Page:Narrative of an Official Visit to Guatemala.djvu/82

62 ing, otherwise I should not have had a change of dry clothes.

Don Miguel Espinosa de los Monteros is administrator of the customs at this port: he is a civil and intelligent man: he took me about the place; and, as the untoward manner of my landing was the subject, at the moment, uppermost in our thoughts, he was naturally led to revert to a matter, which it appeared had long claimed his attention, and which was the formation of a harbour. He pointed out to me the manner in which the object might be effected, and the facilities appeared to me to be so great, that I have little doubt an English engineer would be able to accomplish it for less than £20,000.

Don Miguel's was of course an open house, on occasion of the festivities which were going on at the port; accordingly, his great parlour was filled with groups of company of all descriptions. On the window-seat, smoking cigars, sat his pretty little daughter with three other Sonsonate misses,