Page:Mexico in 1827 Vol 2.djvu/537

Rh with pink or green shoes,) prevailed in all its purity, the brilliancy of the colours was rendered less intolerable by the clouds of white smoke in which the wearers were enveloped. The utmost good-humour however prevailed, as soon as the apprehensions of "etiqueta rigurosa," which the presence of so formidable a person as Mrs. Ward at first occasioned, had a little subsided: a Padre Dominicano had the goodness to play us some national airs upon a harpsichord, which had penetrated into these elevated regions; and a valse figurée was danced with the guitar, (played alternately by the lady and gentleman while dancing,) which, if not particularly decent, was at least singular, and executed with great precision.

On the following morning we took leave of our numerous friends, to many of whom I was indebted for some very valuable additions to my mineralogical collection, and descended, accompanied by a number of the most respectable inhabitants of the town to the Cañada, where our coach was already loaded, and only awaiting our arrival, in order to commence its route towards Sŏmbrĕrētĕ, which was the next place of importance on our road towards the North.

The descent from Catorce is much more formidable than the approach to the town from below. Yet so familiarised had we become with rocks and precipices, that Mrs. Ward did not think of dismounting, but rode down to the Cañada without apprehension.