Guatemala has been described as the privileged zone of Central America and is easily reached from both sides by steamers, and connected with the northern republics by rail. It is a country of mountains, tropical forests, lakes, rivers, coast and plains. No portion of the earth presents a greater diversity of level in an equal amount of surface, or a greater variety of climate. Humboldt, the great traveler, described it as an extremely fertile and well cultivated country more than a century ago. To this day, however, there are great tracts of fertile virgin lands open to cultivation...

In former times the natives are said to have cast living maidens into the craters of the volcanoes to appease the spirits or gods who were supposed to be angry. Later, after Christianity was introduced, the priests held masses and the people formed processions to calm the angry mountains, until finally the happy thought struck the priests of baptizing the volcanoes and formally receiving them into the church in order to make them good. This was finally done, but the “goodness” did not last, for even Santa Maria, supposed to be one of the “saintliest,” went back to her old tricks, and her fall from grace was more disastrous than any of the other recorded instances of her uncertain disposition...

This book presents a historical essay on Guatemala and its people.