88 



INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL. 



of the country, with a face that spoke even a warmer 

 welcome than her words, " como non ?" why not ?" 

 and when she saw that our servant had pineapples in 

 his alforgas, she asked why he brought them, and if he 

 did not know that she had plenty. 



The situation of the hacienda of San Antonio was 

 wildly beautiful. It had a clearing for a cowyard, 

 a plantation of corn, tobacco, and plantains, and the 

 opening gave a view of the high mountains by which it 

 was surrounded. The house was built of poles plas- 

 tered with mud, and against the wall in front of the 

 door was a figure of the Saviour on the cross, on a 

 white cotton cloth hung round with votive offerings. 

 The naked child which the mother carried in her arms 

 was called Maria de los Angelos. While supper was 

 in preparation the master of the house arrived, a swar- 

 thy, grim-looking fellow, with a broad-brimmed som- 

 brero and huge whiskers, and mounted on a powerful 

 young horse, which he was just breaking to the mount- 

 ain-roads ; when he knew that we were strangers ask- 

 ing hospitality, his harsh features relaxed, and he re- 

 peated the welcome the woman had given us. 



Unfortunately, the boy of the muleteer was taken 

 very ill ; his master paid no attention to him, and, while 

 the poor little fellow was groaning under a violent fe- 

 ver, ate on with perfect indifference. We made him a 

 comfortable bed on the piazza, and Mr. Catherwood 

 gave him a dose of medicine. Our evening passed 

 very differently from the last. Our host and hostess 

 were a kind-hearted and simple couple. It was the 

 first time they had ever met with men from another 

 country, and they asked many questions, and examined 

 our little travelling apparatus, particularly our plated 

 cups, knives, forks, and spoons ; we showed them our 



