A UNIQUE BREAKFAST. 



107 



the light figures of the Mestizas were moving in the 

 dance. 



At twelve o'clock preparations were made for a 

 dejeuner a la fourchette, dispensing, however, with 

 knives and forks. The centre of the floor was 

 cleared, and an enormous earthen jar, equal in ca- 

 pacity to a barrel, was brought in, containing frigo- 

 les, or black beans fried. Another vessel of the same 

 size had a preparation of eggs and meat, and near 

 them was a small mountain of tortillas, with all 

 which it was the business of the Mestizas to serve 

 the company. The fiscal did not neglect his ami- 

 go, but led to me one of whom I had expressed my 

 opinion to him in confidence, and who brought in 

 the palm of her hand a layer of tortillas, with frigo- 

 les in the centre, and turned up at the sides by means 

 of the fingers, so as to prevent the frigoles from es- 

 caping. An attempt to acknowledge the civility 

 was repressed by the fiscal, who crowded my hat 

 over my eyes, saying that they passed no compli- 

 ments on the haciendas, and we were all Indians 

 together. The tortillas, with the frigoles in them, 

 were not easy to hold without endangering my only 

 pair of white pantaloons. I relieved myself by pass- 

 ing them over the railing, where any number of In- 

 dians stood ready to receive them ; but I had hard- 

 ly got rid of this when another Mestiza brought an- 

 other portion, and while this engaged my one hand 

 a third placed tortillas with eggs in the other, and 

 left me afraid to move; but I contrived to pass 



