Going to the _jefatura_, the young clerk there was much impressed by the documents we presented, and asked us if we would accompany him to the _jefe's_ house, as thus no time would be lost.

Upon arriving at the house of the _jefe_, we found that a wedding was about to be celebrated in the church.

The _jefe_ received us with magnificent promises; we should room at the palace, arrangements should be made for boarding at a private house, beds and other proper furniture should be brought immediately, and the following day we should journey on horseback through all the indian towns of the vicinity.

This was all very fine, but we told him that meantime we were hungry--we had eaten nothing since the night before and then had fared badly--and that we must unload our animals, which we had left with the rest of our company, standing in front of the palace.

The unloading was done at once and we were given the schoolhouse for our quarters, at the rear of the _patio_ of the palace.