166 EMPLOYMENTS AND AMUSEMENTS. 



the words, "Pasado manana, senor;" intimating that the privilege 

 should be mine on some other occasion. To my great satisfaction, 

 such an occasion occurred the same evening ; and she had the polite- 

 ness to say that I performed the office with the dexterity and grace of 

 a Spanish cabalero. 



Some of the females, and not of the lowest class neither, are far 

 from being over-scrupulous as to their mode of sitting on horseback ; 

 but as often ride with a foot on each side of the animal as any other 

 way. 



The Chiloean bridles are made like ours, except that the reins are 

 long enough to serve as a substitute for a riding-whip. Their saddles, 

 however, are somewhat different. They are lined with a coarse skin, 

 fitted to set easy on the horse's back ; their first attention being 

 directed to the comfort and convenience of so serviceable and noble 

 an animal. For the comfort of the rider, these saddles are covered 

 with sheepskins, dressed with the wool on, from three to four inches 

 in thickness, painted with different colours, and neatly bound on the 

 saddle. They have a handsome appearance, and are easy to both 

 horse and rider. 



Their stirrups are of a peculiar fashion, the rest for the foot being 

 long enough to support both heel and toe ; say from eight to ten inches 

 in length, and six in width. The fore-part is covered with nearly a 

 perfect quadrasphere ; so that it bears some resemblance to an iron or 

 brass shoe, with a high instep, and the quarters taken off. They have 

 a clumsy appearance, and in case of being unseated might endanger 

 the rider's safety by confining the foot. The ladies' saddles differ 

 from those of the gentlemen only by the elevation of the off-side of 

 the tree. 



The sedentary amusements of the Chiloeans principally consist of 

 music and card-playing ; and this is peculiarly the case at St. Carlos. 

 Their favourite instrument is the Spanish guitar, on which almost 

 every female performs with pleasing effect, accompanied with the 

 voice — some of them the sweetest I ever heard. They also play the 

 harp, spinnet, harpsichord, and piano-forte. The gentlemen play the 

 flute and clarionet, and both sexes dance with exquisite grace, accom- 

 panied with a due proportion of Castilian dignity. Their principal 

 dances are minuets, long dance, cotillions, and the celebrated fandango. 

 The latter is a very fascinating dance, performed by two persons ; 

 commonly by a lady and gentleman, sometimes by two ladies. 



Card-tables are introduced at all their parties, at which the gentle- 

 men play by themselves, while the ladies amuse them with songs, ac- 

 companied by the guitar or harp. Such gentlemen as do not fancy 

 cards have the privilege of joining the ladies — a privilege which I 

 never forfeited by neglect. 



This island is celebrated for manufacturing the best ponchos of any 

 part of Chili. They are woven very thick, of a fine thread, and curi- 

 ously wrought, in variegated colours. In weaving the cloth, they use 

 twelve or more treadles in the loom. It is generally about six feet 

 square, beautifully fringed around the edges, and has a slit in the 

 centre, just large enough to admit a man's head. The edges of this 



