was a great antiquarian, and,
anticipatory to my visit, had got together a most incongruous collection
of curiosities, from "vasos antiguos," fragments of pottery, and stone
hatchets, down to an extraordinary pair of horn spectacles and a
preposterously distorted hog's hoof,--all of which she insisted on
sending to my quarters, which she did, with some rare birds, and a
plate of dulces! At every house we found a table spread with wines and
sweetmeats, and bearing a silver brazier filled with burning coals, for
the greater convenience of lighting cigars. I excited much surprise by
declining to smoke, on the ground that I had never done so; but the
ladies insisted on my taking a "cigarita," which they said wouldn't
injure a new-born babe, and paid me the compliment of lighting it with
their own fair lips, after which it would have been rank treason to
etiquette, and would have ruined my reputation for gallantry, had I
refused. I at first endeavored to shirk the responsibility of smoking by
thrusting them into my vest pocket, but found that as soon as one
disappeared, another was presented, so I was obliged "to face the music"
in the end. In every sala we found a large hammock suspended from the
walls, which was invariably tendered to the visitor, even when there
were easy chairs and sofas in the room. This is the seat of honor.

[Illustration: RESIDENCE OF THE UNITED STATES CHARGE D'AFFAIRES, SAN
JUAN DE NICARAGUA.]

"The women of pure Spanish stock are very fair, and have the
_embonpoint_ which characterizes the sex under the tropics. Their dress,
except in a few instances where the stiff costume of our own country had
been adopted, was exceedingly loose and flowing, leaving the neck and
arms exposed. The entire dress was often pure white, but generally the
skirt, or _nagua_, was of some flowered stuff, in which case the
_guipil_ (_anglice_ vandyke) was white, heavily trimmed with lace. Satin
slippers, a red or purple sash wound loosely round the waist, and a
rosary sustaining a little golden cross, with a narrow golden band, or a
string of pearls extending around the forehead and binding the hair,
which often fell in luxuriant waves upon their shoulders, completed a
costume as novel as it was graceful and picturesque. To all this add the
superior attractions of an oval face, regular features, large and
lustrous black eyes, small mouth, pearly white teeth, and tiny hands and
feet, and withal a low but clear voice, and