NOTICES OP CHILE. 89 



the other from dragging the saddle round, he props it with the 

 pole which he carries for that purpose. Water is worth a real 

 (twelve and a half cents) the cargo'' or load. 



The muleteers also wear cone-shaped straw hats, " ponchos," 

 breeches that extend below the knee, botas" or leggings, and 

 hide sandals, with great spurs, the rowels of which are fre- 

 quently three and even four inches in diameter. The pon- 

 cho" is an oblong piece of cloth, from six to ten feet long, and 

 from three to five broad, fringed at the edges, with a slit in the 

 centre, (bound with ribbon), through which the head is passed, 

 leaving the ends to fall down in careless drapery before and 

 behind, so as to conceal the upper part of the figure. When 

 the poncho becomes too warm, or otherwise inconvenient, it 

 is knotted round the waist, discovering that the body and 

 shoulders are clothed in a coarse, dark colored, woollen shirt 

 or frock, with short sleeves. The poncho is of every variety 

 of color; sometimes plain, and sometimes ornamented with 

 stripes of flowers and fancy patterns in lively colors. This 

 garment is universally worn by all classes when riding on 

 horseback ; its cost varies, according to the material of which 

 it is made, from four to a hundred dollars. The legs are de- 

 fended by a pair of woollen leggings, of a dark color, striped 

 or plain, extending from the foot half way up the thigh, and 

 secured below the knee by a tasselled garter, giving to the 

 whole figure a striking and unique appearance. The betas," 

 like the poncho, are worn by all classes when on horseback. 



Such is the general costume of the " arri6ros" and " peones" 

 — muleteers and laborers — varying only in the fineness of the 

 texture, according to the wearer's purse. The spurs of the 

 poorest class are of iron ; but the ambition of every man in 

 Chile is to obtain, next to a fine horse, a pair of huge silver 

 spurs. The mules are covered on either side with thick pads 

 of unsheared sheep skins, upon which the load is lashed by 

 thongs or ropes of hide. That he may stand quiet, when laden 

 or unladen, the muleteer blindfolds the animal by throwing 

 the poncho over his eyes. It is curious to see laden mules 

 coming in from the country. They are strung together, one 

 behind the other, by a hide rope or halter, leading from the 

 12 



