216 CENTRAL AMERICA. 



ing to reach a populous village, or rather 

 large straggling town, about two or three in 

 the afternoon ; meaning, after a short rest 

 there, to travel about two hours further. At 

 noon my companions called on me for their 

 onze, so called, as previously explained, from 

 there being eleven letters in the word "aguar- 

 diente/' We travelled on until about five 

 miles from the said town, both my fat and 

 thin friends keeping us in roars of laughter, 

 when the Indian remarked we had better get 

 our ponchos ready, as a very heavy thunder- 

 storm was close behind. 



My friend, looking up at the sky, jumped 

 out of his saddle with surprising activity, 

 considering his huge size, and followed by 

 the thin one, asked the Indian if he did not 

 know how to prepare for an aguacero ; to 

 which the Indian replied, that both himself 

 and his patron knew well enough how to 

 prepare in the forest, but not in a cleared 

 country, as it was not decent. " Vaya,'"* said 

 they both, and with a speed quite marvellous, 

 they stripped, putting their clothes, linen, 

 shoes, leggings, and the one poncho under 

 their saddle- skins, or pillions; they then 

 replaced their broad-brimmed straw-hats on 

 their heads, their large silver spurs on their 



