338 



JAGUARIBE. 



presented itself. I was certainly not comfort- 

 ably situated, for the vestry consisted of only 

 one apartment, with a door%ay to the field and 

 another into the church, the latter being with- 

 out a door ; the church was unfinished, and was 

 the resort of brfts and owls ; however, it was 

 principally my unconcern respecting ghosts 

 which my neighbours were surprised at. A 

 negro boy and myself remained at night to en- 

 counter these, if any should appear, and to re- 

 ceive our constant visitors the bats. My com- 

 panion rolled himself up upon the ground in a 

 piece of baize and a mat, and thus cased, was 

 quite safe. I slept in a hammock, and often- 

 times these unwelcome guests alighted upon it, 

 as if they had come for the chance of a toe or a 

 finger making its appearance, upon which they 

 might fix. This way of living did not last long, 

 nor did I wish that it should. 



The house of which I have spoken as being 

 situated upon a shelf of the hill, and as looking 

 down upon the valley, was soon without an in- 

 habitant, and therefore to this I removed. It 

 was large, but the floors of the rooms were with- 

 out bricks, and the interior walls had not been 

 white-washed for ages, and some of them had 

 never undergone the operation. I received 

 visits and presents, as is customary, from my im- 

 mediate neighbours, — the white persons, and 

 those of colour who aspire to gentility ; and in- 



