CHRISTMAS EVE. 



297 



bed by his servant, taken ill, had left the ruins, gone to 

 Don Gregorio's, and was then on his journey to Guati- 

 mala. My messenger had passed through Copan, and 

 gone on he did not knovr where. I was in great dis- 

 tress, and resolved, after a day's rest, to set off in search 

 of him. 



I dressed myself and went to a party at Senor Zeba- 

 dours, formerly minister to England, where I surprised 

 the Guatimaltecos by the tour I had made, and particu- 

 larly by having come alone from Istapa. Here I met 

 Mr. Chatfield, her Britannic majesty's consul general, 

 and Mr. Skinner, who had arrived during my absence. 

 It was Christmas Eve, the night of El Nascimiento, or 

 birth of Christ. At one end of the sala was a raised 

 platform, with a green floor, and decorated with branch- 

 es of pine and cypress, having birds sitting upon them, 

 and looking-glass, and sandpaper, and figures of men 

 and animals, representing a rural scene, with an arbour, 

 and a wax doll in a cradle ; in short, the grotto of Beth- 

 lehem and the infant Saviour. Always, at this season 

 of the year, every house in Guatimala has its nascimi- 

 ento, according to the wealth and taste of the proprietor, 

 and in time of peace the figure of the Saviour is adorned 

 with family jewels, pearls, and precious stones, and at 

 night every house is open, and the citizens, without ac- 

 quaintance or invitation, or distinction of rank or per- 

 sons, go from house to house visiting ; and the week of 

 El Nascimiento is the gayest in the year ; but, unfortu- 

 nately, at this time it was observed only in form ; the 

 state of the city was too uncertain to permit general 

 opening of houses and running in the streets at night. 

 Carrera's soldiers might enter. 



The party was small, but consisted of the elite of 

 Guatimala, and commenced with supper, after which 



Vol. I.—P p 



