The apartments into which our kind entertainer conducted us were
in an ell on the same floor with the room we had taken supper in.—
To go to the rooms we had to walk along a balcony from which doors
opened into them. From this balcony steps led down into the yard.

`You see, these bed-rooms are small and don't look very inviting,
but Spanish houses al'ays look like prisons, and you can't make 'em
look any other way,' said Saul as he placed the light upon a niche in
the wall where, he said, that he had found a little image when he came,
left by former occupants. There was no window in either of the
rooms, which communicated by a door. A chair, table and wooden
bedstead covered with a mattrass comprised all the furniture.

`Things ain't so nice as you've been accustomed to to hnm, I guess;
but as you've been sleepin' so many weeks in a ship, I guess you'll
think any lodging a shure fit for the President, as I did! Well, good
night. You won't want many bed-clothes coz the nights is 'mazin'
hot, and I rayther guess you'll be glad to keep your doors open. You
can blow out the candle or keep it burning, and talk as long as you
want to. You see it's a wax one. They don't burn nothin' else here.
I can't find a taller candle in the whole city. Every nigger burns wax,
and when you go into the Cathedral you'll see some as big round as
my leg and tall as a fourth o' July flag staff!'

[figure description] Page 079.[end figure description]

The good fellow then bade us again good night, and left us together
all in one room. We seated ourselves upon the bedside a few moments
and then began to talk over the events of the day. We, however,
soon grew sleepy and paired off to bed, Hewitt and Radsworth
taking the one in the next room and Fairfax and I the one in the room
in which we were. I opened the door after taking off my coat and
vest and stepped out upon the balcony; for the night was close and oppressive.
It was a clear star-light atmosphere I gazed upon the
heavens and tried to recognize stars that I had seen at home. But I
was beneath new constellations. The North Star, the Great Bear were
far northward below the Equator. The Sword of Orion was just visible
close to the northern horizon. The Southern Cross, the Harp, and
the Magellan clouds were above me. I gazed on the latter with curiosity.
I had been told that they revolved with the earth, never setting.
They are three in number, forming the three angles of our equilateral
triangle. Two are of a whity, cloud-like appearance, and the third is
black to the eye, being so much darker than the blue depths of the sky
as to be strongly relieved against it. They are called the Magellan
clouds from being vertical to the Straits of Magellan. At Montevideo,
which is nearly in latitude 35° South, they were almost in the zenith.
I had not then heard of Synime's Theory, which indeed was not then
published. He accounts for these clouds in the following manner; and
as it is the only satisfactory one I have ever seen, I give it as I heard
it from his own lips so me years subsequently.

The earth being open at the poles has a verge which intersects Magellan
on one side and Van Dieman's land on the other side of it. A
person at the Straits of Magellan looking across this verge or shadowy
chasm of five thousand miles diameter must of necessity see land on
the other side. He will not, however, see it on a level with his eye,
but it will be thrown by refraction so as to appear at the zenith! In
a word, he sees it distinctly overhead; and it revolves with the earth
always seen overhead, as well at sunset as just before dawn. It is
plainly to his eye a part of the globe.

Now the map will show you that the two southwest points of New
Holland and Van Dieman's land if seen across a school globe depressed
or sunken in as above, will form a triangular aspect to the eye, Van
Dieman's land being within the verge, and beyond the sun's rays is in
shadow and looks dark, while the two great capes of New Holland being
in the sun-light appear white.

This is Synime's theory; and is recorded here by me for what it is
worth. It certainly is the only plausible explanation ever offered for
the simultaneous revolution of this phenomenon with that of the earth.

