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he was unfortunately obliged to have him shot there, in consequence of an intercepted correspondence, which has since been published, and which affords undoubted evidence of the treachery of Corral, who was in league with Guardiola and two other Nicaraguan generals to destroy Walker, of whom they naturally felt jealous.

The country being now in a state of profound peace, Walker turned his attention to the development both of its mineral and agricultural resources, and to the establishment of his foreign relations upon a satisfactory basis. President Rivas was a timid man, of no mental calibre and very little energy, and acted entirely under the dictation of his general and chief. It would be difficult to conceive a more interesting occupation than that to which Walker now devoted himself, in his endeavours to regenerate a magnificent but neglected country. He visited the gold regions of Chontales and Segovia, and circulated reports of their wealth far and wide; numerous decrees were passed guaranteeing life and property, extending immunity to political offenders, and holding out inducements to immigration; a department of colonisation was organised, and every effort made to attract settlers to explore for themselves the mineral and agricultural wealth of a country which only requires an enterprising population to enable it to take, when joined with the neighbouring States, an independent position as a Central American Republic-with a constitution doubtless constructed on very different principles from that of the United States, but which, wisely and energetically carried out, would render her a formidable competitor to the Northern Federation.

Secretly entertaining these views, which, however, he had not thought it prudent openly to express, General Walker induced President Rivas to send a minister to the United States, in the hope that his recognition by that Government would prevent the neighbouring Central American republics, who had already shown symptoms of alarm at his progressive tendencies, and the power he had acquired over Rivas, from combining to eject him from Nicaragua. The

United States Government, however, did not think that Walker's chances of success were at that time sufficient to warrant a recognition of the government he had been instrumental in establishing, and therefore refused to receive Colonel French, upon the ground that the condition of political affairs in Nicaragua was not acquiesced in by the citizens of that country. In consequence of this refusal by Mr Marcy, diplomatic relations between the government of Nicaragua and Mr Wheeler, resident minister of the United States there, were suspended.

The news of the non-recognition of Colonel French at once decided the hesitating republics of Central America; and Guatemala, Honduras, St Salvador, and Costa Rica assumed a hostile attitude. The insults offered by the latter to a peaceful emissary of General Walker resulted in an open rupture. On the 20th March 1856, the Costa Rican army met the force which General Walker had detached under Colonel Schlessinger, amounting to 207 men, composed of French, Germans, and Americans, and utterly routed them, Schlessinger himself being the first to set the example of flight for this he was tried by a court-martial, and sentenced to be shot; but he avoided his fate by effecting his escape, and he is now supposed to be serving in the Costa Rican army. The Costa Ricans followed up this success by a surprise upon Virgin Bay, where they killed a number of shopkeepers, and innocent persons employed by the Transit Company. They then attacked and succeeded in occupying Rivas, with a force of about 2500 men. One

of the most determined struggles which has taken place during the war now ensued. General Walker, who happened to be marching on Leon, at once turned back, and with a force of only 500 men advanced upon Rivas. The battle commenced early on the morning of the 11th of April, and raged throughout the rest of the day with the greatest fury. General Walker lost the whole of his staff, and the Americans performed prodigies of valour. Their loss in killed and wounded amounted to about 130, that of the Costa Ricans was estimated at over 500. Although

remaining masters of the field, the latter evacuated it eighteen days afterwards, and returned precipitately to Costa Rica; the reason assigned in the public proclamation by General Cañas being the alarming outbreak of cholera.

Meantime General Walker determined to make a second attempt, to convince the authorities at Washington that the government of Nicaragua had the approval of its citizens; and for this purpose he despatched thither Padré Vijil, a native of the country, who succeeded in inducing the Secretary of State to recognise him as Nicaraguan minister, although the political condition of Nicaragua was precisely the same as when, two months before, he had refused to recognise French.

