210 
SOUTH SEA 
dente I accepted a little,— I accepted it from the hands 
of smiling beauty as the proffered cup of friendship and 
hospitality,— as the cup of welcome to the lost stranger ; 
but it was a draught drugged with some powerful 
narcotic, which soon darkened my mind ; — it was the 
draught taken from Lethe’s spring, which soon worked 
its unhallowed spell, for I must have fallen asleep almost 
immediately, as I recollect nothing which occurred after- 
wards, until I awoke the following morning at daybreak, 
after lying exposed to the open air all night, bitten, too, 
all over by the fleas, which inhabit the sands of this 
place in countless myriads ; and, in rising from the 
ground, dreary and benumbed as I was, the first thing 
which struck me with surprise was my purse, which had 
been well filled, lying on the ground in an empty state, 
I instinctively looked for the spurs a friend had lent 
me to expedite my journey, and which were of chased 
massive silver, exceedingly valuable, being worked in 
the costly old Spanish style ; much to my delight I 
found that booty had escaped the robbers, I then 
immediately went to the door of the house which was 
near me, and with which I did not deal very gently ; 
and, although I thundered at it with unceasing applica- 
tion, it was several minutes before any one attended to 
my calls ; it then was opened by two very old women, 
who, after hearing my complaints and being shown my 
empty purse, shook their hypocritical heads, and uttered 
with great sanctity, “ Mucho malo picaroon.” Finding 
my mule had been secured to a post, I thought it would 
be the best way to mount him, and proceed on my 
