Page:Narrative of an Official Visit to Guatemala.djvu/436

416 church, a neat ornamental building, and the governor's house which is handsome and substantial, upon a small elevation, close to the sea shore. I was particularly struck with the airiness and comfort of this abode: a spacious hall with wide staircase led to the first floor, in which two net hammocks were suspended so as to catch the benefit of the sea breeze, which, by opening the drawing room door, might pass directly through the house. There was no kind of draperies or carpets, all the articles of furniture looking hard, cold, and plain, and even the floors were made of some sort of wood answering that description; the only inconvenience was that they were not a little slippery. On the whole, I would recommend any body proceeding to those parts, who might want to build a house for their accommodation, to take the one in question for their model. With three or four moderate exceptions, all the rest of the town is composed of wooden buildings stuck upon posts, without any