of bothering myself further--to call
upon the bishop. Sallying from the hotel, I met upon the street the
_regidor_ and two other town officials, who were awaiting me. "Sir,"
said he, "will you not measure the women?" "No," said I, "I am going to
call upon the bishop. I have no time to waste. We went once to measure
the women, but you had no power; your _jefe_ plainly is a man without
authority." "No, sir," cried he, "the _jefe_ has issued a strict order
that the women must be measured." "No matter," I replied, "I have no
time to waste. I shall make my call." With this I entered the bishop's
palace, and had an interesting visit with that prelate. When leaving
the palace, I found the _regidor_ and four town officials, awaiting
my appearance. He at once demanded whether it was not my intention to
measure the women. He said that he had been to see the _jefe_, and that
the _jefe_ said my wishes must be obeyed. I asked him where it was
proposed to measure the women, and he replied that it should be wherever
I pleased. "Very good," said I. "We will measure them in the court-yard
of the _jefe's_ palace; have subjects brought there at once, and send a
man to my hotel for my instruments."

To the palace we went, and thither shortly four policemen brought a
woman from the market. With bad grace, she submitted to be measured,
after which the four policemen went again to the market, and soon
after reappeared with a second subject. So the work went on, with four
policemen to each woman, until our full number was finally secured and
the work completed.

Three years ago, on my return from Guatemala, I met in this city an
English doctor named Castle, who has lived here for many years--a man
of scientific tastes and interests, who has employed his leisure in
studying the botany, zoology, and indians of the district. He is
well-informed, and one of the few persons acquainted with the Juaves. I
counted on his help in approaching that curious and little-known tribe.
The doctor's house is full of pets; eight different kinds of parrots,
a red and yellow macaw, a brilliant-billed, dark-plumaged toucan, an
angora goat, a raccoon, dogs and cats, are a part of the happy family
that prowls at large in his house. A little creature, an indian, no more
than eight years old, has adopted the doctor for her father. She
had come to him as a patient for a trouble by no means uncommon
here--night-blindness; in caring for her, he gained the little
creatur