90 PAEA. Chap. III. 



crowd of attendants precede the images, arrayed in 

 embroidered robes, and protected by magnificent sun- 

 shades — no useless ornament here, for the heat is very 

 great when the sun is not obscured. On each side of 

 the long line the citizens walk, clad in crimson silk 

 cloaks, and holding each a large lighted wax candle. 

 Behind follows a regiment or two of foot soldiers with 

 their bands of music, and last of all the crowd : the 

 coloured people being cleanly dressed and preserving a 

 grave demeanour. The women are always in great 

 force, their luxuriant black hair decorated with jas- 

 mines, white orchids and other tropical flowers. They 

 are dressed in their usual holiday attire, gauze chemises 

 and black silk petticoats ; their necks are adorned with 

 links of gold beads, which when they are slaves are 

 generally the property of their mistresses, who love 

 thus to display their wealth. 



At night, when festivals are going on in the grassy 

 squares around the suburban churches, there is really 

 much to admire. A great deal that is peculiar in the land 

 and the life of its inhabitants can be seen best at those 

 times. The cheerful white church is brilliantly lighted up, 

 and the music, not of a very solemn description, peals 

 forth from the open windows and doors. Numbers of 

 young gaudily-dressed negi-esses line the path to the 

 church doors with stands of liqueurs, sweetmeats, and 

 cigarettes, which they sell to the outsiders. A short dis- 

 tance off is heard the rattle of dice-boxes and roulette at 

 the open-air gambling-stalls. WHien the festival happens 

 on moonlit nights, the whole scene is very striking to a 

 new-comer. Around the square are groups of tall palm 



