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Show 182 PERSONAL ADVENTURES cate texture, which barely covers the toes, the instep being left exposed. The rnajority dispense with stockings, but, as their dress reaches to the ancle, these are superfluous. I have seen some, too, ·who allowed the body of their gown to fall about their waist, substituting for it, so as partially to conceal their bust and their arms, a camisas of the simplest form. The heat of the climate renders a loose style of dress absolutely necessary for ordinary cornfort's sake. I may add, that the women perform the n1ost laborious household work, such as cutting up, salting,. and drying, beef, grinding corn for tortillas, chopping Vi70od, fetching water from the wells, frequently up the steepest elevations, and so forth. But they appear to do all this very cheerfully, whilst their lords are taking their pleasure at a race, a bull-fight, or at the gambling-table. We remained a fortnight in La Paz, after the return from Todos Santos, and then received an intimation that we were to proceed to San Jose, which town had been fixed upon IN CALIFORNIA. 183 as our head-quarters. Accordingly, vve were embarked on board the store-ship Southampton, then lying in the harbour, and, after a few days' sail, were safely landed on the beach of this last-mentioned town. |