Augustine Follin, Esq., who was appointed by Andrew Jackson in the year eighteen hundred and thirty-one, and has been reappointed by every succeeding administration; consequently he has been in the consular service longer than any other diplomatic agent of the United States. He is a republican of the old school, sacrificing his private interests whenever they clash with those of his native land. After twenty-four years of gratuitous service, Congress, in July, 1855, voted him a salary not sufficiently large to cover his household expenses, and with this he is compelled to maintain his ViceConsul in the port of Truxillo. Congress, however, very munificently classed him among consuls who are "allowed to transact business." During the twenty-four years of his service the American Government was never at one cent's expense, every thing being defrayed by Mr. Follin. He is much esteemed by every one here, and many a Central American is rejoiced to call him his "Compadre;" and others, who have been recipients of his kindness, and have become bettered in their condition by his never-failing judgment, love him with a sincerity quite gratifying to his friends. From President Guadiola to the meanest Carib who paddles along the coast, all acknowledge his goodness. Indeed, while I was among the Carib settlements, I have received marked attention by simply mentioning that I was a countryman of his. He was appointed after the death of Mr. Hosmer, who was killed by a cannon-ball during the insurrection and famous siege of Omoa. This was an important event to the State-the struggle being between the whites and the blacks for supremacy. About the beginning of the year 1831, a notorious character by the name of Gusman was imprisoned in the castle for political offenses. The dungeons being very damp, the poor rascal soon swelled fearfully, and the Commandante, at the supplication of the people, allowed him to walk daily on the savanna. The scamp, having the education of a gentleman, with the tact of a villain, ingratiated himself so completely into the confidence of the unsuspecting officer, that he soon after appointed him his private secretary. Of course Gusman had access to all the private government matter, which enabled him to answer official notes as suited his party purposes. By this means his plans were soon matured; the negroes and the Guatimalans were assembled in the vicinity of the town. About four days previous to the outbreak, he issued a proclamo forbidding the inhabitants to leave their houses after 8 o'clock at night. By this means a number of negroes entered the town without attracting attention. About 11 o'clock in the night, when the first blow was struck, Gusman ordered some of his own soldiers to arrest him, agreeably to the instructions of the proclamo. He went to the residence of the Commandante, and stated he had been arrested by the patrol while bringing an important letter which had just arrived from Comayagua. The Comman dante suspecting nothing, hastily dressed himself to receive the letter, and discharged the patrol. The negroes, agreeably to instructions, possessed themselves of the door leading to the armory as soon as they entered the Commandante's apartment. The letter was from Gusman, informing the Commandante of his movements and plans, telling him, at the same time, that he was a prisoner. He looked at the insurgents for a moment, than rushed for his arms, but saw he was completely in the power of the enemy. He was seized, carried to the fort, compelled to surrender it to his captor, and was finally thrown into the same dungeon from which he had, but a few weeks before, released Gusman. When he recalled the treachery of Gusman, and recollected that his assailants had possession of all the government secrets, he prayed that he might die. He knew his enemy was an able politician and superior military tactician, who had counted well the results of the villainy in which he had embarked his life and hope. He had been imprisoned once in the neverto-be-forgotten dungeon of the Castle of San Fernando, and it was reasonable to suppose he had made ample provisions to guard against a second incarceration. And Gusman, to his eternal shame be it spoken, allowed the old man, who had shown him naught but kindness, to rot in the very dungeon from which he was so lately rescued! Gusman had formed his plans well before his coup d'état. He had the support of all the treacherous bands in the State; was promised assistance, and had already received military stores from that enemy to Central American republicanism, Guatimala; and was confident of assistance and support from parties in the other States if he could succeed in his first effort the capture of the fort. So far he had succeeded. He had disposed of his most formidable enemy, the brave old Commandante, whose very name engendered fears that could not be quieted so long as he stood opposed to them. But he had not counted upon resistance from THE MONUMENT ON THE ROAD. the merchants. Guatimala has always had her claws upon Honduras. She is, in fact, an enemy of progress, a sort of Russo-American bear. The merchants answered her offers of protection as did the Peruvian patriot to the Spanish invaders. They were the owners of all the vessels on the coast, which they soon armed and dispatched as cruisers, and were so fortunate as to overhaul several schooners loaded with provisions, powder, etc., intended for the revolutionists. This was a serious blow for the negro dynasty, but the castle was moderately well supplied with all the necessaries for a protracted siege. Government troops soon made their appearance from the interior, but having no heavy guns, could not make a successful attack on the fort. Still, hostilities were commenced, and shot were thrown almost incessantly from the fort for upward of a month without damage; the guns ranging so high that they cleared the town completely, nor did they know how to remedy the evil. After several thousand shot had been lost in this manner, an Englishman, named Vernon, from Belize, was bribed by the insurgents to explain the mystery. He ordered them to cut about a foot from the front part of the gun-carriages; this was soon done, the guns reloaded, and a ball for the first time raked the town! Previous to this every thing was conducted as quietly as if there were no powder within a league of them, nor balls whistling within twenty miles of their housetops. A party were enjoying the luxuries of a