It may be remembered that, before Walker's arrival at Nicaragua, a Transit Company had been formed by Mr Vanderbilt with the then existing Nicaraguan Government, upon terms which I have above described. Not one farthing, however, of the twenty per cent due to the Nicaraguan Government out of the annual net profits, which were well known to be large, had ever been paid by the Company; and President Rivas at last, at the instigation of General Walker, upon the refusal of the Company to explain matters, or liquidate the large debt due to the State, abrogated the old grant, and regranted the route to fresh American speculators, who undertook, in consideration thereof, the transport of recruits for Walker's army from all parts of the Union. Long and complicated proceedings between Mr Vanderbilt, the Nicaraguan Government, and the new Transit Company, in which Messrs Morgan and Garrison soon became the leading men, now took place-proceedings which it would be tiresome here to detail, and which have already cost the United States Government endless trouble and annoyance. Their most unfortunate result, so far as General Walker is concerned, has been to make for him an enemy of a powerful, woolthy, and not very scrupulous man in Vater bilt, who has now allied himself to the Costa Ricans, and whose daring and

rgetic agents have enabled those Card Spanish troops to accomplish

a feat of strategy in the seizure of the river-boats belonging to the present Transit Company, of which they were otherwise incapable.

When so many events happen concurrently, it is always difficult to maintain a chronological sequence; and in order thoroughly to appreciate General Walker's position at this crisis, it is necessary to recur again to the battle which had just been fought at Rivas. A short time before this event took place, with a view of conciliating the democratic party, the seat of government was moved from Grenada to Leon, which had always been considered their headquarters, and thither the President Rivas went, leaving Walker in the neighbourhood of the town of Rivas. It was here that the weak president in an evil hour listened to the whisperings of Salhazar and General Hæres, influential leaders of the old party, who took this opportunity of inflaming the mind of Rivas with jealousy against Walker, until at last they induced him to enter

into a traitorous correspondence

with the Costa Rican Government, in which he assured the enemies of his country of his co-operation in any designs that they might entertain against the Nicaraguan army, commanded by General Walker; and as an earnest of his sincerity, he wrote to Walker, urging him to come with all speed to Leon, to defend him from threatened attacks from that quarter, hoping thus to withdraw his attention from the town of Rivas, so as to enable the Costa Ricans to attack it with greater chance of success. General Walker, in compliance with this request, had scarcely accomplished half the journey, when he heard of the attack upon the town of Rivas. He instantly returned, fought the Costa Ricans, as above described, discovered the treachery, and proceeded at once to Leon. Here he saw Rivas, but did not tax him with his unworthy conduct. His close connection with that imbecile old man, and a certain regard he entertained for him, prevented his bringing about an open rupture: he simply informed him, that in consequence of what had come to his knowledge, he had determined, upon the expiration of Rivas' presidency,

to have himself nominated as a candidate. He then returned to his headquarters, and almost immediately afterwards, Rivas, panic-stricken, fled from Leon with those leaders of the old party who were friendly to him, and ensconced himself in the remote town of Chinandagua, thus isolating himself from the rest of his cabinet, and practically breaking up the government. Under these circumstances, Don Firmin Ferrer, one of the late cabinet, and a native of Nicaragua, was appointed president provisionally, until a general election should take place. This was held two weeks afterwards, and General Walker was elected president by the almost unanimous vote of the people. This was not to be wondered at, as the great majority of the inhabitants are Indians, violently opposed to the Spanish rule, and desirous of that of the Anglo-Saxons. Walker had scarcely been elected president, when Salhazar was accidentally intercepted crossing the bay of Fonseca, on his way to carry out his intrigues in Guatemala. He was the bearer of a correspondence deeply implicating Rivas, and was consequently promptly despatched to General Walker's headquarters, who, upon receiving his admission to signatures to letters of a treasonable character, ordered him immediately to be shot-a sentence which was carried into execution without any unnecessary delay. General Walker now sent Mr Oaksmith to Washington as his representative, Padré Vijil not having been satisfied with his residence there, but the Government refused to recognise him. He has been followed by Don Firmin Ferrer, who is still waiting for recognition. Shortly after, in October last, followed the battles of Massaya and Grenada, the details of which are too fresh in the public mind to render any fuller description necessary. Though Walker was victorious, he perceived that it was essential to his safety to destroy the old capital Grenada, because it was too unhealthy to garrison with his own troops; and he no sooner evacuated it than it became stronghold the transit position b

