cearA. 



451 



walls adorned with some coarse prints, of which the old 

 gentleman seemed very proud. He said if we could be 

 satisfied with such accommodation as he had, the gentle- 

 men to sling their hammocks in the sitting-room with him, 

 the Senhora to sleep with his wife and the children in the 

 only other room he had to offer, he should be happy to 

 receive us. I confess that the prospect was not encourag- 

 ing ; but I was prepared to meet with inconveniences, 

 knowing that even a short journey into the interior involved 

 discomforts, and when the hostess presently entered and 

 made me heartily welcome to a corner of her apartment, 

 I thanked her with such cordiality as I could muster. She 

 was many years younger than her husband, and still very 

 handsome, with an Oriental kind of beauty, rather enhanced 

 by her dress. She wore a red muslin wrapper, somewhat 

 the worse for wear, but still brilliant in color ; and her long 

 black hair hung loose and unbraided over her shoulders. 

 An hour or two later supper was announced. We had 

 brought the greater part of it with us from the city, but 

 we invited all the family to sup with us, according to the 

 fashion of the country. The old gentleman completed 

 his toilet by adding to it a gaudy-flowered cotton dress- 

 ing-gown, and seating himself at the table, contemplated 

 the roast-chickens and claret with no little satisfaction. 

 From the appearance of things, such a meal must have 

 been a rarity in his house. The mud floor of the kitchen 

 where we supped was sloppy, and its leaky roof and broken 

 walls were but dimly lighted by the coarse guttering candles 

 made from the Carnauba palm. I presently heard a loud 

 gobbling close by my side ; and, looking down, saw by 

 the half-light a black pig feeding at a little table with 

 the two children, assisted also by the dog and the cat. 



