We had some supper consisting of some very poor coffee, crackers, and a couple of eggs apiece, and had to sleep out under a tree where we knew we might find lizards, snakes, and other poisonous reptiles, and perhaps a thieving monkey might pick our pockets while we slept.
Before it was entirely dark many who rode horses came along, many of them ladies, and following the custom of the country, they all rode astride.

Among this crowd was one middle-aged and somewhat corpulent old fellow, by profession a sea-captain, who put on many airs.

The old fellow put on his cool white coat--in fact, a white suit throughout--and in this tropical climate he looked very comfortable, indeed, thus attired.

He filled his breast pocket with fine cigars, and put in the other pocket a flask with some medicine in it which was good for snake bites, and also tending to produce courage in case the man, not used to horse-back riding, should find his natural spirits failing.

The rest of his luggage was placed on pack animals, and in fact the only way luggage was carried in those days was either on the backs of donkeys or men.
All was ready for a start, and the captain in his snow-white suit was mounted on a mule so small that his feet nearly touched the ground.