BOOK V.
PERSONAL NARRATIVE.
SECTION I.
FIRST VISIT TO MEXICO IN 1823.—JOURNEY FROM VERA CRUZ TO THE CAPITAL.
In the autumn of 1823, I had the honour of being appointed a member of the Commission, which His Majesty's Government was about to send to Mexico, in order to ascertain the state of affairs in that country, the political separation of which from Spain had been announced to the world in 1821, by the treaty of Cōrdŏvă, and the subsequent elevation of Ĭtŭrbīdĕ to the imperial throne.[1]
The party was composed of Mr. Hervey, who was placed at the head of the first Commission, Mr. O'Gorman, now His Majesty's Consul-General in Mexico, Mr. Mackenzie, who resided for some time as Consul at Jalapa, Mr. Thompson, Secretary to the Commission, Dr. Mair, and myself. Our voyage was monotonously prosperous; it is therefore only necessary to state that we embarked at Plymouth, on the 18th of October, 1823, on board His Majesty's ship Thetis, commanded by Sir John Phillimore, and anchored off the island of Sacrificios on the llth of December, being prevented from entering the harbour of Vera Cruz, by the hostilities which had commenced, about two months before, between the town and the Castle of San Juan de Uloa.
On the passage we only touched at Madeira, where we passed four delightful days.
This island forms a connecting link between the Old and the New World, and possesses many of the characteristics of both. The curtain of vines, which extends over the whole face of the mountain above Funchal, and rises gradually to the foot of the eminence, upon which the Convent of Nuestra Señora de la Soledad is situated, is worthy of Italy or Andalusia; while the Interior recalls, at one moment, the volcanic remains so frequent in America, and at another, the striking scenery of Switzerland or the Tyrol.
This again contrasts singularly with the minor beauties of cultivation in the vicinity of the town: the trellices extending across the steep, paved road, the walls of which are covered with the Camellia Japonica, the wild luxuriancy of the gardens, and the brilliant white of the houses glittering in the sun, with verandas sheltered from its rays by a large tree, or a cluster of bananas. The whole forms a scene which is not easily forgotten, and which was, perhaps, impressed the more forcibly on my mind, by its total dissimilarity to that which succeeded it—the gloomy sand-hills of Veracruz.
On the morning of our arrival at Sacrificios, I was commissioned by Mr. Hervey to go on shore in order to open our communications with the Mexicans. Not being aware that, since the firing from the Castle had commenced, the great gates of the town had been closed, and that all intercourse with it was conducted by a road from Mŏcāmbŏ Point, (nearly opposite to our anchorage,) we took advantage of a momentary silence in the batteries on both sides, and rowed straight for the pier-head, passing within a quarter of a mile of the Castle, the walls of which were covered with men. On reaching the mole we landed, and proceeded towards the gate at the farther extremity, where, after much delay, we succeeded in obtaining admission through a wicket, behind which we found a breastwork of sand-bags, and a few straggling soldiers, with an officer, who, on due explanation being given, conducted us to the house of General Victoria, at that time Governor of the Province, and Commander-in-chief of the Army employed in the siege of Uloa.
Nothing could exceed the melancholy appearance of the streets through which we passed. A town entirely abandoned by its inhabitants, must be, at all times, a strange, and a mournful sight; but when to this unnatural solitude are added the marks of recent warfare, houses riddled with shot, churches half in ruins, and flights of vultures, congregating around the carcase of some dead animal in the streets, it is difficult to imagine a more striking picture of desolation.
Nor was there any of the military bustle which usually attends a siege, to enliven the monotony of the scene. The garrison of St. John of Uloa was so small, and the climate of Veracruz so dangerous, that the Mexican force consisted merely of men enough to work the batteries, which had been constructed in the hope of making some impression upon the Castle, the bomb-proof casemates of which would have bid defiance to any such attempt, had not hunger and disease lent their powerful assistance to the besieging force without.
I do not believe that we met with a single living creature from the sea-side to Victoria's house, where, to our great surprise, we found ourselves suddenly in the midst of loud and boisterous rejoicings. It was his Saint's day, (the day of the Virgin of Guădălūpĕ,) and all the officers of the garrison were dining with him, in order to commemorate it. Rather a fine band of music was playing in the Court; a number of dark, muscular-looking men were scattered carelessly around; and alrhough the appearance of many of them was sufficiently uncouth, still, both amongst them, and amongst the officers to whom we were afterwards introduced, there was some attempt at uniformity of dress, no traces of which could be discovered in the guard, by which we had been admitted at the gate.
Of the pleasure with which the intelligence of the arrival of a British Commission in Mexico was received by General Victoria, who came out in person to welcome us, it is needless to speak. Next to the Independence of his country, his first wish through life had been to see an intercourse established with England; and that wish was at length gratified! After a long conversation with him, he conducted us to the room where the officers were assembled, by whom we were received with deafening "Vivas:" the Band was stationed in the Corridor; toasts were given in honour of England, and her King; in which the happy coincidence of our arrival having taken place upon the day sacred to the Patroness of Mexico and of Guădălūpĕ Victoria was not forgotten. Some of the impromptus made by the officers upon this "feliz Casualidad," were clever, and the verses by no means ill turned; although their principal merit naturally consisted in conveying to us the feelings of the moment.
After making arrangements for landing our baggage at Mŏcāmbŏ, and receiving a promise that mules should be immediately provided for our conveyance into the Interior, we returned to the boat, accompanied by a guard of honour, much superior in appearance to that which we had found upon duty, and took leave, at the gate, of our new friends. The last mark of attention with which they favoured us I should willingly have dispensed with, for wishing to honour us with a salute, on pushing off, they forgot that their guns were shotted, and directed against the Castle, which immediately opened its batteries in return, so that for some time we had the pleasure of finding ourselves between two fires. The balls and shells passed considerably above us, but we saw more than one strike the pier which we had just left, and many more bury themselves in the sands near a bastion at the Southern extremity of the town.
