THE YAGUAS. 



225 



Their houses are peculiar. Very long, slender poles are stuck in the 

 ground opposite each other, and about thirty feet apart ; their ends are 

 brought together at the top, forming a Gothic arch about twenty feet 

 high. Similar poles, of different lengths, are planted in front of the 

 openings of the arch, and their ends are brought down and lashed to 

 the top and sides of the openings. They are secured by cross-poles, inside 

 and out, and the whole is thickly thatched to the ground, leaving two 

 or three apertures for entrance. The house looks, on the outside, like 

 a gigantic bee-hive. On the inside, small cabins of cane are built 

 at intervals around the walls, each one of which is the sleeping-room 

 of a family. Four or five families generally occupy one house, and the 

 middle space is used in common. This is never cleaned, nor even 

 levelled, and is littered with all manner of abominations. There is a 

 puddle of water before each door; for, from the construction of the 

 house, the rain, both from the heavens and the roof, pours directly 

 into it. 



After evening service, the Indians went off to their houses to com- 

 mence the festival. They kept the drums going all night, and until 10 

 o'clock next morning, when they came in a body to conduct us to mass. 

 Most of them were the worse for their night's debauch, and sat upon 

 the ground in a listless and stupid manner; occasionally talking and 

 laughing with each other, and little edified, I fear, by the sacred cere- 

 mony. 



I was annoyed at the poverty of the church, and determined, if I ever 

 went back, that I would appeal to the Roman Catholics of the United 

 States for donations. The priestly vestments were in rags. The lava- 

 tory was a gourd, a little earthen pitcher, and a jack towel of cotton ; 

 and it grieved me to see the host taken from a shaving box, and the 

 sanctified wine poured from a vinegar cruet. 



After mass, and a procession, the Indians went back with us to the 

 convento, and entertained us with music whilst we breakfasted. It was 

 well that the drums were small, or we should have been fairly deafened. 

 There were six of them, and they were beaten without intermission. 

 One fellow dropt to sleep, but we gained nothing by this, for his neigh- 

 bor beat his drum for him. Nearly the whole male population were 

 crowded into the convento. The breakfast was furnished by the 

 Indians ; each family contributing a dish. The old women were proud 

 of their dishes, and seemed gratified when we partook of, and com- 

 mended them. They continued their frolic all day and night. 



On Monday we visited the houses of the Indians to see what curiosi- 

 ties we could get. We found the men stretched in their hammocks, 

 15 



