ACCOUNT OF BOOKS. 



1-035 



Ing their numbers, all ranged in re- 

 gular order, and observing a pro- 

 found silence, except when Ihey 

 joined in the general choruses, and 

 then blessed St. Dominic. What a 

 din was there ! Each division of 

 the wlioln processi<Jn was attended 

 by a band of music, which, halting 

 at the crosses, played almost di- 

 vinely ; and sorry enough 1 wasj 

 when the devotion of the multitude, 

 breaking forth into audible sounds, 

 spoiled such excellent harmony. 



" The decorations of the houses in 

 magnificence surpassed any thing I 

 ever beheld in Europe on the like 

 occasion. The streets are wide, 

 and most of them in a straight line ; 

 the houses in general low, with here 

 and there a very elegant church or 

 public building, finished according 

 to the rules of European architec- 

 ture. Every habitation was hung 

 either with tapestry or coloured cot- 

 tons of various dyes, ornamented 

 ■with feathers in a very ingenious 

 manner ; between which were sus- 

 pended festoons of flowers, articles 

 of plate, and even jewels, according 

 to the riches of the owner. Across 

 the streets, from side to side, were 

 triumphal arches, composed of 

 boughs of trees artfully interwoven ; 

 from which hung, as at the portico 

 of the church, a great variety of 

 living birds, all suspended in the 

 most advantageous point of view, 

 and some of them beyond description 

 beautiful. Between thearches were 

 «et out a vast quantity of eatables ; 

 such as cakes, pies, fruits, &c. all 

 disposed in a very agreeable man- 

 ner : and I could not help feeling a 

 kind of peculiar Eiiglin/i pleasure at 

 this part of the exhibition. Close 

 to the houses, on each side of the 

 streets, were likewise placed living 

 animiils — youafr tig«rs, lions, wolves, 



dogs, and even monkeys cf a parti- 

 cular large species — secured so care- 

 fully as to prevent any possibility 

 of their escaping, or hurting those 

 that might come near them. From 

 the windows were suspended bas- 

 kets, very neatly wove, of a lovely- 

 green colour, containing evej-y kind 

 of seed or grain with which they 

 mean to sow the land, that the sa- 

 viour of the world might bestow his 

 benediction on them as he passes, 

 which they think vAU undoubtedlj 

 procure them a plentiful harvest; 

 and indeed they are seldom, if ever, 

 disappointed. 



" There is not a street through 

 vrtiich the procession passes but is 

 adorned in this splendid manner : 

 for on this festival the riches of 

 every individual are displayed to the 

 greatest advantage possible, and with 

 a peculiar degree of art; which 

 must, I should think, occupy a con- 

 siderable time in preparation. 



" In one of the streets leading to 

 the great square I saw three of the 

 largest and finest peacocks I ever 

 beheld : also pheasants of an extra- 

 ordinary size and beauty, not much 

 unlike the peacocks in point of fea- 

 ther, but taller, with more slender 

 legs ; and in lieu of a long sweeping 

 tail, small tufts of feathers, com- 

 posed of dark brown, beautifully 

 shaded with green and gold ; but 

 their eyes and plumage, in beauty 

 and variety of colours, far surpassed 

 any of the biped kind that had ever 

 before met my inspection. They 

 all appeared very tame ; and, with 

 several other large birds fastened in 

 a similar way, were not in the least 

 disturbed by the firing, the shouts 

 of the multitude, or the trampling 

 of the horses. The ground was all 

 over strewed witli herbs and flowers, 

 so regularly disposed as to resemble, 



in 



