42 



SIX MONTHS IN MEXICO. 



respectable village, with a river and a bridge 

 called Puente del Reyna (the Queen's Bridge). 

 It possessed the best house of accommodation 

 we had yet met with ; — a building with stone 

 walls and tiled roof, and we were shown into 

 a room in which was a table and some chairs. 

 As our provisions were nearly exhausted, we 

 procured a good omelet of eggs and bacon. 

 The house had some pretensions to elegance : 

 a cloth was spread, which (though not the 

 cleanest) was a luxury we had not seen 

 before ; — on removing it, the good lad who 

 waited put us all to the blush, for, bending 

 in the act of adoration, (which we had neg- 

 lected to do) he deliberately returned thanks 

 to the Supreme Being for the repast. The 

 landlord, who keeps a little shop, appeared 

 to be a man of considerable dignity, and 

 probably held some commission under the 

 government, for in the room in which we 

 dined were arranged about twenty muskets, 



