Sketches of the campaign in northern Mexico : in eighteen hundred forty-six and seven / by an officer of the First Regiment of Ohio volunteers.

:110 MEXICAN MULETEERnS.
thick; their faces, smooth; and their coarse hair, like their
ey0es, black. Their frames are short and thick-set, and seem
to be made of sinew and muscle. With great ease they endure fatigues which we northmen, even when seasoned to
the climate, scarcely equal. A few -torticlas (cakes made of
corn, coarsely bruised by hand, with an infusion of chili and
lime) and a gourd of water, will suffice the arriero for a day.
If a little muscal or a few cigaritas be added to his allow-,anrce, he is perfectly contented. HIe seems to desire no other
bed than the bare ground; and if rains overtakle him at
night, he will shelter himself beneath one of his large semicylindrical pack-saddles, the thick wood and leather sides
of which, being bullet proof, make an excellent barricade in
the common event of an attack by banditti. I-Iis dress consists of a short, close-fitting leather jacket, ornamented often
with rows of buttons; and wide buckskin or dirty, whitelinen trowsers, open and flaring from the ankle to the knee.
The foot clothing consists of sandal-shoes, fastened wiith
lough thongs —stockings being a luxury enjoyed only by
some of the towns-people. The heavy, hand-made, partycolored blanket, peculiar to the country, is an indispensable
article of apparel, and is at all times fastened about the
shoulders. In bad weather it is unrolled, the head thrust
through the opening in its center, and its ample fblds allowed
to fall gracefully around the body. This, with the widebrimmed sombrero, enables the wearer to defy the storm.
Our arrieros, as if to make amends for their long delay,
proceeded to pack with commendable celerity and skill.
Walking rapidly through the camp, they first examined the