256 NATURAL HISTORY OF 



Presbyterian church that day, I walked rapidly down to the 

 Cathedral, the front of which occupies a considerable part of 

 one side of a large square. On my way I noticed that the 

 ground in many of the streets was strewn with a plant smelling 

 strongly of anise, and other herbs, while various gaudy shrines, 

 lighted with numerous candles — which, on this sunny after- 

 noon, diffused a sickly yellow glare — were erected at the 

 corners of the streets ; and the balconies of the houses, draped 

 with silk and damask curtains of various colours, were filled 

 with gaily-dressed ladies holding baskets and trays of flowers. 

 When I entered the cathedral, the archbishop was just in the 

 process of doffing his mitre, and in a few minutes after a long 

 procession was formed in the centre of the building, and pro- 

 ceeded slowly to move towards the principal entrance, to the 

 music of the organ, together with that of a number of peripa- 

 tetic performers provided with fiddles and flutes, with a negro 

 at their head, who jangled a bell with great vigour ; a vast 

 expenditure of incense going on at the same time. After the 

 musicians came an assemblage of laymen carrying immense 

 lighted wax candelabra, and behind them a collection of very 

 ill-favoured looking priests, who were in their turn succeeded 

 by a number of youths in white dresses ; while in the rear of 

 all marched the archbishop in a gorgeous dress, carrying the 

 host, beneath a canopy supported on silver staves borne by a 

 collection of individuals attired in a costume resembling that 

 of a parish beadle. On issuing from the cathedral, the pro- 

 cession halted for a few minutes in the square in front, where 

 a regiment of soldiers in gray uniforms was drawn up, and 

 an immense crowd of people was assembled, and then moved 

 slowly onwards, the soldiers falling in behind and marching to 

 the music of a military band. As this extensive company de- 

 filed through the streets, showers of the petals of roses and other 



