Page:Narrative of an Official Visit to Guatemala.djvu/406

386 be seated in an open feather bed. As the birds complained of their situation, he kept talking to them with many quaint aphorisms, which excited the universal approbation of the muleteers; indeed, he had previously established his character amongst them as a wag, and there was something altogether so grotesque in his appearance, that the better part of the company could scarcely restrain their laughter at merely looking at him: so that, now, every observation he made, however foolish, was sure to be a palpable hit.

Having been detained two days longer on the road than I expected, I was afraid that the goleta which General Codd, the Intendant of Belize, had been so obliging as to send to Izabal, might return without me, finding that I had not arrived at the time intended; and Don Eugenio undertook to ride forward down to the port to apprize the captain of my coming. He accordingly set off for this purpose; but, on our arrival at Mico, the last stage but