58 



SIX MONTHS IN MEXICO. 



the greater portion of the dishes, I could not 

 learn the component parts ; but one striking 

 feature was a pig three months old roasted 

 whole, and stuffed with walnuts, which I 

 thought an excellent dish, and well cooked. 

 There was a great want of knives, only one 

 being allowed to each table ; and I was told 

 this was the common practice in Spanish 

 America. Before dinner had terminated, a 

 species of childish play, something like what 

 is practiced during the carnival at Rome, 

 commenced. A gentleman, rolling a piece of 

 bread between his fingers to the size of a pea, 

 would, with great dexterity and privacy, fling 

 it in the face of some one employed in eating ; 

 the party struck generally had his. sus- 

 picions of the quarter from whence it came, 

 and watched his opportunity of returning 

 the compliment. The more surprise was 

 excited, the more this sort of hostility was 

 practised, till the battle became general, 



