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315 



were called over by the captain, and as each 

 name was repeated by the sergeant, who stood 

 at the door-way, the individual to whom it be- 

 longed came in and presented arms to the Ca- 

 pitam-mor y then turned about and retired. It 

 was truly ridiculous, but at the same time pain- 

 ful, to see the fright which the countenances of 

 aome of the poor fellows expressed, and their 

 excessive awkwardness when they came to pre- 

 sent themselves ; whilst others displayed evident 

 self-sufficiency ; these were well-dressed, and 

 performed every manoeuvre with as much neat- 

 ness and promptitude as they were capable of, 

 expressive of superior knowledge, and in hopes 

 of admiration. There were of course many ab- 

 sentees, and for the non-appearance of these 

 some reason was given by one of the officers of 

 the company to which the man belonged, or by 

 a neighbour. The excuses were usually received 

 as all-sufficient, without any further enquiry be- 

 ing made. However the absence of one of the 

 captains was not thus quietly acquiesced in, and 

 therefore an officer was dispatched to his house 

 to bring him to Pindoba under an arrest. Whe- 

 ther this proceeded from some private pique, or 

 from zeal for the public service, I do not pretend 

 to determine, but he soon arrived in custody. 

 He was put into one of the apartments of the 

 house which we were inhabiting, and a sergeant 

 Mas stationed at the door as a sentinel. The 



