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Show m MVALS irs , TLA.'. ' ' .- '.:. --a'' .'.. ''.,,(" ' f " " ' - - K- - 4 V , f 4' . J L, X r.M r . .V ; , , v' 'AC' " r ; v -.n " I- ';''' ' . j - . 1 . 1 s0 - I"! 's: (ZFsi. k OHKI by the loveliness of Norway's fiords and grown weary of the soft beauty of the Italian and the rug ged grandeur of the Swiss l.ikes, the blase globe trot- ter tarns In search of some new enchanted spot 1 where the realization that H It Is seen for the first time lends again some rest to "jyl life. j-sv. The world Is fast grasp- - tng the fact that in the coiul unitlvcly small fpace between Mexico and the Isthmus of i'miauia lies, as It were, tho Ijind of Promise a promise of wealth incalculable in-calculable to tho realm of commerce, through the cultivation and development of marvel-ously marvel-ously rich and fertile countries which are being be-ing opened up with wonderful rapidity by tho network of railroads that are spreading throughout the five beautiful republics of Central Cen-tral America. More than a land of promise to the archaeologist, who has here a vast field for research wherein to unravel the mystery mys-tery which surrounds the history of the ancient an-cient American civilization and throw some llKht upon the origin of the people whose won derful works are evidenced In the ruins of prehistoric cities found hidden In dense tropical trop-ical forests. A land of beautiful realities to even the ordinary tourist, who finds easily accessible a wealth of scenic beauty unsurpassed unsur-passed and a perfection of climate rarely equaled. This Is particularly true of Ctiatemala. the most northern of the Central American republics repub-lics and our nearest neighbor after Mexico. It is reached by a three days' delkhtful sail on the (Julf of Mexico and along the coast of Mrltlsh Honduras. The fine new ship of the I'nind Fruit company give every luxury and comfort of ocean travel, and Guatemala, In the very near future, will become the Mecca of those desiring to escape the cold and gloom of a northern winter. Nowhere in the world enn be found more magnificent and varied scenery than that which greets the traveler especially In the lake regions of this lovely republic. Of tho four larger lakes IVten lying far to the north; Ysabal. near the Atlantic At-lantic coast; Amatltlaii. on the Guatemala Central railroad not far from Guatemala City, and Atltlan. tucked away in the mountains moun-tains near tho 1'acifle coast there Is small choice. Differing so widely, each In Its way la perfect, characteristic of its location and cli-mate. cli-mate. I'pon our arrival at Puerto Ilarrlos we concluded con-cluded to visit Lake Yzabal before goln ,, o the Cty of Guatemala. After one rest therefore, we boarded the little n,al boat which carried u. out from the landlo.k' bay. a short d.starue across the Gf ,,f Am ' li'tue and along the shore line, where Krae, f . Ialin. stirred lazily , , perfume," e to Livingston. This town Is picture,, , ' ...nated on a bluff at the mouth o Mh7mJ Dulce. r Swce river. A new hole h comfortable rooms and excellent culriP , . R lately been opened here, and a day or' two may be well spent enjoyln le many unuau-i" acmes In this quaint little town. unUK"- From the porch of the Hotel Rio Dulce we look down th.ough a maze of ,,, ,m across the thatched roofs of the town, to the spark ing waters of the bay. where the Caribs dart back and forth In graceful canoes. In a knee Ing posture and with only the use of i paddle, they skim across the water with in-credible in-credible speed. The air Is heavy with the cent of Jasmine and gardenias; the gleam ot oranges and the tiny golden balls of the cumquat n eet the eye at every turn, and tow-erlng tow-erlng above all the great spreading branches of the wonderful breadfruit tree. Lake Yzabal lies about 60 miles Inland and 1 regular lino of steamers ply between Livingston Liv-ingston and Pansoz, in the Interior on the Polochlc river. We did not. however, avail aurselves of this usual means of transportation, transporta-tion, having had a launch placed at our disposal. dis-posal. For the first ten miles we followed the winding course of the Klo Dulce. the beauty of which is only comparable to that of the far famed S.iguenay. Ity some terrible convulsion con-vulsion of nature, the mountains have been rent asunder and through picturesque canyons can-yons and gorges this lovely river wends Its majestic course to the sea. The shores' gradu-Ily gradu-Ily draw nearer together and we soon find ourselves shut in between towerfng walls of reen. rising to a height of 400 to 600 feet, aith dense tropical vegetstlon and graceful iverhanglng vines lazily swaying In the breeze. Here the water seems to be motion-kss. motion-kss. Its glassy surface reflecting In absolute perfection of detail each Uaf and flower, and not a sound breaks the silence. The only ilgns of life sre the hundreds of beautiful white Garza, the birds which furnish Dame Fashion with the much-desired snd ever-expen-ive aigrette. We passed occasionally a native na-tive drirtlng downstream In his dugout, or pltpan. as these canoes are called his cargo I bunch of bananas or a string of Bsh. The shores again receded and we entered the Gulf of Golfete. a pretty body of water lome ten miles In length and dotted with numerous nu-merous Islands. Another narrow channel and