Notwithstanding General Victoria's wish to expedite our departure, several days elapsed before the arrangements for our journey could be completed. We found the greatest difficulty in procuring mules for our baggage, or horses for ourselves; for the trade of Veracruz having been transferred to Alvarado, a general emigration of the population had taken place, with the exception of a few sickly-looking families, which had established themselves in tents in the midst of what was once a wood of cocoa-nut trees,[2] a little beyond the range of the shells from the Castle. In the mean time a constant communication was kept up between the Thetis and the town, by the Mocambo road; Mr. Hervey and General Victoria exchanged visits, and on the 14th the whole Commission dined, at the General's house, which, in the evening, presented a curious scene; for although there was not a woman in Veracruz, we had the music of all the regiments playing in the Patio, while the soldiers danced the Jărāvĕ, and other national dances, until a very late hour. A violent North-west wind came on about eight o'clock, which rendered it impossible for us to return on board to sleep, but General Victoria provided us all with beds, and during the night the gale abated sufficiently to enable us to reach the Thetis after breakfast the next morning. We there made our final preparations for landing, and got the last of our baggage on shore, in the hope of being able to commence our journey early on the 16th; but the long expected mules did not arrive till late, and when they did come, such was the confusion which ensued amongst the muleteers in parcelling out boxes and packages, very few of which were intended for the back of a mule, that although we were at work from six in the morning, it was four in the afternoon before we succeeded in getting fairly into marching order. I was at one time very much inclined to throw up the task of superintendence in despair, for with fifty baggage mules, and three English carriages, each drawn by seven wretched animals, to marshal, I saw no hope of ever leaving the beach. None of our English servants were of the slightest use, as, with the exception of mine, who had been four years with me in Spain, they spoke no Spanish; but had they been perfect masters of the language, it would have been of little avail, for neither remonstrances, nor persuasion, nor abuse, produced the least effect upon the lawless set by which we were surrounded. Nothing but the very dregs of the population had remained in Veracruz, and out of these, of course, our muleteers and coachmen were selected. They were almost all blacks, or descendants of blacks, with a mixture of Indian blood, and seemed either never to have known the restraints of civilization, or, at all events, to have lost sight of them amidst the wild scenes of the Revolution: whilst with us, they certainly acknowledged no superior but the Corporal of the escort, whose sword, the flat part of which was applied without scruple to their backs, sometimes accomplished what it was impossible for any other mode of treatment to effect.
On quitting the beach with our whole caravan in marching order, we followed a path, which, after winding for about a league amongst the sand-hills by which Veracruz is surrounded, joined the road to Santa Fé, a village at which, although only three leagues from Veracruz, we had agreed to rendezvous, and pass the night. It was seven in the evening before I reached it, and eleven at night before the carriages appeared. I found them imbedded in the sand about a league from Veracruz, with the coachmen stretched at full length by the side of their mules, and fast asleep; a measure to which our English servants told me that they had had recourse the very moment that a difficulty occurred in advancing. With the assistance of the guard, means were taken to awaken them; but seeing that it was useless for me to remain, I rode on, leaving a sous officier, and four men to bring them up; and rejoicing to think, that however necessary the carriages might prove in the Capital, all the members of our party were young, and active enough to be able to dispense with them upon the road. Even in the present improved state of the communications, they are a continual source of embarrassment on a journey, for English axletrees are not at all adapted to Mexican roads, and if a wheel or a spring be injured, there is no possibility of getting it repaired: but in 1823, there was hardly a single league between Veracruz and Pĕrōtĕ, in which some vexatious delay did not occur to make us regret that we had burthened ourselves with such incumbrances at all.
We found at Sānta Fē the first specimen of the sort of accommodations that we were to expect on our journey through the Tierra Caliente of Mexico. The village was composed of five or six Indian huts, rather more spacious than some which we afterwards met with, but built of bamboos, and thatched with palm-leaves, with a portico of similar materials before the door. The canes of which the sides are composed, are placed at so respectable a distance from each other as to admit both light and air: this renders windows unnecessary. A door there is, which leads at once into the principal apartment, in which father and mother, brothers and sisters, pigs and poultry, all lodge together in amicable confusion. In some instances, a subdivision is attempted, by suspending a mat or two in such a manner as to partition off a corner of the room; but this is usually thought superfluous. The kitchen occupies a separate hut. The beds are sometimes raised on a little framework of cane, but much oftener consist of a square mat placed upon the ground; while a few gourds for containing water, some large glasses for orangeade, a stone for grinding maize, and a little coarse earthenware, compose the whole stock of domestic utensils. We found, however, provisions in abundance; fowls, rice, tortillas, (thin maize cakes,) and pine-apples, with a copious supply of orangeade, furnished an excellent supper, after which we commenced our preparations for the night. We had all taken the precaution of providing ourselves with brass camp-beds, which, in America, are one of the necessaries of life: they pack into so small a compass that two of them make a light load for a mule; while, when put together, which requires but little time or trouble, they ensure to the traveller the means of resting after the fatigues of the day with every possible convenience and comfort. Above all, the musquito-net should not be forgotten; for without it there are few parts of the New World in which those troublesome insects do not make such an example of a nouveau debarqué, as not only to deprive him of rest, but to throw him into a fever for some days. We put up our beds in the open air, under the shed which projected from the front of the inn, while Dr. Mair and Mr. Thompson, whose baggage was not come up, slung two cots, which they had brought from on board, to the rafters above us. Our horses were picketed close round the shed, with an ample provision of Zăcātĕ, (dried maize stalks;) the servants slept on the outside, wrapped up in cloaks, with our saddles for pillows; and beyond them again the men and horses of the escort were stationed, with a large watch-fire, and two or three sentinels, to prevent robberies during the night. Upon the whole, I have seldom witnessed a more curious scene, and we could none of us help remarking, as we contemplated it, that if this were a fair specimen of the introduction to American Diplomacy, there would be few candidates for the Missions to the New States amongst his Majesty's older diplomatic servants in Europe.
