ARRIVAL AT CHICKEN. 281 



to some of the principal edifices. Involuntarily we 

 lingered, but night was approaching, and, fairly 

 dragging ourselves away, we rode on, and in a few 

 minutes reached the hacienda. Vaqueros were 

 shouting, and a large drove of cattle was pouring in 

 at the gate. We were about following, but a crowd 

 of men and women on the steps of the hacienda 

 shouted to us not to come in, and a man ran to- 

 ward us, throwing up both hands, and shut the gate 

 directly in our faces. This promised us another 

 Don Gregorio welcome; but this ominous demon- 

 stration did not mean anything churlish ; on the 

 contrary, all was done out of kindness. We had 

 been expected for three months. Through the 

 agency of friends the proprietor had advised the 

 major domo of our intended visit, directing him to 

 do all in his power to make us comfortable, and it 

 was for this reason that the latter had ordered the 

 gate to be shut upon us, for, as the man who did 

 it told us, the hacienda was overrun with women 

 and children, and there was no room for another 

 hammock. He conducted us to the church, stand- 

 ing in a fine situation, and ofiered us the sacris- 

 tia, or vestry-room, which was new, clean, and 

 had plastered walls, but it was small, and had only 

 knobs for two hammocks. It had a door of com- 

 munication with the church, and he said we might 

 swing a third hammock in the latter, but it was to- 

 ward the end of a fiesta, the Indians might want to 

 use the altar, and we had some scruples. 

 Vol. II.— N n 