e finally entered the lake proper. A beautiful beauti-ful picture Is before us the lovely expanse !f wster with Its wooded shores rising gradu-illy gradu-illy to the rugged Sierras de Iss Minas. to Ihe sonth. snd the Santacrux mountains, to Ihe north. Here stand the picturesque ruins of the old Spanish fort of San Felipe, built In IS23 by Hernando Cortes during his trarch from Mexico to Honduras and erected to protect pro-tect the ki proach to the town of Yzabal. which presslve. We forded rushing, tumbling mountain moun-tain streams, looking like cascades of silver, and we rode through silent Indian villages, where the inhabitants were sleeping It. front of their strange little bamboo huts. The only sound to break the silence was the plaintive call of the whippoorwill. We reached the village of San Lucas, on the borders of the lake, and there we found In readiness the little steamer which was to tnkti us across to the hotel on the opposite shore, a trip of an hour and a half. Words are Inadequate to portray the scene which was before us. The great expanse of water lay like molten silver in the moonlight, the mountains, solemn and awe-inspiring, standing In serried tanks like giant sentinels to guard this treasure A soft, pearly mist hung over all, but not so dense ns to hide the perfect outline of the three great volcanoesthe volca-noesthe two Atitlans and San Pedro. These stupendous giants rise to the height of nearly 12.000 feet and fall In one unbroken swtep to the water's edge. In this practful spot the days slip by unheeded. un-heeded. Tho world and Its busy liK- beyond the towering mountains Is forgotten and we drift out upon a sea of romance and foetry. There are many delightful excursions to be made in the vicinity, eleven quaint Indian vll-lnges, vll-lnges, named after the apostles, dotting the shores; considerable commerce is carried on between these towns by means of canoes, and the si cum launch makes the round of the lake I regularly twice a week. The town of AtJtlan is very picturesquely situated on a bay running run-ning inland between the two volcanoes San Pedro ar.d Atltlan. Not far away, snuggled close to the water's edge at the foot of Atltlan, Atlt-lan, Is the "Cerro del Oro" Mountain of Gold where a great treasure Is believed by the natives to lie burled, and the ruins of an old fort can be v&guily discerned. Two thousand feet above the lake Is the large town of Solola. capital of the province of the same name and a center of commerce. Here is obtained a fine view of the surrounding surround-ing country, but by far the most beautiful Is that Iron, the height of Godines. We find ourselves our-selves at nn altitude of 8,000 feet and the wholo world appears to He berore us. It Is true we have not the snow peaks of Switzerland, Switzer-land, but Instead is the unusual spectacle of range after range of mountains on all sides, dominated by the majestic heads of great volcanoes, vol-canoes, seven in all, magnificent In their imposing grandeur and Jealously guarding the beautiful lake, which, like a great sapphire, lies 3,000 feet below. The filmy veil of mist which is characters tic of this region during the greater pHrt of the year occasionally melts away, snd as we stood on this spot, speechless before the won der of this panorama, it seemed for our ben efit alone to have crept silently away in the night, and earth and sky and water were perfectly per-fectly revealed, outvying each other In deepest tones of blue. Put even as we gazed soft clouds formed In the valleys below and crept stealthily up. writhing and twisting like great white snakes, until once more they had encircled the moun tslns like giant serpents whose power evra the great hills could not withstand. Nature seemed to say that we had looked already too long upon her secret treasures, and softly but swiftly she again drew around them the gauzy mantle In which, except at rare Intervals, she keeps them wrapped. The Starling a"d the Organ New York's big new Cathedral of St Joht the Divine, on Mornlngside Heights, already has a permanent tenant. This is a starling, which apparently has settled In a shadowy niche high up above the organ, built a nest there and deslgnu to rear a family. The starling lends a decidedly English town to the massive structure. From Its lofty perch It looks down curiously on the assembled assem-bled worshippers, ss though they, not It. were the interlopers, ss no doubt It feels they are. But when the organ Is being plaved the starling star-ling forgets Intrusion to join In the music. It swells Its throat snd starts out bravely to drown the thunder of the mighty Instrument. Presently a look of perplexity steal, across Its countenance. It ha, jmmd ,onie,hinf sgalnst which Its own shrill tones beat them selves Into silence. And then It ceises Its attempt at rivalry and surrenders Itself to the peasure of listening It . f ,ener As long as the organ continues It renames attentive, confessing by Us attitude the her, '" Met superior even to bird efg A V i ... ."