126 JOURNAL. 



the knee, and displaying the drawers. In the neighbourhood of Val- 

 paraiso trowsers are fast superseding the short breeches, however. 

 White woollen or cotton stockings, and black leather shoes, are 

 worn by the decent class of men : the very lowest seldom wear stock- 

 in ws ; and in lieu of shoes they have either wooden clogs or oxotas, 

 made of a square piece of hide bent to the foot, and tied in shape 

 while green ; the latter are sometimes put over shoes in riding 

 through the woods : the hair is usually braided in one large braid 

 hanging down behind, and a coloured handkerchief is tied over the 

 head, above which a straw hat is fastened with black cord. In some 

 districts black felt hats are used ; in others, high caps. When the 

 Chileno rides, which he does on every possible occasion, he uses as 

 a cloak, the poncho, which is the native South American garb : it 

 is a piece of square cloth, with a slit in the centre, just large enough 

 to admit the head, and is peculiarly convenient for riding, as it 

 leaves the arms quite free, while it protects the body completely. 

 A pair of coarse cloth gaiters very loose, drawn far up over the 

 knee, and tied with coloured listing, defend the legs ; and a huge 

 pair of spurs, with rowels often three inches in diameter, complete 

 the equipment of an equestrian. These spurs are sometimes of 

 copper, but the true pride of a Chileno is to have the stirrups, 

 and the ornaments of his bridle, of silver. The bridles are usually 

 made of plaited thongs, very neatly wrought ; the reins terminate 

 in a bunch of cords also of plaited thongs, which serves as a whip. 

 The bit is simple, but very severe. The saddle is a wooden frame 

 placed over eight or nine folds of cloth, carpet, or sheepskin ; and 

 over that frame are thrown other skins, dressed and dyed either blue, 

 brown, or black ; above all, the better sort use a well-dressed soft 

 leather saddle-cloth, and the whole is fastened on with a stamped 

 leather band, laced with thongs instead of a buckle. Some go to 

 great expense in their saddle-cloths, carpets, skins, &c. ; but the 

 material is in all nearly the same, and a saddled horse looks as if he 

 had a burden of carpets on his back. To the saddle is usually fas- 

 tened the laza or cord of plaited hide, which the Spanish American 



