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256 THREE YEARS IN THE PACIPIC. 



Opposite to the shrine of Santa Rosa is a chapel of ^'Nuestra 

 Senora del Rosario de los Natales." Between them are several 

 shrines and altars, many of which are beautifully ornamented 

 with miniature figures, representing portions of biblical his- 

 tory. The opposite side of the church is taken up with altars 

 of saints and paintings. 



When I first visited this church, the great altar was illumi- 

 nated, and mass was chanting for the rest of the souls of some 

 departed brothers of the convent. From it I passed to the 

 cloister, around which the history and genealogy of Santo Do- 

 mingo is presented in a series of paintings. The entire wall, 

 below its corridor, is covered with pictures and Dutch tiles. 

 Several rooms occupy its different sides, the largest of which 

 was the refectory, but now a dusty, unfurnished hall, ani- 

 mated by thousands of fleas, that skip joyfully over every vi- 

 siter, from whom they seldom depart without leaving miarks 

 of their fondness. 



I found a knot of friars and lay brothers in the cloister, chat- 

 ting and smoking cigars. 1 addressed the cleanest of them, 

 (cleanliness w^as not a remarkable trait in any of the Domi- 

 nicans) who, at my request, ordered one of the lay brothers to 

 conduct me through the premises. This cicerone proved to be 

 almost totally ignorant of the history of the convent, except, 

 indeed, touching its former wealth, present poverty, and deface- 

 ment by the patriot troops quartered in it by San Martin. 



Previous to the revolution, this convent possessed three 

 sugar plantations, besides other real estate. Nearly all this 

 property has been taken by the government, and in lieu of it, 

 each friar receives monthly fifteen dollars. In 1820, it con- 

 tained one hundred and sixty friars; in 1S29, ninety-five; and 

 in 1833, only fifty-three. They now depend upon alms^ given 

 for masses, and the small monthly salary for their maintenance. 



Until within a few years, there was a splendid procession 

 from this convent the day preceding Good Friday. In it were 

 carried on tables, covered with sheets of silver, the image of 

 Santa Catalina, the crowning with thorns, Jesus the Nazarin, 

 in a robe of purple velvet, under a canopy of the same, fringed 

 with fine gold, bearing the holy cross; "Nuestra Senora dela 



