Thibodaux minerva. [volume] (Thibodaux, La.) 18??-1858, 1855-05-05
The Lazy Mans Paradise.

l 1u0 Lazy MANS SAla0lSo.
In Lieutenant Gibbons account of his explo-
ration of the Valley of the Amazon, or rather Of
one of its main branches, the Madeira river
| executive document, No. 36,) we find the fol-
| lowing account of the daily life of Creole
family in the town of Santa Cruz, the capital Of
the Bolivian department of that name. For a
lazy man, Santa Cruz de Bolivia must be a
perfect paradise, to say nothing of the chance a
bachelor has of being able to choose a partner
in city where there are five women to one
man:
Very early in the morning, the Creole get
ting out OF bed, throws himself into o ham,
mock; his wife stretches herself on bench
near by, while the children seat themselves
with their legs under them on the chairs, all in
their night dresses. The Indian servant girl
enters with cup of chocolate for each member
of the family after which she brings some
Goals of fire in q silver dish. The wife lights
her husband a cigar, then one for herself
Some time is spent in reclining. chatting and
RECALLING. The man slowly puts on his cotton
trowsers wollen coat, leather shoes, and vicuna
hat, with his neck exposed to the fresh air
silk handkerchiefs scarce-and walks to
some neighbours with whom he again drinks
some chocolate and smokes another cigar
At mid day q small low table is set in the
middle of the room, and the family 60 to break
fast The wife sits next to her husband The
women are very pretty, and affectionate to their
husbands. He chooses her from among FIVE,
there being about that many women to the man
in town. The children seat themselves and the
dogs from ring behind. The first dish is
chupe Of potatoes, with large pieces of meat.
The man helps himself first, and throws his
bones straight across the table; child lodges
his head to. give it a free passage, and the dogs
A child then throws his bone the mother lodges,
and the dog rushes behind her. The second
dish holds small pieces of beef without bones.
Next comes a dish of fine chopped beef, then
best soup, vegetables, and fruits; finally coffee
or chocolate. After breakfast the man pulls of
his trousers and coat and lies down in the
hammock. His wife lights him cigar. She
finds her way back to bed with her cigar The
dogs jump up and lie On the chairs-the feas
bite them on the ground The Indian girl
closes both doors and windows, takes the child
rem out to play, while the rest of the family
sleep.
At two P. NJ. the church bells ring to let the
people know the priest is saying prayer for
them which rouses them. The man RISES
stretches his hands above his head and gaps;
the dogs get down and winnngly stretch them
Selves while the wife gets up in the bed and
whiningly calls out for fire the Indian girl re-
appears with .schunk" for her mistress to
light her master another cigar, and she smiles
again herself. The dinner which takes place
between three and five, is nearly the same as
breakfast, except when q beef is recently killed
by the Indians, when they have a boil. The
ribs and other long bones Of the animal are
trimmed with flesh, leaving the bones only
coated with meat these are laid across the
fire and roasted; the members of the family
while employed with them, look as if all were
practicing music. ,
A horse is brought into the house by an In
dian man, who holds him while "the patron"
saddles and brides him; he then puts on a
large pair of silver spurs, which cost forty dol
lars, and, mounting, he rides out of the front
door to the opposite house; hating, he takes
off his hat and cries out "Buenas, tardes, seno-
ritas, good evening ladies. The ladies make
their appearance at the door; one lights him
cigar, another mixes him glass Of lemonade to
the saddle talking while they lean gracefully
against the door p post, smiling with their be-
witching eyes. He touches his hat and rides
off to another neighbor.
After spending the afternoon in this way, he
rides into the house again. The Indian holds
the horse by the bride, while the master dis
mounts. Taking off the saddle, he throws it
into one chair the bride into another, his spurs
on third, and himself into the hammock; the |
Indian leads out the horse, the dogs pull down |
the riding gear to the floor, and lay themselves
on their usual bedsteads. Chocolate and cigars
are repeated. st-.5