184 



INCIDENTS OP TRAVEL. 



ental usages still existing in Spain, and introduced into 

 her former American possessions. It was a large build- 

 ing, situated on the plaza, plastered and whitewashed. 

 At one end the alcalde was holding a sort of court, and 

 at the other were the gratings of a prison. Between 

 them was a room about thirty feet by twenty, with na- 

 ked walls, and destitute of chair, bench, or table. The 

 luggage was brought in, the hammock hung up, and the 

 alcalde sent me my supper. Hearing the sound of a 

 drum and violin, I walked to the house whence it is- 

 sued, which was crowded with men and women smo- 

 king, lounging in hammocks, dancing, and drinking 

 agua ardiente, in celebration of a marriage. The night 

 before I had been present at a death-scene. This was 

 an exhibition of disgusting revelry, and the prominent 

 vagabond was disposed to pick a quarrel with me ; see- 

 ing which, I quietly walked back to the cabildo, shut 

 the door, and betook myself to my hammock. 



We started early. Leaving the town, for some dis- 

 tance on each side was a fence made of a rail upon 

 crotches four feet high, and filled with long pieces of 

 tunos. The road was the same as we had found it on 

 the preceding day, level, and abounding with the cac- 

 tus. Again it was desperately hot, and in the after- 

 noon we saw at the foot of a high mountain a cluster 

 of cocoanut-trees, glittering in the sunbeams like plates 

 of silver, and concealing the town of Gustatoya. At 

 four o'clock we entered the town, beautifully situated, 

 overlooking a valley in the rear of the square waving 

 with Indian corn, and rode up to the house of the broth- 

 er of Donna Bartola, our hostess of Gualan, to whom I 

 was recommended by her. 



I had a good supper of eggs, frigoles, chocolate, tortil- 

 las, and was lying in a hammock with my boots off when 



