[16] There were many similar organs in the old churches,—some, indeed, removed to the lumber-rooms; but they were so securely fastened together that I could not get at the internal mechanism without too much disturbance, and I concluded that the instruments were imported entire. No modern organs of any size were seen outside of the metropolitan cathedrals; and yet even a large organ is very easy to transport. One little instrument that I tried was not in tune, but the pipe-tones were good. In the old church at Trujillo Frank found a modern French cabinet-organ of remarkably sweet tones.
[17] In stumbling over this crooked name, it occurs to me that it would be fair to my readers, who are perhaps less familiar with Indian names, to state briefly how they are pronounced. G is always guttural; ch is like tche; h is strongly aspirate; j is pronounced like h; x is sh; u is the French ou; v is equivalent to w; and the vowels have the Italian values. Of the Indian names the signification is not always known, but there are certain terminations common enough and well understood; as tepec, a mountain or high thing, in Alotepec, Quezaltepec, Coatepeque, Olintepeque, Jilotepeque. Those who are curious in these matters will find another note in the Appendix.
[18] It is the duty of every person to whose house strangers come to pass the night to report to headquarters the name, where from and whither bound, so that we could be tracked all over the republic from the central telegraph office in Guatemala City,—often very useful.
[19] There is no little confusion in the nomenclature of the sapotes, or sapodillas. What is usually called sapote in Guatemala does not belong to the genus Sapota, but to an allied genus Lucuma, and is known in the West Indies as the mammee-apple. The true sapote has several seeds; the mammee only one. An allied genus contains the star-apple (Chrysophyllum cainito). The sapoton, or big sapote, does not even belong to the Sapota family, but is a Pachira.
[20] Sweet peas and geraniums in abundance, carnations, marigolds, campanula, yarrow, pinks, sweet-williams, chrysanthemums, iris, scabious, abutilon, poppy, princess’-feathers, fuchsia, linaria, Lilium candidum, peach, evening-primrose, gilliflowers, amaryllis, gladioli, alyssum, larkspur, brugmansia, mignonette, sunflower, adenanthera, willow, balsams, dahlia, spider-lily, canna, hollyhock, eucalyptus, ragged-lady, roses (4), yellow sweet-clover, asparagus, Hydrangea hortensis, blue African lily, lupine, Boston-pink, wool-pink, cypress, sedum, agave, chelidonium, euphorbia (long-leaved), and broom.
[21] It was here that the Vice-President, Flores, was torn to pieces by women in the last days of the Confederacy, when the Church was in power.
[22] The cases of these rockets were of bambu, and usually three were attached to one stick. As they were fired in daylight, and valued for their effect upon the ear rather than the eye, the proportion of explosive powder was increased,—each discharge giving three sharp cracks.
[23] These little apples—about the size of crab-apples—are tasteless uncooked, but make an excellent dulce; the señoras know how to use them for a sweet pickle.
[24] Palin is the market-garden and orchard of the metropolis, and the fruit is good, but not cultivated with any care; nor is there here or elsewhere in Guatemala any attempt to procure new and choice varieties of either fruits or vegetables.
[25] It was in this garden that the attempt was made to kill President Barrios, on the evening of Sunday, April 13, 1884. He was walking with General Barrundia, the Minister of War, when a bomb exploded, severely wounding both; but to allay public excitement the President bravely walked twice around the garden, and then home. The would-be assassin was captured, and proved to be a former conspirator whom Barrios had generously pardoned. The bomb was loaded with poisoned bullets.