SAN ANTONIO D E GUISTA. 239 



the door of the convent was a large cross on a high 

 pedestal of stone, with the coating decayed, and cover- 

 ed with wild flowers. The convent was enclosed by a 

 brush fence, without any opening until we made one. 

 The padre was not at home, which was very fortunate 

 for him, as there would not have been room enough for 

 us all. In fact, everything seemed exactly intended for 

 our party ; there were three beds, just as many as we 

 could conveniently occupy ; and the style of them was 

 new : they were made of long sticks about an inch 

 thick, tied with bark strings at top and bottom, and 

 resting on crotches about two feet high, driven into the 

 dirt floor. 



The alcalde and his major had roused the village. 

 In a few moments, instead of the mortifying answer 

 4 'no hay," there is none, the provision made for us was 

 almost equal to the offers of the Turkish paradise. 

 Twenty or thirty women were in the convent at one 

 time, with baskets of corn, tortillas, dolces, plantains, 

 hocotes, sapotes, and a variety of other fruits, each one's 

 stock in trade being of the value of three cents; and 

 among them was a species of tortillas, thin and baked 

 hard, about twelve inches in diameter, one hundred and 

 twenty for six cents, of which, as they were not expen- 

 sive, we laid in a large supply. 



At this place our muleteer was to leave us. We had 

 but one cargo-mule fit for service, and applied to the 

 alcalde for two carriers to go with us across the frontier 

 to Comitan. He went out, as he said, to consult with 

 the mozos, and told us that they asked six dollars apiece. 

 We spoke to him of our friend Carrera, and on a sec- 

 ond consultation the demand was reduced by two thirds. 

 We were obliged to make provision for three days, and 

 even to carry corn for the mules ; and Juan and San- 

 tiago had a busy night, boiling fowls and eggs. 



