Page:Narrative of an Official Visit to Guatemala.djvu/414

394 of seeing the waters which embraced in their span the coast I was about to leave and that to which I was going. The arduous parts of the journey had been passed, and the tropical foliage evinced the low regions of the port of Izabal. By the rapidity with which I had proceeded I thought that I ought to have arrived there, if I had gone the right way: by the position of the sun it appeared that I could not be mistaken, but as there were still three hours of daylight and the spot was romantically beautiful, I dismounted and refreshed my horse with a drink from a pure stream which crossed our path Whilst I was remounting, an Indian passed by, who informed me that I was not far from the direct route, and that the muleteers would pass within a small distance of me, or perhaps might come by that very spot. As he had proceeded from Izabal, I detained him in conversation about the place: learnt that a British schooner had arrived on the preceding evening, and, from