ment be threatened. This magnificent old Spanish city, which in its palmy days had contained a population of about 30,000 inhabitants, was consequently burnt to the ground. An old church, however, situated about a mile and a half from the lake's side, was spared; and here General Henningsen took refuge, with 400 men, some guns, and a large supply of ammunition, when he was surrounded by about 3000 Central Americans. The Costa Ricans were now allied with San Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, and the united force succeeded in effecting this operation about the 22d of last November.

The gallant little band, hemmed in by an overwhelming force on all sides, unable to escape by the lake, in the absence of means of communication, took refuge in the church, with the determination of protecting their guns and ammunition to the last. The siege lasted for nineteen days. Twenty-nine men, who were holding the pier, so as to keep open the communication with the lake, were betrayed by a Cuban, and cut off to a man. General Walker arrived in a small steamer, but was unable to offer any assistance, as all the men he could spare were engaged protecting the transit route. Meantime a fortnight glided by, and the situation of the garrison was becoming desperate; not only had every horse been eaten, but the most terrible methods were resorted to to sustain life. Day and night an incessant and galling fire was kept up on both sides. Various attacks of the enemy were met with most determined resistance. To add to the horrors of the siege, cholera broke out, which was increased by the impossibility of burying the dead; and the putrid atmosphere, and poisoned water, and scanty food, frightfully diminished the numbers. On the 19th day, of the 400 men, 150 only were left, and General Henningsen at last reluctantly determined to abandon his guns, and, with the weak and exhausted remnant of his men, cut his way through the enemy's ranks, or perish in the attempt. Upon that night, however, General er had planned his rescue, and ingsen had the satisfaction of

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men, forced their way over three successive breast works, and after a most gallant and daring attack, formed a junction with Henningsen, though with the loss of nearly half their number. The allies, disheartened, drew off in despair, and occupied the following day in quarrelling among themselves, so that Henningsen was enabled to embark his guns without having a shot fired at him. Many of the sick and wounded from the siege of Grenada arrived at Greytown while I was there, and described to me in vivid terms the horrors of that event. Such was the position of matters at the period of my visit, and it was then said that Walker had altogether 1000 men in good fighting or der. Since then, various attacks have been made, during the end of January and the beginning of February, upon General Cañas, whose headquarters are a few miles from those of Walker, but without any marked result. So long as the river San Juan is in the hands of the Costa Ricans, Walker will be prevented from undertaking any expedition on a large scale, while his army will dwindle away for want of reinforcements. It is possible, indeed, that by early intelligence we shall hear of the success of the filibusters, who have already attacked the Costa Ricans upon the river, and who may succeed in forcing their way up; but the protracted struggle has already had the effect of disheartening many of Walker's men, and it is now be coming doubtful whether, under any circumstances, he will be able permanently to maintain his position of President in Nicaragua. His ultimate success is clearly as much to be desired in a political point of view by this country, as it is to be deprecated by the American Government.

Ever since the disclosures by Gleneral Golocuria of Walker's real intentions, in which the latter frankly asserts that "Nicaragua is a great deal too fine a country for those d-d psalm-singing Yankees," the American Government has taken a very different view of his proceedings; they now perceive the danger that would arise from the formation of a federal union of the Central American republics and Mexico by Anglo

Saxons. No sensible American ever either hopes or desires to annex to the United States these countries, containing a population of 9,000,000, who have vainly endeavoured to carry out republican institutions, and who, if infused into the United States, with the rights of citizens, to which they would be entitled by the constitution of that country, would be a source of weakness rather than of strength. Added to this is the opposition which would arise on the part of the North against the annexation of so large a tract of tropical country, involving slave-labour. The question for the American Government to consider is, whether it is preferable for these States to remain as they are, or to be incorporated into a federal government by Anglo-Saxons, under institutions by no means republican in their character, but adapted to the present peculiar political condition of the inhabitants, necessarily partaking of the nature of a military dictatorship. It is clear that such a government, springing as it were from a neighbouring republic, but so opposed to it in its institutions, would be highly unpalatable to the United States, but a source of satisfaction to this country, as proving that those vaunted institutions are not suitable to every clime and race; while, at the same time, we should find a counterpoise to the Northern Republic, and hear no more of its aggressive designs.

