T H E A L A M E D A. 41 



ing on the shaft a little in front of the wheels. It 

 is painted red, with light and fancifully coloured cur- 

 tains for the sun, drawn by one horse, with a boy 

 riding him — simple, fanciful, and peculiar to Yuca- 

 tan. Each calesa had two, and sometimes three 

 ladies, in the latter case the prettiest sitting in the 

 middle and a little in front, all without hats or veils, 

 but their hair beautifully arranged and trimmed with 

 flowers. Though exposed to the gaze of thousands, 

 they had no boldness of manner or appearance, but, 

 on the contrary, an air of modesty and simplicity, 

 and all had a mild and gentle expression. Indeed, 

 as they rode alone and unattended through the great 

 mass of pedestrians, it seemed as if their very gen- 

 tleness was a protection and shield from insult. We 

 sat dow^n on one of the stone benches in the Alameda, 

 with the young, and gay, and beautiful of Merida. 

 Strangers had not been there to laugh at and break 

 up their good old customs. It was a little nook al- 

 most unknown to the rest of the world, and inde- 

 pendent of it, enjoying what is so rarely found in 

 this equahzing age, a sort of primitive or Knicker- 

 bocker state. The great charm was the air of con- 

 tentment that reigned over the whole. If the young 

 ladies in the calesas had occupied the most brilliant 

 equipages in Hyde Park, they could not have seem- 

 ed happier; and in their way, not less attractive were 

 the great crowds of Mestizas and Indian women, 

 some of the former being extremely pretty, and all 

 having the same mild and gentle expression ; they 

 Vol. L— F 



