ALAJUELA AND THE VOLCANO POAS 343 



owing to lack of funds, the bull fights and more elaborate 

 celebrations were omitted — much to the delight of the em- 

 ployers of peon labor. During the fiestas no one will work 

 and it meant the loss of several days in the height of the 

 coffee season when every hour is precious, but this time 

 only one day was lost. All morning we watched the people 

 streaming past the gate of El Brazil toward Alajuela, the 

 women radiant in stiffly starched muslin dresses of pink or 

 blue or white, with gay silk rebosas of rainbow colors, the 

 men in less striking clothes but with brightly colored hand- 

 kerchiefs knotted about their throats; nearly all were bare- 

 footed. Bombs and firecrackers began to go off at 5 A. M. 

 and continued all day. As a great concession and because 

 El Brazil is not far from town, Mrs. Clark's servants re- 

 turned at noon to wash the dishes, then departed for the 

 rest of the day. The coffee machinery stopped and the 

 only workmen about were a few faithful peons who were 

 Induced to come at 4 A. M. to attend to some things without 

 which much coffee would have spoiled. They were willing 

 to work from four to six because no one would see them, but 

 seemed to think they would lose caste if caught in the act. 



It was the custom for the masqueraders to visit the farms 

 or haciendas where contributions have been made for the 

 fiestas and exhibit themselves, sing and dance. About 3.30 

 P. M. we heard shouting, sounds of a band, roaring as of 

 wild beasts; then a crowd of men, women, and children — 

 perhaps a hundred in all — poured through the gate. There 

 were twelve or fourteen masks. A very fine and realistic 

 devil with red and black face, big red eyes, long protruding 

 red tongue, horns, a golden crown, red clothes and a thick 

 red tail hopped about, flapped his wings and roared so 

 naturally that the children were half frightened. A flaxen- 

 haired "dude" was radiant In trousers of Scotch plaid mus- 

 lin. Most of the costumes were grotesque and to us mean- 



