The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1884-05-28
SCENES IN YucATAN.
Queer People and Odd Habits that They
Have,


AT Progreso, Yucatan, we first touched
soil, and first saw the strange vegetation,
customs and costumes of the continel trop-
les, writes correspondent. The palm, the
mango and the cactus grow here in great
luxuriance, breaking the fo-ce of the hot
sun that beats upon the almost unprotected
town. Tho houses, like those of Merida,
thirty miles inland, are of pebble stones or
shells, covered with morter are heavily
matched with palm leaves, and the huts or
canins' which are great majority of tho
residences of both places, are built of reeds
'r cane, very light and airy indeed.
There is not q chimney in Yucatan, or
anywhere in Mexico, MS far as have seen.
and their absence gives an odd aspect to
the architecture, like that of Arabian towns.
No house has fireplace or stove, for il is
never cold, but the kitchen is equipped with
sort of ungainly brick or stone range, ten
or hfteen feet long, having holes for pots
and kittles, and in which charcoal is burned.
The fumes escape by the open doors and
windows. Charcoal is the fuel of Mexico
Almost the only fuel, except in the Nothern
States 1t is packed to the cities, sometimes
hundreds of miles, by grotesque little DON
Keys (burros), who carry loads four times
their size, or by the porters of the country,
VINO Will tote ON an average $50 pounds
apiece twenty miles day.
The peones pronounced like our we'll.
known garden flowers dress in Yucatan MS
they do in this city and all surrounding
Mexico-in two cotton garments that have
once been white, the upper garment for
Doth sexes being shirt and the neither ear-
inent being drawers for men and q skirt fol
women These degenerate through every
degree of color and texture to the fortuitout
rags of the taterdemalions that inhabit every
land. Besides these two pieces of apparel
more or less imperfect, the better class az
peoncs wear shoes that somebody else ha,
worn out first, or very rude leathern san.
dals, with straps coming up between the
toes and some of the men add immense
straw thimbles for hats, large brimmed and
roomy. They are polite people, for when
you look at one he generally removes his
hat quickly and nimbly irritates his scalp
with his nondescipt fingers. Possibly they
also perform this mystic rite when they are
not observed, but nobody has ever been
able to find out
All classes who are exposed to the chill of
night or the midday sun have one protection
wrap, known generally as the zerape for
man and the rebosa for women The form
sr is large WOODEN blanket, the latter
cotton shawl. Tho rebosa is thrown owe,
the head and wound around the neck; the
zerape is wound like the capa of Castillo, and
nearly like the Roman toga: it is drawn
about the body once or twice, and the cor
ner is flung with light dexterity over the
left shoulder, where IL sticks through every
jar and jostle rs If it were fastened by a
phantom button. These wraps rise through
al grades of excellence, and are often made
OF silk or Of the finest wool. All tropical
birds delight in high colors; SO do these
Indians, mulattoes, meztizog and exotic
Spaniards, and their attire is OF all combi-
nations Of red and green and blue and yell
low. saw futtering gang Of convicts go
up the street to work, led by a soldier with
a revolver in his hand and followed closely
by two more Their clothing was of all do.
grees of picturesque patchwork, but one
rugged pair of yellowish trousers seated with
blue in the form of a heart, and worn with
jaunty grace, gave an air of pensive beauty
to the entire outfit.