The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1858-12-30

II
-
not too lazy to work, they succeed admire
bly,. tna9 siT tlp &aa' q
They are passionately ,sddictsd to amuse-
ment. and fond Of music and dancing, but
gaming is necessary to their very existence,
more particularly cock fighting. which they
carry to the greatest excess; see the Manila
man where you will, - has his cock walking,
under his arm , sitting, ied to the leg Of his
chair, and every leisure hour is devoted to
r.ining and eaIessing him; at every corner
there 10 . cockpit, and every afternoon i
spent in matching one Sifd with aaothef.-
They fight them With long safFs made Of steal
and a. sharp - rszor these are about four
inches long, and slighiy crooked, looking like
. miniature scyths of course, with snch weap-
ons as these, the fight does not last long |; the
second or third round geaerally results In the
death Of one or the other comba tsats. I re.
member while lying in the harbor, and having
occasion to caulk the vessel, some fifty or six
ty men were sent of to US, and every man Of
them brought his cock with him our decks
were like farm yard, such Growing never
was heard, and at noon, when the men knock
ed off work. little circles were formed, and in
few minutes the combats commenced, and
raging without intermission till the gangs were
turned to. On complaining to the ssbos,'
he said it would be useless to attempt to pre-
vent it, as the men would rather lose the Job
than come cff without their birds.
The residences Of agriculturlss popula-
ton are most singular affairs, locking more
like large bird-cages than anything else, and
as general thing located Oh marshy ground
Ia order to avoid the malaIies, and the numer.
US reptiles and insects, they are built Of bam-
boo. and elevated on poles, some fifteen or
tweu'y feet from the ground, only accessible
by ladder, or more commonly by long noch-
ed poles, which the inmates are obliged to
sain up and down made of bamboo, they are
light and airy, and, may add, after getting
used to them. rema rk ably comfortable.
The Mestizos form large element In the
population OF Manalia, constituting the mid
die class being half-breeds, the issue Of .
cross between the Spanish and the Indian,
they assume a superiority over the latter,
though looked down by the former. OF .
light olive color, with great vivacity Of ex-
preston, graceful in figure, with fine hair, and
possessing the large, soft black eye peculiar
to the tropics, they are IN st interesting in ap-
pearance. and, although, as said before.
looked down upon by the old spaniards, still,
as general thing, they mingle with them up
on terms Of certain equality; the stately Don
| oftent mes yielding to the influence Of the fas-
cinations Of some lovely Mestiza, and waving
( the distinction OF caste, leads her 10 the altar
The females are Of an extremely gra eful and
elesantca riage, and almo. t in utlvely lac lun
20 proficiency, the Accomplishments of dancing
and music their dress is extremely unique and
striking little skirt. mad" of pima cloth
with wide. short sleeves, worn loose, a: d un-
bound to the figure, reaching to the waist,
around which petticoat is girt, made OF silk
striped or checked, Of gray colors, or of cotton
cloth, no stockings, their little feet inserted il
slight slippers withou. heels, and embroidered
IN gold lace they never wear bon cts. their
long. beautiful hair being sufficient protectio
to their head. The men wear trowsers fas.
tened by scarf. very wide, and for festive
occasions, made Of striped silk the skirt made
of pima cloth, the bosom elabo-ately embroi.
dered, is worn outside the pantaloons, looking
as it the person hadn't flushed dressing him
self "a high hat, either OF beaver or straw
and heelless slippers. The Indian wears pan
falcons, wide and loose, half way down tht
knee, made Of loose, blue cloth, shirt ol
the same material, and an immense straw hat
like an Inverted BASIN, with little peak
which is generally tipped with brass.
! The European indies, though retaining thu
fashions of Paris as a standard, manage tc
make important notifications to meet the ex.
gencies OF hot climate and, as they lol
listiessy on the cushions Of their coaches, al
they every evening roll up and down the cool
Calsada. their swelling forms enveloped IN
clouds of delicate pineapple cloth ard their
dark tresses caressing their fair cheeks, they
| appear, among the dusky forms moving around
| them, as aerial beings through the dim twi-
light.
| Antiquities and CuriOsities.
The collector Of relics will, perhaps, feel
interested in the subjoined statement OF the
prices paid within the last few years for vari-
Gus objects Of historical curiosity: The Ivor
Arm Chair, presented by the city Of Lnbec to
Custavus Vasa, sold in 1925 to the Swedish
Chamberlin, NJ. Schmekel, for the sum Of 49,
600 aorins. The Prayer Book used by King
Charles the First, when on the scafold, WI
sold In London, in 1926, for ITO guineas. The
coat worn by Charles XII, at the battle OF
Pultowaa, which was preserved by Col. Roscn,
who followed the King to Bender, was sold ia