26 



THE BANDA ORIENTAL. 



wards of two hours for horses. When they ar- 

 rived, the guide made great objection to proceed, 

 as it was then late, and the post seven leagues ; 

 however, by dint of coaxing and bribery, we got 

 him on, but he was much afraid of robbers. 

 Night overtook us ; and we had to wade through 

 a deep river, or rather arroyo,^ situated in a 

 dark, dreary wood : we lost our way in it for 

 some considerable time, wading up to the horses' 

 middles in swampy ground, filled with rushes. 

 At length, about nine P.M., we arrived at the post 

 of St. Joze, situated on the skirts of the village of 

 the same name. At this hovel, swarming with 

 fleas, we got some boiled beef, without bread or 

 salt, all eating out of the same dish, with shells 

 for spoons, and our fingers and teeth for knives 

 and forks. Beds we had none, our saddles 

 were our pillows, and the horse rugs our cover- 

 ings. We all lay on the mud floor in the same 

 room with the family, which consisted of the 

 man, his wife, and four children : the latter were 



* A rivulet. 



