BALL BY DAYLIGHT. 



101 



Th^ bajle de dia was intended to give a picture 

 of life at a hacienda, and there were two prominent 

 personages, who did not appear the evening before, 

 called fiscales, being the officers attendant upon the 

 ancient caciques, and representing them in their au- 

 thority over the Indians. These wore long, loose, 

 dirty camisas hanging off one shoulder, and with the 

 sleeves below the hands ; calzoncillos, or drawers, 

 to match, held up by a long cotton sash, the ends of 

 which dangled below the knees ; sandals, slouching 

 straw hats, with brims ten or twelve inches wide, 

 and long locks of horse hair hanging behind their 

 ears. One of them wore awry over his shoulder a 

 mantle of faded blue cotton cloth, said to be an heir- 

 loom descended from an ancient cacique, and each 

 flourished a leather whip with eight or ten lashes. 

 These were the managers and masters of ceremo- 

 nies, with absolute and unlimited authority over the 

 w^hole company, and, as they boasted, they had a 

 right to whip the Mestizas if they pleased. 



As each Mestiza arrived they quietly put aside 

 the gentleman escorting her, and conducted the lady 

 to her seat. If the gentleman did not give way 

 readily, they took him by the shoulders, and walked 

 him to the other end of the floor. A crowd fol- 

 lowed wherever they moved, and all the time the 

 company was assembling they threw everything into 

 laughter and confusion by their whimsical eflbrts to 

 preserve order. 



At length they undertook to clear a space for 



