180 



INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL. 



The village consisted of a miserable collection of huts ; 

 before the door of the best was a crovrd of people, who 

 did not ask us to stop, and we rode up to one of the 

 poorest. All we wanted was sacate* for the mules. 

 The stores of the padre were abundant for me, and the 

 deaf and dumb lad cut a few ribs from the side of the 

 ox, and prepared supper for himself and the muleteer. 



While supping we heard a voice of lamentation from 

 the house before which the crowd was assembled. Af- 

 ter dark I walked over, and found that they were mourn- 

 ing over the dead. Inside were several women ; one 

 was WTfinging her hands, and the first words I distin- 

 guished were, " Oh, our Lord of Esquipulas, why have 

 you taken him away ?'* She was interrupted by the 

 tramp of horses' hoofs, and a man rode up, whose figure 

 in the dark I could not see, but who, without dismount- 

 ing, in a hoarse voice said that the priest asked six dol- 

 lars to bury the corpse. One of the crowd cried out, 

 " Shame ! shame !" and others said they would bury it 

 in el campo, the field. The horseman, in the same 

 hoarse voice, said that it was the same if buried in th6 

 road, the mountain, or the river, the priest must have 

 his fee. There was a great outcry ; but the widow, in a 

 weeping tone, declared that the money must be paid, 

 and then renewed her exclamations : " My only help, 

 my consolation, my head, my heart ; you who was so 

 strong, who could lift a ceroon of indigo " you said 

 you would go and buy cattle I said, ' yes ; bring me 

 fine linen and jewelry.' " The words, and the piercing 

 tone of distress, reminded me of a similar scene I had 

 once beheld on the banks of the Nile. By invitation 

 of one of the friends I entered the house. The corpse 



* Sacate means any kind of grass or leaves for mules. The best is sacate 

 ae maize, or the stalks and leaves of Indian corn. 



