18 



SIX MONTHS IN MEXICO. 



solitary sheet was absolutely wet ; yet upon 

 making my complaint to the landlord, he 

 replied, he knew it, but that he had no 

 other. I told him that wrapping myself in 

 my great coat, and sitting in a chair all night, 

 would be preferable to such a bed ; to which 

 he rejoined with the utmost sang Jroid, that 

 he thought it would, and left me to pass a 

 sleepless night, tormented with the intolerable 

 noise of the billiard room, with an oppressive 

 heat, and with the additional annoyance of 

 the mosquitos. 



A ramble at day-break in the market-place, 

 made some amends for my miserable lodging. 

 It was filled with Indians, and people from 

 the country, whose diversity of costume, and 

 variety of character, formed an interesting 

 spectacle. The vegetables, however, were 

 few and not fine; and the fruits much in- 

 ferior to those of Jamaica. The meat-market 

 was a most disgusting sight, the flesh being 



