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INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL. 



plaited in their hair, and perhaps one third of them had 

 children on their backs, their heads and arms only visi- 

 ble. Except ourselves and the padre, there were no 

 white people in the church ; and, with all eyes turned 

 upon us, and a lively recollection of the fate of those 

 who but a few days before had occupied our seats, we 

 felt that the oost of honour was a private station. 



At the steps of the grand altar stood a large cross, 

 apparently of solid silver, richly carved and ornament- 

 ed, and over it a high arbour of pine and cypress 

 branches. At the foot of the cross stood a figure of 

 Mary Magdalen weeping, with her hair in a profusion 

 of ringlets, her frock low in the neck, and altogether 

 rather immodest. On the right was the figure of the 

 Virgin gorgeously dressed, and in the nave of the 

 church stood John the Baptist, placed there, as it 

 seemed, only because they had the figure on hand. 

 Very soon strains of wild Indian music rose from the 

 other end of the church, and a procession advanced, 

 headed by Indians with broad-brimmed felt hats, dark 

 cloaks, and lighted wax candles, preceding the body 

 of the Saviour on a bier borne by the cura and attend- 

 ant padres, and followed by Indians with long wax can- 

 dles. The bier advanced to the foot of the cross ; lad- 

 ders were placed behind against it ; the gobernador, 

 with his long black cloak and broad-brimmed felt hat, 

 mounted on the right, and leaned over, holding in his 

 hands a silver hammer and a long silver spike ; an- 

 other Indian dignitary mounted on the other side, while 

 the priests raised the figure up in front ; the face was 

 ghastly, blood trickled down the cheeks, the arms and 

 legs were moveable, and in the side was a gaping 

 wound, with a stream of blood oozing from it. The 

 back was affixed to the cross, the arms extended, spikes 



