other: in the middle of the bay lies the Isla Blanca. The last is Puerto Cartago, 132 leagues from the Gulf River, in the territories of the uncivilised Indians. The principal rivers that fall into the Atlantic, are the Camalecon, navigable by piraguas, or large canoes, for more than fifty leagues, which falls into the sea twenty-four leagues below the Gulf River; the Ulua, 31 leagues from the same point; the Lean, or Leones, 46 leagues from the Gulf; the Aguan, 84 leagues E. of the Gulf River, and about 60 miles W. of Cape Camaron,—it is navigable by canoes about 40 leagues from its mouth. This is the boundary of Honduras and the territory of Taguzgalpa. Six leagues further is the Limones, which descends from the mountains of Olancho el Viejo. Twelve leagues further is the bar of the Rio Tinto, or Black River. Half a league to the eastward is the Payas, and the last is the Platanos, which falls into the Atlantic about 106 leagues from the Gulf River.* The Nacaome and the Choluteca fall into the bay of Conchagua on the south-western coast.

Eighteen leagues N.E. of Port Truxillo, the Island of Roatan lies off the coast, extending from forty-five to fifty miles in length, by from six to ten in breadth. The approach to it is dangerous, owing to the reefs and rocks by which it is surrounded; but the principal harbour affords good anchorage, though rather open to S.W. winds. In the year 1642, this island was taken by the English, but was abandoned eight years after. From that time to

*We give these details on the authority of Juarros, as points to be verified, rather than as actually ascertained. In the map prefixed to the English translation, neither the Limones, the Rio Tinto, the Payas nor the Platanos, appears under those names: the only three rivers eastward of the Aguan, and westward of Cape Gracias a Dios, are named the Yangue, or Guayape, the Bayano, and the Barbo.

1742, it remained uninhabited; the English then again occupied and fortified it, but were dislodged about 1780. They resumed possession of it in 1796; but, in the following year, the Spaniards once more recovered it.

The only object of interest known to exist in this large province, is the Great Circus of Copan, in the valley of that name, which, at the time that Fuentes wrote (about A.D. 1700), existed entire. It is described as a circular space, surrounded by stone pyramids about six yards high, at the bases of which are figures, both male and female, habited in the Castilian costume, of very excellent sculpture, and coloured." In the middle of the area, a flight of steps led to the place of sacrifice. At a short distance is a stone gateway, on the pillars of which are sculptured figures, likewise in Spanish habits; and on entering this gateway, two fine stone pyramids present themselves, from which is suspended a hammock containing two human figures, clothed in the Indian style. Astonishment is forcibly excited on viewing this structure, because, large as it is, there is no appearance of the component parts being joined together; and, although entirely of stone, and of an enormous weight, it may be put in motion by the slightest impulse of the hand. Not far from this hammock is the cave of Tibulca, which appears like a large temple hollowed out of the base of a hill, and adorned with columns, having bases, pedestals, and capitals: at the sides are numerous windows faced with stone, exquisitely wrought." All this reads assuredly very much like romance, but, as it is part of our object, while recording the discoveries of former travellers, to point out what it remains for future travellers to investigate, we should have been guilty of a great omission had we failed to direct their attention to this valley of wonders, where the

genii who attended on King Solomon have evidently been the artists.*

We now proceed to the description of a province which seems likely to become, in some respects, the most important in the kingdom, as affording the long-sought-for communication between the two

oceans,

THE INTENDANCY OF NICARAGUA.

