE Journey up river continued-Wild pigs and jaguar-Bungos- Reach Machuca-Castillo-Capture of Castillo by Nelson- India-rubber trade-Rubber-men-Method of making India- rubber-Congo monkeys-Macaws-The Savallo river-En- durance of the boatmen-San Carlos-Interoceanic canal- Advantages of the Nicaraguan route-The Rio Frio-Stories The lake of Nicaragua-Ometépec-Becalmed on the lake- White egrets-Reach San Ubaldo-Ride across the plains- Vegetation of the plains-Armadillo-Savannahs-Jicara trees-Jicara bowls-Origin of gourd-shaped pottery- Coyotes - Mule-breeding-Reach Acoyapo-Festa-Cross earliest times in America-Separation of the maize-eating PAGE 37 CHAPTER V Geographical position of Santo Domingo-Physical geographyThe inhabitants-Mixed races-Negroes and Indians compared-Women-Estab'ishment of the Chontales GoldMining Company-My house and garden-Fruits-Plantains and bananas; probably not indigenous to America: propagated from shoots: do not generally mature their seedsFig-trees-Granadillas and papaws-Vegetables-Dependence of flowers on insects for their fertilisation-Insect plagues-Leaf-cutting ants: their method of defoliating trees: their nests-Some trees are not touched by the ants-Foreign trees are very subject to their attack-Method of destroying the ants-Migration of the ant from a nest attacked-Corrosive sublimate causes a sort of madness amongst them— Indian plan of preventing them ascending young trees-Leafcutting ants are fungus-growers and eaters-Sagacity of the ants 50 CHAPTER VI Configuration of the ground at Santo Domingo-Excavation of valleys-Geology of the district-Decomposition of the rocks -Gold-mining-Auriferous quartz veins-Mode of occurrence of the gold-Lodes richer next the surface than at lower depths-Excavation and reduction of the ore-Extraction of the gold-" Mantos "-Origin of mineral veins: their connection with intrusions of Plutonic rocks CHAPTER VII Climate of the north-eastern side of Nicaragua-Excursions around Santo Domingo-The Artígua-Corruption of ancient names -Butterflies, spiders, and wasps-Humming-birds, beetles, and ants-Plants and trees-Timber-Monkey attacked by eagle-White-faced monkey-Anecdotes of a tame oneCurassows and other game birds-Trogons, woodpeckers, mot-mots, and toucans CHAPTER VIII Description of San Antonio valley-Great variety of animal life Pitcher-flowered Marcgravias-Flowers fertilised by humming birds-By insects-Provision in some flowers to prevent insects, not adapted for carrying the pollen, from obtaining access to the nectaries-Stories about wasps-Hummingbirds bathing-Singular myriapods-Ascent of Peña Blanca -Tapirs and jaguars-Summit of Peña Blanca. 68 81 98 |