EVENING PARTY. 85 



sembled, amongst whom I saw none even 

 tolerably good-looking ; whilst their dresses 

 bespoke the poverty of the place. Spanish 

 country-dances and waltzing were the order 

 of the night, but both badly performed, 

 and the music monotonous and discordant. 

 The elder females smoked cigars and drank 

 English beer, which is an agreeable beve- 

 rage in these hot climes. The men were 

 worse dressed than the women, being clad 

 mostly in coloured jackets ; and one man 

 had a white handkerchief round his head, 

 in which costume he danced during the 

 whole evening. 



31, Busied in preparations for our de- 

 parture on the morrow, hoping to get under 

 weigh. 



April 1. Tom Fool's day — and we were 

 really foiled and fooled completely, being 



