18 



INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL. 



way through. Waiting the motion of the mass be- 

 fore us, and pressed by those behind, slowly, and 

 with great labour, we worked our way into the sala. 

 This was a large room extending along the whole 

 front of the house, hot to suffocation, and crowded, 

 or rather jammed, with men and women, or gentle- 

 men and ladies, or by whatever other names they 

 may be pleased to be called, clamorous and noisy as 

 Bedlam let loose. For some time it was impossible 

 for us to form any idea of what was going on. By 

 degrees we were carried lengthwise through the 

 sala, at every step getting elbowed, stamped upon, 

 and occasionally the rim of a straw hat across the 

 nose, or the puff of a paper cigar in the eyes. Very 

 soon our faces were trickling with tears, which 

 there was no friendly hand to wipe away, our own 

 being pinned down to our sides. 



On each side of the sala was a rude table, occu- 

 pying its whole length, made of two rough boards, 

 and supporting candles stuck in little tin receivers, 

 about two feet apart. Along the tables were benches 

 of the same rough materials, with men and women, 

 whites. Mestizoes, and Indians, all sitting together, 

 as close as the solidity and resistance of human 

 flesh would permit, and seemingly closer than was 

 sufferable. Every person at the table had before him 

 or her a paper about a foot square, covered with 

 figures in rows, and a small pile of grains of corn, 

 and by its side a thumping stick some eighteen 

 inches long, and one in diameter ; while, amid all 