On the morning of the 17th of December, we quitted Santa Fé at about nine o'clock, having sent off the carriages and heavy baggage some hours before. Our day's journey was to be only twelve leagues, as we had been advised to sleep at Puente del Rey, a large village, celebrated as the scene of many a sanguinary engagement during the Revolutionary wars; but although the ground rises but little in the intervening space, we found the greatest difficulty in advancing, from the extreme badness of the road, which was in many places a wilderness of sand. The carriage-mules knocked up, and the coachmen mutinied both at El Mănăntĭāl, and at Pāsŏ Ovējăs, two Ranchos, at each of which they seemed determined to pass the night; and although we forced them on, and left a guard with them at last, with strict orders not to allow them to stop, they did not reach the Puente until two in the morning. We arrived ourselves about dusk, with barely light enough to enable us to admire the beautiful scenery by which we were surrounded. The bridge which is thrown over the river Ăntĭgŭa at this place is, like most Spanish works of this description, admirably constructed. The arches are of stone, and the bridge itself communicates with a causeway, which, on the one side, winds down a steep descent, and on the other, forms an elevated road, along which the huts, of which the village of the Puente is composed, are scattered amongst some large trees, at considerable intervals from each other. But it is on looking towards the Veracruz side that you are struck with the picturesque appearance of the bridge, for there you perceive most distinctly the curve in which its peculiarity consists; while the fine masses of rock that command it, and the rapid stream that runs below, forcing a passage over a thousand obstacles, form a scene far superior to any that we had met with since our landing. Nothing can be more monotonous than the general character of the country from Veracruz to the Puente; the sand-hills do not indeed extend above three miles into the interior, but for some leagues there seems to be a struggle between vegetation and sterility. Patches of a rich and luxuriant green are intersected by long intervals of rocks and sand, nor is it until you reach Pāsŏ Ovējăs, that any thing like regular cultivation is discovered. There we passed the ruins of a large Sugar Hacienda, which had been abandoned during the Revolution, and saw evident traces of a rich and productive soil. But on leaving the river to which this fertility is due, we again found ourselves in a sandy desert, where little but the Mimosa was to be seen, except in spots where some apparently insignificant stream called into existence, at once, the luxuriant vegetation of the Tropics. In these we were quite bewildered by the variety of plants, all new to the European eye, and generally thrown together in such fanciful confusion, that the most experienced botanist would have had some difficulty in classing them; for, as each tree supports two or three creepers, the fruits and flowers of which bear no sort of proportion in point of size to the slender branches of the mother plant, it is not easy to distinguish them, at first sight, from the produce of the tree to which they cling. The air is quite perfumed at times with this profusion of flowers, many of which are most delicately coloured, (particularly the varieties of the Convolvulus kind;) while the plumage of the birds, of which, in some places, the woods are full, is hardly less brilliant than the flowers themselves. Flocks of Parrots and Macaws are seen in every direction, with Cardinals, Cĕnsōntlĭs, or mockingbirds, and a thousand others, the names of which, in any language, I cannot pretend to give; Deer too, occasionally bounded across the road; but of the Jăgūārs, (Mexican Tiger,) and other wild animals, we saw none, although their skins are to be met with in great abundance. Throughout the Tierra Caliente, not one hundredth part of the soil has been brought into cultivation; yet in the Indian cottages, many of which I entered, I always found a plentiful supply of Indian Corn, Rice, Bănānăs, Oranges, and Pine-apples, which, though certainly not equal to those of the Havanna in flavour, seemed to us, when heated with travelling, a most delicious fruit. Of the Bănānă I am not an admirer; its taste reminded me of sweet pomatum, and I gave it up after a very short trial. All these fruits are produced, with little or no labour, on a spot of ground in the vicinity of the cottage, which, though apparently too small to support a single individual, is usually sufficient, with the addition of a few Frijoles, (beans,) and a little Chile from the Interior, to provide for the subsistence of the whole family. For this indeed, not much is required. They seldom partake of animal food: their fowls supply them abundantly with eggs, and enable them, when sent to the market of the nearest town, to purchase a little clothing: this, however, the beauty of the climate, and a sufficiently primitive notion of what decency requires, enable them, in a great measure, to dispense with. If a horse be added to the establishment, which is indispensable where there is any mixture of white blood, the forest furnishes abundant pasturage, and it causes no additional expence. A saddle, and a Machete, a long cut and thrust sword, which is almost always worn, are indeed costly articles; but these are transmitted, as heir-looms in the family, from one generation to another; and the young man who obtains possession of such treasures, during his father's life-time, by any exertions of his own, may be said to have established his independence at once.
Friday the 18th, we quitted the Puente, where our accommodations had been very similar to those which we met with at Santa Fé, as we again bivouacked in front of the house, which was not nearly large enough to contain us. We took a last look before we set out at the bridge, and at the little eminence upon which Victoria had entrenched himself above. It is sufficiently precipitous to render any attempt to carry it by assault extremely difficult; but, as a military position, it is untenable; being liable both to be turned, and to be deprived of water, with which it is supplied from the river below. Victoria experienced this when attacked by a regular force under Miyares, (as stated in the sketch of the Revolution,) against whom he tried in vain to maintain his ground: but as a strong hold in a Guerrilla war, the possession of Puente del Rey was of importance, by enabling the Insurgents to cut off the ordinary communication with the Capital, and to bid defiance to small detachments of the Royalist Troops. A sketch of the bridge and surrounding rocks will be found in the first Volume, which, though on a small scale, sufficiently indicates both the beauties and the difficulties of the Pass.
The distance from the Pūēntĕ to Plan del Rio does not exceed six leagues, but we found, on arriving there, that our carriages were, as usual, so very far behind, that it was useless to attempt the ascent to the Ĕncērrō, which commences a little beyond Plan del Rio, without fresh mules. These there was no possibility of obtaining, so that we resolved to halt at once for the day. The luxury of an inn actually built of brick, and subdivided into a number of separate rooms, each with a door opening into the Patio, or Court, and, though without windows, whitewashed, and provided with a small table and a chair, reconciled us to the delay. Such indulgencies were quite unexpected.
There is a fine bridge at the Plan, thrown over a rapid stream, which, in the rainy season, would be impassable without it. It consists of a single arch of very large dimensions, and, as at Puente del Rey, communicates with a line of causeway, which was formerly a part of the great paved road constructed at the expence of the Merchants of Veracruz. There are nothing but fragments of this road now in existence, one of which extends for about two leagues into the interior from Puente del Rey. The remainder was either broken up by the contending parties during the Civil War, or allowed to go to ruin for want of repairs; a constant necessity for which is created by the impetuosity of the mountain torrents during the rainy season.
The village of Ēl Plān, at the time of our visit, was very healthy, but it is within the range of the Vomito, or Veracruz fever, of which I shall have occasion to speak hereafter, and is consequently by no means a safe residence in the hotter months. From November to April, the only inconvenience to be apprehended are the sand-flies, which are quite insufferable. They are so small that no Musquito-net will exclude them, and bite with such sharpness that a small drop of blood is usually the first indication of their having settled upon the hand or face. Fortunately, they differ from Mosquitos in one respect, as they disappear at sunset, a peculiarity to which travellers are indebted for a chance of sleep, which they could not otherwise enjoy.
On leaving Plan del Rio, (December 19,) the ascent to the Table-land of Mexico may be said to commence. The elevation of the Plan above the level of the sea is very trifling, but in the six leagues which intervene between it and the Encerro, the height of 3,043 feet is attained, which is sufficient to give an entirely new character to the climate and productions. The air becomes considerably rarefied; the fruits and flowers of the Tierra Caliente disappear; and the Mimosas are replaced by the Mexican Oak; which, in the summer season, must be a welcome sight, as it is supposed to indicate to the traveller his arrival in those more healthy regions, where, if he has not brought infection with him, he has no longer any danger from the Vomito to apprehend. With the exception of this change, for which Humboldt's work had prepared us, we met with little worthy of remark on the road to the Ĕncērrō, where we stopped to breakfast, and to allow time for our carriages to come up. We found great reason to rejoice at not having been tempted to select it for our quarters on the preceding night, as the house was small, and incommodious, combining all the disagreeable smells peculiar to a Spanish-American shop, of which Tăsājŏ (dried beef,) and garlic are usually the most agreeable, with a great appearance of dirt, which we should have been unable to avoid by sleeping in the open air, as the change of climate was already sufficient to render the shelter of a roof indispensable. As some compensation, the distant view of Ŏrĭzāvă and Pĕrōtĕ, from the door of the inn, was very fine, as was that over the vast extent of country which we had traversed on our way from the coast.
