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PARA 



in the first place, of the image of the saint, and those of 

 several other subordinate ones belonging to the same 

 church ; these are borne on the shoulders of respectable 

 householders, who volunteer for the purpose : sometimes 

 you will see your neighbour the grocer or the carpenter 

 groaning under the load. The priest and his crowd of 

 attendants precede the images, arrayed in embroidered 

 robes, and protected by magnificent sunshades — no use- 

 less ornament here, for the heat is very great when the 

 sun is not obscured. On each side of the long line the 

 citizens walk, clad in crimson silk cloaks, and holding 

 each a large lighted wax candle. Behind follows a re- 

 giment or two of foot soldiers with their bands of music, 

 and last of all the crowd : the coloured people being 

 cleanly dressed and preserving a grave demeanour. The 

 women are always in great force, their luxuriant black 

 hair decorated with jasmines, white orchids and other 

 tropical flowers. They are dressed in their usual holiday 

 attire, gauze chemises and black silk petticoats ; their 

 necks are adorned with links of gold beads, which when 

 they are slaves are generally the property of their mis- 

 tresses, who love thus to display their wealth. 



At night, when festivals are going on in the grassy 

 squares around the suburban churches, there is really 

 much to admire. A great deal that is peculiar in the land 

 and the life of its inhabitants can be seen best at those 

 times. The cheerful white church is brilliantly lighted up, 

 and the music, not of a very solemn description, peals 

 forth from the open windows and doors. Numbers of 

 young gaudily-dressed negresses line the path to the 

 church doors with stands of liqueurs, sweetmeats, and 

 cigarettes, which they sell to the outsiders. A short dis- 

 tance off is heard the rattle of dice-boxes and roulette at 

 the open-air gambling-stalls. When the festival happens 

 on moonlit nights, the whole scene is very striking to a 

 new-comer. Around the square are groups of tall palm 

 trees, and beyond it, over the illuminated houses, appear 

 the thick groves of mangoes near the suburban avenues, 

 from which comes the perpetual ringing din of insect life. 

 The soft tropical moonlight lends a wonderful charm to 

 the whole. The inhabitants are all out, dressed in their 

 best. The upper classes, who come to enjoy the fine 

 evening and the general cheerfulness, are seated on 

 chairs around the doors of friendly houses. There is no 



