STRANGE CUSTOMS. 



89 



watches, compass, sextant, chronometer, thermometer, 

 telescope, &c., and the woman, with great discernment, 

 said that we must be very rich, and had "muchos idees,'' 

 " many ideas." They asked us about our wives, and we 

 learned that our simple-minded host had two, one of 

 whom lived at Hocotan, and that he passed a week al- 

 ternately with each. We told him that in England he 

 would be transported, and in the North imprisoned for 

 life for such indulgences, to which he responded that 

 they were barbarous countries ; and the woman, al- 

 though she thought a man ought to be content with 

 one, said that it was no peccato or crime to have two ; 

 but I heard them say, sotto voce, that we were " mas 

 Christianos," or better Christians than they. He assisted 

 us in swinging our hammocks, and about nine o'clock 

 we drove out the dogs and pigs, lighted cigars, and went 

 to bed. Including servants, women, and children, we 

 numbered eleven in the room. All around were little 

 balls of fire, shining and disappearing with the puffs of 

 the cigars. One by one these went out, and we fell 

 asleep. 



In the morning we all rose together. The boy was 

 much better, but we did not think him in a condition to 

 travel. His brutal master, however, insisted upon his 

 going. For all that our kind friends had done for us, 

 they would have charged us nothing ; but, besides com- 

 pensating them in money, we distributed among them 

 various trifles, and, when bidding them farewell, I saw 

 with regret a ring which I had given her sparkling on 

 his finger. After we had mounted, the little boy whom 

 we had met at the stream came staggering under a 

 load of six freshly-cut pineapples ; and even when we 

 had started, the woman ran after me with a piece of 

 fresh sugarcane. 



Vol. I.— M 



