o towers to the sky, was interesting in the extreme. I have
often heard my father speak of it. Popayan was at length safely
reached, with the botanical treasures they had collected; and here my
father was induced to remain for some time, in order to assist his
friend in their arrangement. Before their labours came to an end, my
father and Dicky were taken seriously ill. It now became the turn of
the Spanish doctor to attend to them. He, however, was aided in his
task by two ladies,--his sister and a young niece; the latter taking
Dicky under her special charge. The result was that my father married
the doctor's sister, and Dicky fell desperately in love with his niece.
The war with Spain was by this time over, and the _Zebra_ had returned
to England, so my father and his young charge, believing that they had
little prospect of getting on in the navy, determined to remain where
they were. As Doctor Cazalla was engrossed in scientific pursuits, he
gladly yielded up his practice to my father, his brother-in-law, whose
fame as a physician was soon established in the town and throughout the
surrounding district.

Richard Duffield, for I ought now to give him his proper name, in the
course of a few years married Dona Maria, the girl who had so
affectionately tended him, and who proved to be the heiress to a nice
estate in the neighbourhood, to the improvement of which, when he became
the proprietor, Richard devoted his time and attention; while Paul Lobo
remained with my father as his personal attendant and general factotum.

CHAPTER TWO.

OUR STUDIES INTERRUPTED--DON JUAN DE LEON--A RIDE TO VISIT DON RICARDO,
ACCOMPANIED BY HUGH AND OUR TUTOR, MR. LAFFAN--DESCRIPTION OF POPAYAN--
TYRANNICAL TREATMENT OF NEW GRANADA AND VENEZUELA BY THE SPANIARDS--
PREVIOUS STRUGGLES OF THE COLONISTS FOR LIBERTY--FEARFUL CRUELTIES
INFLICTED ON THEM BY THE SPANIARDS--MY UNCLE, DR. CAZALLA, A KNOWN
LIBERAL--HIS DANGEROUS POSITION--HOW MR. LAFFAN BECAME OUR TUTOR--JUAN
EXPATIATES ON THE PERFECTIONS OF DONA DOLORES, AND INVITES ME TO
ACCOMPANY HIM ON A VISIT--PASS A PARTY OF INDIANS--DON RICARDO'S
HACIENDA--FRUITS OF NEW GRANADA--INVITED TO STAY--JUAN, OUR TUTOR, AND I
SERENADE DONA DOLORES--THE INTERVIEW--DONA DOLORES ENDEAVOURS TO AROUSE
JUAN'S PATRIOTISM--MUSIC VICTORIOUS--A HEROINE--JUAN DEVOTES HIMSELF TO
THE CAUSE OF FREEDOM.

"Holloa! mio amigo Senor Duncan, come down! I want to have a talk with
you. You can spare a few mi