338 CHARLES WILKES. 



performed at the chingano, which is a kind of am- 

 phitheatre, surrounded by apartments where refresh- 

 ments, including strong drinks, are sold, and is 

 generally well filled by both sexes. The dance is 

 performed on a kind of stage under an open shed. 

 The music is a mixture of Spanish and Indian, and 

 is performed altogether by females, on an old- 

 fashioned, long and narrow harp, one end of which 

 rests on the lap of the performer, and the other on 

 the stage, ten feet off. A second girl is seen merrily 

 beating time on the sounding-board of the instru- 

 ment. On the right is another, strumming the 

 common chords on a wire-string guitar or kitty, 

 making, at every vibration of the right hand, a full 

 sweep across all the strings, and varying the chords. 

 In addition to this, they sang a national love-song, 

 in Spanish, at the top of their voices, one singing a 

 kind of alto, the whole producing a very strange 

 combination of sounds. 



"The dance is performed by a young man and 

 woman: the former is gaudily decked in a light 

 scarlet jacket, embroidered with gold lace, white 

 pantaloons, red sash and pumps, with a tiny red 

 cap ; whilst that of his partner consists of a gaudy 

 painted muslin dress, quite short and stiffly starched, 

 not a little aided by an ample pair of hips ; thrown 

 over all is a rich-colored French shawl ; these, with 



