Outside the building
there were men and women hanging about with ponchos, of their own
manufacture, which they had brought in from the country, for sale. We
bought some bright specimens as presents for the children, but it took
some time to collect them, as each individual had only one to offer.
They are the work of the women, in the intervals of household labour,
and as soon as one is completed it is sold, in order that materials
for a fresh one may be purchased. We also bought some of the carved
wooden stirrups, made in the country, and used by all the natives.
They are rather like a small coalscuttle in shape, and must be heavy
and cumbersome.
From the market we went to hear high mass at the cathedral. This is a
fine building, though the interior seemed very dark. The high altar
was illuminated by hundreds of candles, whose light shone on a crowd
of kneeling women, all dressed in black, and with black veils over
their heads, the contrast between their sombre appearance and the
gilding and paintings on the walls--handsome at a distance, but tawdry
on a closer examination--being very striking. The organ is of splendid
tone and quality and reverberated grandly through the aisles, and the
whole scene was not without a certain impressiveness. I had not
thought of paying a visit to the cathedral when I went out this
morning, and it was not until I saw every one staring at me that I
remembered I had committed the terrible mistake of going to church in
a hat, and without any veil; but we remained in a dark corner most of
the time, and emerged into open daylight again before any of the
authorities of the place had time to observe or remonstrate with me.
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