As soon as our carriages arrived, we proceeded in the direction of Jălāpă, where we understood that some preparations had been made for our reception. After a continued ascent of about two hours, over a rugged and dangerous road, we reached the platform upon which the town stands, and pursued our course along a piece of the old Veracruz causeway, through fields of maize, and gardens, following each other in rapid succession, sometimes surrounded with hedges of the Banana and the Aloe, interspersed with Chĭrĭmōyăs, and a thousand other trees; and at others by a light cane fence, which just enabled us to perceive the variety of the flowers in which the houses were almost buried within. At a little distance from the town we were met by several officers on horseback, who had been deputed to receive us, and by whom we were conducted to a house which had been prepared for us in the principal street, where we found the Governor, with some of the principal members of the Ayuntamiento: a dinner was in readiness, to which we all sate down in great state, with a band of music at the door: servants were placed at our disposal; and a mayor domo, or Maitre d'hotel was presented to us, who, we were informed, had orders to furnish every thing that we could possibly want during our stay. In short, nothing could be more gratifying than our reception: the streets were full of people as we passed, and, although the "Vivas" with which they saluted us proved that they had rather an indistinct idea as yet of our real character,[3] they at least showed that we were hailed as no unwelcome guests.
It was, indeed, a new epoch in the history of America that commenced with our arrival. It was the first step towards that growing intercourse with Europe, the importance of which to them, and to us, will be every day more generally felt; and as such, it justified the enthusiasm with which the resolution of His Majesty's Government was received on both sides of the Atlantic, before the evils, to which an unbridled spirit of speculation gave rise in this country, taught the disappointed to ascribe to this wise policy the misfortunes, which were to be attributed solely to their own folly.
We remained three whole days at Jălāpă, in hourly expectation of the arrival of carriage-mules, which had been sent for to Lă Pūēblă, as it was impossible for us to proceed any farther with those which had brought us with so much difficulty from Veracruz. At last they came, and on the 24th we recommenced our journey. We had had ample opportunity in the mean time to admire both the beauty of the scenery in the environs of Jălāpă, and the hospitality of the Natives. All the Creoles eagerly sought our acquaintance, and omitted nothing that could render our stay agreeable; but of the Old Spanish Veracruz merchants, we did not, I believe, see one. This was bad policy on their part; for although it was natural that they should give up their hold upon the country with reluctance, still, to show it, was only to afford their enemies a pretext for those violent measures, by which their expulsion from the Republic has been since attempted. No one laments this violence more than myself: it is discreditable to Mexico, inasmuch as it is a violation of the public faith, which was pledged to the Spaniards by the Declaration of Iguala, for the security of the persons and property of all such as chose to remain; and it is disadvantageous to the general interests of the State, by draining it of the capital which the civil war has left, and which was barely sufficient in 1827 to give activity to trade: but at the same time justice bids me add that it was hardly possible that any amalgamation of interests, so directly opposed to each other, should permanently take place. Very few of the Spaniards could learn to treat as equals, men, over whom they had so long exercised almost absolute authority; many betrayed this feeling in the most unguarded manner; and their imprudence contributed not a little to increase that irritation, on the part of the Creoles, which had taken but too deep a root during twelve years of civil war. It is lamentable, however, to reflect upon the number of respectable and useful men, who will be involved in the common ruin. But let me return from this digression.
Of the country about Jălāpă it is impossible that any words should convey an adequate idea. It stands in the very centre of some of the finest mountain scenery that the world can boast of. Nothing can be more spendid than the Peak of Ŏrĭzāvă, when the veil of clouds, which but too frequently conceals it during the day, yields to the last rays of the glorious setting sun. Such a sunset, and such a mountain, can only be seen beneath the Tropics, where every thing is upon a gigantic scale, and where, from the purity of the atmosphere, even the flood of light from above seems proportioned to the magnitude of the objects upon which it is poured forth.
Ŏrĭzāvă is 17,375 feet above the level of the sea: it is connected by a long chain of intervening mountains with the Cōffrĕ de Pĕrōtĕ, (so called from a mass of rock in the shape of a chest, which distinguishes the crest of the mountain,) and the two together form a beautiful termination to the view in the direction of the Table-land. The Coffre is nearly 4,000 feet lower than Ŏrĭzāvă, and looks quite diminutive when the Peak is visible at the same time, although when not seen together, the eye rests with satisfaction upon so magnificent an object.
On the sloping ground, which descends from the foot of Ŏrĭzāvă to the sea, are situated the towns of Cōrdŏvă and Ŏrĭzāvă, which are celebrated for the tobacco and coffee raised in their vicinity. The same district produces the best Vanilla, as well as the Jalap, and Sarsaparilla, which have been mentioned amongst the exports of Veracruz. A few Indian villages are scattered over this rich country, in every part of which but little exertion is required on the part of man in order to draw a subsistence from the exuberant fertility of the soil. Immense forests occupy the intervening spaces, abounding in every variety of timber, but rarely visited, except by the Indians, at the season for collecting the crop of Vanilla: they are watered by the streams which descend from the slope of the Cŏrdĭllēră, and produce, during the greatest part of the year, the fruits of the Tropics in such profusion, that Victoria subsisted upon them almost entirely, during the eighteen months which he passed there, without seeing a human being. There are many indications of their having possessed a much larger population at the time of the Conquest, as the ruins of towns, and fortifications, have been discovered, which could only have been raised by very numerous Tribes: but, like every thing connected with the Indian race, their history is wrapped in obscurity, and with regard to some, not even a tradition now remains.
Jălāpă is indebted to the peculiarity of its position for the extreme softness of its climate. The town stands upon a little platform 4,335 feet above the level of the sea, and would consequently be even more exposed than the Encerro to the North-west winds, which have the effect of stunting the vegetation both above and below this favoured spot, were it not protected from their violence by an intervening ridge of mountains; while this being exactly the height, at which the clouds suspended over the ocean touch the Cordillera, there is a constant humidity in the atmosphere, which gives a balmy feel to the air, and a delightful freshness to every thing around. After climbing the tedious ascent from Plan del Rio, nearly the whole of which lies through a dreary and monotonous country, the little declivity which forms the last mile and a half of the approach to Jălāpă, seems at all seasons a paradise: but its beauty vanishes the instant that you wander beyond the limits of the enchanted ground. This is more particularly the case on the ascent towards the Tableland, which becomes excessively steep almost immediately after leaving Jălāpă, and continues uninterruptedly so as far as Lăs Vīgăs. The distance between the two points does not exceed eighteen miles, while the difference of elevation amounts to 3,485 feet; we were therefore prepared to expect a great change of temperature, although we were far from calculating upon a transition so sudden and so complete, as that which we experienced.
