CEARA. 451 
walls adorned with some coarse prints, of which the old 
gentleman seemed very proud. He said if we could be 
satisfied with such accommodation as he had, the gentle- 
men to sling their hammocks in the sitting-room with him, 
the Senhora to sleep with his wife and the children in the 
only other room he had to offer, he should be happy to 
receive us. I confess that the prospect was not encourag- 
ing ; but I was prepared to meet with inconveniences, 
knowing that even a short journey into the interior involved 
discomforts, and when the hostess presently entered and 
made me heartily welcome to a corner of her apartment, 
I thanked her with such cordiality as I could muster. She 
was many years younger than her husband, and still very 
handsome, with an Oriental kind of beauty, rather enhanced 
by her dress. She wore a red muslin wrapper, somewhat 
the worse for wear, but still brilliant in color ; and her long 
black hair hung loose and unbraided over her shoulders. 
An hour or two later supper was announced. We had 
brought the greater part of it with us from the city, but 
we invited all the family to sup with us, according to the 
fashion of the country. The old gentleman completed 
his toilet by adding to it a gaudy-flowered cotton dress- 
ing-gown, and seating himself at the table, contemplated 
the roast-chickens and claret with no little satisfaction. 
From the appearance of things, such a meal must have 
been a rarity in his house. The mud floor of the kitchen 
where we supped was sloppy, and its leaky roof and broken 
walls were but dimly lighted by the coarse guttering candles 
made from the Carnauba palm. I presently heard a loud 
gobbling close by my side ; and, looking down, saw by 
the half-light a black pig feeding at a little table with 
the two children, assisted also by the dog and the cat. 
