[ 399 ] 



MANNERS, CUSTOMS, &c. 



OF 



NATIONS AND CLASSES of PEOPLE. 



sJBiC2u 



DESCUIPTION OF A SERTANEJO. 



(From Roster's Travels. 



I MAY give some description of 

 my friend, who turned back 

 to sliew me the well, and this 

 may be taken as the usual appear- 

 ance of a travelling Sertanejo. 

 He rode a small horse with a long 

 tail and mane ; his saddle was 

 rather raised before and behind; 

 his stirrups were of rusty iron, 

 and his bit was of the same ; tlie 

 reins were two very nari'ow thongs. 

 His dress consisted of long panta- 

 loons or leggings, of tanned but 

 imdressed leather, of a rusty 

 brown colour, which were tied 

 tight round his waist, and under 

 these are worn a pair of cotton 

 drawers or trowsers, as the seat 

 is left unprotected by the leather. 

 He had a tanned goat-skin over 

 his breast, which was tied behiiul 

 by four strings, and a jacket also 

 made of leather, which is gene- 

 rally thrown over 0I12 shoulder ; 

 his hat was of the same, with a 

 very shallow crown, and small 

 brim ; he hud slip-shod blippers 

 of the same colour, and iron spu: s 



upon his naked heels, — the straps 

 which go under the feet prevent 

 the risk of losing the slippers. A 

 long whip of twisted thongs hung 

 from his right wrist ; he had a 

 sword by his side, hanging from 

 a belt over one shoulder ; his 

 knife was in his girdle, and his 

 short dirty pipe in his mouth. 

 Fastened to his saddle behind, was 

 a piece of red baize, rolled up i'l 

 the form of a great coat, and this 

 usually contains a hammock and 

 a change of linen, — a shirt, and 

 drawers, and perhaps a pair of 

 nankeen pantaloons; his boroacas 

 hung al^o on each side of the back 

 of his saddle, and these generally 

 contain farinha and dried meat on 

 one side, and on the other a flint 

 and steel, (dried leaves serve as 

 tinder) tobacco, and a spare pipe. 

 To tliis equipment is sometimes 

 added, a large pibtol, thrust partly 

 imdcr the left tlugh, and thus se- 

 otued. The usual puce of the Ser- 

 tancjo's horse is a walk, approach- 

 ing" to a sh:irt ti'ot ; so that the 

 horses of thsse people often have 

 acfjuired the habit of dragging 

 their hind legs, and throwing up 



the 



