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COLOMBIA. 



first house, to observe the ladies in immense 

 hammocks made of a net work of strong grass, 

 dyed of various colours, and suspended from the 

 roof, which was twenty feet high. Some of them 

 were sitting, others reclining in their hammocks : 

 with their feet, or, at least, one foot left hang- 

 ing out, and so nearly touching the floor, that 

 when they pleased, they could reach it with the 

 toe, and by a gentle push gave motion to the 

 hammock. This family consisted of no less than 

 three generations : the grandmother lying at full 

 length in a hammock suspended across one corner 

 of the room ; the mother seated in another, swing- 

 ing from side to side ; and three young ladies, her 

 daughters, lounging in one hammock attached to 

 hooks along the length of the room. The whole 

 party were swinging away at such a furious rate, 

 that at first we were confounded and made giddy 

 by the variety of motions in different directions. 

 We succeeded, however, in making good our pass- 

 age to a sofa at the further end of the room, though 

 not without apprehension of being knocked over 

 by the way. The ladies, seeing us embarrassed, 

 ceased their vibrations until the introductions had 



