EARLY M All III AGES. 387 



Our supper was very sparing, ^ — a cup of 

 chocolate and some sweetmeats. I have rare- 

 ly seen wine or spirits drunk by the Colom- 

 bians, and often found the want of one or the 

 other ; and to the little use of these, and the 

 low and weakening diet of the people, I much 

 attribute the effect of intermittent fever on 

 their constitutions. 



Jan. 10th. Employed myself, during the 

 morning, in examining the neighbourhood and 

 its productions. In the afternoon, accompa- 

 nied Don Luis to visit one of the Alcaldes, 

 whose son had been that morning married. I 

 was very politely received, and introduced to 

 the bride and bridegroom, — an extremely 

 young pair: — the lady short, fat, and a bru- 

 nette, about fourteen years of age ; the gentle- 

 man thin, much the same complexion as his 

 wife, and about sixteen years old. I can but 

 think these early marriages very imprudent, 

 to use the mildest term, as they are usually 

 the result of a momentary passion, which, at 

 so juvenile an age, is soon cooled by posses- 

 tion, and renders the remainder of their lives 

 an age of repentance for past precipitancy. 



I mentioned to the Alcalde the desertion of 

 2 c 2 



