SUNDAY AMUSEMENTS. 



263 



more absurd than the one before it ; and the whole 

 concluded with a bullfight, in which two young men 

 mounted on the backs of other two as matadors, and 

 one, with his head between his shoulders, ran at them 

 like a bull. Though these amusements were not very 

 elegant, all were so intimate with each other, and there 

 was such a perfect abandonment, that the whole went 

 off with shouts of laughter. 



This over, the young men brought out the ladies' 

 mantas, ajjd again we sallied for a walk ; but, reaching 

 the plaza, the young men changed their minds ; and 

 seating the ladies, to whom I attached myself, in the 

 shade, commenced prisoner's base. All who passed 

 stopped, and the villagers seemed delighted with the 

 gayety of our party. The players tumbled each other 

 in the dust, to the great amusement of the lookers-on ; 

 and this continued till we saw trays coming across the 

 plaza, which was a sign of dinner. This over, and 

 thinking that I had seen enough for one Sunday, I de- 

 termined to forego the bullfight ; and in company with 

 Don Manuel and another prominent member of the As- 

 sembly, and his family, I set out on my return to the 

 city. Their mode of travelling was primitive. All 

 were on horseback, he himself with a little son behind 

 him ; his daughter alone ; his wife on a pillion, with a 

 servant to support her ; a servant-maid with a child in 

 her arms, and a servant on the top of the luggage. It 

 ■jvas a beautiful afternoon, and the plain of Guatimala, 

 with its green grass and dark mountains, was a lovely 

 scene. As we entered the city we encountered a reli- 

 gious procession, with priests and monks all bearing 

 lighted candles, and preceded by men throwing rock- 

 ets. We avoided the plaza on account of the soldiers, 

 and in a few minutes I was in my house, alone. 