-'ru; ' '" at that time was the principal port of entry. It is now of small Importance, a sandbar having hav-ing formed across the mouth of the Klo Dulce. which prevents vessels drawing over 16 feet of water from reaching this Inland sea. Large brass cannon, bearing the date 1406, have been found scattered among the ruins of this old formication. Neither pen nor brus:. can do Justice to the wild beauty of the Polochlc river, and those In search of new sensations can enjoy the unlquo experience of traveling in perfect safety through a tropical wilderness, where gayly colored parrots and Inquisitive monkeys chatter at the intruder from overhanging branches, and crocodiles, with wide open mouths, lie basking In the sun. This is the main route to the coast for the natives' of the Cohan and Peten districts, who bring their produce In canoes down the river to Ikc Yzabal and thus to the markets of IJvIngston. On the Polochlc, near Panzos. Is situated the great rubber plantation of "Tlnajas." which covers 105,000 acres of land. It Is owned by the Guatemala Central railroad and Is one of the most Important snd richest estates es-tates of Its kind In Central America. In the northern part of the country lies the great lake of Peten, or San Andres, of which comparatively little Is known, except to antiquarians. anti-quarians. Situated In a wild, almost uninhab-iud uninhab-iud part of the country, perhaps the richest in all Guatemala, it Is difficult of access. .This Immense body of fresh water, 27 miles long snd having a shore line of 70 miles. Is dotted with numerous Islands. On the largest of these is the town of Flores, with about 16.000 Inhabitants. Near Flores are the ruins of a burled city, with stone Image and monoliths covered with hieroglyphic, showing the unread un-read history of a people which dwelt In the midst of thla primeval forest agea ago. At Lake Amatitlan we And ourselves on a much visited lake. The borders of this lovely body of water, l)ing only 18 miles to the south of Ouitemala City, are the playgrounds of the capital. For 15 miles along Its curved shore line run the tracks of the Guatemala central railroad, which, particularly on Sundays Sun-days aud holidays, carries many excursionists to the town of Amatitlan, the favorite resort of picnickers. Situated at an altitude of nearly J.000 feet above tfce level of the a 1J miles long and 3 miles wide, it is very deep and gives rise to a river, the Guaatoya. which baa ita outlet In the Pacific ocean. 12 miles south of the port of San J"M, where It is 11 miles wide. At the station of Lsguca we And a nice N little hotel, with wide porches which overlook Nthe rippling blue waters and from where we can look across to the rich .el Kren loI,e (,f the Slant M?,i',C:'-K I volcano, Agua, which - 1 ' I rises in one magnificent. I!1 unbroken sweep to tho .-"'.'rT: J T hight of 13,000 feet. Ile- V. VAi.i hind It one catches a ' glimpse of the Jagged ,; r i. :W crest of Fuego. k s Amatitlan presents v much to Interest the scl- -- ''Zr i' 'I entlnt. The waters are 7. rsj-n. strongly Impregnated with zzvy 11 1 p h u r ""'J lron arul many people come here for the baths. In cases of rheumatism some remarkable cures have been made. A curious phenomenon, which Is at yearly occurrence, generally during the month of March. Is an eruption which takes place at the bottom of tho lake, and rreat quantities of sulphur rise to the surface of the water. This, for a tlroe. Is the death knell of the fish. At all other times, however, the sportsman can Indulge In his favorite pastime to bis heart's content. The markets of Guatemala City are dally supplied from this lake, the Mojara. a small pan fish of fine flavor, being very plentiful. plen-tiful. Fried to a crisp brown and piping hot, these are sold by Indian women at all the stations sta-tions along the lake. Several attempts have been made to cultivate culti-vate the spawn of Imported white fish, but when grown to a good size the native fisher men practically exhausted the stock. Large pieces of pumice stone are found foaling on the surface of the water and along the shore. In the boiling springs which abound is done the laundry work of the city, the women taking advantsge of this water heuted by nature and ever ready for use. Groups of dark-skinned Indian women. In their gayly colored native costumes, kneeling by the deep blue waters amidst plies of snowy linen, present pre-sent a most attractive and fascinating picture. pic-ture. There Is also a novelty about a picnic, when eggs csn be cooked without trouble by merely dropping them into one of Mother Na-turc'a Na-turc'a evtrbolllng pots. It has been my good fortune to see msnv lakes In different parts of the world, b-;t never have I seen one more exquisitely beautiful beau-tiful than the curious crater lake of Atltlan. Incomparable for grandeur of scenery snd perfection per-fection of climate. In the southwestern psrt of Guatemala, some 35 miles from the railroad and at an altitude of 5.000 feet, nature seems, on the borders bor-ders of this silent body of water, to have reached the culmination of her handiwork. Discovered first by the Spaniards li 1524. Alvarado was here victorious In a desperate battle with the natives, and, exploring the surrounding sur-rounding country, took possession In the name of Spain. In the very heart of the mountains we find this lake. 30 miles In length and 10 miles In breadth. Although msny streams empty their waters Into It, there Is no visible outlet and Ita depth Is unknown, no soundings having been msde with a line of more than 300 fathom fath-om a. It Is Impossible to describe the chsrm snd witchery of this country, bsthed In moonlight, the scenery at each step becomlrg more Im- |