Public schools are established in the town of Larro, for the avowed
purpose of teaching the rising generation the rudiments of the
mahommedan religion.
A singular custom prevails in the town, of compelling children at the
breast to swallow a quantity of cold water from a calabash. An infant
was nearly choked on this morning by the injection of more than a
pint of water down its throat. Whether the mothers follow this custom
for the purpose of curing the children of any imaginary complaints,
or, as is more probable, in the hope of rendering them less eager for
their natural food, was not exactly to be ascertained.
The inhabitants possess horses, asses, and mules, though not in any
considerable numbers, they have, however, great abundance of sheep
and goats, which are bred in the town; and their yards and huts are
the common place of resort for those animals, indeed they may be said
to grow up and live with the children of their owners. The Landers
amused themselves during the greater part of the day, in looking at
the gambols of some very handsome goats, which had strayed into their
abode, but the sheep were not near so tame or frolicsome, repelling
all the advances towards a more familiar acquaintance, by timidity
and ill nature.
