88 



BOGOTA'. 



which I could not discover that any objection 

 was made. The ladies appear dressed in 

 black silk, with a mantilla of the same ma- 

 terial, which covers the head, and a round 

 black hat of the country. This dress was 

 originally intended to be very plain, and pe- 

 culiarly adapted to devotion, inasmuch as 

 the eyes should not be attracted by the ex- 

 terior of any one, but entirely engrossed by 

 the devout purposes of attendance ; but time 

 has greatly altered the original costume, 

 which is now the reverse of simple and 

 plain, being frequently particularly elegant, 

 and sometimes actually gaudy, — the present 

 custom being to trim the dresses with a pro- 

 fusion of lace, black beads and bugles, and 

 frequently long laces of threaded bugles hang 

 in straight lines all round the dress, from the 

 height of the knee, and at other times they are 

 gracefully formed into festoons ; these dresses 

 are consequently expensive. Many of the 

 lower class, in endeavouring to imitate their 



