198 SIX MONTHS IN MEXICO. 



house had been ornamented for the occasion, 

 and exhibited chaplets of flowers. We had 

 rode through great part of the town, but 

 were summoned back to the church by a 

 discharge of rockets, and the sound of 

 music, announcing the commencement of 

 the procession, the sight of which gave 

 me much greater pleasure than any I had 

 witnessed in the great cities: it was the 

 sacrifice, to the Almighty, of a simple, 

 innocent, and happy people, who were per- 

 forming a religious duty to their Creator, 

 in a manner which to them appeared likely 

 to be most acceptable to him. The pro- 

 cession consisted of several thousand Indians, 

 perfectly clean, orderly, and well dressed ; it 

 was preceded by four trumpeters in plain 

 black dresses, followed by about fifty men, 

 after whom came the patron-saint, borne 

 by eight Indian girls, handsomely clothed, 

 holding chaplets of flowers, and followed by 



