sash fastened round his waist,
splashing away with his gay deerskin botas in the mudded water. The
appearance of the women is graceful and coquettish. Their petticoats,
short enough, to display in most instances a well-turned ankle, are
richly laced and embroidered, and striped and flounced with gaudy
colours, of which scarlet seems to have the preference. Their tresses
hang in luxuriant plaits down their backs: and in all the little
accessories of dress, such as ear-rings, necklaces, etc., the costume
is very rich. Its distinguishing, feature, however, is the reboso, a
sort of scarf, generally made of cotton, which answers to the mantilla
of Old Spain. It is worn in many different and very graceful
fashions--sometimes twined round the waist and shoulders; at others,
hanging in pretty festoons about the figure, but always disposed with
that indescribable degree of coquettish grace which Spanish women have
been for ages, allowed to possess in the management of the fan and the
mantilla. Since these arrivals almost every evening a fandango is got
up on the green, before some of the tents. The term fandango, though
originally signifying a peculiar kind of dance, seems to be used here
for an evening's dancing entertainment, in which many different _pas_
are introduced. I was present at a fandango a few nights ago where a
couple of performers were dancing "el jarabe," which seemed to consist
chiefly of a series of monotonous toe and heel movements on the ground.
The motions of the foot were, however, wonderfully rapid, and always in
exact time to the music. But at these entertainments the waltz seems to
be the standing dish. It is danced with numerous very intricate
figures, to which, however, all the Californians appear quite _au
fait_. Men and women alike waltz beautifully, with an easy, graceful,
swinging motion.

It is quite a treat, after a hard day's work, to go at nightfall to one
of these fandangos. The merry notes of the guitar and the violin
announce them to all comers; and a motley enough looking crowd, every
member of which is puffing away at a cigar, forms are applauding circle
round the dancers, who smoke like the rest. One cannot help being
struck by the picturesque costumes and graceful motions of the
performers, who appear to dance not only with their legs, but with all
their hearts and souls. Lacosse is a particular admirer of these
fandangos, and he very frequently takes a part in them himself. During
the