HUT OF THE ALCALDE. 



39 



well was built by the present owner, and formerly the 

 inhabitants were dependant entirely upon the well 

 at Tabi, six miles distant ! Besides its real value, it 

 presented a curious and lively spectacle. A group 

 of Indian women was around it. It had no rope 

 or fixtures of any kind for raising water, but across 

 the mouth was a round beam laid upon two posts, 

 over which the women were letting down and hoist- 

 ing up little bark buckets. Every woman brought 

 with her and carried away her own bucket and rope, 

 the latter coiled up and laid on the top of her head, 

 with the end hanging down behind, and the coil 

 forming a sort of headdress. 



Near the well was the hut of the alcalde, en- 

 closed by a rude fence, and within were dogs, hogs, 

 turkeys, and fowls, which all barked, grunted, gob- 

 bled, and cackled together as we entered. The yard 

 was shaded by orange-trees loaded with ripe and 

 unusually large fruit. Under one of them was a 

 row^ of twenty or thirty wild boars' jaws and tusks, 

 trophies of the chase, and memorials attesting the 

 usefulness of the barking dogs. The noise brought 

 the alcalde to the door, a heavy and infirm old man, 

 apparently rich, and suffering from the high living 

 indicated by his hogs and poultry ; but he received 

 us with meekness and humility. We negotiated 

 forthwith for the purchase of some oranges, and 

 bought thirty for a medio, stipulating that they should 

 all be the largest and best on the trees; after which, 



