ee 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 holyday. The only danger is that, in the confusion
of greeting acquaintances, they may get their papers changed; and when
this happens, they are almost invariably found soon after committing
some offence against hacienda discipline, for which these independent
electors are pretty sure to get flogged by the major domo.

In the villages the indifference to political distinctions, and the
discrimination of the public in rewarding unobtrusive merit, are no
less worthy of admiration, for Indian alcaldes are frequently elected
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 before their term
is to commence the retiring functionaries go round the village and
catch these unconscious favourites of the people, put them into the
cabildo, 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 little peculiarities 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 officers was just expiring; the next morning the grand
ceremony of the inauguration was to take place, and the Indians going
out of office were actively engaged in hunting up their successors and
bringing them together in the cabildo. Before retiring we went in with
the padrecito to look at them. Most of them had been brought in, but
some were still wanting. They were sitting round a large table, on
which lay the record of their election; and, to beguile the tediousness
of their honourable imprisonment, they had instruments by them, called
musical, which kept up a terrible noise all night. Whatever were the
circumstances of their election, their confinement for the night was,
no doubt, a wise precaution, to ensure their being sober in the
morning.

When we opened our door the next day, the whole village was in
commotion, preparatory to the august ceremony of installing the new
alcaldes. The Indians had slept off the debauch of the Newyear, and in
clean dresses thronged the plaza; the great steps ascending to the
church and the pl