DANCE OF THE COUNTRY. 



225 



other. The harp, on these occasions, was gene- 

 rally accompanied by a shrill song. No more 

 than iwo persons danced at a time ; and the step, 

 figure, and the numerous gesticulations, appeared 

 to depend on the taste and fancy of the couple 

 themselves. It is very remarkable that this 

 dance bears the closest resemblance to that of 

 Chili, and every other country we visited along 

 the whole coast. 



22d of April. — I was walking through the 

 market-place this morning, with one of the offi- 

 cers of the ship, when our attention was arrested 

 by a party of native Mexican Indians, who had 

 come from the interior to purchase maize and 

 other articles* Each of them carried a bow, and 

 about two dozen of arrows, and wore in his girdle 

 a long broad knife. Their dress was a coarse 

 cotton shirt made of cloth manufactured by them- 

 selves ; and a pair of leather small-clothes, loose 

 at the knees, and fringed with a line of tassels, 

 and short strips of leather, each being intended 

 to represent some article belonging to the wearer : 

 one being his horse, another his bow, another 

 larger and more ornamental standing for his wife, 



VOL. II. p 



