“I will now relate what I saw. I left the village of Managua, July 25, 1529, and spent the night at the house of Diego Machuca [who, we have seen, was the first explorer of Lake Nicaragua], being half a league from the foot of the mountain, on the shores of Lake Nindiri. I descended the same day to examine the lake; and the next, which was St. James’ day, I started before the rising of the sun to ascend the mountain, and behold the flame, and the other extraordinary things worthy of mention. This mountain is very steep, and is surrounded by Indians of the Chorotegan nation. Tigers, lions [pumas], and many other ferocious animals abound here. Beyond this mountain stretches an uncultivated plain, which the Spaniards have named _el mal pais_. It is covered with rocks, resembling scoriæ. In this an isolated mountain rises up to the height of a league from foot to summit. The mountain may be three or four leagues in circumference at its base, and is entirely different from those in its neighborhood. I know that many Spaniards have sent descriptions of this mountain to the emperor; and that others, on their return to Spain, have given out what they have seen, whose relations I do not doubt. On the contrary, I rejoice that I am to speak of a matter so well known, and that there is no lack of witnesses who can attest the truth of my recital. Many of those who pretend to have visited this mountain have only seen it from a distance; and but few have ascended it. Some assert that the light of the flame is sufficiently strong to read by, at the distance of three leagues, which I cannot confirm. “I left the house of Machuca in the middle of the night, as I have before mentioned, and I had nearly reached the summit at sunrise. It was not, however, light enough for me to read my prayers (breviary), which I had brought with me, when I was within a quarter of a league of the summit. Yet the night was very dark, in consequence of which the flame appeared more brilliant. I have heard persons worthy of credit say that when the night is very dark and rainy, the light from the crater is so vivid that one can see to read at the distance of half a league; this I will neither affirm nor deny, for at Granada or Salteba, when there is no moon, the whole country is illuminated by the flame of the volcano; and it is a fact that it can be seen at the distance of sixteen or twenty leagues; for I have seen it at that distance myself. However, we cannot call that which proceeds from the crater precisely a flame, but rather a smoke as bright as a flame; it cannot be seen at that distance by day, but only at night, as I have said.