142 



INCIDENTS OP TRAVEL. 



insult, and frequently were not disappointed. Here 

 all looked at us with curiosity, but without distrust ; 

 every face bore a welcome, and, as we rode through, 

 all gave us a friendly greeting. At the head of the 

 street the plaza opened upon us on a slight eleva- 

 tion, with groups of Indian women in the centre 

 drawing water from the well, and relieved against a 

 background of green hills rising above the tops of 

 the houses, which, under the reflection of the setting 

 sun, gave a beauty and picturesqueness of aspect 

 that no other village in the country had exhibited. 

 On the left, on a raised platform, stood the church, 

 and by its side the convent. In consideration of 

 what the cura had already done for us, and that we 

 had a large party — perceiving, also, that the casa 

 real, a long stone building with a broad portico in 

 front, was really inviting in its appearance, we re- 

 solved to spare the cura, and rode up to the casa 

 real. Well-dressed Indians, with a portly, well-fed 

 cacique, stood ready to take our horses. We dis- 

 mounted and entered the principal apartment. On 

 one side were the iron gratings of the prison, and 

 on the other two long beams of wood with holes in 

 them for stocks, and a caution to strangers arriving 

 in the village to be on their good behaviour. Our 

 carriers had arrived. We sent out to buy ramon 

 and corn for the horses, had our hammocks swung, 

 and sat down under the corridor. 



We had hardly time to seat ourselves before the 

 vecinos, in their clean afternoon clothes, and some 