good dinner at the house of our friend Mr. Follin, and were in the midst of some jocular conversation, when the first ball that had been thrown into the town, struck the corner of the house and passed completely through it. It entered the bedroom of Mr. Follin, and after taking most unwarrantable liberties with his wardrobe, introduced itself without ceremony to the company present. It is true they took considerable notice of the stranger, though they refused to offer him the hand of friendship, so he took "French leave" in the direction of the "Old French Soldier," who stood in the corner. The "Old General" never flinched, and though most of the wall was torn away by the ball, the post to which the bracket was fastened was not touched, and "Napoleon" smiled quietly at the havoc around him. The old house has been rebuilt, but the statue occupies its former position, nor will it again be disturbed unless Walker, when he enters Omoa, should meet with resistance. After holding the castle for six months, Gusman was starved into terms; was tried by courtmartial; shot, and his head hung in chains from the castle wall, where it remained until General Carrera, in 1853, took it down and sent it to Guatimala, together with the head of the "first insurgent," which had been hanging upwards of fifty years. His name has been forgotten, but his body lies buried on the road between the castle and the town. A rough pile of stones was erected over his body, which Time has partially destroyed, though he was less lenient with the iron cage which contained the unfortunate head. About three months after Gusman had been shot, the negroes organized themselves for a final struggle, determined on this occasion to THE BRIDGE. spare neither man, woman, or child in whose veins a drop of European blood was flowing. A friendly Carib having discovered their plans, laid them before the merchants, who immediately enrolled a secret corps, one hundred and twenty strong. The signal for the massacre was to fire one of their huts at night; and thinking the whites would, as usual, rush to assist in extinguishing the flames, they were to fall upon them unawares and destroy them. They were then to butcher the women and children in their beds! The alarm was given; the whites, as was expected, rushed to the fire, but went armed to the teeth, and surrounded the negroes, who were marched in a body to the fort. The next morning they were examined, and nineteen of the ringleaders immediately shot. The others, upon promising obedience to the laws, were allowed to return to their homes. This effectually crushed the desire of the negroes for power. Since then they have been as quiet and peaceable as can be expected of the African race. The old Castle of San Fernando, so closely connected with the struggles and history of Omoa, is, including the breastworks, about fifteen hundred feet long. It is built mostly of huge blocks of coral rocks, in the old Spanish style of architecture. Its walls are about forty feet high and fifteen feet thick, surmounted by coping and bead-work. On either corner stands a little turret or sentry-box. It was formerly surrounded by a moat of some depth, but, like the elevated road which leads to the town, and was once paved, but little remains of its former greatness. the expense by a contract, still in existence, for building a bridge over a small ditch in the upper part of the town. The ditch is so insignificant that it is perfectly dry except during the rainy season. It is about thirty feet long, seven feet in width, and four feet in height, and cost the Spanish government $30,000! What admirable Wall Street bears and bulls they would make did they live at the present time! Schuyler's affair would be considered as a petty mat The breast-works were also strongly built, having two splendid gateways, one on the north, the other on the south side. The northern gateter of no moment. had the date of the building of the fort carved beneath the arms of Spain, but some Vandal has obliterated it. As it now stands, it is a model of the picturesque. Trees of some size have sprung into existence among the crevices in its masonry, and clambering vines have insinuated themselves in the cracks, and spreading, appear to be possessed with the desire to hide it altogether, finishing the work which an over-zealous official had begun. In a few years, no doubt, it will have crumbled completely; when the remaining vestige of Spain's former greatness on this coast will be the old castle, which, from the material composing its structure, may be as strong two hundred years hence as at the present time. Along the top are distributed a few old cannon picked up at random, regardless of the suitability of the piece. There are two or three so small that at a distance they sound, when fired, like the report of a Kentucky rifle. Yet there are others that might be very effective did the "soldados" know more of the art of gunnery. Nearly every time a volley is fired in honor of some saint's day, more or less of them are injured. While they were celebrating the 15th of last September, the anniversary of the independence of the Central American States, two men were instantly killed, and others badly wounded, by the premature discharge of a can- | non, one of the gunners unclosing the vent while the piece was being loaded. They were standing in front of the gun to observe the manner of loading, and the effect of the ramrod on the "wad." H-, who was making a sketch while a soldier related the incidents to me, remarked that the effect must have been very striking, the more so from the fact of their using ball to increase the noise of the discharge. I remonstrated with him on the propriety of getting off such bad wit on such serious subjects, but 'twas no use. He said he had a reputation among the artists at home of being a "hard joker;" in fact, a bad pun was his card, and he had no idea of changing his address. Omoa was built as an entry port for Spanish commerce, after they had abandoned Natividad, which was too large a harbor to protect against the English and French pirates who infested the coast, frequently storming large fortifications, and taking them with apparent ease. This was the case with Old Panama, Realejo, and other ports in Central America. From 1750 until 1848 the town was a place of considerable importance, the supplies for the republics passing first through its streets. All the goods for the San Miguel fairs, which are held in the