The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-09-19
TRAVELLERS DESCRIPTION OF HOME
LIFE AMONG THE PEONS.

How Their Houses Are Buiit-when the
Evening Comes-Diet and Cooking
Dress of the womcn-AppareI of the
Men.
In the terras calientes (hot lands) the
children often go naked, and the grown
people wear no more clothing than their
partial civilization demands. The fat
rooted adobe house, the palm covered
cane hut or cave in the hillside serves all
the purposes of an earthly habitation for
those whose E-es are passed within them
But here in the coolest part Of the republic
"a mile and half above the level OF the
sea-nature has so elevated the country
and lowered the temperature that cloth
ing is a necessity. There is sufficient rain
to penetrate the Hat roofs and drown out
the cave jewellers, hence we find people
living above ground and under inclined
roofs. Thus they have advanced by the
sheer necessity of their external surround
ings; but where nature has not acted with
compulsory force they still remain in a
condition that is scarcely above that of
the lower animals in some respect.
THE FAMILY CIRCLE.
The houses are built of mud, stone and
adobe. They have dirt floors and shed
roofs which are covered with mud mortar
about tx inches deep. They seldom have
windows or any other provision for light
and ventilation except the door. We often
find a large family living in one of these
rooms. When the evening comes family
circle is formed around n few ancient
earthen mugs and jars which are set on
the dirt floor; from these they take their
scant and simple meal; after which
round of cigarettS are smoked, the door
is barred, the fickerinG tallow candle Is
blown out, and while the unsavOry fumes
I ~
entire room the last one retires To rest in
this dungeon home, a home then darker
than the blacklist night, unsavory as
the dungeon of the doomed, and almost as
sickly and deadly as the black-hole of Cal
cutta.
We see these creatures on their knees
every day and with outStretched arms
they hemoan their lot and beg of God in
his mercy To grant them more blessings,
after which they employ what little men
| tai and physical force they possess in re-
| jecting these which have already been
| granted. What fools these mortals be.
Their diet consists of the various fruits
of the tropic, with goats meat, goat milk
/ and tortillas corn cakes made OF salt and
| water. The meal is ground by hand be-
/ tween stones similar to those used by the
ancients. In place of stoves and iron
cooking utensils, they use elevated fire
/ places and earthen jars, which are placed
| over charcoal fires. The knowledge OF
| cooking among all classes of women IS
/ as meager as the means used, hence the
| breakfast biscuit, white loaf bread, pies
! preserves and puddings of the UniteS
! States are never seen in Mexico.
DRESS OF WOMEN.
| The women wear shawls over their heads
| in place of hats and bonnets and the fash
! ion never changes. Their feet are small
and they wear tight shoes with very high
| heels. Among the lower class plain cut,
! bright-red dresses are often worn, but
among the higher classes a combination Of
/ bright colors is preferred
The men of every class have a passionate
! fondness for dressed sheep, goat, or deer
| skin suits. These are often fringed,
painted and embroidered with silver. The
pantaloons are often striped down the
! side with rows of buttons and buckles and
the wide-brimmed sombrero is often
| adorned with silver stars, tasSels and a
! few rounds of heavy silver cord around
| the crown. The poems wear very low
! in place of coats they wear heavy wooden
! blankets winter and summer. Though
am now in the torrid zone and to-day is
| July i2th, Yet ! see the natives passing or
! summing themselves with their blankets
| wound around them up to the nose. Moth
| ers are passing with their babies wrapped
up out of sight and the men use sandals
/ in place of shoes or boots. a few are
! dressed a. we Iiud them in the United
/ States Thus il is the old and the new,
| the high and the low are all seen at one
viasv -T"catecas Cor. Detroit Free Press