ENTRY INTO THE CITY. 191 



and I was obliged to dismount and lead her. Augus- 

 tin's poor beast was really past carrying him, and he 

 followed on foot, whipping mine, the guide lending a 

 hand before and behind. In this way we traversed the 

 streets of Guatimala. Perhaps no diplomatist ever 

 made a more unpretending entry into a capitol. Our 

 stupid Indian did not know where Mr. Hall lived ; 

 there were hardly any people in the streets to inquire 

 of, and I was an hour hauling my mule over the gutters 

 and grumbling at the guide before I found the house. 

 I knocked some time without receiving any answer. 

 At length a young man opened the shutter of a balco- 

 nied window, and told me that Mr. Hall v^as not at 

 home. This would not serve my turn. I gave my 

 name, and he retired ; and in a few minutes the large 

 door was unlocked, and Mr. Hall himself received me. 

 He gave me as a reason for not opening sooner, that 

 the soldiers had mutinied that day for want of pay, and 

 threatened to sack the city. Carrera had exerted him- 

 self in trying to pacify them, and had borrowed fifty 

 dollars from his (Mr. Hall's) neighbour, a French mer- 

 chant ; but the inhabitants were greatly alarmed ; and 

 when I knocked at his door he was afraid that the sol- 

 diers were beginning to put their threat in execution. 

 Mr. H. had taken down his staff, because on their last 

 entry, when he had his flag flying, the soldiers had fired 

 upon it, calling it a bandera de guerra. They were 

 mostly Indians from the villages, ignorant and insolent, 

 and a few days before he had his hat knocked off by a 

 sentinel because he did not raise it in passing, for which 

 his complaint was then before the government.* The 

 whole city was kept in a state of awe. No one ven- 



* It is due to Carrera to say, that by his orders the soldier received two hun- 

 dred lashes. 



