1848.] 



VOYAGE TO THE LAKE. 



65 



They made every fact into a verse, which was several times 

 repeated. Thus one would suddenly burst out, — 



" The Padre was ill, and could not come, 

 The Padre was ill, and could not come." 



CHORUS. 



" The Padre was ill, and could not come." 



Then for a time the music continued without the voices, while 

 they were trying to find another fact to found a verse upon. 

 At length some one continued the subject : — 



He told us to come the next day, 

 To see if he was better." 



CHORUS. 



" He told us to come the next day. 

 To see if he was better." 



And so on to the end of the history, which struck me as being 

 probably very similar to the unwritten lays of the ancient bards, 

 who could thus make well-known facts interesting by being 

 sung to music in an appropriate and enthusiastic manner. In 

 a warlike nation, what more would at first be necessary than to 

 relate the bold deeds of the warriors, the discomfiture of the 

 enemy, and the trophies of victory, in order to raise the enthu- 

 siasm of the audience to the highest pitch ? Some of these 

 would be handed down from generation to generation, the 

 language improved, and when they came to be reduced to 

 writing, rhyme would be added, and a regular poem constructed. 



Having now arrived at the height of tile dry season, and the 

 waters of the lake before mentioned being sufficiently low, the 

 German steward informed me that he should make an excursion 

 there to kill alligators, and I determined to accompany him. 

 There are two ways to reach the place — overland in nearly a 

 direct line, or round to the other side of the island in a boat 

 and up a stream, which can be ascended to within a few miles 

 of the lake, with which indeed in the wet season it commu- 

 nicates. The tide served for the boat to start about midnight, 

 and I decided on going in it, as I thought I should thus see 

 more of the island. The overseer was to go by land in the 

 morning. Being roused up at midnight, I got into the canoe 

 with three Negroes, and tried to compose myself for a nap as 

 well as I could upon the baskets of farinha and salt with which 



