A SAMPLE OF THE PICTURESQUE. 13 



I hardly knew whether to be shocked or amused at 

 this condition of society ; and, in the mean time, joined 

 Mr. Catherwood, to visit the house offered by Mr. Cof- 

 fin. It was situated on the opposite side of the river, 

 and the road to it was ankle deep in mud. At the 

 gate was a large puddle, which we cleared by a jump ; 

 the house was built on piles about two feet high, and 

 underneath was water nearly a foot deep. We as- 

 cended on a plank to the sill of the door, and entered 

 a large room occupying the whole of the first floor, and 

 perfectly empty. The upper story was tenanted by a 

 family of negroes ; in the yard was a house swarming 

 with negroes ; and all over, in the yard and in front, 

 were picturesque groups of little negroes of both sexes, 

 and naked as they were born. We directed the room 

 to be swept and our luggage brought there ; ai;id, as 

 we left the house, we remembered Captain Hampton's 

 description before our arrival, and felt the point of his 

 concluding remark, that Balize was the last place 

 made. 



We returned ; and, while longing for the comfort of 

 a good hotel, received through Mr. GofF, the consul of 

 the United States, an invitation from his excellency, 

 Colonel M'Donald, to the Government House, and in- 

 formation that he would send the government dory to 

 the brig for our luggage. As this was the first ap- 

 pointment I had ever held from government, and I was 

 not sure of ever holding another, I determined to make 

 the most of it, and accepted at once his excellency's 

 invitation. 



There was a steamboat for Yzabal, the port of Guati- 

 mala, lying at Balize ; and, on my way to the Gov- 

 ernment House, I called upon Senor Comyano, the 

 agent, who told me that she was to go up the next day ; 



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