Page:Narrative of an Official Visit to Guatemala.djvu/39

CH. II.]

was quite dark when we left the courtyard in the morning of Sunday the 24th. The road now became more mountainous. We afterwards passed through a fine park-like country, and I broke my fast about 7 o'clock, by plucking, as I rode along, some wild cherries from a tree which had exactly the appearance of an oak, but without a single leaf. We soon came up to a small hamlet, consisting of about half a dozen cottages; but the only inhabitant we saw was a pretty young girl about sixteen, who was returning from mass: we gained admittance at one of the houses by knocking lustily at the door; it was the public-house of the place. The sole liquor, however, which it afforded was some coarse brandy, of which