STRIPPING FOR A STORM. 217 



naked heels, and buckled their machetes 

 round their ditto waist: they then mounted 

 on horseback again. 



There could not have been a more ludicrous 

 sight than our two fellow-travellers. Fancy- 

 two men, with handsome skins, and trappings 

 on their horses, but with nothing on them 

 but large straw hats, huge silver spurs on 

 their heels, and a short hunting sword strap- 

 ped round their waists ; and such a contrast 

 of waists ! the Silenus-looking fat man hav- 

 ing his buckled close under his arms; and the 

 thin one's belt hanging over his hips. There 

 could not have been a better representation of 

 Plenty and Famine. 



In the forest it was my frequent practice to 

 strip for a shower, and keep my clothes dry, 

 on account of the ague wet clothes invariably 

 produce, and also for the reason that there is 

 no one to see you ; but in a partially cleared 

 country, where men and women are met 

 with, and in the vicinity of villages, it is dif- 

 ficult to throw off every feeling of shame or 

 modesty, and so we contented ourselves with 

 taking off all our clothes, but putting on the 

 large ponchos that cover all but the feet. 



Down came the rain, as if hundreds of 

 buckets of water were being continually 



