XXXIV 
AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 
" El hombre pone, y Dies dispone." Many a bright 
and glorious morning ends in a gloomy setting 
sun. 
There began to be reports spread up and down 
the city that the black vomit had made its appear- 
ance ; and every succeeding day brought testimony 
that things were not as they ought to be. I my- 
self, in an alley near my uncles' house, saw a mattress 
of most suspicious appearance hung out to dry. A 
Maltese captain, who had dined with us in good 
health at one o'clock, lay dead in his cabin before 
sunrise the next morning. A few days after this 
I was seized with vomiting and fever during the 
night. I had the most dreadful spasms, and it was 
supposed that I could not last out till noon the next 
day. However, strength of constitution got me 
through it. In three weeks more, multitudes were 
seen to leave the city, which shortly after was de- 
clared to be in a state of pestilence. Some affirmed 
that the disorder had come from the Levant ; others 
said that it had been imported from the Havanna; 
but I think it probable that nobody could tell in 
what quarter it had originated. 
We had now all retired to the country house; 
my eldest uncle returning to Malaga from time to 
time, according as the pressure of business demanded 
his presence in the city. He left us one Sunday 
evening, and said he would be back again some time 
on Monday; but that was my poor uncle's last 
day's ride. On arriving at his house in Malaga, 
there was a messenger w^aiting to inform him that 
Father Bustamante had fallen sick, and wished' to 
