GA.NN] MAYA INDIANS OF YUCATAN AND BRITISH HONDURAS 19 



back of the heel to the front of the mstep, where it is fastened. 

 Formerly the cotton was grown, spun, and woven at home, but 

 nowadays it is giving place to cheap imported Enghsh and Ameri- 

 can goods, while the sandals are being superseded by moccasins 

 and even by imported shoes. The moccasins the Indians make 

 themselves, tanning the hides (usually of deer or antelope) in lime 

 and red mangrove bark and 

 stitching the parts together 

 witli thin strips of leather. 

 These moccasins, which 

 are made on crude wooden 

 lasts, are very comfortable 

 and wear well. 



The women wear two gar- 

 ments of cotton; the huipil 

 (yupte) , a loose short-sleeved 



11 , . . 1 Fig. 2.— Gold earrings made and worn by the Santa Cruz 



blouse, cut square at the Indians. 



neck, and reaching nearly 



to the knees, and a short skirt reaching to between the knee and 

 the ankle, laio\\Ti as a pik. The neck, the lower border, and the 

 armholes of the blouse and the edge of the skirt were formerly 

 beautifully embroidered in varicolored floral and geometrical de- 

 vices; now, however, cotton manufactured in England or the United 

 States and stamped in colors to imitate the origmal embroidery 

 is rapidly coming into use. The women formerly went barefooted 

 or wore loose slippers; now they frequently wear imported shoes, 

 often with Jiigh heels, a feature which renders their walk and 

 carriage awkward and stilted. They often go bareheaded, but 

 sometimes wear a sort of shawl (hostcli) around the head and shoul- 

 ders. Many of them wear large round or oval plaques 

 of gold (tup) in the ears, sm-vivals, probably, of the 

 enormous round ear disks worn by the ancient Maya 

 (fig. 2). Some of the women wear long gold chains, 

 with religious medallions attached, while the smaller 

 Fig. 3.— Cross of tan- children Wear a variety of curious objects, as small 

 by chiicien^ '™™ coiiis, sheUs, bcads, dried seeds, and berries, with fig- 

 urines in wood, stone, pottery, and metal, strung round 

 their necks. Many of these are worn as charms or amulets to pro- 

 tect the wearer against diseases, accidents, or evil spirits, or to bring 

 good luck. A charm worn by nearly all children consists of a 

 small cross of tancasche bark (fig. 3) which is regarded as a sov- 

 ereign remedy for flatulence, a complaint from which, owing to the 

 nature of their diet, nearly aU suffer. 



