CITYOFCUERNAVACA. Itl 
village curate, they drag out a miserable existence of beastiality and 
crime. Shall such men be expected to govern themselves ? 
It was long after sunset when we descended the last steep, and passed 
a neat little village, where the people were sitting in front of their low- j 
roofed houses, from every one of which issued the tinkle of guitars. I 
The bright sky reflected a long twilight, and it was just becoming dark 
when we trotted into Cuernavaca, after a ride of fourteen leagues. 
Our companions had already reached the inn, and as we dashed into 
the court-yard, we found them a tort et a travers with the landlord about 
rooms. We had seen a flaming advertisement of this tavern and its com- 
forts in the papers of the Capital, and counted largely on splendid apart- 
ments and savory supper after our tiresome ride and pic-nic breakfast. 
But, as at the " diligence hotel " in the morning — everything went to 
the tune of *' No hai !'' No hai beds, rooms, meats, soups, supper — 
nada ! They had nothing ! We ended by securing two rooms, and I set 
out to examine them, as well as my legs (stiff from being all day in the 
hard Mexican stirrups) would let me. The first room I entered was 
covered with water from the heavy rains. The second adjoined the first; 
and, although the walls were damp, the floor was dry ; but there was 
no window or opening except the door ! 
We had secured the room, and of course wanted ieds ; because, room 
and bed, and bureau, and wash-stand, and towels, and soap, are not all 
synonymous here as in other civilized countries. Four of our travellers 
had fortunately brought cots with them ; but I had trusted to my two 
blankets and my old habits of foraging. At length the master managed 
to find a bed for two more of us, and a cot for me, and thus the night was 
provided for. We had resolved not to go without supper, and my talents 
in that branch of our adventures having been proved in the morning, 
I was dispatched to the kitchen. I will not disclose the history of my 
negotiations on this occasion, but suffice it to say that in an hour's time 
we had a soup ; a fragment of stewed mutton ; a plate of Lima beans ; a 
famous dish of turkey and peppers ; and the table was set off by an enor- 
mous head of lettuce in the centre, garnished with outposts of oranges 
on either side, while two enormous pine-apples reared their prickly leaves 
in front and rear. 
An hour afterward we had all retired to our windowless room, and 
after piling our baggage against the door to keep out the robbers, I wrap- 
ped myself in my blanket, on the bare, pillowless, sacking-bottom, and 
was soon asleep. 
Monday, \9ih September. The morning was exceedingly fine, the 
sun was out brightly, and there were no symptoms of the rain that 
