18 boc^ota'. 



and sumptuous building; but it is in fact 

 merely a flat-roofed house, built, like the other 

 edifices of the country, of sunburnt clay. On 

 each side of it are attached two lower build- 

 ings, or wings, without symmetry or propor- 

 tion, the one being much longer than the 

 other; the extreme part of the longest wing 

 is the prison, at the windows of which the 

 prisoners are allowed to appear and impor- 

 tune the charity of the passengers, or hold 

 intercourse with their friends ; between this 

 and the main part of the palace is situated the 

 office of the Escrivanos, or Notaries, by whom 

 the government stamps, &c. are sold, and who 

 draw up writings at a moderate expense. 

 The entrance to the palace has nothing about 

 it to announce that you are approaching the 

 chief office of the state, except that a number 

 of soldiers are perpetually lounging about the 

 spot, and on the staircase which leads to the 

 reception-chamber^ which has no vestibule, 

 and can only be approached this way, or 



