26 



NARRATIVE OF A 



exception of the kitchen. It served for parlour, bed-cham- 

 ber, dining-room, and office. And well it might ; for 

 there was the sofa for the reception of visitors, a substan- 

 tial cedar table for dining, a bed to sleep in, and a desk, 

 with writing apparatus, for the transaction of business. 

 The bedstead was a very neat one, of wrought iron, pro- 

 vided with a handsome mosquito net, and was placed on 

 a platform which raised it about two feet from the floor. 

 A military saddle in one corner of the room, a cavalry 

 sabre in another, and a pair of pistols hanging from the 

 wall, gave a military and picturesque character to this 

 primitive menage, which had very much the appearance 

 of a guard-house. 



At the appointed hour I returned to the house to dine, 

 where I found the Ministro, and another person, who had 

 also been invited. Where the dishes were prepared I 

 cannot conjecture. I can only say, that they were brought 

 in from the street. The first placed on the table was a 

 good soup, which was followed by the inevitable olla 

 of the Spaniards, consisting of beef, mutton, and pork, 

 with an abundant accompaniment of vegetables, served 

 up together. Then came a dish of rice, cooked a la Va- 

 lenciana, and tolerably saturated with oil, which, how- 

 ever, did not prevent my finding it very good. Some beef 

 a la mode was then served up, that smacked a little of 

 garlic, but which I had no objection to on that account. 

 The next dish contained a good sized fowl and a small 

 chicken, both together, and side by side, like mother and 

 daughter. A quantity of vegetables — plantains, pumpkins, 

 and sweet potatoes — all in the same plate, were then 

 placed on the table ; and, finally, came a pudding, which 

 terminated the dinner. 



My appetite, which was unusually good, from my hav- 

 ing suffered a little from sea-sickness, allowed of my eat- 

 ing more or less of every dish that was presented. The 

 Commandant was much pleased by my observing, that 

 he ought not to be surprised at my eating so much, when 



