ARAYA 71 



long grey beard was Administrador de la Salina, and to 

 him our captain handed over his papers, arranging at 

 the same time to take in his cargo on the following morn- 

 ing. The village of Araya is not a cheerful sort of place 

 according to European ideas, but the people appear to 

 enjoy themselves in their way, as the frequent visits of 

 schooners and smaller craft are occasions for parrandas 

 and dances, amusements dear to the heart of the 

 Venezuelan. The captain, who was also the owner of 

 our schooner, insisted that I should accompany him in 

 the evening, when he would call on his friends. On such 

 occasions, he told me, he was always accompanied by 

 his crew, every one of whom could play some stringed 

 instrument. Don Lam-eano, for that was the name of 

 our skipper, was very particular on this point, and he 

 used to say that even the cook had to be a musician, 

 otherwise the schooner was no place for him. After dark 

 we wandered forth, but not like * the sons of Belial 

 swollen with insolence and wine,' and going from door to 

 door our musical crew played joropos,^ waltzes, and 

 polkas for the benefit of the people of the house we 

 meant to honour. We were generally invited in, and 

 the chairs and tables having been cleared away we 

 danced with the ladies, so that good music, as they said, 

 might not be wasted. This strolling from door to door 

 with music, somewhat after the fashion of Christmas 

 waits in England, is called ^;«r;'a.7i(^ear. Una parranda 

 is the name applied to this form of amusement, and as it 

 is not unusual for those who indulge in these parrandas 

 to get festive on occasions, a man who has a weaKness 

 for sprees is called a parrandero. These terms will 



' Pronounced liorcypos, the favourite dance of the peasant and labouring 

 class. 