We left Jălāpă about twelve o'clock on the morning of the 24th of December, with a cloudless sky, and the Thermometer at 70°; but before we got half-way to Lăs Vīgăs, a Norte came on upon the coast, and in an instant we found ourselves enveloped in clouds, which, both in appearance and effect, strikingly resembled a November Scotch mist. Our cloaks proved insufficient to keep out the chilling cold; and as to the moisture, we soon found that our only chance was to push rapidly on, wherever the road would admit of it, by which means we contrived to reach our quarters for the night without being entirely wet through. The change in the scenery about us, was, in every respect, equal to that which had taken place in the atmosphere. At a very early period of the day we lost sight of the gardens of Jălāpă; and although hedges planted with Chĭrĭmōyăs extended about a league beyond the town, they soon gave place to plants of a hardier growth. These again gradually yielded to the Mexican Oak, and latterly even that to the Fir, which reigned for the last few miles in solitary pre-eminence. The light bamboo cottages of the Indians, which, notwithstanding my objections to them as places of accommodation on the road, were pretty and fantastic, were replaced by buildings of a more solid structure, and consequently better adapted to the climate, but without any pretensions to beauty. I thought them very like the houses in parts of Sweden, and particularly in Dalecarlia, which are composed of unhewn trunks of trees, rudely fastened together, and surrounded with inclosures, twelve feet high, to protect the cattle against the wolves. But still, in the midst of this ungenial scene, there are many features that remind the traveller of the singular character of the country, through which he is passing. About two leagues from Las Vigas, there is a district covered with vesicular lava: the ground is strewed as far as the eye can reach with masses of black, calcined rock, the appearance of which evidently announces their volcanic origin. In some places these masses are of an enormous size; in others, they look as if they had been pulverized by some gigantic steam-engine; but in all, it seems as if but a few years had elapsed since the eruption which produced them took place, although not even a tradition with regard to its date is now in existence.
We found the Old Veracruz causeway in a sufficiently good state of preservation between Jălāpă and Lăs Vīgăs, to afford an easy passage even for carriages; the horses and mules, however, suffer exceedingly in the steeper parts of the ascent, from the difficulty of getting a good footing on the hard pavement. After passing through the villages of Lă Crūz dé lă Cūēstă, Lă Hoyă, and Săn Mĭgūēl el Sŏldādŏ, between which we had been taught to expect some picturesque scenery, which the mist prevented us from perceiving, we reached Las Vigas about dusk, where we found very comfortable quarters prepared for us in the house of the Cura, and obtained a sufficiency of fowls to furnish a tolerable supper. No other meat was to be procured in the village, or bread; but our carriages came up in time to supply us with the last, as well as with some pineapples and Chirimoyas, of which a stock had been laid in at Jălāpă. The Chĭrĭmōyă is a fruit unknown, I believe, in Europe: in size it is larger than the largest Orange; the rind is green, and full of little inequalities, but the pulp is a beautiful white, of such delicacy that it must be eaten with a spoon, as it assumes a rusty tinge if cut with a knife: the flavour is that of the strawberry, combined with other fruits.
I seldom recollect suffering more from cold than I did at Las Vigas: we probably felt the severity of the weather the more from having been relaxed by a month of unusually hot weather on our passage from Madeira to Veracruz. The inhabitants are but little affected by it; for although the rooms are boarded, and some precautions taken to exclude the air, a fireplace is a thing unknown; and even the Spanish brasero seems not in common use. There was, however, something more than imagination in our chillness; for at seven the next morning the thermometer was at 41°, (about 30° below the temperature of Jălāpă,) and the ground during the night was covered with a white frost. Our horses, many of which had been bred in the Tierra Caliente, suffered even more than ourselves; for although we succeeded in procuring stabling for them, they were perfectly stiff with cold in the morning, and did not recover the full use of their legs until half the day's journey was concluded.
The road from Lăs Vīgăs to Pĕrōtĕ is very steep and bad. It was once nearly completed, at the expence of the Veracruz Consulado, in the same magnificent style as the rest of the causeway; but not a vestige now remains of their labours. During the Civil War, the ground between Jălāpă and Pĕrōtĕ was obstinately disputed by the Insurgents, who, in their attempts to cut off the communication between the Capital and the Coast, destroyed every part of the road that was not actually in the possession of the Royalist forces, which were stationed in considerable numbers at Jălāpă. Hence the marks of devastation, which commence at an equal distance above and below the town. We were four hours in reaching Pĕrōtĕ on horseback, although the distance is not above four leagues; and as to the carriages, we left them, as usual, far behind. The road winds almost continually through a pine forest, with occasional clearings, the fences round which serve to show the little value that timber possesses in these districts, as they are constructed with whole trunks of trees piled lengthways, one upon another, in wasteful profusion. These symptoms of the presence of man increased as we approached Pĕrōtĕ. After passing the village of Crūz Blāncă, we passed two large Haciendas, or Farms, surrounded by extensive fields of wheat, barley, and Indian corn, which, when the crop is on the ground, may, I dare say, justify Humboldt's description of their beauty. When we saw them, they had assumed the monotonous colouring peculiar to the Table-land during the dry months; and there was, consequently, but little to attract the attention or gratify the sight.
Pĕrōtĕ, San Juan de Uloa, Acapulco, and San Blas, being the only fortresses which the Viceroyalty of Mexico contained, we were curious to see a place to which the Natives appeared to attach no little importance, and naturally conceived that it would be so situated as to command some one of the principal mountain-passes, through which an invading army would endeavour to penetrate into the Interior. We were disappointed, therefore, at finding the Castle placed beyond the last ridge of the mountains, upon the borders of one of those immense plains, which extend, almost without interruption, for fifty miles in the direction of the Capital. It is, in fact, a mere depôt for arms and bullion; for, although regularly fortified with four bastions and abundance of heavy artillery, it is too small to be of importance, and would probably not be taken into account at all by an enemy's force on its march towards the Central Provinces. The town, which lies about half a mile from the fortress, consists of one long street, with flat-roofed houses, seldom rising above the ground-floor, low windows, mostly without glass, and whitewashed walls. It affords, altogether, a fair specimen of the style of architecture which the Spaniards have introduced into all their American Colonies, where, with the exception of the Capitals, houses of two stories are seldom seen. We were received with great hospitality by the Governor and Officers of the garrison, but proceeded almost immediately to the village of Tĕpĕyăgūālcŏ, (about seven leagues farther on,) which we reached a little before dusk.
Pĕrōtĕ may be regarded as the Eastern extremity of the Table-land: it is situated 7,692 feet above the level of the sea, and as it is but little protected from the North-west winds, its climate is at times exceedingly severe. In the immediate vicinity of the town, the ground is fertile, and the Cerealia succeed remarkably well; but as you advance into the Interior, the sterility of the soil increases at every step. The pine-forests are confined entirely to the mountains; they cease to thrive upon the tracts of flat country by which the ridges which intersect them at intervals are separated from each other. These form a succession of basins, which evidently must have been, at some former period, extensive lakes. The action of the water upon the foot of the mountains, by which these basins are environed, is distinctly visible, and you can even trace the line to which it appears to have risen. It seems to have partaken of the nature of that of the Lake of Mexico, for, in receding, it has left the ground covered with a thick coat of Tequesquite, or Carbonate of Soda, which is gradually destroying every trace of vegetation. The whole plain already produces only a scanty supply of food for the flocks of sheep which are occasionally seen wandering over it; and as the water that still remains is brackish, and grows every year more scarce, it is probable that the district will ultimately become a desert.
