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274: NEW PUBLICATION.
splendens (winch I have also met with as far south as the Volcan de Chiriqui
in Veraguas). Until now there had been no sign of any rain, but on this day,
the 8th of April, we had a few slight showers. An enterprising Nicaraguan,
Don P. Castellon, had established here a coffee plantation, said to contain
40,000 trees."
Jamaili was tlie next stopping-place, after leaving which, the country-
" was quite parched up, and almost the only green things were some gigantic
Filocerei, or Old-man Cactuses, and a few Melon-cactuses and Opuntias. We
passed the villages of Alanguina and Totogalpa, and crossing the river Coco,
the banks of which were clad with Willows, the lovely green of which was
quite a relief to the eye after seeing so much di-ied-up vegetation, we entered,
on the 9th of April, 1866, the town of Ocotal, . . . the capital of New Segovia,
which derives its name from the Pme, or ocote, formerly plentiful in the
neighbourhood. Ocote, or rather Ocotl, is a name of Aztec derivation, brought
here, with many others, by Mexican immigrants, during the time of Montezuma
; for the Mexican Empire tried to extend its way even further south than
Nicaragua. I fancy that a dehcious and very wholesome fruit, as large as a
good-sized Apple, and much cultivated here, was introduced by the same
agency. It is called by the people Matasaua, and by botanists Cccsimiroa
edidis ; and it would doubtless thrive in Australia and southern England, as I
fovmd it also in the higher mountains of northern Mexico. Seeds of it were
sent to Mr. Bull's Nursery, at Chelsea, where young plants are now to be procured."
Yarious excursions were made into the surrounding district, where
the mountains were generally found to be covered with Oak and Pine,
to which were added, at Depilto, Liquidambar-trees, stemless Fan-
palms, and some Brambles. On the 19th of April Dr, Seemann
departed for ^Matagalpa, taking an easterly direction, and passing
Palacaguina, Avhere he observed near the church a Juniper-like-looking
tree, not previously met with by him in any other part of the country.
Thence the road led to Yale.
" The scenery about here was truly grand. At the back of the rancho there
were thick Pine forests, in front green savanas, sloping down to a rivulet, and,
further on, the Montana de Yale, which we entered the next morning, and
where the vegetation was more luxuriant and fresher than we had seen it in
any other part of the countr^r. There were beautifid Tree-ferns, and elegant
Cane-palms, Liquidambars of truly gigantic dimensions, one hundred and fifty
feet high and thirty feet in circumference, being the leading trees, and all being
just in leaf, a fine May green, presented an appeai'ance almost equal in beauty
to that of a Beech forest at home in early summer. How well this locality
would be suited for gi-owing coffee ! About six leagues from the ' Boca' is the
village of San Rafael, whidi is situated in a plain, and is composed of forty
houses. The people declared there were about 2000 souls in the place and its
immediate neighbourhood, which, as there are many farms, may be true.
Taking a hasty breakfast, and purcliasing some oranges, twenty for one real,
we pushed on for Jinotega, a town of two hundred houses and a chxu'ch,
hedges of tall Yucca-trees imparting to it a rather characteristic look. . . . The
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