192 



INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL. 



pressing to the altar. In the doorway was a large 

 table covered with candles and small figures of arms 

 and legs in wax, which the Indians purchased as 

 they entered at a medio apiece, for offerings to the 

 saint. Near the altar, on the left, sat an unshaved 

 ministro, with a table before him, on which was a 

 silver waiter, covered with medios, reales, and two 

 shilling pieces, showing to the backward what others 

 had done, and inviting them to do the same. The 

 candles purchased at the door had been duly bless- 

 ed, and as the Indians went up with them, a strap- 

 ping negro, with linen particularly dirty, received 

 and lighted them at one burning on the altar, whence 

 with his black hands he passed them on to a rusty 

 white assistant, who arranged them upon a table, 

 and, even before the backs of the offerers were turn- 

 ed, puffed out the light, and took the candles to be 

 smoothed over, and resold at the door for another 

 medio each. 



High above the heads of the crowd, catching the 

 eye on first entering the church, was the figure of 

 Santiago, or Saint James, on horseback, holy in the 

 eyes of all who saw it, and famed for its power of 

 working miracles, healing the sick, curing the fever 

 and ague, insuring to prospective parents a boy or 

 girl as desired, bringing back a lost cow or goat, 

 healing a cut of the machete, or relieving from any 

 other calamity incident to an Indian's lot. The 

 fore feet of the horse were raised in the air, and the 

 saint wore a black cocked hat, with a broad gold 