spring or fall of every year, whither merchants repair for their efectos—many journeying hundreds of miles-passed through Omoa. Then the town was fairly alive with a commercial activity that filled the iron chests of more than one of the fortunate residents. It was always filled with merchants from the interior, who had come down for their supplies; and the merry muleteer, strumming his guitar after the labors of the day, or whirling in the crazy fandango, gave it a lively air, which, for my own sake, I regret it has lost. Money being plenty, or, as the darkies say here, "too much plenty," the merchants, desirous of more gold, commenced the cuttings of the famous Honduras Mahogany Works, and the banks of the Ullua and Chimilicon rivers supplied the world with this valuable wood; and so extensive were some of the "gangs," that by the non-compliance of an English house to fulfill the contract held by a merchant here, he lost $300,000. Most of the wood lay at the mouth of the river until it rotted, mingling its precious substance with the waters of the ocean. A GIGANTIC CENTIPEDE. N one can for the first time look upon a centipede without shrinking back with terror, and exclaiming, involuntarily, that it is one of the most repulsive of insects. In its general form it resembles the serpent, but the possession of " innumerable legs" gives it the additionThe castle was built by Spanish American al horror of a monstrous creation. Overcoming convicts, superintended by the Hidalgos of the our first impressions, and examining it attentivecolony, and a very respectable amount of money ly, we find that its body is divided into numerit cost the Spanish king, though the labor was ous segments of the same length and thickness, performed by criminals, whose only pay was a each being furnished with a pair of legs, which sufficient quantity of plantains and rice to keep end in a sharp-pointed claw, backed by three body and soul together; yet when the commis-smaller ones, each capable of inflicting a painsioners sent in their report, the amount was so ful inflammatory wound. Its head is ornamentenormous that the king thought 'twas built ofed with two short antennæ, composed of seven gold and silver. Some idea may be formed of joints, illuminated by two granulated eyes, form Persons ac ed by the junction of numerous smaller ones; its | comes necessary, or death ensues. customed to the centipede lessen the danger The centipede is hatched from an egg, and comes forth a perfect insect; and what is most remarkable, the young is the subject of great care on the part of the maternal parent, being fostered by her long after they are able to take care of themselves. When first ushered into being they have but six legs, their additional feet, as well as the rings to which they are attached, becoming developed as they advance in age, one ring and one pair of feet marking the passage of a year. The centipede lives longer, and continues to increase in strength more than any other insect; it survives through many generations. This fact, and its peculiar organization, makes the centipede remarkable among all the varied races of insect life. The centipede not only exists upon vegetable juices, but as it increases in strength it depends mainly upon crickets, roaches, and beetles for subsistence, and it is in search of these comparatively harmless creatures that brings it into the habitations of man, where they are sometimes absolutely welcomed in order to extirpate the accumulated vermin. The presence of the centipede is known by the confusion it creates among the different insects in its vicinity, for, unexpectedly, they will be seen in a state of great disorder; the beetles will retreat to their holes, the crickets will stop chirruping, and the roaches, which grow very large in tropical climates, losing all control over their action, will fly madly against the walls, and then falling on the floor become an easy prey to the centipede, which dexterously rips open the body of the roach, devours its interior, and moves on in search of another victim. The centipede is the greatest pest encountered in the West India islands, in the countries bordering on the "Spanish Main," and the hottest parts of the American continent. In the vicinity of the Arkansas and Red Rivers in Texas, they are somewhat abundant, reaching about four inches in length, and proving an immense annoyance to the settlers. The utmost vigilance is required where they abound, even in the most cleanly houses, to prevent them from finding their way into beds or clothing, to The accumulation of vermin in tropical counwhich they seem to be attracted for comfortable tries, in the course of every three or four years, lodgment and surrounding warmth. Upon the becomes so great about the houses of the inhabthe appearance of a light, if in an exposed situ- itants, that a point arrives when the plague can ation, they attempt to make their escape, and no longer be borne. The walls of the adobe run off with great rapidity, but if interrupted, buildings seem to be absolutely alive with creepthey instantly stand on the defensive, biting se- ing things. Scorpions, centipedes, mice, spiders, verely upon the slightest provocation. This snakes, in ten thousand nameless but annoyhostile disposition renders them very dangerous ing forms of reptile and insect life, teem up from when once they have taken possession of a bed, the floors, arbors, and gardens. The raising for the slightest movement of its occupant, over of an article of dress, the hasty seizure of a which they may be crawling, and who can scarce- drinking-cup, the picking up of a chip, any simly fail to be disturbed by their pointed claws, in-ple act of life, in fact, that brings humanity in sures a venomous bite, which will be rapidly repeated if the enraged insect is not quickly destroyed. The bite is exceedingly painful, and is made additionally so by the attending inflammation caused by the punctures of the claws. An irritable fever follows, accompanied by delirium, and if the patient is of an excitable habit, amputation or excision of the bitten part be contact with the things around it, will possibly rouse some hidden-away insect, whose poisonous fangs will the next instant be in the intruder's flesh. Life becomes unbearable; the plagues of Egypt are upon the land. Suddenly it is announced that a little black ant has made its appearance: a general exclamation of welcome ensues. The advanced guard of the invincible |