The magnificent resources of these countries, now neglected, would be developed, markets would be erected, transit routes innumerable established between the two oceans, and Central American questions, as between this country and the United States, not at rest for ever; that they have fact, that Americans generally are as ever existed arises simply from the ignorant of questions affecting the future of Central America as we are ourselves, or we both of us would know that it is impossible, from the to extend its possessions into a renature of things, for either country gion destined, from its geographical position, to be formed ere long into an independent State.

3

AFOOT.

PART II.-CHAPTER III.

"Always roaming with a hungry heart, Much have I seen and known."

ROAM thus, brother of the staff! and thou shalt not only see, but know and feel! Roam with the hungry heart, with a heart hungering after beauty and wisdom, with a heart open to impressions of things great and small-from the grandeur of a mountain to the loveliness of the heather-bell, from the prattling of the child to the maxims of the hoary head-and thou shalt see ofttimes things which angels love to look on -sometimes, perhaps, things which make angels weep! See everything! Nature has no disappointments, no blanks, no failures. Her dullest, dreariest scenes will have beautiful revelations for thee, if thou have faith and patience. We were tramping once across a moor, bleak, flat, and swampy, the cherished home of solitary snipe and misanthropic heron. A thick mist hung around us, passing in on our breath and clinging to our whiskers; the shadow of smelfungus was creeping o'er us, and we had almost said in our heart, "All is barren," when suddenly the wind arose, drifting and driving the mist before it in columns and wreaths, and the sun broke forth in his might, gradually widening the orbit of his glory, darting his beams after the retreating clouds, and raying their watery dimness with rainbow colours. The glory above made us forget the waste wet swamp beneath.

Stay not thy foot at Nature's call! Let not the mountain-steep daunt thee! If thou hast no other pleasure, thou wilt feel at least

"The elastic spring of an unwearied foot, That play of lungs, inhaling and again Respiring freely the fresh air, that makes Swift pace or steep ascent no toil," But who is there-surely none of our brotherhood, that hath not felt the mind rise with the body, the heart spring with the foot, and the soul expand as it finds itself face to face with the mighty hills, symbols CCCCXCIX.

of strength, and sees in their rugged, majestic, giant forms the grandest types of creative power?

Ever as we have ascended from height to height, and seen the world-picture grow beneath us, all its details of champaign, valley, wood, rock, and sea gathering and forming into one whole of expression and design, we have seemed to know why the tempter chose the mountain-top to set forth the kingdoms of the earth and the glory of them; and have felt a glory in the common heirship of creation, which has absorbed, as the sun does the mists, all the petty desires and ambitions of mere possession in the one grand thought: "This is thy work, O God! and thou hast given to me, to all who look upon it, to walk therein, and to see thy power reflected thereon!"

Climb ever! Some manifestation will await thee: it may be at morn, at noon, at eventide, or at night but bide thy time, and thy soul will not go away empty or unfilled. We have sat on the highest peak of Snowdon, whither we had climbed on our hands and knees at early dawn to see the sun rise, with a thick fog shrouding the whole worldvision save the few feet of rock around us. Even our comrade by our side loomed vague and spectral, like an erl king, a wild huntsman, or a figure in Turner's pictures. Faithless and distrustful, our heart began to rebel within us, as hour passed on hour, and still we looked into the same gloom. Our thoughts even turned regretfully to the breakfast-table at Bedgelert, and the cakes, the eggs, the fresh trout, which we knew about that time would appear thereon. Presently a lightness was felt to be permeating the obscurity, as though the spirit of the fog were being softened and brightened nial influence; and then the dark shroud was s

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some gea while, ing and

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