Managua

Stories about Managua and its surroundings in the adventures of E.G. Squier

Managua City

We reached Managua just as the bells of the churches were sounding the hour of the oracion, and halted, with uncovered heads, beneath the shadow of a heavily-Ioaded tamarind-tree, until the last sound trembled away, and was lost in the air. By these easy and appropriate deferences to the customs of the country, and the feelings of its people, we always commanded their sympathy and good-will, and avoided many of those unpleasant occurrences which, magnified into "Outrages on American citizens!" figure, in aH the blazonry of capitals, in the columns of our daily newspapers.

Managua is a large town, and, owing to the rivalry of Granada and Lean, the nominal capital of the State. That is to say, the Legislative Chambers meet there; but the personnel, the officers, and the archives of the Governrnent are all at Leon. Its situation, upon the shores of Lake Managua, is exceedingly well chosen. From the lake the peopIe take vast quantities of a variety of small fishes, scarcely the length of one's little finger, called sardines, which fried, like the white bait of England, or stirred into an omelette, constitute a palatable dish, celebrated throughout all Central America.

Managua, moreover, is distinguished for the beauty of its women; a circumstance, due, in a great degree, without doubt, to the larger infusion here of white blood. They also dress with greater taste than in most of the other towns, since they make no awkward attempts to imitate or adopt European styles. The little daughter of our hostess, whom we christened on the spot “La Favorita” was a model of girlish beauty, both in dress and figure. The women have the emhompoint whích characterízes the sex under the tropics. Thcir dress is loose and flowing, leav- ing the neck and arms exposed. It is often of pure white, but generally the skirt or nagua is of flowered stuff; in which case the guipil (Anglice, vandyke) is white, heavily trimmed with lace, satin slippers, a red or purple sash wound loosely round the waist, a rosary sustaining a golden cross, and a narrow golden band, or fillet of pearls, passing around the head, and confining the hair, which is often allowed to fall in luxuriant waves upon the shoulders, completes a costume as novel as it is graceful and picturesque.