hours on a hard bed, and rise at midnight to go on to Jalapa. But to this
arrangement, I for one made vociferous objections, and strongly insisted
upon the propriety and feasibility of sleeping at Jalapa that night. Don
Miguel, the most obsequious of dons, declared that it should be exactly as
the Senora ordered.

Accordingly it was agreed that we should wait for the moon, and then pursue
our journey; and meanwhile we walked out to a short distance, to see the
bridge, the river, and the wood. The bridge consists of a single large arch
thrown over the river, and communicating with a great high-road, formerly
paved, but now going to ruin.

We returned to the inn, a long row of small rooms, built of brick and
prettily situated, not far from the water. Here we had the luxury of water
and towels, which enabled us to get rid of a certain portion of dust before
we went to supper.

The diligence from Jalapa has just deposited at the inn, a German with his
wife and child, he bearing so decidedly the stamp of a German musician,
that we at once guessed his calling. They are from Mexico, from whence the
fine arts seem to be taking their flight, and gave a most woeful account of
the road between this and Jalapa.

We had a very tolerable supper; soup, fish, fowls, steak, and frijoles, all
well seasoned with garlic and oil. The jolting had given me too bad a
headache to care for more than coffee. We were strongly advised to remain
the night there, but lazy people know too well what it is to rise in the
middle of the night, especially when they are much fatigued; and when the
moon rose, we packed ourselves once more into the diligence, sufficiently
refreshed to encounter new fatigues. The moon was very bright, and most of