The stillness of the hour, as I stood upon the balcony, was invaded
not only by the hoarse cries of the sentinels, stationed in all parts of
the city, but by a confused howling and barking of countless dogs.—
Such a yelping never before assailed my ears. It seemed to me that
there must have been at Montevideo one dog to every biped, and subsequent
observation led me to believe that there were seven to every
human being. At length I bade the night `good night,' and entered
my little room to go to sleep. I threw myself upon the bed along side

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of Fairfax, who was sound asleep. From the adjacent room I could,
however, hear mutterings not loud but deep, from Hewitt, and an occasional
exclamation of impatience and anger from Radsworth. I was
not long left in ignorance of the cause. I had not been five minutes
in bed when I found myself covered with animals I had but little
knowledge of before. An army of fleas had taken possession of me.
In a moment I was bitten from forehead to feet. I lay awhile and
scratched desperately, but at length anable longer to endure the intolerable
itching inflammation produced in every pore of my skin by their
bites, I leaped from the bed and seizing the light, examined the mattrass.
They literally swarmed hopping over it, and one fairly hopped
into my eye. I was appalled. I rushed out upon the balcony in my
shirt and shook myself, while every nail of my ten fingers was coursing
over my body with ceaseless industry. My cuticle was all on fire.
I was nearly wild with the fever and inflammation. I ran down stairs
into the yard where I had seen a cistern, and without more ado I sprang
for it to bury myself up to my neck. It contained no water. I stumbled
over a bucket in one corner of the court. It seemed filled with
water. I took it up and poured it over my naked body. Such a stench
as rose from it I never encountered. What it was I know not to this
hour. It was horrible. It made my skin burn like coals of fire Exposure
to the air brought on the itching worse than ever. I fairly
howled in concert with the dogs in the street. I was goaded to madness.
The pavement of the court I soon found swarmed with fleas,
and they bit my feet and ancles. I danced and for relief rolled in a
heap of shavings. While I was indulging in this amusement, down
came Hewitt.

`I can't stand this, no how!' he cried. `What the deuce is that in
the shavings?'

`It's I!' I answered savagely. `Have they driven you out?'

`I am devoured! My skin is covered with nettles! I had as lief
sleep on a bed of cowitch! For gracious sake tell me where there is
water,' he cried as he found none in the cistern. I could not tell him.
he raced round the court in his shirt like a madman. Finally he found
a brick-bat and began to rub himself down with it. Its rough surface
gave him momentary alleviation from his sufferings. Radsworth soon
came out on the balcony, and seeing us in the court, for the stars gave
considerable light he hurried down and called for water in the name of
mercy.

But I will not attempt to portray the horrors of this our first night
in Montevideo. I shall never forget it to my dying day. We wished
for day which seemed as if it would never come to our relief. At length
the dawn broke and we dressed ourselves, our skins fairly streaked
with blood. As the sun rose the itching subsided; for the bites of
fleas cease to annoy after day-break; and fortunate it was for us it is
so. Fairfax had slept the night out without being awakened, but the
spot where he lay was dappled with blood that had been drawn from
him. We tried to find the fleas by daylight, but not a villian of them
all was visible. Where they had hid themselves we ceuld not divine.

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At length our host made his appearance. He found us all assembled,
pale and haggard upon the roof of his domicil.

`You are up early! How did you sleep my friends?' he asked
very kindly.

`Sleep, sir,' said Hewitt answering for the rest. `Not a wink have
we had the past night. We don't wish to say anything against your
lodgings, Mr. Freelove, but we were too many in a bed! The fleas
fairly drove us out!'

`Fleas! Them is the nat'ral production of the country. So you
didn't get any sleep for 'em,' he said laughing. `Wall, I know how
to feel for ye; but you'll soon get used to 'em! I dare say they did
put into ye some last night, coz they don't often get sich sweet pumpkin
flesh as yourn. You do looked streaked a bit!'

`We were bitten to death,' I answered. `We might as well have
slept in a beehive!'

`Wall, I'm plaguey sorry; but it's the country and I can't help it.
I thought when I first come here I'd have to get me a whole skin of
India-rubber half an inch thick. But I got used to it after a while.—
Fleas 'll never bite a man twice in the same spot, never. But when
you've got bit all over once nice you needn't fear 'em. They don't
trouble the natives a bit coz there's no fresh places on 'em to bite; but
strangers do suffer some till they get fairly 'noculated. They don't
bite me now coz they've put their proboscises into every tarnal pore of
my skin!'

`I don't think then I shall be bitten again,' said I, `for I don't think
there is a fiesh place left on me!'

`We are certainly comforted by what Mr. Freelove says,' said Hewitt
gravely, with his habitual twitching of the nose. `Are they as bad
in other houses?'

