SIX MONTHS IJN MEXICO 245 



ments being richly embroidered in gold, silver, 

 and coloured silk. The boots (or rather wrap- 

 pers for the legs), the spur leathers, and cover- 

 ings of the wooden stirrups, are embroidered, 

 and some of the leggings only are so elegantly 

 ornamented as to cost 1 50 dollars the pair : 

 the whole dress, if it have any pretence to 

 fashion, cannot be purchased for less than 6 

 or 700 dollars. The saddle-room of the Conde 

 de Regla contains many coverings for the 

 horse, of great value, some being composed 

 of valuable fur and lion skins, superbly 

 mounted in gold and silver. 



The price of horses varies here as much as 

 in England ; a good and handsome animal 

 may be purchased for twelve or fifteen pounds. 

 Trotting being considered as a great defect, I 

 bought one of the finest trotting horses in 

 the city, and a good figure, for only twelve 

 pounds, on account of its having this great 

 fault ; but those that are very showy and 



