For some years a massive brick-built Cathedral has been in course of erection; but it is still incomplete. The water-supply, which is abundant, is taken from the San Miguel River. I have been told that this water was not safe to drink; but I venture to assert that the statement is incorrect, provided the liquid be taken from that portion of the river which is not immediately adjoining the town and certain residences.
That the town otherwise is up-to-date may be gauged from the fact that it possesses both an ice-plant and an electric light installation. I am afraid, however, that neither are particularly well patronized by the majority of the people, who are very simple and unpretentious in their method of living, as in their dress.
Around the city of San Miguel are located well-maintained fincas, nearly all of which belong to native proprietors. Indigo and cacao are the most common products raised, and both thrive here amazingly well.
Antiquaries and archæologists will find an extremely interesting field for their investigations around San Miguel, where exist numerous remains of a primitive and an industrious people. Already many examples of their domestic utensils have been found and methods of living have been traced; and at a private house belonging to an enthusiastic but discriminating collector of such articles may be seen flint knives, grinding-mills of hard stone more durable even than granite, and ollas of clay, presenting many interesting features of workmanship, far superior, indeed, to anything of the kind which is met with to-day. It is supposed that the ancient city of Chaparrastique was located in this neighbourhood, not more than a mile or so from the present site of San Miguel.
The city of San Miguel lies some three-quarters of a mile from the volcano and the river of the same name, the latter also being called sometimes the Rio Grande. It stands but some 360 feet above the level of the sea, and the climate is undoubtedly hot—sometimes unpleasantly so. San Miguel is about 107 miles east of the Capital, and is approached by a good cart-road. It claims some 23,000 inhabitants, most of whom are engaged in agriculture of some kind, while they form an orderly community very little given to troubling the authorities, yet somewhat opposed to innovations or reforms of any kind. The native women of San Miguel are considered to be about the best-looking in the Republic.
The Government have, as related elsewhere, long had the desire to unite San Miguel, which claims with Santa Ana to be the "second" most important city in the Republic (it certainly is justified from a population point of view) with La Unión, its finest seaport, and to extend the line to the cities of San Vicente and San Salvador, thus securing an all-rail route from Acajutla, the most important western port, to La Unión in the extreme east, on the Gulf of Fonseca.[6]
It was sufficiently proved by Mr. Charles T. Spencer (now the Manager of the Salvador Railway Company) that such a line of railway was quite feasible from an engineering point of view, and that it could be constructed at a reasonable outlay. The kilometric distance from San Miguel to San Vicente would be (main-line) 102·2 (= 63·5 miles).
Department of Morazán.
City.—Gotera.