Upon our arrival we called upon Padre Martinez, and asked him to show us the ancient cathedral. It was in a ruined condition, and at the time of our visit the nave and aisles were occupied by cattle. In the centre of the roof we observed the emblem of the imperial arms of Austria, the double-headed eagle, which fixed the date of the erection of the building as being in the reign of the Emperor Charles V. There still remained within the shrines many fine wood carvings, and it could be seen that the ornamentation of the interior must have been in accordance with the artistic abilities of the Spanish architects of that period. After leaving this fine example of one of the earliest churches in Central America, we looked at the ruins of the palace and government buildings. It was evident that the ancient Guatemala, before it was destroyed by earthquakes, must have well deserved its reputation of being, next to Mexico, the most flourishing city in the New World. Close at hand and dominating the ruins, are the lofty twin volcanoes of Agua and Fuego (Water and Fire). The former in 1541, caused the destruction of the first town established by the Spaniards, which is now called La Vieja Guatemala. The manner in which that capital was overwhelmed and destroyed, was so exceptional, that it is desirable that the events which then occurred should be brought into consideration. It was stated by a Spanish resident who was present on that occasion, that although the rainfall had been abundant during the year, there was nothing in the other atmospheric conditions to give any reason for anxiety. But on the 10th of Sept., 1541, two hours after sunset, a mass of water suddenly issued from the crater of the nearest volcano, and rushing down the slope of the mountain with great velocity, immediately swept away the greater part of the town. This inundation was accompanied by the shock of an earthquake. During the night the disasters caused by the rapid waters are described as having been terrible. The torrents, with which were mingled masses of detached rocks and the trunks of uprooted trees, carried away everything before them. Amongst those who perished was Doña Beatriz de la Cueva, the widow of Alvarado, the conqueror of these southern provinces.[57] [Illustration: CATHEDRAL AND SQUARE, LA ANTIGUA GUATEMALA.]