4i 6 A V O Y A G E O F D I S C O V E R Y
• 79S- night, and after travelling twenty-eight miles in a way to which we
A|^"1, . were little accudomed, we all gladly agreed to the meafure.
Cafa Blanco is a hamlet, confiding of a neat church and about: forty
houfes in its neighbourhood ; which, with fome inclofures of land under
cultivation, formed a pleafing contrad to the barren naked country
through which our day’s journey had been direfted. The principal per-
fon of the village appeared to be the curate, who having been made acquainted
with our approach, was prepared to meet us, and gave us a like
Jiofpitable reception with that which had been fo.. generally Ihewn by all
the good people of this country with whom' we had hitherto met. In
•the exercife of his humanity and good wiflies, our Reverend Friend
feemed to be much hurt that he had fo little to bedow; but as we fortunately
did not dand much' in need of his adidance, excepting in one re-
fpefit, that o f providing us with a lodging, we foon relieved him from his
embarraffment. This gentleman immediately furnilhed us with a houfe,
.over- which he held fome authority; a manfion precifely of the defcrip-
tion which, we had been given to underdand, we diould find on the
.road for our accommodation.
This houfe, if the drufture could be intitled to fuch a name, was fitu-
•ated nearly in the centre of the village, and was fo rudely formed, that it
could hardly be confidered as the work of a civilized people. Its walls
were made of driedpieces of earth cut fquare into the lhape of bricks, which
had been laid on each other when in a wet date, and pladered over with
the. fame fubdanee; but by drying unequally the plader had fallen off in
many places. Its infide was open like a barn, and confided .of but one
apartment, which contained nothing but our baggage, that had arrived
fome hours before u s ; and had the weather been rainy, it would have
afforded us but very imperfefi fhelter. The door was no other than the
ground in its natural, unlevelled date; but though it was not remarkable
for its cleanlinefs, it was fpacious, and in that refpefit more datable to the
•purpofesof our party, than the tent we had - brought with us. As it,
however, was totally deditute of all kinds of furniture, we were , obliged
to refort to our neighbours for fuch temporary conveniences as we fhould
want, which they very readily fupplied : and-whild our fupper was pre-
q paring
R O U N D T H E W O R L D . 4*7
paring we vifited the inhabitants in the village, by whom we were received
with the mod cheerful affability; particularly by the younger parts
o f the fex, amongd whom we noticed fev.eral faces which, even by the
fide of our fair countrywomen, might have been confidered as pretty, had
not the intolerably nady cudom of painting both red and white, dedroy-
ed the natural delicacy of their complexion, and impaired the effefl of
the agreeable affemblage of their features. Their affiduity to pleafe was
however very engaging, and the evening paffed fo pleafantly, that the
fatigue of the day’s journey was, I believe, intirely forgotten by mod of
us. The houfes of this village being all white walhed, gave it a tidy appearance,
which, as we approached, impreffed us with a belief that we
fhould find thefe dwellings infinitely fuperior to the wretched hovels we
had paffed in the courfeof the day; but we had the mortification to dif-
cover, on accepting the invitations of the principal people, that the fame
want of cleanlinefs prevailed, .and that wretchednefs, indolence, and
fuperdition was exhibited here in as great a degree, as amongd the cottagers
on tiie fun-parched defert. The only difference that we could
difcern, between thofe people and the inhabitants of Cafa Blanco, confided
in the fuperiority of the external habiliments of the latter, who
had evidently dreffed themfelves in their bed attire for the occafion.
Our time was agreeably engaged until fupper was ferved, when we
were favored with the company of every inhabitant, I believe, belonging
to the village;1 the principal perfons partook of our repad, whild the
others feemed to be equally gratified in the opportunity that was afforded
them, of fatisfying their curiofity with afcene fo novel and unexpefted in
their country. The glafs went cheerfully round, and our new friends
did not retire until a late hour. Our blankets were then fpread, but the
night did not pafs fo pleafantly as the evening had promifed; for our red
was mod tormentingly didurbed by the vermin, which had been generated
by the former filth of our habitation, and which now took revenge
upon us drangers, for having endeavoured to difpoffefs them of their
drongholds by.fweeping out the place. When we arofe in the morning
we found ourfelves but little refrelhed, owing to the great annoyance we
had differed from myriads of bugs and fleas, Early .the next morning
Y o u III. g H we
‘ 795 April