A SERENADE. 153 
As Audubon and his companions landed, an 
unusual excitement seemed to prevail, which, 
with reason, they attributed to the curiosity 
raised among the good people by their arrival, 
as with arrows and hunting accoutrements, in 
guise half Indian, half civilized, they made their 
appearance. In return for the interest they ex- 
cited, they met, however, with kind greetings and 
abundance of good cheer. Grateful for the wel- 
come, on betaking themselves at nightfall again 
to their floating habitations, they serenaded 
with repeated glees and madrigals the amiable 
inhabitants of the village; who on the following 
day sent a deputation to request that the whole 
party would favour with their company a ball, 
which was to take place in the evening; desiring, 
also, that in order to give additional zest to the 
festivities, they would bring their musical instru- 
ments, At the fashionable hour of ten o’clock, 
accordingly, the party—some carrying flutes, 
others violins, and Audubon a flageolet stuck in 
his pocket—were lighted to the dancing hall— 
(the ground floor of a fisherman’s house) by 
paper lanterns. 
The hostess, completely at her ease and en 
négligé, like the apartment, curtseyed with the 
agility if not with the elegance of a Cerito, and 
full of activity, as well as intent on-cordiality, pro- 
ceeded in the presence of her visitors to arranga 
