A RICH PROPRIETOR. 



379 



The Liberals, however did not expect the same treat- 

 ment at the hands of the Centralists. An invasion 

 had been apprehended from Tobasco. Don Francisco 

 had his silver and valuables packed up, and kept his 

 bungo before the door to save his effects and family, 

 and the place was alive with patriots brushing up arms 

 and preparing for war. 



Don Francisco was a rich man ; had a hacienda of 

 thirty thousand head of cattle, logwood plantations and 

 bungoes, and was rated at two hundred thousand dol- 

 lars. The house in which he lived was on the bank of 

 the river, newly built, one hundred and fifty feet front, 

 and had cost him twenty thousand dollars. While we 

 were with him dinner was about being served, in a lib- 

 eral style of housekeeping unusual in that country, and, 

 with the freedom of a man who felt sure that he could 

 not be taken unaware, he asked us to join him at ta- 

 ble. In all his domestic relations he was like the re- 

 spectable head of a family at home. He had two sons, 

 whom he intended to send to the United States to be 

 educated ; and minor things, too, called up home feel- 

 ings. For the first time in a long while we had bread, 

 made of flour from New- York, and the barrel-head had 

 a Rochester brand. Don Francisco had never trav- 

 elled farther than Tobasco and Campeachy, but he 

 was well acquainted with Europe and the United States, 

 geographically and politically ; indeed, he was one of 

 the most agreeable companions and best-informed men 

 we met in that country. We remained with him 

 all the afternoon, and toward evening moved our chairs 

 outside in front of the house, which at evening was the 

 regular gathering-place of the family. The bank of the 

 river was a promenade for the people of the town, 

 who stopped to exchange greetings with Don Fran- 



