uring female subjects here
than male. The male indians of Tuxtla are, in large part, employed in
contract labor on _fincas_ at a distance from the town. According to
their contract, they are not subject to the order of local authorities,
and may not be summoned without permission of their employers, or a
pecuniary settlement with them. The first day, more than half the women
were measured, and the second day, the rest. As is well known the women
of Tehuantepec are famous for their beauty. It is not so well known that
rivalry exists between them and the women of Tuxtla in this matter. This
rivalry had been called to our attention on our preceding visit, and we
found that it had in no wise abated. Personally, we saw no comparison
between the two sets of women, the Tehuantepecanas being far superior.
Eustasio, however, ungallantly and unpatriotically declared that he
thought the women of Tuxtla the handsomer; however, we suspect that
Eustasio would find the women of any town he might be in, the champions
in beauty for the time being. Their dress is picturesque. The _enagua_
is made of two strips of dark blue cloth, sewed together, side by side,
with a fancy stitching of colored silks. The free borders are also
decorated with similar stitching, and the ends of the strip, which is
usually more than two yards in length, sewn together with similarly
decorative needlework. In fastening this garment about the body, no belt
is used. The open bag is gathered in about the waist, the surplus is
folded into pleats in front and the overlap, at the upper edge, is so
tucked in as to hold the garment tightly in place, and at the same time
form a pouch, or pocket, in which small articles are carried. The little
_huipil_, worn upon the upper body, is of thin, white cotton cloth,
native-woven, but a neat and pretty stuff; there are no sleeves, and the
neck-opening and arm-slits are bordered with pleated strips of cotton,
worked with black embroidery. A larger _huipil_ is regularly carried,
but we never saw it in use; practically, it never is worn. If put in
place, it would form a garment for the body, with the neck-opening and
sleeves bordered with lace, and the lower edge reaching to the knees.
The woman carries this garment with her, folding it into a sort of pad,
which she places on her head, letting it hang down upon the back and
shoulders. Upon this cushion, the woman carries a great bowl, made from
the rind of a sort of squash or pumpki