.MTIwNg.OTMxMDY

From Newberry Transcribe
Jump to navigation Jump to search

40 The Shops or Stores are numerous. Almost every house shows merchandize for sale. Most of the shops are petty things - being mere places for sale of liquors - and fruits. Wines and most of their liquors are brought up from Callao - where they have been imported from France. The people drink unversally - but they do not get inibriated. The usual salutation is accompained - if circumstances favor with an invitation to take wine. Spirits are retailed in a small wine glass - which the purchaser turns down his throat at a mouthful. I have wondered sometimes if their throats nass not lined with sheet iron. Their stocks of groceries are limited - rice - cocoa - coffee molasses - sugar and beans being the staples. One street is devoted mostly to dry goods - handware - crockery &c. These stores make quite a respectable show - an apothecary shop or two look quite business like. Most of these goods come from Jamaica. Prices are high. There is a very pleasant drink made of pine apples called Chuchee - which is much used. Confectionary - domestic make - is confined to candy made of molasses with either banana or cocoanut boiled in. I saw - a cabinet makers hope - a Barbers - a Tailors - a Shoemakers - and Sugar shops - but they are far behind the Business Spirit of the Nineteenth Century. Very little straw brailling is going on - although Panama gives its name to a straw hat which is much admired by every one. The Burrying Ground is without the walls some quarter of a mile. A pleasant street brings the loiterer to the place. The Ground is enclosed by high thick walls - and fronted by an ornamental gateway. The place is well shaded by trees without. In the walls - are built niches - or arches - looking like long ovens - into these the corpse is placed the mouth plastered up and the occupants name and age marked thereon. The common people are burried in shallow holes - dug hastily by the chain gangs - and covered up without coffins - or ceremony. Ranged on the walls - were a number of skulls - peering from hollow sockets on the noon of day - piles of bones are rubbish - lie piled in a corner - and dead mens pillows lay kicked around. The funerals are like those of all Catholic countries. Unattended by the relatives or friends of the decease. The body is taken to the church preceeded by priests - and mass said over it - if the friends be rich enough - and then conveyed to the yard - by the convicts to be deposited. The Ground looks revolting - 'Tis