The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1874-12-16

many galIOnS. edrtn6rn SOOletS nOAuiHS ~"
one to two pints are kept in the wind, ant
the people drink from these, the water being
quite cool. These goblets are set upon th'
table instead of pitchers, which never appear
The table furniture (abating the pitchers
are exactly what you have at home, iron
the most ordinary to the finest. The same
may be said of the furniture for the whole
house. said the beds are cane-bottomed
many sleep on them so, with only blanket
and sheet under them; others have thin mat
tresses. Some prefer the swinging hammock
But among the common people the CANA de
uento (bed of the wind is almost uniVer-
sally used There is nothing beneath you
in this but canvass stretched tightly across
frame which is so made as to shut up.
They are, besides being cool, very conve-
nient: they sleep on them in the parlour or
dinjng-room, and in the morning fold them
up and deposit them in the "quarters till
required again. AS little covering as pos
sible is used. In the kitchen every thing is
different from that at home. Instead OF
stoves there are brick ovens, and the utensils
vary accordingly. 0ne-fourth of the smoke
escapes by small chimney, and three-fOurths
by holes in the wall of the kitchen, made
for the purpose, as well as by the windows
aud doors. Sometimes if the house be pro-
perly built, and the wind be favorable, the
whole house is densely packed, at such times
eyes suffer.
Do you want to know what we have to
eat? Just what you have at home, except
the fruits, and few vegetables. Fish, beef,
mutton, pork, chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese,
guinea fowls, &C., &C.: cabbage, pumpkins,
sweet-pOtatoes, irish-pOtatoes, Imported from
Portugal,) onions, radishes, tomatoes, &c,
and several kinds Of native vegetables: for
eign do not grow well. Tomatoes 60 all to
vine; We have, from one root, mass Of
vines FIVE feet square, and some branches Of
it six feet high, and the whole mass would
be as high if held up by stakes; the tOma-
toes on it are small and worthless. Sweet
potatoes are not so good as at home.
Our groceries are all imported, except
sugar, which is excellent and cheap; Rio
coffee is not SO good; our butter comes from
Copenhagen in air-tight, tin cans, holding
from one pound upwards, and costs from
sixty-6ve to eighty cents pound. We have
it in bowl on the table and dip at up with
a butter knife, hard butter would be queer
sight. Of course meat cannot be cured here,
but bacon is imported from Europe, and old
ham sells for fifty cents a pound.
All fruits which you have at home are
brought from Europe in sealed bottles; our
bread is brought to the door, is very excel
lent, in small, long lOaves, and is cheaper
than making it in the house. We buy milk
for our coffee and tea, at the door for eight
or ten cents pint There are several kinds
of preserved beef here dried in the sun,
which are eaten with great relish by the
negroes, and which, in point of flavor, are on
the goldfish order The -four or meal of
Mandiocre is eaten great deal: the negroes
have way of eating it peculiar to them
selves; with large plate full of the coarse
meal, and another of boiled meat or Goldfish,
before them they take piece of the meat
in their fingers, roll it in the meal until the
ball becomes large enough, then put it in
their mouth, usually lit is said,) throw it in.
In regard to fruits, of course we have all
the tropical fruits here. Oranges are the
staple. There are several different kinds,
one is bitter kind, fit only to make pre-.
serves. The best are large, seedless ones,
very sweet. These sell on the street at five
for eight cents, we have sold them from our
garden at two for one cent. Pine-apples
are luscious. Wehave in our garden oranges,
bananas, guavas, bread-fruit, mamas, caju,
sapate, citrOn, grapes, two kinds of lemons,
sreca, pomegranates, custard-apples, and one
cocoa tree. There are number of other
kinds of fruit, the principal of which are
the manga and the jaca. We have had on
one orange tree at the same time crop of
ripe oranges, another crop halfgrOwn, and
another of blossoms. Other fruits bear twice
year, and others still but once. Water
melons are abundant once year. Apples
are brought over from Europe; only one
kind however, (the "Jitne", think, and
sell for from five to ten cents apiece, and
miserable ones too. l had anticipated enjoy
ing tropical fruits, but am sadly disappointed.
1 have not tasted an orange for months, and
though pine-apples are luscious a very little
satisfies me. Tropical fruits cannot be COM
pared with those at home, apples, pears,
plums, strawberries and raspberries.
CONCLUDED
WHAT ARRESTED Paul of Tsrsus on bis
way to Damascus? What Luther, as he
Il