128 



INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL. 



and military coat, without any inexpressibles ; but Don 

 Jose Maria could not withstand the buttons on my coat ; 

 the cloth was the finest he had ever seen ; and Don 

 Miguel, and his wife, and Bartalo realized fully that 

 they had in their hut an illustrious incognito. The only 

 question was who should find paper on which to draw 

 the contract. I did not stand upon trifles, and gave 

 Don Miguel some paper, who took our mutual instruc- 

 tions, and appointed the next day for the execution of 

 the deed. 



The reader is perhaps curious to know how old 

 cities sell in Central America. Like other articles of 

 trade, they are regulated by the quantity in market, 

 and the demand ; but, not being staple articles, like 

 cotton and indigo, they were held at fancy prices, and 

 at that time were dull of sale. I paid fifty dollars for 

 Copan. There was never any difficulty about price. 

 I off'ered that sum, for which Don Jose Maria thought 

 me only a fool ; if I had offered more, he would prob- 

 ably have considered me something worse. 



We had regular communications with the hacienda 

 by means of Francisco, who brought thence every morn- 

 ing a large waccal of milk, carrying it a distance of 

 three miles, and fording the river twice. The ladies 

 of the hacienda had sent us word that they intended 

 paying us a visit, and this morning Don Gregorio's 

 wife appeared, leading a procession of all the women 

 of the house, servants, and children, with two of her 

 sons. We received them among the ruins, seated them 

 as well as we could, and, as the first act of civility, gave 

 them cigars all around. It can hardly be believed, but 

 not one of them, not even Don Gregorio's sons, had 

 ever seen the " idols" before, and now they were much 

 more curious to see Mr. C.'s drawings. In fact, I be- 



