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52 to go before the wind or not at all. The general style of the capote is the same in all the islands, and will remain so for the next ten thousand years, but each island shapes its capotes just enough differently from the others to enable an observer to tell at a glance what particular island a lady hails from.

The Portuguese pennies, or reis (pronounced rays), are prodigious. It takes one thousand reis to make a dollar, and all financial estimates are made in reis. We did not know this until after we had found it out through Blucher. Blucher said he was so happy and so grateful to be on solid land once more, that he wanted to give a feast—said he had heard it was a cheap land, and he was bound to have a grand banquet. He invited nine of us, and we ate an excellent dinner at the principal hotel. In the midst of the jollity produced by good cigars, good wine, and passable anecdotes, the landlord presented his bill. Blucher glanced at it and his countenance fell. He took another look to assure himself that his senses had not deceived him, and then read the items aloud, in a faltering voice, while the roses in his cheeks turned to ashes:

Ten dinners, at 600 reis, 6,000 reis!’ Ruin and desolation!”

Twenty-five cigars, at 100 reis, 2,500 reis!’ Oh, my sainted mother!”

Eleven bottles of wine, at 1,200 reis, 13,200 reis!’ Be with us all!”

!’ The suffering Moses!—There ain’t money enough in the ship to pay that bill! Go—leave me to my misery, boys, I am a ruined community.”

I think it was the blankest looking party I ever saw. No body could say a word. It was as if every soul had been