one or two enormous toads and long-armed spiders in my apartment; but they fortunately did not interfere with my repose, for I slept like a top.  All the rooms being on the ground-floor, it is almost impossible entirely to exclude intruders of this description.  I admired very much what I took to be two fine ponchos, of a delicate fawn-colour, used as tablecloths, but upon a closer examination I found that they were made of the finest silk, and learned afterwards that they were imported from England.  I don’t know why the same material should not be employed for a similar purpose at home; but I believe that those manufactured hitherto have been designed expressly for the South American market, to which they are exported in considerable quantities.

Thursday, September 21st.—­At five o’clock, when I awoke, it was so misty that I could only see about half-way across the yard.  By six, the hour at which we were to have started on our hunting expedition, matters had improved a little; but it was still considered unsafe to venture out, for fear of being lost on the vast plains which surrounded us.  An hour later, however, it was reported that the fog was clearing off, and a little before eight o’clock we started.  Horses, riders, and dogs, all appeared to be in the highest spirits, the former jumping and frisking about, hardly deigning to touch the ground, the latter tearing after one another and barking at every stray bird they met.  The pack numbered seventeen, and could hardly be called a level lot of hounds, comprising, as it did, two deerhounds, five well-bred greyhounds, two retrievers, one setter, one spaniel, one French poodle, two fox terriers, one black and tan terrier, and two animals of an utterly indescribable breed; but they all did their work well, as the event proved.  Even the shaggy fat old French poodle arrived in each case before the deer was cut up.

Two deer were soon descried in the distance, and we cantered steadily towards them at the rate of about ten miles an hour, until the dogs winded and sighted them.  Then, directly the first short yelp was heard, every horse extended himself in an instant, galloping away as hard as he could go, almost literally ventre a terre.  They were nearly all thoroughbreds, and had been raced, so that the speed was something delightful.  But it only lasted ten minutes, at the end of which time the dogs ran into one of the deer, and thus put a temporary stop to our enjoyment.  He proved to be a fine buck, and was soon killed.  His legs were cut off for trophies, but, his horns being like velvet, the head was not worth having.  Some of the dogs pursued the doe, but failed to pull her down, and returned half an hour later fatigued and panting.