38 



THE FEAST OF S\NTA CRUZ. 



merchants of Tepic, that no time might be lost, 

 undertook to collect their funds, and to send off 

 expresses to Mexico, and other towns, from which 

 money was likely to be transmitted. 



CHAPTER XLIV. 

 TEPIC IN MEXICO. 



Fenst of Santa Cruz. — Dress worn by the Inhabitants — 

 Tertulia, or Evening Party. — Theatre in the open Air. 

 — Convite or Dinner. — Tumultuous Uproar. 



In the afternoon, we had an opportunity of 

 seeing the gay world of Tepic, especially the 

 female part, to great advantage. At about an 

 hour before sunset, apparently the whole popu- 

 lation repaired in large family groups, to the 

 church of La Santa Cruz, by a broad public walk, 

 shaded by four or five rows of chesnut trees, 

 extending nearly half a mile out of the town. 

 The evening was exceedingly pleasant, for the 

 sun was low, and no longer scorched us, as it 

 had done during the morning. The church stood 

 in a little hollow behind a small grassy knoll, in 

 the brow of which the road leading to the court 

 had been cut. Through this opening the town and 

 the hills beyond it, and part of the great public 

 walk, could be seen from the porch at the en- 

 trance : in other respects the spot was quite se- 

 cluded, and cut off from the sight of the low 

 country surrounding the town. 



As none except women attended the service, we 

 were unwilling to intrude to see what ceremonies 

 were performed ; but the door was thronged with 

 comers and goers, and a continued, low, humming 

 noise, like that round a bee-hive on a fine sum- 

 mer's day, indicated that a multitude were en- 

 gaged in a common pursuit. Sometimes a group 

 of six or eight damsels would arrive together, 

 and vanish at the entrance ; or a stray demure 

 Beata would steal in at the side with affected 

 humility. A compact cluster of merry lasses, a 

 minute before in high gossip, might be seen sober- 

 ing down their looks, and adjusting their shawls, 

 as they approached the church ; while another 

 party, still running over their last ' Ave,' were 

 pressing outwards ; and, as soon as the threshold 

 was passed, flying off in all directions. 



The women of the lower class wore lively- 

 coloured gowns, and scarfs, called Rebozos, gene- 

 rally of a blue and white pattern, which was not 

 printed but woven. Some of the patterns consis- 

 ted of red, blue, and white, in zigzag stripes dif- 

 ferently arranged. The dress of the lowest class 

 was of cotton only ; that of the others was a mix- 

 ture of cotton and silk ; and that of the richest 

 people entirely of silk ; the whole being of the 

 manufacture of the country. 



During the middle of the day at Tepic, the heat 

 was so great that no one could venture to stir 

 abroad ; but at half past three or four, when it 

 became agreeably cool, riding or walking parties 

 were formed In the evening, every house was 

 thrown open to receive visitors ; hut there were 

 generally one or two, more fashionable than the 

 rest, to which strangers were invited as a matter 

 of course, as they were always sure of meeting 



pleasant company. The men of business repaired 

 to their counting-houses very early in the morn- 

 ing ; but the ladies were not visible till aboul 



ten o'clock, when they received company in the 

 principal bed-room, or in the sala. One o'clock was 

 the dinner-hour ; and from two to half past three 

 or four all the world were taking their siesta ; the 

 streets at this period being literally deserted. 



The ladies of Tepic were already beginning to 

 dress in the European style ; though, of course, 

 some years behind the fashion, but still without 

 anything peculiar to describe. The gentlemen 

 wore brimmed brown hats, encircled by a thick 

 gold or silver band, twisted up like a rope. When 

 mounted every gentleman carried a sword ; not 

 belted round him, as with us, but thrust, in a 

 slanting direction, into a case made for the pur- 

 pose in the left flap of the saddle, so that the sword 

 lay under, not over the thigh, while the hilt rose 

 in front nearly as high as the pommel of the saddle, 

 where it was more readily grasped, in case of need, 

 than when left dangling by the side. The saddle 

 was turned upwards four or five inches, both 

 before and behind ; in order, as I was told, to 

 give the rider support both in going up and in 

 coming down the very steep roads of the country. 

 On each side, before the knees, hung a large skin 

 of some shaggy-coated animal, reaching nearly to 

 the ground : in wet weather these skins cover 

 over the rider's legs, while the Mangas covers the 

 body. This is a cloak exactly resembling the 

 poncho of the south, being of an oblong form, with 

 a hole in the middle to receive the head. 



In Mexico these cloaks are generally made of 

 fine cloth, richly ornamented round the neck with 

 gold embroidery. The stirrups are made of wood, 

 taken, no doubt, from the Spanish box-stirrup ; but 

 they are more neatly made than in Spain, and are 

 lighter, and fit the foot better. Silver spurs, of 

 immoderate length and weight, were generally 

 worn ; and, instead of a whip, a long and cu- 

 riously twisted set of thongs, which are merely a 

 tapered continuation of the slender strips of hide of 

 which the bridle is made, plaited into a round cord. 



On Sunday, the 7th of April, the public were 

 kept in full employment — first, by high mass; next 

 by feats of horsemanship in an open circus ; and, 

 lastly, by a play. The theatre was rude enough, 

 but the greater number of the party, having seen 

 no other, were perfectly satisfied. The audience 

 were seated on benches placed on the ground, in a 

 large court, open to the sky. The stage was formed 

 of loose planks ; the walls of cane and plaster, 

 covered by a roof formed of boughs ; the scenes 

 consisted of pieces of cloth pinned together, and 

 suspended from the cross-bars supporting the 

 thatch. There was no light but that of the moon; 

 but the climate was so mild, that we sat for several 

 hours without any inconvenience either from cold 

 or from dew. As for the play itself, it deserved 

 a better stage and better acting ; it was a comedy 

 of Calderon's, however, and caused great mirth. 



There was a tertulia, or party, somewhere every 

 evening, to which every person who chose was 

 expected to go, without particular invitation. I 

 shall endeavour to describe that which I visited 

 on Sunday night. 



Across the upper end of a large room, and for 

 some distance along the sides, were seated the 

 ladies, about twenty in number, in a compact line, 

 and glued, as it were, to the wall. Sometimes, in 

 the course of the evening, a gentleman succeeded 

 in obtaining a station amongst the ladies, but he 