`I don't calculate there's any difference to speak on. Fleas is as
natural to a house here in Montevideo as thistles on the road-side.—
But you've got through the worst of it. Come let's go down and see
what Jenny's got for breakfast.'

I lingered a moment to take a sun-rise view of the surrounding country.
Not far from me rose the gloomy walls of the calaboose, and behind
it stretched a long range of the battlemented walls on which sentries
were walking. Beyond I could discern the naked country, destitute
of tree or house for a mile outside the walls; but farther off I
saw pleasant villas in the midst of groves and gardens, and farther still
a white church with a hamlet at its feet, and still farther the white
tents of the Buenos Ayrean army. Here and there along the open
ways I could detect parties of horsemen galloping at full speed, their
sabres flashing in the sun. The sound of the morning gun had already
ceased echoing from the castle on the Mount on the opposite side of
the harbor, and the bells of the cathedral were ringing still their loud
call to matins. The clamor of dogs had given place to military music,
and life and activity had taken the place of the dreadful night we had
passed. A slight breeze fanned my temples and invigorated me, and
following the rest below I soon gave evidence that my want of sleep

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had not destroyed my appetite. We had an excellent breakfast, delicious
coffee, hot rolls, beef-steak and roasted yams.

After breakfast we sallied forth to seek out our `Merchant,' and
learn how he and his hopeful sons had passed the night. We did not
leave Mr. Freelove's hospitable roof, however, without returning him
our thanks for his kindness; and as we knew he would feel offended if
we offered him pay, each of us, in the course of the day, made him a
present of a book, which we saw pleased him more than a doubloon
would have.

The streets presented a lively appearance, At every step we saw
something to attract our curiosity. We met a regiment of black troops
in scarlet coats and white trousers marching to a distant quarter of the
city. We saw a large number of officers grouped about the doors of
the cafes, or opposite the quarters of their generals. These officers
were mostly young men, many of them strikingly handsome and wearing
mustaches. Their uniforms were very splendid. Some of their
frock coats were covered with silk and gold embroidery. I noticed a
very beautiful boy of fifteen, who wore a uniform perfectly gorgeous,
and at the same time graceful. I afterwards learned he was a Colonel.
His father was a duke. Indeed most of the officers were nobles.—
Now and then we beheld a war-worn warrior, his face scarred, or an
arm or leg lacking, and features hid in enormous mustaches. For hair
on the face the negro soldiers took the palm. Some that we saw showed
only their glittering eyes through a mass of hair. They looked like
bears doing military duty.

At every corner we were challenged by a sentry. We responded
`Comarada,' and passed on unmolested. Hewitt, however, came near
being beyoneted just before we reached our shop. He took upon himself
to be spokesman, as he wanted to speak at least one word of a
foreign language. He was challenged just as he went ahead of us.—
His answer was `Caramba!' This is a word that is constantly in every
Spaniard's or Portuguese mouth, and is an exclamation of surprise
equivalent to `The devil!' or `Indeed!' `Is it so?' &c. &c. Hewitt
mistook it for Comarada, `comrade,' and thundered it out. The soldier
looked at him with angry surprise, brought his bayonet to the
charge and challenged again. Hewitt found he was wrong and yelled
out `St. Jago,' for `Amigo,' friend, the word he wanted. The soldier
rushed upon him with his levelled bayonet, and Hewitt turned and run.
I could not help laughing, serious as the affair was, for the soldiers had
orders to shoot down every person that did not respond properly to the
challenge.

`Amigo,' I cried, springing forward and laying my hand on the soldier's
musket. `El joven es Americana of no entiende Portugues,' I
said in my best Spanish. He understood me, and with an oath returned
to his post.

From this moment I was dubbed interpreter of our party; for I had
spoken Spanish and so well that I was understood by a Portuguese. It
is true I had paid very close attention to the language on the voyage
and had committed to memory several hundred phrases. One of these
I now found useful, and gaining confidence from this success I

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resolved to speak Spanish at every opportunity, even to Portuguese; the two
languages being so analagous that the citizens of the two countries
find little difficulty in understanding one another. At length we reached
our `shop.'