The Republican journal., 1896-06-25

! m-leaVeS to affOrd shelter from the
sun. At = p. m. the church ceremonies
recommended. The shrine of Santa Chris
to del Amor had been freshly adorned
with flowers and votive offerings, while
before it stood the priest singing a salvo,
an attendant perfumed it with incense,
and the dancers in their ball dresses knelt
before it, each with lighted candle. This
over, the chief patron came forward and
Frustrated himself with face to the ground,
kissed the feet of the image, and was then
sworn by the priest to watch vigilantly
over the temporal interests of Santa Chris
to del Amor, to take care of all the can
dies, fruits and other things presented to
the saint and to see that his fiestas were
properly observed; after which the Mayo
les, in struggling, bare footed line, took
solemn oath to obey the orders of the
Patron and on all things touching the
ed in the body of the church, led by boy
carrying tall silver erucifix. Next came
the image Of Santa Christie on a rude plat
form borne by two Indians. The figure,
by the way, was about 3 feet high, set in
wooden box canopied with scarlet cali
co, having a small, gilt framed mirror on
each side Next walked the priest and
the new Patron, side by side-an enor-
nous honor which so nearly overpoWered
the Patron that his trembling legs could
hardly support him-closely followed by
the twelve apostles, or Mayoles. Then
came the Brothers of Charity, and after
them all the people of the village, Next
cans and Indians, the rear brought up by
troop of boys carrying TWO long, coffin
shaped boxes. At first we supposed the
latter To contain some saints bones or
other sacred rites, but later learned that
one OF them held the candles, fireworks,
ropes and other properties that had been
donated to Santa Christie and his celebra-
ton. The other box was entirely empty,
but having once served for the precious
belongings, it must ever afterwards be
cherished by succeeding patrons as holy
heirloom. Everybody in the procession
carried lighted candle. All We're dress
ed in white, both men and women. and
many Of the latter were garlanded with
flowers, and as they moved down the
church steps and through the quiet streets
Of the village, chanting TIE Deum Lauda-
mus, rockets whizzing around them and
warm wind tiickering the candles, the
sight was imposing, despite its absurdity
The march led to the casa of the new
Patron, outside of which fireworks kept up
great commotion. Arrived at the door,
the priest blessed the house and all with
in 1t, and then the image was carried in
side and deposited upon a temporary
altar, adorned with flowers and ablaze
with candles. The house consisted of a
I single long, low apartment, furnished
with nothing but the altar aforesaid. a
few hammocks, now fastened against the
wall, and rude table at the end of the
room opposite the altar, Upon the table
was spread bountiful supper of bread.
! TN loaNes the size of your fist, baked in
the adobe oven outsde,) fruits of various
, kinds arranged in wooden trays lined with
green leaves; mugs OF fiery mescal and
| pots Of aguardiente, or sugar cane rum:
While conveniently near stood pic skin
OF pulque, the fermented Juice of the
century plant, for whoever chose to re-
I fresh himself with this favorite beverage
OF Mexico. And everybody did choose,
/ again and again, until the skin, which at
first looked like a rampant PIC on it's hind
legs, minus head-gradually collapsed
with emptiness, and another and another
took its place.
After the saint had been duly establish
ed IN his new quarters, and the crowd re-
heshed, all fastened again to the dancing
enclosure, where the patron. his conf
| dence now somewhat restored by aguar
diente, reopened the ball. Notwithstand
ing his high office, it must be confessed
that this saddle colored patron of Christ
was not of very dignfied appearance. He
had been bull-tighter in youth and sew
eral ugly scars did not add to his beauty
OF countenance. His pink calico shirt
was worn outside his trousers of white
cotton, and though he soon kicked off his
sandals in the excitement of the bale. he
retained his hat throughout the day.
At o'clock the bull fight, which al
ways crowns these sanity fiestas, began.
and the crowd adjourned to the plaza de
torres. In the line of architecture the
bull ring of Oxcutzcob, in which it is said
the best bull fights in Yucatan are now
held, is as curious and original structure
as the late Brigham Young's umbrella
like tabernacle. 1t is merely a huoe
scatfoid, perhaps 1900 feet in circumfer-
ence, erected and held together without
a nail, being made of poles bound to-
gether with withes. The interior is en-
closed by long poles crossing and inter
lacing each other, and in like manner is
divided into boxes by interlacing poles.
The whole forms gigantic frame of rus
tic lattice work, admirably adapted to