intrusted to
him. He plundered the store-room, though it was hard to tell which
stole the most, he or the wild monkeys that were about the house. He
had pretended to be eager to learn, and had been so tractable that
we were greatly disappointed to have him turn out such a bad boy. We
found this true of every man that we tried, and most strongly true
of the ones who pretended to be the best.

All the servants, all the natives, prized highly our tin cans
from the commissary, as we emptied them. They used to come miles
for them. Cocoanut shells and hollow bamboo stalks are the common
vessels. A few old cans furnished a valuable ten cent store. The
variety of uses to which these cans were turned was remarkable.

None of the so-called better class work at anything. They all carry
huge bundles of keys at their side, and in most stentorian voice
call out many times during the day "machacha" to a servant, who is to
perform some very small service which her mistress could easily have
done herself without any effort, and these lazy machachas saunter about
in the most deliberate manner and do whatever they are asked to do in
the most ungracious way. These so-called ladies beat their servants. I
often interfered by pounding with a stick on the side of my window
to attract their attention; that was all that was necessary. They
were ashamed to have me see them. One time in particular, a woman
took a big paddle, such as they use for pounding their clothes,
and hit a small, sick looking creature again and again on the bare
shoulders. What the offense was I do not know, but certainly the
beating was such as I have never seen administered to anything.

The servants always walk about three feet behind the mistresses and
carry their parcels, but they seldom walk, however, for they ride even
when the distance is short. The grand dames affect a great deal of
modesty and delicacy of feeling. On a certain occasion they sent word
to the commanding general that it would be a serious shock to their
feelings to have the execution of a criminal take place in the center
of the town. The gallows were erected in the suburbs. Immediately
all the natives were set to work to make hiding places where these
sensitive ladies, unseen, could witness the execution. From early
dawn until 9 A. M. carriages were carrying these delicate creatures
to their secret stations. Not one of them in the whole village of
Jaro but was on the watch. They supposed, of cours