A FIESTA-DAY. 113 



our ^v:vy to the president's dwelling, where, in his main 

 apartment, we found a cockfight in full blast as a prelude 

 to the dinner. One of the gamesters belonged to the chief 

 executive, who, with much gusto, was personally attending 

 upon his feathered representative in the contest. This 

 affair at length terminated, the bloody arena was cleared, 

 and the crowd for a while dispersed. Assembling again at 

 tlie expiration of another hour, the guests, about thirty in 

 number, at the announcement of dinner, with a rush like 

 a ]Dack of half-famished wolves, surrounded the festive 

 board. Had it been desirable to seat the guests, the table 

 would not have accommodated over a third of the number 

 present. Such inconveniences as chairs were therefore 

 dispensed with, excepting a couple which were provided 

 for Xios Americanos. The dishes displayed were many in 

 number, but seemed, for the most part, to have originated 

 from one individual of the swine species. The head of the 

 victim was upon one platter, its ribs upon another, the legs 

 projected over a third, while the other portions, fried, 

 roasted, boiled, and hashed, had been served up for the 

 occasion. There were, furthermore, a single bowl of soup, 

 and another of boiled beans, of which only those could 

 partake who were favored with plates and spoons ; while 

 piles of broken cassava lay scattered in every direction. 

 Coffee was not wanting, neither claret, nor aguardiente, 

 of which latter many were tempted to imbibe too freely. 

 Every man was his own waiter ; filling his fist with a 

 great piece of meat, and then falling back from the table 

 to give another the opportunity to secure a poi'tion. Toasts 

 and vivas followed each other in quick alternation from 

 the feasting guests. Finally, with vivas for " LosEstados 

 Unidos," and " Los Americanos del Norte," they betook 

 themselves to the street, where a procession was formed, 

 at the head of which was borne, by two girls dressed in 

 white, the Venezuelan flag and our own star-spangled 