I hardly know any thing more gloomy than the ride from Pĕrōtĕ to Tĕpĕyăgūālcŏ; the uniformity of the scene is only broken by little hills which start up abruptly every here and there, covered with the Aloe, the Cactus, and a few dwarf palms, which almost conceal the masses of lava of which they are composed. Upon the whole, we were none of us inclined to dispute the justice of the appellation by which this tract of country is distinguished, "el Mal Pais," although there are some redeeming points to which the European traveller may look back with interest, and even with pleasure. The first of these is the view of Ŏrĭzāvă, which is seen from this dreary plain to greater advantage than even from Jălāpă; and the second, the frequency with which specimens of "mirage" occur, in a degree of perfection which the great Sahara itself can hardly surpass. Prepared as we were for this optical illusion, we were more than once completely deceived by it, and fancied that we really saw before us a vast expanse of water, with trees, houses, and every surrounding object, beautifully reflected in it. The whirlwinds of sand too, which occasionally rise in majestic columns from the centre of the plain, were to me a novel sight; and we were all much struck with an insulated conical mountain, called El Cerro de Pizarro,[4] which had attracted our attention almost immediately after leaving Pĕrōtĕ, and which, on a nearer approach, we found to be composed entirely of masses of lava, so black and gloomy, as to give to the whole the appearance of having very recently emerged from the bowels of the earth.
The house in which we were lodged at Tĕpĕyăgūālcŏ, contained one large Sala, which served us for bed-room, dining-room, and every other purpose; in this, however, the whole extent of the accommodations consisted, for no provisions of any kind were to be procured, and the servants having neglected to lay in a stock at Pĕrōtĕ, we were reduced to very short allowance. Fortunately, we had a couple of cases of preserved meat with us, which we converted into soup, and this, with a few crusts of bread which were discovered in one of the carriages, saved us from a course of Tortillas and Chile, upon which the servants were dieted, ad libitum, as a proper recompense for not having been better purveyors.
Few people like this dish at first, although it constitutes the food of two-thirds of the population of Mexico. There is an unpleasant taste in the maize, to which, as well as to the extreme pungency of the Chile, it requires some time to get reconciled. I never learnt to eat it with pleasure, though I have sometimes had recourse to it in the absence of more palatable food.
After a most detestable breakfast, we set off, at an early hour on the 26th, for Nŏpălūcă, (a town about twelve leagues from Tĕpĕyăgūālcŏ,) having taken the precaution of sending one of the soldiers of our escort in advance, in order to avoid, if possible, a second scarcity. Our road lay through a continuation of the plains which I have already described, where, with the exception of a few hawks and vultures, a wolf or two, and some Cŏyōtēs, (a large kind of jackall,) which are always found prowling in the vicinity of a flock of sheep, not a living creature was to be seen. It was with considerable satisfaction that, about one o'clock, we crossed a little ridge of hills that forms the North-western boundary of the Mal Pais, and found that we were about to enter upon a less dreary scene. From this ridge, to El Ojo de Agua, a solitary inn, which takes its name from a fine spring of water that rises near the house, a sensible improvement took place. A few trees and Haciendas, with little patches of cultivation around them, broke, at intervals, the monotony of the view: we saw some large flocks of sheep, a cow or two, with some horses, and as we approached the stream to which these indications of fertility were due, we found ducks and other water-fowl in great abundance.
There is a singular view of Ŏrĭzāvă from the inn-yard at Ojo de Agua. The mountain stands exactly opposite the gateway, from which a long vaulted passage leads to the Patio, or court. This passage has the effect of confining the view in such a manner that the eye rests exclusively upon the Peak, which appears, when thus seen, to stand alone, detached from the chain of inferior hills by which it is connected with the Coffre. In a clear day, the effect is very striking, as, from the purity of the atmosphere, the outline of this enormous mass is distinctly and sharply defined; but I should think it very difficult to transfer this effect to paper, so as to give any idea of the magnificence of the object. It is a natural picture as it now stands, and I should much doubt the power of art to do justice to it.
The boundary line between the States of Veracruz and La Puebla runs close to Ŏjŏ dĕ Āgŭa, in consequence of which the guard which had accompanied us from the Coast, was replaced by an escort of Lancers, which had been stationed there by the Authorities of Lă Pūēblă, to await our arrival. The men were remarkably well mounted and equipped, and in the officer, Don Juan Gōmĕz, we found a young Creole of gentlemanlike manners, and agreeable conversation, with whose society, during the rest of our journey, we were all much pleased. After passing an hour at the inn, where there were provisions in abundance to make amends for the scantiness of our morning fare, we proceeded towards Nŏpălūcă, observing with pleasure, as we advanced, that a number of little farms gave the surest possible indication of a more fertile soil. At Santa Ana, a village about two leagues from Ojo de Agua, we were received with great politeness by the Cura, an old man who came out to meet us in his sacerdotal dress. Such an instance of courtesy towards heretics, was too remarkable not to be most gratefully acknowledged, and we remained for some time receiving and returning compliments, to the great edification of a crowd of by-standers, who all regarded us with intense curiosity. We did not reach Nŏpălūcă till dusk, when we found excellent quarters at the house of one of the Regidores of the town, Don Raymundo Gŏnsālĕz, whose wife and three daughters were all employed in preparing supper for us, with their own fair hands. We were much pleased with the appearance of the town, which is clean and pretty: the houses are indeed, only built of Tapia, or rammed earth; but as the walls are kept white-washed, and in good repair, there is nothing to denote the humble materials of which they are formed. The land about the town is subdivided into a multiplicity of small enclosures, which it was quite pleasing to see once more, after the deserts over which our eyes had been roaming for two whole days. They indicated habits of industry, of which we had seen but few traces; for in the Tierra Caliente, it was rather the bounty of Nature, than the exertions of the inhabitants, that we had found cause to admire: their indolence seemed to increase exactly in the same ratio, as the facility with which their wants were supplied. But on the Table-land, the necessaries of life are not to be obtained without some efforts: the fertility of the soil is great, but it requires the hand of the cultivator to call it forth; and to this the laborious habits of the agricultural population, in the Central Provinces of Mexico, are probably due.
