Twenty-three guns followed in regular succession, with an interval
of fifteen seconds between each when the cloud cleared away, and the
ship lay dressed in her colors, all day. At sun-down, another salute
of the same number of guns was fired, and all the flags run down. This
we thought was pretty well- a gun every fifteen seconds- for a
merchantman with only four guns and a dozen or twenty men.
After supper, the gig's crew were called, and we rowed ashore,
dressed in our uniform, beached the boat, and went up to the fandango.
The bride's father's house was the principal one in the place, with
a large court in front, upon which a tent was built, capable of
containing several hundred people. As we drew near, we heard the
accustomed sound of violins and guitars, and saw a great motion of the
people within. Going in, we found nearly all the people of the
town- men, women, and children- collected and crowded together,
leaving barely room for the dancers; for on these occasions no
invitations are given, but every one is expected to come, though there
is always a private entertainment within the house for particular
friends.
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