238 A VOYAGE TO Book VIIL 



fides. (Plate VII.) This is their drefs in all weathers, 

 whether walking or riding. The peafants, whom they 

 call Guafos, never pull it off bat when they go to reft, 

 tucking it up in fuch a manner, that both their arms 

 and whole body are at full liberty either for labour 

 or divcrfion. This is an univerfal garb among all 

 ranks when they ride on horfeback, an exercife very 

 common here ; and the women are particularly famous 

 for their fldil in horfemanfhip. 



This drefs, though fo plain and uniform in itfelf, 

 ferves to diftinguifli the rank and quality of the 

 wearer ; as its price is proportional to the work on it. 

 Some wear it as a covering, fome for decency, and 

 others for flievv. Accordingly if thofe of the common 

 people cofc only four or five dollars, others have flood 

 the owners m an hundred and fifty, or two hundred. 

 This diff^erence arifes from thefinenefs of the fhuif, or 

 from the laces and embroidery, with which they are 

 decorated. They are of a double woollen fluff, ma- 

 nufactured by the Indians, and generally of a blue 

 colour, embroidered with red or white, fomxctimes in- 

 deed, the ground is w^hite, embroidered with blue, 

 red, and other colours. 



The peafants are furprizingly dextrous in ma- 

 naging the noofe and lance ; and it is very feldom, 

 that though on full fpeed they mifs their aim with 

 the former. Accordingly thefc are their chief arms, 

 and they wiir halter a wild bull with the fame agi- 

 lity as any other creature ; nor could a man, how- 

 ever cautious, avoid being taken in their noofe. I 

 fhall relate afn inftance of their addrefs, with regard 

 to an Englifnman whom we knew at J^ima. He 

 was in the long-boat of a privateer, then lying in 

 Conception bay, intending to land at Talcaguano, 

 with a view of plundering the neighbouring villages j 

 but a body of the country militia made to the fhore 

 in order to oppofe them. Upon this the Englifh 

 fired upon them with their mufquetry, imagining 



