370 Voijage of the Kovara. 



uncliecked, there will remain ere long in the catacombs only 

 an empty shell, in which once lay the celebrated Conquistador. 

 Perhaps, though, the speculative sacristan contents himself 

 with gratifying the wishes of curiosity-loving visitants, by 

 means similar to those of the artful cicerone who accom- 

 panies the enthusiastic stranger in his rambles among the 

 ruins of classic antiquity. 



The monastery of San Francisco is more worth notice for 

 its immense extent, which equals in size many an old im- 

 perial walled city of Suabia, than for elegance of style or 

 tasteful artistic interior. The fa^.ade, painted in various 

 colours, and overlaid with ornament, resembles by far more 

 a Buddha temple than a Roman Catholic church. The cor- 

 ridors are the finest part of the building, their wooden ceil- 

 ings being very richly carved. On all the walls of the 

 passages are suspended drawings illustrative of the lives of 

 various holy men, which, however, singular to say, are hung 

 with their faces to the wall, and are only turned round on 

 appointed festivals to charm the eyes of believers ! 



The church is very roomy within, but quite bare of orna- 

 ment. The sacristan with evident pride directed our atten- 

 tion to San Benito, a "black" saint, who was held in high 

 esteem by the negroes, probably on account of his colour. 

 Quite close to the monastery is the '' Casa de Ejercicios," 

 whither the monks repair at certain periods of the year to 

 perform the prescribed religious exercises. The cells here 

 have a more comfortless look than in the cloister proper. A 



