After the performances on the rope, we had tumbling, in which two smart little boys, sons of the “director” of the Funambules, the clown, and a _woman_ took part. But the Leonesas were shocked that one of the “bello sexo” should descend to that, and expressed their disapprobation in such a manner, that she never made her appearance again in the character of a “volteadora.” Then came a pantomime, in which a fussy, gouty Englishman, travelling in Spain, and ignorant of the language, was the principal character. His mishaps created great merriment, and the raggedest boy in the _patio_ seemed glad to have an opportunity of laughing at John Bull; who, as I have before said, is nowhere in the world more cordially hated than in Nicaragua. It was quite sundown when Señor Serrate came forward and thanked his auditors for the honor of their attendance; and then the Jovena Catalina invited them all, in the choicest Castilian, to come again on the Sunday following. The “Funambulos,” I may add, had a brilliant and profitable season of a month; and when they left, received a testimonial from the citizens, who “thought it worthy of remark, that in this exhibition the public had not, as on other occasions, been driven to the hard necessity of listening to indecent dialogues, to the prejudice of morals and good taste, or of abstaining from visiting the exhibition.” The “Correo del Istmo” also complimented them as having “performed with skill and excellence,” and with these recommendations they departed on a tour of the State. [Illustration: STREET VIEW IN LEON—CALLE DE SAN JUAN.] I have said, at the commencement of this chapter, that there were no stated amusements in Leon; perhaps, however, the various fiestas and saints’ days should come under that denomination. At any rate they were celebrated in anything but a serious manner; they were general holidays, in which everybody dressed in his best, and the more bombas fired and bells rung, the more “alegre” the occasion, and the greater the honor to the saints. As a consequence, being situated in the vicinity of the principal churches, we were treated to a “Fourth of July” as often as twice a week. Sometimes lines of bombas were arranged, not only around the churches, but on their roofs, and over their towers, with large ones at intervals, which, when they exploded, made a noise like a cannon. These were set off almost invariably in the daytime, and produced a deafening sound, like the rolling discharge of musketry under a cannonade, for nearly half an hour, creating a dense smoke, and filling the air with sulphurous odors. The bells were rung the while, and everybody seemed delighted, and none more so than the muchachos, who, like the _gamins de Paris_, swarmed everywhere, and were the foremost in all public demonstrations.