1050
AMERICAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION
except two clergymen (Padres) and all men of good families and respectability confined for political opinions in the revolution of the past year. The occupant of my dungeon before me was a Col. who was banished. General Bustamante former vice-President occupied one in July and August last near mine, as I am informed. . • You may have some curiosity to know how I am lodged and what sort of a place an inquisicion prison is, about which so many horrid things are said all over the world, and which are no doubt true and probably much worse. My room is about 16 feet by 13-very high ceiling-two doors, one flush with the outside surface of the wall, the other near the inside surface and within the wall which is about 3 :feet thick of large hewn stone-the latter door has an oblong hole large enough to admit a plate-the other is solid, both were always locked and bolted untill yesterday-no windows-a very small sky-light in the roof which barely afforded light to read on very clear days when the sun was high, say from 10 to 3 o'clock-quite free from damp except such as would naturally result from the want of a free circu- lation of air. There are 19 similar dungeons in this range with the difference that some of them are a little larger than mine, tho most are the same size-they are in the interior of this extensive building and the doors open into an oblong patio or open court about 120 by 60 feet which has a varancfa or gallery all round it supported by pillars and arches-a fountain of good water from the acqueduct in the centre.. This part of the building is one story but is surrounded on every side by other parts of the same building that are two stories and present a solid wall above our range without windows that look into this patio. On two sides of the base of t.he two story wall before mentioned there are solecleros or sunning places which are spaces about 14 feet square (one is much larger) ranged along the back of the dungeons and between them and the before mentioned two story wall-they are separated from each other by high wall!:r-each has a door, locks etc-open above for the sun- they communicate with the patio by arched passages. When I came in each dungeon had its occupant and all were incomunicado the same as myself. All the doors were locked and bolted no one came into the patio except the sentinel-all was silent-- each one was taken out about two hours .the middle of the day and put into one of the solederos or sunning places, alone and locked in. In time of the inquisicion the prisoners were covered with a kind of sack or over garment with a mask at the top to cover the head and face, so that they could not be known, even by the guard in ·go~g through the patio to and from the solederos, nothing of the kind was done with us, we saw each other but could not salute or speak.
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