360 INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL. 



been a man, but, being so young, its bones were very 

 tender ; then he Hghted a stravv^ cigar, threvs^ himself 

 into a hammock, and, looking around, asked us, in 

 a tone of voice that w^as intended for the whole 

 company, what we thought of the girls. 



This ceremony of el velorio is always observed 

 when there is death in a family. It is intended, as 

 the padrecito told us, para divertirse, or to amuse and 

 distract the family, and keep them from going to 

 sleep. At twelve o'clock chocolate is served round, 

 and again at daybreak ; but in some respects the cer- 

 emony is different in the case of grown persons and 

 that of children. In the latter, as they beheve that 

 a child is without sin, and that God takes it imme- 

 diately to himself, the death is a subject of rejoicing, 

 and the night is passed in card-playing, jesting, and 

 story-telling. But in the case of grown persons, as 

 they are not so sure what becomes of the spirit, they 

 have no jesting or story-telling, and only play cards. 

 All this may seem unfeeling, but we must not judge 

 others by rules known only to ourselves. Whatever 

 the ways of hiding or expressing it, the stream of 

 natural affection runs deep in every bosom. 



The mother of the child shed no tears, but as she 

 stood by its head, stanching its wounds from time 

 to time, she did not seem to be rejoicing over its 

 death. The padrecito told us that she was poor, 

 but a very respectable woman. We inquired about 

 the other members of her family, and especially her 

 husband. The padrecito said she had none, nor 



