1034 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1805. 



scene I never -wilnessed. It si-cmed 

 as if people from all nations of the 

 earth were collected together, pre- 

 senting every different shade of 'tlie 

 complexion, from the silver-haired 

 inhabitant of Denrnwrk to the sable- 

 hucd native of Guinea. 



" Among the crowd some Indian 

 caciques held a very conspicuous 

 place. They wore party-coloured 

 cotton habits, prettily decorated 

 with a variety of feathers, arranged 

 in a very judicious and elegant man- 

 ner. Bands of wool, red, purple, 

 and yellow, cneircled their heads, 

 and supported some of the most 

 beantiful plumes I ever beheld. Se- 

 veral of the caciques wore glittering 

 ornaments on their chins ; others on 

 their necks, arms, and legs. But if 

 these Indians pleased by the gaiety 

 of their attire, another tribe interest- 

 ed mc no less by their simplicity. 

 These were clad in white cotton 

 vestments, with no other ornament 

 than large full white feathers, rising 

 one above another round the head. 

 This dress, contrasted with the dark 

 copper colour of their skins, was 

 peculiarly striking, and gave a most 

 singular, though extremely pleasing, 

 appearance to the whole. 



" The outsides of the houses 

 round the square were hung with 

 festoons of flowers, and live birds, 

 tied with strings, to prevent their 

 escape, but long enough to admit of 

 their fluttering sufficiently to expand 

 their beautiful plumage : a cortri- 

 vance which I must confess had a 

 very picturesque effect. The porti- 

 co of the church was decorated with 

 an uncommon quantit}' of real and 

 artificial flowers, in the disposal of 

 which a great share of taste had been 

 displityed. Under the principal arch 

 nas placed a band of musicians, who 

 sung and played most enehantingly. 



Indeed there is not a place in the 

 world, not even Italy, where sacred 

 music is more studiously attended to. 

 Upon a volley being fired by somo 

 of the soldiers — who were all drawn 

 up on one side of the square — the 

 procession commenced by the mili- 

 tary, fully accoutred, marching off 

 two and two, to the sound o^ 

 drums, trumpets, and other martiaj 

 music, at intervals halting, to dis- 

 charge their pieces ; the bells of all 

 the churches ringing, and the ships 

 in the harbour returning the firing 

 in the town : so that altogether you 

 maysupposetheconcert by no means 

 a despicable one. First after the 

 soldiers came the order of St. Fran- 

 cis, arranged in nearly the same 

 manner as ourselves ; then followed 

 a second division of the military, 

 and the choristers of the cathedral : 

 to them succeeded the order of St. 

 James ; and, thirdly, we came in. 

 Between our rear and the advanced 

 guard of the fourth community was 

 borne on a very high altar, richlj 

 decorated, the elements of theeucha- 

 list, surrounded by a vast number 

 of people of the first rank and qua- 

 lity ; some of them bearing lighted 

 wax-candles, highly perfumed ; 

 others incense, many banucrs, and 

 not a few relics : the whole group 

 flanked by soldiers on horseback, in 

 their newest and best attire, firing 

 alternately to the right and left; 

 and wherever a cross was erected, 

 w hich I believe was at the end of 

 every street, the whole cavalcade 

 halted to sing the appointed service. 

 " After the eucharist came an- 

 other division of soldiers, and »ftcr 

 them all the rem.iining religious of 

 the town, while on either side of 

 the street — for we took the middle — 

 marcHed the mobility, men, women, 

 and cliiidren, but, notwithstand- 



in* 



