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7 naked children, snuggling for warmth in the breasts of beasts [[above last three words:} hogs & goats almost as much entitled to humanity as themselves. In the large chimney a pile of green and wet pinewood sent forth huge volumes of stifling smoke filling the chamber, and almost concealing from view its motley inmates. Almost scorching themselves in the fire, over which they were holding their skinny hands, crouched three or four old men and women, the latter naked save by a sacking mat which barely covered, in the shape of a loose frock their attenuated and filthy frames. From the necks of every individual save the younger children, the hideous goître depended in disgusting flakes. There seemed however no lack of provisions, for a newly killed bear hung from a beam near the fire, and the children were picking off pieces of the fat and stealthily carrying them to their mouths, whilst two enormous gaunt lank sided hogs roamed at will amongst the children and a sow with young about her was lying on her side before the fire, one child feeding it while another was drawing from its teats that sustenance denied by its sickly emaciated mother.

The filth everywhere apparent beggars discription, and on entering I looked in vain for a nook or corner where I might esconce myself apart from the poor disgusting objects which surrounded me. The however was impossible, so making the best of it, I shook my zamarra, pulled the cover over my ears and my cap over my head and drew near the fire, where I had leisure to remark this extraordinary colony.

Poor and degraded as they were, yet the simple natural kindness and hospitality of these poor creatures would shame the well fed indifference of the civilized inhabitants of the world. Seeing me young and a stranger, I was immediately marked out as the object of their attentions. Whilst one woman beat the snow from my sheepskin jacket, another another sic scraped the frozen ? from my boots and trousers, dried my cap and shawl by the fire, and stirred up the blaze, inviting me to draw near and enjoy it.

A gourd of aguardiente was produced from which, their whole store of the precious liquid, I was forced to drink, a rasher was quickly cut from the bear, and broiling in the coals for our supper, and the woman of the house, prepared and spread their best goat and sheepskins in a corner by themselves for my bed at night. Two of our mules found a shelter in a shed near at hand -- one was brought into the hut where it shared a corner with an old ass and her colt, and goats and hogs were forcibly ejected to make