This was the first province subdued by the Spaniards, having been discovered and partially settled by Gil Gonzales Davila and his companions in 1522. It takes its name from a powerful cacique (or perhaps from his territory), who was one of the first to enter into amicable relations with the Spaniards, and submit to baptism. It is bounded, on the north and north-east, by Honduras and Tologalpa; on the north-west, by Tegucigalpa; on the south-west and south, by the Pacific and Costa Rica; on the east, by the territory ceded to Colombia, which skirts the shores of the Atlantic. The intendancy includes five districts; that of Leon, formerly a distinct government, and the ancient corregidorships of Realejo, Subtiava, Matagalpa, and Nicoya. The latter are all very much

*The valley of Copan is situated on the boundary line between the provinces of Chiquimula and Comayagua. The Indian city of Copan was one of the largest and most populous in the kingdom. When the Spaniards arrived before it, it was so well prepared for defence, as to be able to hold out against a large and powerful army. On the one side it was defended by the mountains of Chiquimula and Gracias a Dios; on the opposite side, by a deep fosse and an intrenchment, formed of strong beams of timber, having the interstices filled with earth, in which were made embrasures and loop-holes, through which the besieged discharged their arrows under cover from the enemy's fire. It was taken with difficulty by De Chaves. Its site is now entirely deserted.

reduced in importance: Realejo, Subtiava, and Nicoya, more especially, which lie along the shores of the Pacific, are, from the insalubrity of the climate, which is both hot and humid, almost depopulated. The first of these districts contains but three villages besides the town from which it takes its name, and (in 1778) a little more than 6,000 inhabitants: the last has only one settlement, and a scattered population scarcely amounting to half that number. The total population of the intendancy was, in 1778, 107,000 in 1823, it is computed to have reached 164,400. As the temperature of the whole province is very hot, it does not produce wheat, but yields excellent grapes and other fruits, cocoa, indigo, cotton, the gum called carana, and various medicinal drugs. Immense herds of cattle are pastured in the large grazing-farms, for the consumption not merely of the province, but of the city of Guatimala also: the soil, however, is not favourable for breeding sheep.

But the most remarkable feature of this province is, its numerous rivers and immense lakes. The Lake of Nicaragua is the largest in the kingdom, and one of the most extensive in the world, being more than 150 leagues long from east to west, and nearly 60 miles from north to south; it has almost every where a depth of 10 fathoms, with a muddy bottom, except along the shore, where there is clear sand. A great number of rivers fall into this vast basin, but the River San Juan is, according to Juarros, the only visible outlet; notwithstanding which, he says, there is no observable indication at any time of any increase or decrease of its waters. On the north-west, it communicates with the Lake of Leon or Managua, which extends upwards of 50 miles in length by nearly 30 in breadth, by a navigable channel called the Rio Tipitapa, about 20 miles in length. This lake also is said to be throughout of sufficient depth to receive the largest ships. At twelve

miles distance only from its northern extremity, runs the river Tosta, which, after a course of twenty miles, falls into the Pacific Ocean. To form, therefore, a communication between the two oceans, the only part actually to be opened, would be the twelve miles between the River Tosta and the Lake of Leon.

Humboldt says, there are in the archives of Madrid, several memoirs, both French and English on the possibility of the junction of the Lake of Nicaragua with the Pacific; but in none which he had seen, was the height of the intervening ground sufficiently cleared up. Upon more recent information, however, it has been ascertained that the difference of level in the highest part, is not more than fifty-one feet above the surface of the Lake of Leon, which is about three feet higher than that of the River Tosta. Not more than two locks, therefore, would be required to render this a perfectly practicable and secure communication.

This great achievement appears likely to be at length realised by the enterprise of British capitalists. Under the auspices of the local Government, an association has already been formed for the purpose of cutting a ship-canal in this direction, and a bill in relation to the subject is now in its progress through parliament. From the prospectus issued by the committee, we obtain the following additional details.

"That the line now spoken of was known to the Spanish Government, is put beyond doubt; but, as she would not, or could not, avail herself of this knowledge, she with cautious jealousy concealed it from other nations. It appears from documents discovered in the hydrographical cabinet of the Spanish minister of marine, that the most accurate surveys were made of the whole of central America, and were sent, accompanied with proper drawings to Madrid. One of these, containing an exact description of the spot most favourable for opening the proposed channel, was