On the evening of our arrival at Nŏpălūcă, a courier came in from the Capital with letters, which informed us that disturbances had taken place at La Puebla, the Capital of the Province, where it had been our intention to sleep on the following night, which, although not serious, induced the Supreme Government to wish that the Commission should take another route, which branching off to the North, across the Llānŏs de Āpăn, (a district remarkable for its fertility,) enters the valley of Mexico by Otūmbă and San Crĭstōvăl, leaving Lă Pūēblă far to the South and West. With this wish we of course complied, and two dragoons of the escort were dispatched, in order to prepare quarters for us at any Hacienda, in the direction of Otūmbă, where they might be able and willing to afford us hospitality for the night. We ourselves did not set out till ten o'clock, when we took the road to Hŭămāntlă, (a little town four leagues from Nŏpălūcă,) which led us through a succession of large fields of corn, barley, and maize, interspersed with plantations of the Aloe, (Agare Americana,) from which the wine of the natives, Pulque, is extracted. Having already given a detailed account of the process by which this liquor is prepared, (Book I. Section III.) it would be superfluous to repeat it here; I shall, therefore, merely state that Pulque is nowhere found in greater perfection than in the district through which we were about to pass, where the Maguey plantations, from their vicinity to La Puebla and Mexico, constitute one great source of the prosperity of the inhabitants.
Although but very short notice had been given at Hŭămāntlă of our intention to visit that place, we found a great part of the population waiting in the streets to receive us; nor was it possible to withstand the solicitations of the Cura, at whose house we were absolutely compelled to alight. We were immediately visited by the Ayuntamiento, with the Alcalde at its head, as well as by the officers of a regiment quartered in the town; after which we were conducted to a room, where a dinner for thirty people had been prepared, in a style of hospitality which would have done honour to any country in the world. The moment that we quitted the table, our kind hosts, who were determined not do things by halves, sent for all our servants, as well as the escort, who were regaled with the innumerable dishes which we had been compelled to leave untouched; while we, being very great people, were solicited to exhibit ourselves from the balcony to the crowd assembled below. I mention these circumstances, trifling as they may appear, because they serve to show the feelings with which the prospect of an intercourse with Great Britain was hailed by the Mexicans. Nothing could be more decisive in this respect than our reception, particularly in the smaller towns, where, whatever was done, was done spontaneously by the inhabitants themselves, and not under the direction of the Government, as was the case at Jălāpă and Veracruz.
The population of Hŭămāntlă does not exceed three thousand souls. The town ranks as second in the district of Tlăscălă, to which it belongs; indeed, it is but little inferior in importance to the Capital itself, which has now "fallen from its high estate," and does not contain above four thousand inhabitants: a sad change from the days when it set at defiance the whole power of Montezuma, and baffled, for some time, the efforts of Cortes, to force a passage through its territory.
On leaving Hŭămāntlă, which we did not accomplish until a very late hour, it being three o'clock before dinner was concluded, we took the road to Acocotlan, a large Hacienda about five leagues from the town, at which we found that we were to sleep. Our ride was a beautiful one, as our guide conducted us through a rich country, at the foot of the Mălīnchĕ, a mountain which forms the connecting link between the Volcanos of Mexico and that of Ŏrĭzāvă, and at the same time disseminates fertility throughout the surrounding district by the numberless streams which descend from its summit. From whichever side the Mălīnchĕ is seen, its figure is always a perfect cone: its slope produces some of the finest wheat known in Lă Pūēblă; and lower down, wherever the mountain-torrents afford any facility for irrigation, crops of maize are grown, which, in a good year, increase in the ratio of 400 fanegas for every one that is put into the ground.
The Hacienda of Ăcŏcōtlăn has little to recommend it but its situation: nothing, however, can be finer than this. The balcony of the great Sala, or stateroom, in which we were lodged, commands a view of five mountains, two of which are upwards of two thousand feet higher than the highest mountain in Europe. We saw Ŏrĭzāvă with its peak couleur de rose, reflecting the last rays of the setting sun;—the Coffre de Pĕrōtĕ already half sunk into obscurity;—the Mălīnchĕ quite in the shade before us; and the two great Volcanos which separate La Puebla from Mexico, (Pŏpŏcătēpĕtl and Ĭstăccīhuătl,) with an occasional ray of light playing upon their snowy summits. We were all admiring the magnificence of this scene, when the silence around us was broken in the most unexpected manner. A long file of Indians returning from the labours of the day, drew up in a line before the house, and began to chant the Ave Maria, or evening hymn. The music was very simple, and few of the voices good, yet the whole, like the Ranz des vaches of the Swiss, derived an interest from the splendid scenery around, and made an impression, which much sweeter strains, under other circumstances, might have failed to produce.
Our host at Ăcŏcōtlăn was a most respectable man; one of the numerous class of minor proprietors, who continue, all their lives, to cultivate the spot upon which they are born, and transmit from generation to generation an estate, which supports themselves and their children, in comfort, and comparative affluence. He received us with great hospitality, and gave us a most excellent supper, with some Pulque, which, unaccustomed as we were to the beverage, most of our party thought exceedingly agreeable. This was not the case with the Chile, a powerful species of Capsicum, both green and red, of which the Mexicans make an immoderate use in most of their dishes: the taste is not disagreeable, but the pungency is so great, that a stranger finds it difficult to taste it without inconvenience. Robinson states, in his account of Mina's expedition, that with many of the American officers, who were compelled to live for some days upon Tortillas and Chile, on their march towards the Interior, excoriation was the consequence.
Our next stage from Ăcŏcōtlăn was Cūāutmănzīngŏ, where we were advised to pass the night, although the distance was only seven leagues, on account of the difficulty of reaching any other resting-place calculated to receive so large a party. The road was mostly good, but as it continued to wind around the foot of the Mălīnchĕ, it was occasionally intersected by deep barrancas, (or ravines,) which although perfectly passable for horsemen, retarded the progress of the carriages considerably. In one place we came to a descent of about twelve feet perpendicular, which there was no possibility of avoiding, as the barranca, both above and below, was exceedingly deep and rugged. The carriages were before us when this obstacle to our farther progress was discovered, and a dragoon came galloping back to announce that it was impossible to proceed. Upon reaching the place, however, we discovered that there was such an abundance of loose stones in every part of the ravine, that it would not be difficult to construct an inclined plane by which the carriages might descend; and this our joint efforts soon accomplished, a part of the escort having assisted in the conveyance of materials, while the rest broke down with their lances the side of the barranca. In about half an hour a very tolerable bridge was manufactured, and we had the pleasure of seeing the carriages all reach the bottom in safety.
