A BUNGO. 



making arrangements for continuing our journey, and 

 the next day after, furnished with a luxurious supply of 

 provisions by the senora, and accompanied to the place 

 by Don Francisco, we embarked on board a bungo for 

 the Laguna. The bungo was about fifteen tons, flat- 

 bottomed, with two masts and sails, and loaded with 

 logwood. The deck was covered with mangoes, plan- 

 tains, and other fruits and vegetables, and so encumber- 

 ed that it was impossible to move. The stern had mova- 

 ble hatches. A few tiers of logwood had been taken 

 out, and the hatches put over so as to give us a shelter 

 against rain ; a sail was rigged into an awning to pro- 

 tect us from the sun, and in a few minutes we pushed 

 off from the bank. 



We had as passengers two young Central Americans 

 from Peten, both under twenty, and flying on account 

 of the dominion of the Carrera party. Coming, as we 

 did, direct from Central America, we called each other 

 countrymen. We soon saw that the bungo had a mis- 

 erable crew. Above the men were called bogadores 

 or rowers ; but here, as they were on board a bungo 

 with sails, and going down to the seacoast, they called 

 themselves marineros or sailors. The patron or master 

 was a mild, inoffensive, and inefficient man, who prefaced 

 all his orders to his breechless marineros with the con- 

 ciliatory words, " Senores, haga me el favor " Gen» 

 tlemen, do me the favour." 



Below the town commenced an island about four 

 leagues in length, at the end of which, on the main- 

 land, was a large clearing and farming establishment, 

 with canoes lying on the water. All travelling here is 

 along the river, and in canoes. From this place there 

 were no habitations ; the river was very deep, the banks 

 densely wooded, with the branches spreading far over. 



