250 CLEMENTS. 



shell loi a dipper, which either lies on the lid, or floats on the suri'iiee 

 of the water within. Water is dipped out with this shell, the fingers 

 grasping its edges, and being placed in the water with each dip. 



CLOTHING. 



C'hildi'en of both sexes from 1 to 4 years of age or even older, are 

 seen frequently with no clothing whatever, or with merely a thin shirt 

 reaching only to the navel. Older boys add to the shirt a pair of 

 drawers, secured at the waist with a draw string. Girls from 4 or 5 

 years of age to that of puberty, wear a single garment — a chemise of 

 cotton print reaching to the knees. From puberty onward, the costume 

 of the women consists of the short camiseta or chemise, which is sleeve- 

 less and low-uecked, and reaches to just below the waist line; a skirt, or 

 perhaps two skirts ; the camisa or waist of sina'm,ay material with flaring 

 sleeves which come to the elbow ; and the pauueJo or neckerchief of the 

 same material. The camisa and paJiuelo are usually starclied to the 

 last degree of stifliness, and are taken oft' at night or when the wearer 

 is engaged in household tasks. Large boys and men wear a shirt and 

 drawers, the latter, and sometimes also the former, being made of cotton 

 cloth. Frequently the shirt is of sinamay and then an undershirt of 

 cotton knit goods is usually worn. Both sexes frequently go barefooted, 

 but some wear chinelas — loose slippers with a leather sole and a cloth 

 toe-piece — in dry weather, and snecos or wooden clogs in wet weather. 



When fishing or cultivating rice, the workman is frequently in mud 

 which reaches up to his knee or mid-thigh. 



Preparations for retiring are easily made. Mats are unrolled and 

 spread on the floor, pillows put down, the windows and doors closed, 

 and the family lie down wholly or partly dressed. Separate clothing 

 for night wear is not used. With the closing of windows and doors and 

 the covering of the open spaces in the floor with mats, the ventilation 

 of the house at night is materially reduced; however, it is practically 

 impossible in houses of native construction to cut off all ventilation. 



BATHING AND AVASHING. 



The washing of clothing and bathing of the person are frequently 

 performed in conjunction. The site of preference is a shallow spot in 

 the margin of a stream whenever there is one not too distant. The 

 housewife carries the soiled clothing to the edge of the stream in a 

 wide, shallow wooden basin balanced on her head. Arriving at the 

 stream she puts down her load, loosens one of her skirts at the waist 

 and secures it just under the arms and across the upper part of the 

 breasts, from which it reaches to her laiees, and then removes the re- 

 mainder of her clothing. She selects a smo»th stone, which reaches 

 just above the surface of the water and squats in front of it. The 



