rd. It is most remarkable for the shafts, which are
fourteen feet in length, the extreme ends resting on the saddle of the
horse, who has thus entirely to support the whole weight of the vehicle;
there is thus between the horse's tail and the carriage a space of
nearly seven feet. The postillion is generally a very heavy negro, who
rides the unfortunate horse. Those used by people of fashion are drawn
by two horses, one outside the shafts, on which the postillion sits. He
is as remarkable an object as the vehicle itself. He wears a huge pair
of footless boots, the top rising ten inches or so above his knees, so
that they nearly touch his elbows, while, to the bottom are secured huge
iron spurs, his breeches are white, and his jacket red, ornamented with
gilt lace, while a broad-brimmed hat covering his woolly pate completes
his costume. Still barbarous and awkward as the affair appears, it
looks perfectly suitable to surrounding objects; the fair occupants seem
also in their proper places, with their gaily-coloured costumes, and
their dark hair fastened by a high comb, and ornamented generally with
natural flowers. Jack did not consider their beauty so surpassing as he
had been led to expect, while he thought the older dames perfectly
hideous; but then the recollection of the lily and rose in the cheeks of
his fair countrywomen was too recent to allow him to admire them as he
might otherwise have done. He was highly amused at seeing in some of
the dining-halls one of those silver ornamented vehicles placed at the
farther end, its usual position when not in use.

As far as he could judge, the male portion of the population passed
their evenings in smoking cigars and playing billiards, when not engaged
in dancing or listening to music. Every evening, before the
captain-general's house in the Plaza, a military band played for an
hour, when the men collected by hundreds, but a few ladies, however,
appearing among them.

Gambling, in one form or another, appeared to be the occupation of all
orders, encouraged considerably by the government, who had public
lotteries, tickets and minute portions of tickets being daily vended in
the streets.

Jack and his officers were overwhelmed with invitations, not only from
English and Americans, but from Spaniards, some of whom, he was warned,
might possibly have a motive in wishing to make their stay on shore
agreeable, they being owners, or in some way interested in the
raki