Little had we anticipated the cool reception we were doomed to meet, or we should have remained with our reverend friend of Sotuta. On reaching the Casa-real of this most miserable town, we found it occupied by half-breeds and Indians, making themselves merry and drunk, upon the occasion offered them by some one of the innumerable feast-days with which their calendar is crowded. The prospect for us, we observed on dismounting, was not very flattering. We stated to them that we were travellers; and wished a privilege with them at the Casa-real for the night, and at the same time offered them money, to remunerate them for their aid in procuring food for ourselves and horses; but we could obtain nothing. Their reply was, that the Casa-real and its yards were full, and that there was no food or water to be had. This was bringing affairs to a crisis. The prospect was that we were to “hang out” during the night. Remonstrance was thought of; but experience had long since taught me that remonstrance with these people was vain. A man in the crowd was observed with _trousers on_; and with him I thought something might be done, but I was made to perceive that trousers are only the uniform, but not an evidence of civilization. A squally night was before me, and no prospect of a shelter. I thought of trying “the plenipo”—à la Stephens—but my starred and striped blanket was in tatters, and I had no “half dollars.” Sunken as I was in the abyss of trouble, my magical coat never occurred to me. At a complete loss what to do, we walked about the town, in anticipation of some favorable accident, followed by a concourse of idle Indians. We were about returning to our horses in despair, when, passing a hut, with its only door half opened, we saw an old woman lying in her hammock, sick. I thought of the “medico.” With this ray of hope to encourage me, I entered, blessing the house and its inmates, with the best Latin I could muster. A dim light was burning in a calabash, which stood in the corner. In the centre of the room were some half-extinguished embers, with the few cooking utensils which the _cuisine_ of this country require, being near them. A girl was engaged in making some cooling drink for the invalid; and, upon the whole, I felt that my prospects were looking up. So I drew up a stool to the side of the hammock, and looked the “medico” at the invalid, to the best of my abilities. The Indians from without were collecting around; I talked in a very deliberate tone, as if just bursting with a plethora of science, felt the pulse, and examined the tongue! At this stage of proceedings, an Indian bent down to my ear, and asked, in a low voice, if he should go for food for our horses? I graciously consented. I showed my pocket compass, the nearest approach to a surgical instrument of any thing I had about me, made a few more learned remarks upon the pathogenetic and therapeutic properties of matter, and advised the patient to bathe her feet and hold her tongue.