98 . INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL. 



ted Straw hat, with narrow brim rolled up at the sides, 

 and trimmed with gold cord and tassels. Both cos- 

 tumes were fanciful and pretty, but at first the black 

 hat was repulsive. I had heard of the sombreros 

 negros as part of the Mestiza costume, and had im- 

 agined some neat and graceful fabric of straw ; but 

 the faces of the girls were so soft and mild that even 

 a man's hat could not divest them of their feminine 

 charm. Altogether the scene was somewhat differ- 

 ent from what I expected, more refined, fanciful, and 

 picturesque. 



To sustain the fancy character, the only dance 

 was that of the toros. A vaquero stood up, and 

 each Mestiza was called out in order. This dance, 

 as we had seen it among the Indians, was extreme- 

 ly uninteresting, and required a movement of the 

 body, a fling of the arms, and a snapping of the fin- 

 gers, which were at least inelegant; but with las 

 Mestizas of Ticul it was all graceful and pleasing, 

 and there was something particularly winning in the 

 snapping of the fingers. There were no dashing 

 beauties, and not one who seemed to have any idea 

 of being a belle ; but all exhibited a mildness, soft- 

 ness, and amiability of expression that created a feel- 

 ing of promiscuous tenderness. Sitting at ease in 

 an arm-chair, after my sojourn in Indian ranchos, I 

 was particularly alive to these influences. And there 

 was such a charm about that Mestiza dress. It was 

 so clean, simple, and loose, leaving 



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