Departments—Capital cities—Population—Districts—Salvador Department—City of San Salvador—Situation—Surroundings—Destruction in 1854 by earthquake—Description of catastrophe—Loss of life actually small—Evacuation of city—Recuperative faculty of the people.

The Republic of Salvador is divided into 14 Departments, which are again subdivided into 31 districts, 27 cities, 51 towns, 164 villages, and 215 hamlets. The following table shows the names of such Departments, with their respective capital cities, their population, exclusive of foreigners, and the number of districts which they contain:
Departments;    Capital Cities    Population    Number of
                    Districts.
          Capitals.    Departments.
San Salvador    San Salvador    32,000    65,000    3
La Libertad    New San Salvador    11,000    49,000    2
Sonsonate    Sonsonate    11,500    41,500    2
Ahuachapán    Ahuachapán    12,000    37,000    2
Santa Ana    Santa Ana    33,750    80,500    3
Chalatenango    Chalatenango    6,000    54,000    2
Cuscatlán    Cojutepeque    8,000    62,000    2
Caba?as    Sensuntepeque    10,000    35,000    2
San Vicente    San Vicente    11,000    40,500    2
La Paz    Zacatecoluca    6,500    70,000    2
Usulután    Usulután    6,000    42,000    2
San Miguel    San Miguel    23,000    60,000    2
Morozán    Gotera    3,100    35,100    3
La Unión    La Unión    3,700    35,700    2
     [5] Total    177,550    707,300    —

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Department of San Salvador.

Cities.—San Salvador, Tonacatepeque (2).

Towns.—Mejicanos, Apopa, Nejapa, Santo Tomas, Panchimalco (5).

This was one of the first of the original divisions into which the Republic was divided in the year 1821, at which period the separation from the neighbouring kingdom of Guatemala took place. San Salvador is bounded on the north by the Departments of Chalatenango and Cuscatlán, on the east by Cuscatlán and La Paz, on the south by La Libertad and La Paz, and on the west by La Libertad. A great variety of scenery is met with, and no portion of the country can be described as anything but beautiful and romantic. In the southern part is encountered the rugged and picturesque coastal range of mountains; the central portion is broken up into a number of small, fertile valleys of surprising scenic beauty and fertility; while the northern section is covered with hills, which, although always green, are destitute of large trees. The Department contains two volcanoes—San Salvador, or Quezaltepeque, as the Indians name it, and Ilopango, which is situated upon a lake bearing the same name. Surrounding the capital are an immense number of prosperous fincas, or agricultural estates, market-gardens, and great stretches of tobacco, coffee, sugar, rice, corn and bean plantations. The whole population are engaged in these industries, the amount of labour necessary being abundantly supplied, and to all appearances the people seem extremely prosperous and contented. I failed, indeed, to observe any signs of either poverty or disorderliness, while, on the contrary, nearly everyone encountered appeared[249] merry, well fed, and decently dressed. There is little reason to suppose that these evidences were deceptive.

In spite of the fact that San Salvador has been visited by so many different volcanic eruptions, it has really suffered less from earthquakes or their effects than either Costa Rica or Guatemala, its immediate neighbours. There are still living in Salvador those who remember and speak of the great seismic catastrophe which befell the Capital City in the month of April, 1854, by which that place was almost completely ruined. Previous to this catastrophe, the city, in point of size and importance, had ranked third in Central America, Guatemala City, in the State of the same name, being first, and Leon, in Nicaragua, second. In regard to the first named, Guatemala City still remains the capital of its State; but Leon, although ranking as the largest city in the Republic of Nicaragua, has had to yield to Managua the pride of place as capital and seat of Government.

The name of "San Salvador" was chosen by its pious but pitiless founder, Don Jorge de Alvarado, who conquered the territory for the Spanish Government after Columbus had located it, in commemoration of his final decisive victory over the Indians of Cuscatlán, which battle was gained on the eve of the festival of San Salvador. During the long dominion of Spain in South and Central America, the city was the seat of the Governor, or Intendente, of the province of San Salvador, who, again, was subservient to the Captain-General of Guatemala. After its independence San Salvador became the capital of the new State, and it was early distinguished for its thorough devotion to the principles of the Liberal party in Central America.

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Even as far back as 1853, a notable writer of the day who was travelling in Salvador described the city as "a very beautiful town," and also spoke of the general intelligence, the industry, and the enterprise of its inhabitants, who, in his opinion, "surpassed in these respects the people of any of the other large towns in Central America." This visitor, as are all who sojourn for any length of time in San Salvador, became much impressed by the picturesque position of the city, which, as already indicated, lies in the midst of a broad but elevated plain, situated on the summit of a high tableland or coast range of mountains, which intervene between the valley of the River Lempa and the Pacific.

By barometrical admeasurement, San Salvador lies 2,115 feet above the sea. As a consequence, its climate is found pleasantly cool as compared with that of coast alluvians, although unfavourably modified in this respect by a low range of hills on the southern border of the plain, which shuts off the full benefit of the sea-breeze. Were it not for this obstacle, the winds blowing from the ocean, which is only twenty miles distant, would reach the city. As an indication of the kind of temperature one meets with, it may be said that in August the maximum of temperature rarely exceeds 80° Fahrenheit, the minimum 70°, and the mean average 76.3°, which, as will be generally recognized, constitutes a delightful climate.

The hills which surround the plain of San Salvador are covered with verdure, which keeps its colour and freshness owing to the heavy dews which fall and the absence of dust, while a fair amount of rain can always be depended upon.

Not more than three miles to the westward of the[251] Capital City, and watching over it like a gigantic sentinel, stands the magnificent volcano of San Salvador. In this respect one is reminded of some other Spanish-American cities, such as La Paz in Bolivia, with the superb Misti; and, again, of Mexico City, wi............