A French officer, in the Nicaraguan service, (who was foolish enough to take part against the government in an attempted revolution shortly after, and got shot for his pains,) gave us some facts relative to alligators, of which we were previously ignorant. Those most satisfactory were that they occasionally have terrible fights among themselves, in which many get killed, and that the males destroy all the eggs of the females they can find, besides, Saturn-like, eating up all the young ones they can catch. We only regretted that they were not more successful in their amiable attentions to their own progeny. [Illustration: THE IGUANA.] CHAPTER IV. SAN CARLOS—DINNER AT THE COMMANDANTE’S—INTRODUCTION TO “TORTILLAS Y FRIJOLES”—A SIESTA—NEWS OF THE ATTEMPTED REVOLUTION—ANTICIPATING EVENTS, AND WHAT HAPPENED TO THE COMMANDANTE AFTER WE LEFT—DEPARTURE UNDER A MILITARY SALVO—VIEW OF SAN CARLOS FROM THE LAKE—LAKE NAVIGATION—CARD PLAYING—GORGEOUS SUNSET—A MIDNIGHT STORM—SAN MIGUELITO, AND THE “BATH OF THE NAIDES”—PRIMITIVE SIMPLICITY—A DAY ON THE LAKE—“EL PEDERNAL”—A BATH WITH ALLIGATORS—AN “EMPACHO”—A TRIAL AT MEDICINE, AND GREAT SUCCESS—SECOND NIGHT ON THE LAKE—THE VOLCANOES OF MOMOBACHO, OMETEPEC, AND MADEIRA—VOLCANIC SCENERY—THE COAST OF CHONTALES—THE CREW ON POLITICS—“TIMBUCOS” AND “CALANDRACAS,” OR A GLANCE AT PARTY DIVISIONS—ARRIVAL AT “LOS CORALES”—SOME ACCOUNT OF THEM—ALARMING NEWS—A COUNCIL OF WAR—FAITH IN THE UNITED STATES FLAG—THE ISLAND OF CUBI—MORE NEWS, AND A RETURN OF THE “EMPACHO”—DISTANT VIEW OF GRANADA—MAKING A TOILETTE—BEES—ARRIVAL AT THE RUINED FORT OF GRANADA—HOW THEY LAND THERE—SENSATION AMONGST THE SPECTATORS—ENTRANCE TO THE CITY—THE ABANDONED CONVENT OF SAN FRANCISCO—THE HOUSES OF THE INHABITANTS—FIRST IMPRESSIONS—SOLDIERS AND BARRICADES—THRONGED STREETS—SEÑOR DON FREDERICO DERBYSHIRE—“OUR HOST”—A WELCOME—OFFICIAL COURTESIES—OUR QUARTERS—FIRST NIGHT IN GRANADA.