Fully two-thirds of this portion of the country consist of mountain ranges, with long timber-covered spurs, very beautiful to the eye, running from their bases in every direction. The Department is bounded on the north by the Republic of Honduras; on the east by the same Republic and the Department of Cabañas; on the south by the Departments of Cabañas, Cuscatlán, San Salvador, and La Libertad; and on the west by Santa Ana. The rich agricultural valley of the Lempa runs partly through this section, and many of the tributaries of that river water its ground. Immense tracts of agricultural territory are seen, upon which are grown successive crops of indigo, corn, rice, wheat, and beans. The several lofty chimneys which are observed to be dotting the country for miles around point to the active manufacturing that goes on. These establishments comprise distilleries, potteries, candle, cheese, and turpentine factories; while a large commerce is also done by treating a kind of wax obtained from boiling the fruit of a certain shrub which grows wild in this country and in great abundance. Here, as in most of the parts of Salvador, general prosperity prevails; one encounters hardly any very poor persons, either in the streets or begging upon the roadsides.
The chief city of this Department bears the same name, and it lies to the south-east of the lofty mountains of La Peña and on the rivers Tamulasca and Colco. The elevation above sea-level is about 1,660 feet, while the distance from the Capital is a little over forty-five miles north-east. I should say that Chalatenango is about the oldest native town in Salvador, and only in 1791 did foreigners and white natives commence to frequent it to any extent—these, it would seem, being sent there by the then Spanish Governor as a sort of punishment or exile. It would certainly be no punishment to abide there nowadays for a short while, since the surrounding country is remarkably beautiful, the people are very friendly and hospitable, and living there is absurdly cheap, judged from European standards. The population scarcely exceeds 6,000, and the whole of the Department probably boasts of no more than 54,000 or 55,000 inhabitants.
It is at Chalatenango that is held annually on June 24, St. John the Baptist's Day, the most important and most popular Fair of the year. Upon this occasion the true native life of Salvadoreans, the quaint and picturesque costumes, and many articles of barter which never see the light at any other time, may be met with. Anyone travelling in Salvador at this period may be recommended to visit Chalatenango, if only to witness this annual gathering, which is attended by people of every class from all parts of the Republic. A more orderly or a happier crowd it would be difficult to meet with, and, what is more to the point, they form a particularly clean-looking crowd. The fact is that St. John the Baptist's Day is the one day upon which every devout Catholic makes a point of having a bath—if at no other period of the year—and this may possibly have something to do with it. If it were of Mexico that I was writing instead of Salvador, I should say that this circumstance might possibly have everything to do with it.
Department of Cuscatlán.
Cities.—Cojutepeque, Suchitoto (2).
Towns.—San Pedro Perulapán, Tenancingo, San Rafael, and Guyabal (4).
At one time this Department was the largest, or one of the largest, in Salvador; but successive rearrangements of the area of the Department for political purposes have robbed it of much of its original territory. It was established as a separate entity in May, 1855, before which it was made up of a great deal of land which now belongs to Chalatenango. Again, in 1875 it was forced to contribute a portion of its diminished possessions in order to form the new Department of Cabañas. However, Cuscatlán did not part with either of its two pet volcanoes—Cojutepeque and Guazapa—nor was it ever asked to do so.
Bordering this section are the Departments of Cabañas and Chalatenango on the north, Cabañas and San Vicente on the east, San Vicente and La Paz on the south, and San Salvador on the west. Most of its territory is richly productive, agriculture being carried on by practically the whole population in some form or other, and fine crops of coffee, sugar, indigo, rice, tobacco, cereals, and such products as starch and cheese, come out of Cuscatlán, and find their diverse ways about the country. A great gathering is held annually in the chief city, Cojutepeque, on St. John's Day (not the Baptist), August 29, while the other city, Suchitoto, has its own particular gala-day on the Feast of the Conception, December 8, a good deal of friendly rivalry existing between the merchants and traders of each town. Buyers and manufacturers come to these meetings from all over the Republic, and very extensive are the transactions carried out in cattle, cheese, indigo, native products, and many kinds of foreign merchandise.
Cojutepeque, which is connected by road to Ilobasco and Sensuntepeque, is an extremely romantic-looking, and as picturesquely-situated, city, with a population of between 8,000 and 9,000 inhabitants. It lies upon the northern slope of the volcano of the same name, not very far from the summit. Although the situation is from a climatic point of view very agreeable, it somewhat interferes with the success of the water-supply to the town. The surrounding country is agricultural, and the markets bear sufficient testimony to the great variety and high-class character of the produce which is raised. Cigar-making is one of the most important trades carried on in the town, and the excellent quality and the delightful aroma of Cojutepeque cigars are known and appreciated all through Central America. One of the factories which I visited was managed and owned entirely by a lady and her family, all of good birth and sound education. Their factory was a model of cleanliness and orderliness, and many of the employés had been with the proprietors for a great number of years.
An exceedingly comfortable and well-maintained hotel at Cojutepeque is that known as La América, kept by Señor Diaz, and whereat the guests are made to feel completely "at home." Señor Diaz is one of the good old-fashioned "Boniface" type of landlord, for, in conjunction with his charming wife and daughter and his young son, Cayetano, he personally looks after each individual who patronizes his establishment, consulting each taste and idiosyncrasy, and carefully pandering thereto. The rooms in the Hotel América are exceptionally large and airy, while all meals are served to the guests in a delightful open patio, completely surrounded by masses of tropical bloom—great clustering rose-bushes, clematis, and honeysuckle, towering palms and sweet-scented orange-blossom—a veritable fairyland of colour and perfume.