184 



PASSAGE ACROSS 



I was now met by, and I overtook, men, women, 

 boys, priests, &c. on horseback, either coming from 

 or going into town, all at a canter, and in very 

 singular dresses. Many of the horses were carry- 

 ing double, sometimes two giggling girls, some- 

 times a boy with his grandmother behind him ; 

 sometimes three children were cantering along 

 upon one horse, and sometimes two elderly ladies ; 

 then a solitary priest with a broad-brimmed white 

 hat and white serge petticoats tucked up all about 

 him, his rosary dangling on his mule's neck, and 

 his pale fat cheeks shaking from the trot. Milk, 

 and strawberries, and water-melons, were all at 

 a canter, and several people were carrying fish 

 into the town tied to their stirrups. Their pace, 

 however, was altogether inferior to that of the 

 Pampas, and the canter, instead of the gallop, 

 gave the scene a great appearance of indolence. 



The spurs of the peons were bad, and their 

 stirrups the most heavy, awkward things imaginable. 

 They were cut out of solid wood, and were alto- 

 gether different from the neat little triangle which 

 just holds the great toe of the Gaucho of the 

 Pampas. 



