FEVER AND AGUE. 



315 



entries to draw off liquor, I was quiet ; but the odour 

 was sickening. 



In the afternoon the fever left me, and we rode to 

 Masaya, a level and shady road of four leagues, and, 

 to our surprise and great satisfaction, found the cap- 

 tain at the house at which I had stopped on my return 

 from Istapa. He had advanced two leagues beyond, 

 when he heard of a band of robbers at some distance 

 farther on, and returned to wait for company, sending, 

 in the mean time, to Escuintla for a guard of soldiers. 

 We afterward learned that they were a body of exiles 

 who had been expelled from Guatimala, and were cross- 

 ing from Quezaltenango to San Salvador ; but, being 

 in desperate circumstances, they were dangerous per- 

 sons to meet on the road. 



The hut at which we stopped was hardly large 

 enough for the family that occupied it, and our luggage, 

 with two hammocks and a cartaret, drove them into a 

 very small space. Crying children are said to be 

 healthy ; if so, the good woman of the house was bless- 

 ed : besides this, a hen was hatching a brood of chick- 

 ens under my head. During the night a party of sol- 

 diers entered the village, in pursuance of the captain's 

 requisition, and passed on to clear the road. We start- 

 ed before daylight ; but as the sun rose my fever re- 

 turned, and at eleven o'clock, when we reached Over o, 

 I could go no farther. 



I have before remarked that this hacienda is a great 

 stopping-place from Istapa and the salt-works ; and un- 

 fortunately for me, several parties of muleteers, in ap- 

 prehension of the robbers, had joined together, and 

 starting at midnight, had already finished their day's 

 labour. In the afternoon a wild boar was hunted, 

 which our muleteer, with my gun, killed. There was 



