the whites. {47} On an open space, which had with difficulty been
conquered from the virgin forest, stood a largish wooden house,
surrounded by a few miserable huts, the house serving as the
residence of the whites, and the huts as that of the slaves. A
letter which I had brought from the priest procured me a welcome.

The manner of living in this settlement was of such a description
that I was almost tempted to believe that I was already among
savages.

The large house contained an entrance hall leading into four rooms,
each of which was inhabited by a white family. The whole furniture
of these rooms consisted of a few hammocks and straw mats. The
inhabitants were cowering upon the floor, playing with the children,
or assisting one another to get rid of their vermin. The kitchen
was immediately adjoining the house, and resembled a very large barn
with openings in it; upon a hearth that took up nearly the entire
length of the barn, several fires were burning, over which hung
small kettles, and at each side were fastened wooden spits. On
these were fixed several pieces of meat, some of which were being
roasted by the fire and some cured by the smoke. The kitchen was
full of people: whites, Puris, and negroes, children whose parents
were whites and Puris, or Puris and negroes--in a word, the place
was like a book of specimens containing the most varied
ramifications of the three principal races of the country.

In the court-yard was an immense number of fowls, beautifully marked
ducks and geese; I also saw some extraordinarily fat pigs, and some
horribly ugly dogs. Under some cocoa-palms and tamarind-trees, were
seated white and coloured people, separate and in groups, mostly