Ch. V. SOUTH AMERICA. 59 



liui little worn, the encumbrance of embroitlerv being 

 suited rather to enUirge than dimiuish the appearauce 

 oía small foot.* 



They aie i'ond of white silk stocking;», made ex- 

 tremely thin, tliat the \e<¿ may appear the more shape- 

 ly ; the «greatest part of whicli is exposed to view. 

 These trifles often allord very sj)rightly sallies of wit 

 in their animadversions on the dress of others. 



IliTiiEKTO we ha\e considered only the more com- 

 mon dress of these ladies; the reader will conceive 

 a still higher idea of their magnificence, when he is 

 informed of the ornaments with which they are de- 

 corated in their ^ isiis, and upon public occasions. We 

 shail beg-in with their manner of dressing- the hair, 

 •which being naturally black, and caj)able of reaching 

 below their waists, they dispose in such a manner as 

 to appear perfectly graceful. They tie it up behind 

 in six braided locks, through which a golden bodkin 

 a little bent is inserted, and having a cluster of dia- 

 moiids at each end. On this the locks are suspended 

 so a^j to touch the shoulder. On the front and upper 

 part of the head they wear diamond aigrets, and the 

 luir is formed into little curls, hanging from the fore- 

 head to the middle of the ear, witii a large black patch 

 of velvet on each temple. Their ear-rings arc of bril- 

 liants, intermixed with tufts of black silk, covered 

 AAith pearls, resemblingthu.se already described in the 

 frst volume. Ihese are so conimou an ornament, 

 that besides their necklaces, they aUo wear about their 

 neck rosaries, the beads of which are of pearls, cither 

 separate or set in clusters to the size of a large tilbert; 

 and those which form the cross are still larger. 



Besides diamond rings, necklaces, girdles, and 



* All Üiose who can afibrd them wcav shoes made in the Eu- 

 ropean manner, but with heels of wrought silver ; the tinkling of 

 which, added to the smallness of their feet, has really, at least lo the 

 VLather-bcalea sailor, something captivating. A, 



6 Ijracclcls^ 



