342 



INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL. 



to miss him here. He had travelled from the United 

 States through Texas, Mexico, and Central America, 

 with an elephant and two dromedaries as his file lead- 

 ers ! The elephant was the first ever seen in Central 

 America, and I often heard of him in the Pueblos under 

 the name of El Demonio. Six days before, Mr. Handy, 

 with his interesting family, had embarked for Peru, and 

 perhaps he is at this moment crossing the pampas to 

 Brazil. 



Determined not to lose sight of my friend the captain 

 of the port, with my luggage at my heels I walked 

 down the beach for the custom-house. It was a frame 

 building, about forty feet long, and stood at a little dis- 

 tance above high-water mark, on piles about six feet 

 above ground. It was the gathering-place of different 

 persons in the employ of the government, civil and mil- 

 itary, and of two or three women employed by them. 

 The military force consisted of the captain of the port 

 and the soldier who boarded us, so that I had not much 

 fear of being sent back at the point of the bayonet. 

 During the evening a new difficulty arose about my ser- 

 vant ; but, considering myself tolerably secure, I insisted 

 that he was my suite, and obtained permission for him to 

 accompany me. My host gave me a bedstead, with a 

 bull's hide for a bed. It was a warm night, and I placed 

 it opposite an open door, and looked out upon the wa- 

 ter of the gulf. The waves were breaking gently upon 

 the shore, and it was beautiful to see the Cosmopolita 

 riding quietly at her anchor, without even 'Hezoos or the 

 luggage in her. 



At two o'clock in the morning we rose, and before 

 three we started. The tide was low, and for some dis- 

 tance we rode along the shore by moonlight. At day- 

 light we overtook the courier sent to give advice of my 



