JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 



183 



men, on being apprised of our coming, and apprehending 

 that we were charged with a commission from the Go- 

 vernment to raise recruits or to exact rations, had fled to 

 the mountains, and that the curate, also deeming it pru- 

 dent to shun our presence, had followed their example. 

 Finding this to be the case, we gave them such explana- 

 tions as fully satisfied them of our character and inten- 

 tions. One of the women said the Padre was not far off, 

 and that she would bring him in a twinkling. This con- 

 ference was not sustained without much difficulty; the 

 inhabitants here, as in all Indian villages, being but indif- 

 ferently acquainted with the Spanish. 



We now repaired to the house of the curate, and un- 

 loading the mules in the yard, sat down to rest under the 

 piazza, which, as the door was locked, was the only ac- 

 cessible part of the house. The curate soon made his 

 appearance, and with perfect cordiality and politeness 

 welcomed us to his dwelling. He seemed disposed at 

 first to conceal the motive of his absence, but he finally 

 confessed that he had fallen into the same error as the rest 

 of the inhabitants ; and that as the agents of the Govern- 

 ment, or those of Carrera, by whom the village was occa- 

 sionally visited, were in the habit of making him the 

 channel of their requisitions, he had taken the liberty to 

 withdraw. He then directed arrangements to be made 

 for our accommodation during the night, and some re- 

 freshments to be prepared for us. In the mean time, the 

 fugitive inhabitants of the village had been relieved of 

 their apprehensions, and were now fast returning to their 

 homes. 



We had every reason to be pleased with the padre, who 

 joined us in our evening meal, and enlivened the repast 

 by the wit and gaiety of his conversation. He could 

 even play on the guitar, and sing, and was easily pre- 

 vailed on to exhibit before us these unclerical accom- 

 plishments. He was an intelligent man withal, and full 



