336 



INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL. 



ters, or public services of candidates ; and, above all, 

 they are free from the degrading imputation of man 

 worship, for in general they have not the least idea 

 for whom they are voting. All they have to do is 

 to put into a box a little piece of paper given to 

 them by the master or major domo, for which they 

 are to have a holy day. The only danger is that, 

 in the confusion of greeting acquaintances, they 

 may get their papers changed ; and when this hap- 

 pens, they are almost invariably found soon after 

 committing some offence against hacienda disci- 

 pline, for which these independent electors are 

 pretty sure to get flogged by the major domo. 



In the villages the indifference to political dis- 

 tinctions, and the discrimination of the pubUc in 

 rewarding unobtrusive merit, are no less worthy of 

 admiration, for Indian alcaldes are frequently elect- 

 ed without being aware that they have been held up 

 for the suffrages of their fellow- citizens ; they pass 

 the day of election on the ground, and go home 

 without knowing anything about it. The night be- 

 fore their term is to commence the retiring function- 

 aries go round the village and catch these uncon- 

 scious favourites of the people, put them into the ca- 

 bildo, and keep them together all night, that they 

 may be at hand in the morning to receive the staves 

 and take the oath of office. 



These httle pecuUarities were told to us as facts, 

 and of such a population I can believe them to be 

 true. At all events, the term of the incumbent offi- 



