198 



MEXICO. 



The ladies of Tepic have already learned to 

 dress in the European style, of course some years 

 behind the fashion, but still without anything pe- 

 culiar to describe. The gentlemen wear low 

 brimmed brown hats, encircled by a thick gold or 

 silver band, twisted up like a rope. When mount- 

 ed every gentleman carries a sword, not belted 

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

 direction, into a case made for the purpose in the 

 left flap of the saddle, so that the sword lies un- 

 der not over the thigh, while the hilt rises nearly 

 as high as the pommel of the saddle, where it is 

 more readily grasped, in case of need, than when 

 left dangling by the side. The saddle rises 

 abruptly four or five inches, both before and be- 

 hind ; 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 of 

 the saddle, before the knees, hangs a large skin 

 of some shaggy coated animal, reaching nearly to 

 the ground ; in wet weather these skins are drawn 

 over the rider's legs, while what is called the 

 mangas covers the body. This is a cloak exact- 

 ly resembling the poncho of the south, being of 



