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W9S- in the afternoon and fix in the evening, no perfon is feen in the ftreets,
1 1 the (hops are {hut up, and the fame ftillnefs prevails as if it were aftually
night. Accuftomed as we had hitherto been to a life of conftant anxiety,
and to be fatisfied with little reft, we were at firft greatly at a
lofs to difcover how we lhould employ the hours - which were thus dedicated
to fleep by the fociety in which we were now living; but the ex-
ercife of the morning, the heat of the weather, the want of occupation,
and the natural inclination to fleep after a hearty meal, foon reconciled
us to the practice of the country; and we all indulged in a JieJïa, (or
afternoon’s nap) and enjoyed it I believe full as much as the moft vo-.
luptuous Spaniard in the capital.
Accompanied by our new friends, we were introduced in the evening
to the family of Sen'- Cotappas, a Spanilh merchant of corifiderable eminence.
A defcription o f this gentleman’s manfion will ferve to convey
an idea of the manner in which all the houfes in thé city of St. Jago
are built. This, like-moft of the principal habitations, formed a quadrangle,
inclofing an open area, or court-yard, of about thirty yards
fquare, one fide of which is a dead wall that runs parallel to the ftreet;
and, as none of the houfes are more than one ftory in height, this wall
totally, obfcures every appearance of the buildings within. The entrance
into the fore-court from the ftreet, was through a gateway in this wall,
to which the houfe fronted, occupying the oppofite fide, whilft the wings,
or two remaining fides of the fquare to the right and left, were, -as
is moft commonly the cafe, divided into offices for fervants, and fleep.
ing apartments. Sen' Cotappas’s houfe confiftedof an anti-chamber, a
large kind of dining-parlour, and bed-chamber. All the rooms were
very fpacious, the principal one meafured about fixty feet in length,
twenty-five feet in breadth, and I lhould think the height of it was about
equal to the breadth. This room was fuperbly, or rather finely, furniftv
ed; from the .ceiling were fufpended two glafs luftres, or chandeliers;
and on the walls were fome paintings, the fubjeQs of which were taken
from the facred writings; at each end of- the room were large folding
doors. The company we here met were divided into two parties ; the
ladies were feated on culhions on one fide of the room, and the gentle?
3 " ■ • men
men were fitting oppofite to them on chairs, amongft whom we were in- j(795-
ftantly furnilhed with feats. The entertainments of the evening confifted 1--- v— J
in a concert and ball, in both of which the ladies had the principal
Ihare, and feemed to take great pleafure in excelling in both the accom-
plilhments of mufic and dancing. The whole of the concert was performed
by the ladies; one led the band on the piano-forte, whilft the
others filled up the accompaniments on violins, flutes, and the harp;
the whole was extremely well conduced, and afforded us a mufical treat,
to which we had been long intire ftrangers.
We fhould have been extremely happy to have availed ourfelves of the
prefling intreaties of Sen'- Cotappas to join with the ladies in dancing,
but as their country dances appeared to be very difficult, and as no one
amongft us could recolleft the figures of any of thofe we had been accuftomed
to in England, we were under the mortification of acknowledging
our ignorance, and declining the intended civility of the mafter
of the houfe. From this difappointment in the pleafures of the evening
we were, however, in fome meafure relieved, by fome of the ladies, who
had retired from the dance, fending us a meflage, requefting we would
join their party on the culhions; with this we inftantly complied, and
confidered ourfelves greatly indebted for this mark of condefcenfion, as it
was departing from the eftabhfhed rules of their fociety on fuch occafions.
The generality of the ladies in St. Jago are not wanting in perfonal charms,
and moft of thofe we had the pleafure of meeting this evening might
rather be confidered. handfome than otherways ; they are, in general,
brunettes, with expreffive black eyes, and regular features; but a want of
that neatnefs, which is fo much valued amongft Englifhmen, and fo much
the pride <5f my fair countrywomen, was confpicuous in many particulars,
efpecially in the total neglefl of their teeth, which are fuffered to
-become intolerably dirty. This inattention was not only in a very high
degree offenfive, but' it appeared to us incompatible with the pains that
feemed to haye been taken in the decoration o f their perfons ; for, at this
-affembly, they were all fuperbly drelfed, agreeably to the fafhion of the
-country. The moft Angular part of their drefs was a fort of bell-hooped
V o i . III. ' - 3 K petticoat,