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the stage for San Blas. The road led westward out over the plain past a [[strikethrough]]broad[[/strikethrough]] long line of fir on the mt. side & began to descend gradually toward the coast. It was bright moonlight & groups of natives were seen lying asleep under large wild fig trees & every now & then a mule train loaded with bales of goods from San Blas were passed. Often these latter caused the coach to stop in narrow parts of the road to avoid an accident. The slopes were overgrown with scrubby trees & bushes. Ranches & little villages of mud & stick huts were passed & at sunrise we were descending a long ridge overlooking the coast plain with the sea hidden by a low lying fog bank. We reached [[Novarete?]] soon after this & had a miserable breakfast while being attacked by a swarm of hungry gnats. This place is at the base of the mts. & from here we crossed the nearly level coast plain for some 18 or 20 miles through forests of wild figs, nut palms, copal & other trees reaching San Blas at 10.30 a.m.

April 16th to 19th San Blas. This is one of the oldest ports