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COSTUME OF THE

highest classes, in as full evening dress as if in an house or ball room.

opera

An American gentleman of our party was acquainted with a native of some wealth, whose house we happened to pass; and, at his invitation our whole company ascended a stair on the outside of the building, and joined a large circle of the relatives and family friends, convened for purposes of festivity— embracing, from appearances, the entire connection of our host, from grandmothers in the decrepitude of old age to infants in the arms. The building was purely in the native style, and exceedingly neat in its finish and furniture.

The master of the house, a middle aged man, was in the prevailing costume of the civilized indians: pantaloons of striped calico of gay colors, with a shirt of thin grass cloth, or of a material the peculiar manufacture of the country-said to be from the fibrous parts of the leaves of the pine-apple-as transparent as gauze, exhibiting the entire contour and muscular action of the arms, shoulders, and chest. This article is always beautifully finished, and often richly embroidered around the colar, bosom, and wristbands. Its most striking peculiarity, however, is in the manner in which it is put on-the lower parts being invariably over, instead of under, the pantaloons. Shoes and stockings are not usually worn, and a round beaver hat is the only other article, in the attire of a native gentleman.

The dress of the females consists of several garments. The first is a short gown of thin muslin, as transparent as the shirts of the men, reaching scarce be

NATIVE INHABITANTS.

307

low the bosom, and hanging unconfined around the form, in a manner often to expose the person between it and a petticoat, covering the lower part of the figure. Over the petticoat, which is usually of dark print, several yards of a striped or plaid calico of bright and strong hues is worn, by wrapping it several times round the form. The ancles and feet remain bare, while the great toe, with one or two of its nearest neighbors, is thrust into the point of a long slipper of morocco, velvet, or silk, often richly ornamented which is slid along the floor or pavement in walking, with a sound that is any thing in my ear but the "dulce susurrum" of the Mantuan bard. The head is usually bare; but in full dress a fanciful turban of lace or wrought muslin is frequently worn, and also a richly embroidered half-handkerchief, of the same style, over the short gown.

They are fond of jewelry; and besides pendants in their ears, bracelets, and necklaces, I have seen the fingers of both the hands of a village belle stiff with diamond rings.

But to return to our host. We were received by him with great hospitality in an outer room, where tables were spread with a profusion of cakes and fruit, coffee, tea, &c., and then conducted into another in the midst of some twenty-five or thirty persons, principally females. The elder ones were in the costume of the country, with their hair turned smoothly back from the forehead, and hanging in a long queue behind-smoking cigars or chewing the beatle leaf and arica nut, with the juice of which their mouths and teeth were deeply stained. Those

younger, however, their daughters and grand-daughters, were in European dresses of silk and muslin, with velvet spencers, gold chains, silk stockings and shoes. No particular introduction took place; and all entered readily into conversation with those of our company who spoke Spanish. Refreshments of various kinds were offered; and among other things served, were cigars and the arica nut and beatle leaf.

With a manifest desire to please, the master of the house sent for music, to entertain us with a dance of the country; but the gentlemen who intended returning to the ship plead, in excuse for not remaining, the detention it would occasion to the boat, and we took our leave.

The whole evening was a novelty; and a striking proof of the devices by which men, while gratifying the desires and affections of a worldly mind, persuade hemselves that they are doing God service, and working out their own salvation. We are ever ready to tithe "in mint, in anice, and in cummin"-ready to sacrifice our money and our time, but prone to neglect the weightier matters of the law, and to withhold the services and devotion of the heart.

RIDE TO SANTA ANNA.

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LETTER III.

A VILLAGE FETE, AND VISIT TO THE LAKE OF PASIG.

Manilla, February 3d, 1830.

BEFORE sunrise this morning, we were taking a cup of chocolate previous to setting off for the lake, some twenty miles distant, from which the river Pasig flows to the bay. Lieutenants Stribling and Magruder, with Dr. Wessels, and Midshipmen Irving, Huntt, Kieth, and Taylor, had slept on shore, in order to be ready for the trip in the cool of the morning; and, with Mr. Buchanan, Captains Benjamin and Chever, Mr. King and myself, constituted our party..

The excursion is made by water, on the Pasig; but it was arranged that we should not take the river at the town, but go in carriages to the village of Santa Anna, two or three miles distant, by which a long bend in the stream, with a strong current against us, would be cut off. Accordingly we were soon rolling along the calzada, in seven velochès, with the fleetness of the wind, which our ponies, fresh from their stalls, seemed desirous of outstripping. Our luggage was of rather a singular and luxurious character, as seen piled conspicuously at the feet of each couple, in the bottom of the chariots-consisting principally of pillows, which are here showy articles, the cases being of fine cambric,

310

DESCRIPTION OF THE

highly wrought and trimmed with inserting of lace and ribbons, over gay colors of pink, blue, yellow, &c.; and of fine mats of the country. Mr. King, with whom I rode, as caterer, carried also a box of claret, sandwiches, bread, cheese, and ale. The use of the pillows will be mentioned in due time.

The drive to Santa Anna is one of the most pleasant in the environs. The road branches from the Calzada, near a picturesque, cottage-like, thatched guard-house, at the north corner of the parade, and is formed by a straight avenue, lined richly with trees of great variety, among which the huts of the natives stand so thickly as to constitute an almost uninterrupted village the greater part of the distance. The freshness of the morning air made it peculiarly delightful; and the fifteen or twenty minutes occupied in accomplishing it, gave a stimulus both to body and mind, that filled every face with bright looks, and every bosom with cheerfulness, as we alighted, and all met, for the first time, in the rural and beautifully embowered Santa Anna.

It has been a general festival day, and all here was life and animation; the whole population, in varied and gay holiday dress, were just dispersing, after attending mass at a venerable and fine stone church-the first, I am told, established on the island—from whose octagonal and lofty turrets, several chimes of bells of different powers, ranged tier above tier, were pouring forth peals indicative of merriment and joy.

Bankas, the name of the canoes of the country, were by engagement waiting our arrival at the edge