GUATEMALA (ante). The physical features of Guatemala which are of the most practical interest, are its fine rivers, seine of which are navigable to near their head waters, and its lakes which furnish agreeable and salubrious sites for thriving villages. The geology of the country displays some mineral wealth, lead and coal being found in large quantities, while marble quarries and deposits of lithographic stone also are worked to some extent. There are but few animals in Guatemala that arc dangerous to man, while it abounds with the usual tropical species, including monkeys, the tapir, the armadillo, honey-bear. etc., besides vast numbers of birds, many of them of brilliant plumage. There are said to be. 36 species of hummingbirds, 13 of woodpeckers, and 8 of trogons, including in the latter class, the quetzal, whose splendid yellow tail-feathers, 2 ft. in length, were used formerly as insignia by the Indian princes, and now form an emblematical figure in the arms of the republic. Alligators, snakes, salamanders, toads and frogs abound, and there is a rich development of insect life. The native products include more than 100 varieties of timber trees; cocoa is grown in the n.w; there is some good tobacco raised, but in small quantities; and vanilla, aloes. rhubarb, ipeeacu anha, castor-oil, and colocvnth are all indigenous, and only need the intervention of foreign capital to become the material of a valuable export trade. Guatemala is divided into 20 departments, Of which thatof Gtiatenuda proper is the most populous. Of the
entire population of 1„200,000, 720.000 are Indians, 300,000 Ladinos, and 180,000 whites. In 1874 the number of foreigners was only 829, of whom 191 were Mexicans, 164 Spaniards, 103 Frenchmen, 71 Italians. 64 Germans, and 50 Englishmen. The means of transportation and communication are very imperfect, 1,365 miles of road, with 432 bridges, and one unfinished railroad, and about 400 miles of telegraph being the entire service of this nature in 1874. Guatemala was, in ancient times, the seat of an extended and developed civilization, relics of which exist in numerous mounds, ruins, colossal heads, idols, pillars and altars. Until about 1824, when the Central American confed eration was formed, Guatemala was under the Spanish rule. From to 1851 it was controlled by Honduras and San Salvador. In the latter year Carrara defeated the Hondurians and San Salvadorians at La Arada, and was rewarded by being made presi dent of the republic, a dignity which was in 1854 extended to him for life: his death occurred in 1865, and he was succeeded by gen. Cerna, who was deposed in 1871. In 1872 gen. Bavrios was elected president, and four years later he endeavored to bring about the consolidation of the Central American republics. The effort failed, and a warlensued between Guatemala, Honduras and Sau Salvador, out of which Guatemala emerged victorious.