At Cūāutmănzīngŏ, where we arrived at an early hour, we were welcomed with the same hospitality which had characterized our reception everywhere, during our progress through the country. The most valuable portion of the estate consisted in some extensive corn-lands watered by the Mălīnchĕ, and in the Maguey plantations more immediately about the house. These we were glad to have an opportunity of visiting; and a part of the afternoon was employed in inspecting the progress of Pulque-making in all its stages. There is nothing disagreeable either in the smell or appearance of the liquor on the spot where it is thus prepared. The greatest attention is paid to cleanliness in the buildings connected with it, and it derives a very refreshing coolness from the slight state of fermentation in which it ought always to be drunk. It is only by exposure to the sun, and a careless mode of conveyance to the great towns, which are at a considerable distance, that it acquires that unpleasant flavour which Humboldt compares to the smell of putrid meat. In this state it becomes really offensive; although to the amateurs in the capital who are unaccustomed to Pulque in its original purity, it is said to be a recommendation. On the same principle, in Madrid, Irish butter is preferred to fresh, which is thought tasteless, and insipid.
We left Cūāutmănzīngŏ early on the morning of the 29th of December, but stopped to breakfast at San Nĭcŏlās, a fine Hacienda belonging to the Conde de Sāntĭāgŏ, with whose family we had the pleasure of making acquaintance, as they happened to be residing in the country at the time. This was our first introduction to the Creole nobility, and we were much pleased with the unaffected politeness of their manners. After a most sumptuous entertainment, we were allowed to proceed on our journey, but not until our escort and servants had been made to partake of the Count's hospitality, which was extended even to the horses of our very numerous party. About four in the afternoon, we reached the Venta de las Indias, (the Inn of the Indies,) the magnificent name of which had led us to expect better accommodations than the house, which is very small, was calculated to afford. The inn is about eleven leagues from Cūāutmănzīngŏ, and seven from San Nĭcŏlās. The whole intervening space is laid out either in fields of Maize, Frijoles, wheat, and barley, or in Maguey plantations, the value of which increases in proportion to their vicinity to the Capital. The country, as the name denotes, (Los Llanos, the plains, of Āpăn,) is flat and uninteresting. A few great Haciendas are scattered, at intervals, over the plain; but we did not see a tree throughout the whole district. Game we found in abundance, particularly hares, which differ from ours only in colour, having a much larger proportion of white, and being sometimes spotted with a sort of greyish blue.
On our approach to Otūmbă, (Dec. 30,) the appearance of a large species of Peruvian pepper, called El Arbol del Peru, and a little broken ground, announced our vicinity to the mountain-ridge which still separated us from the Valley of Mexico. The Arbol del Peru is, I believe, known in Europe, although at Madrid, where I have seen it, it was a pretty, but diminutive shrub; in Mexico, where it is very common, it attains a considerable size, and is remarkably ornamental, and graceful in its appearance.
Otūmbă, like most of the smaller towns through which we had passed, appeared to have suffered considerably during the Revolution. From its vicinity both to the Capital, and to the Llānŏs, where a formidable Insurgent force was organized during the Civil War, it was transferred frequently from one party to the other, never remaining long in the possession of either, but equally maltreated by both. It will require many years of tranquillity to obliterate the traces of this period of universal suffering.
As usual, on entering the town, we found a dinner provided for us at the house of the Alcalde, of which we were forced to partake, though we regretted a delay, which retarded our arrival at Săn Jūān dĕ Tĕŏtĭhuăcān, (where we slept,) until after dusk, and consequently prevented us from visiting the Mexican antiquities in the vicinity of that place. These ancient monuments consist of two immense pyramids, dedicated to the Sun and the Moon, truncated, as all these pyramids are, and considerably defaced both by the hand of time, and by the fanaticism of the first conquerors, who seem to have left nothing undone in order to destroy every memorial of the primitive religion of the country. Such, however, is the solidity of these structures, that it has not been found possible to complete their destruction. They stand at some distance from the road, and it was nearly dusk when we passed them; but seen even thus, there was something imposing in the enormous size of these masses, which rise conspicuous in the middle of the valley, as if to testify of ages long gone by, and of a people whose power they alone are left to record. Reflections such as these strike the imagination very forcibly after traversing the plain of Otumba, where the Mexicans made one of their most gallant struggles against the superior skill and weapons of their invaders. I could not help calling to mind the description given by Solis of that plain,—(a description which used to be my delight as a boy, long before I ever dreamed that it would be my fate to visit the spot,)—"with the rays of the sun playing upon the crests of the Mexican warriors, adorned with feathers of a thousand hues," and contrasting the picture which he has traced of that brilliant army, with the state of ignorance, wretchedness, and abject submission, to which their descendants have been reduced since the Conquest. Whatever be the advantages which they may derive from the recent changes, (and the nature of these time alone can determine,) the fruits of the introduction of our boasted civilization into the New World have been hitherto bitter indeed. Throughout America the Indian race has been sacrificed; nor can I discover that in New Spain any one step has been taken for their improvement. In the neighbourhood of the Capital nothing can be more wretched than their appearance; and although, under a Republican form of government, they must enjoy, in theory at least, an equality of rights with every other class of citizens, they seemed, practically, at the period of my first visit, to be under the orders of every one, whether officer, soldier, churchman, or civilian, who chose to honour them with a command. We left Săn Jūān early on the 31st of December, and commenced, not without much curiosity, our approach to the Capital. We were gratified almost immediately with a view of the Valley of Mexico, but the day being unusually cloudy, neither the Lakes, nor the town, were distinctly visible. After descending from the ridge of hills, which forms the boundary to the North-east, and traversing a long stone causeway, by which the lake of Tĕzcūcŏ is separated from that of San Chrĭstōvăl, we arrived about twelve o'clock at the Guădălūpĕ gate, where we were met by Mr. Ălămān, the Minister for Foreign Affairs. This gentleman, after making us enter a large state-coach, which had been Ĭtŭrbīdĕ's, but which was now destined by the Government for our use, conducted us to a house on the Ălămēdă, or great Public Walk, which had been furnished for our reception, where he left us to make our own arrangements, after begging us to consider ourselves completely at home, and adding that we should find every thing that we could possibly want provided for us.
Of this unexpected courtesy we were glad, at first, to avail ourselves, as all the heavy baggage had been left at Jălāpă; only a few mules, with our beds, portmanteaus, and a canteen, having accompanied us to the Capital. This is a necessary arrangement in Mexican travelling, as the ordinary pace of a Mueteer, when his mules carry their full load of twelve Arrobas, (300 lbs.) does not exceed four leagues a day: with a load of 200 lbs. they keep pace with a carriage without difficulty, and are then much preferable to any other mode of conveyance for baggage, as no roads, however bad, can stop them, while with any thing upon wheels, difficulties are constantly occurring.
None of our party had suffered from sickness on the journey, yet we were all much fatigued on reaching the Capital. There is something very trying at first in the climate of the Tropics, particularly where, as in our case, the sedentary life of a ship is exchanged for one of sudden and violent exertion. The transition, too, from the relaxing heat of the Coast, to the rarefied atmosphere of the Table-land, was severely felt by us all. We had disdained to use the precautions which the natives uniformly take when travelling, by muffling up the lower part of the face in a white handkerchief, and the consequence was that our lips were cracked by the sun, and the peculiar subtility of the air, in a manner that long left us a painful recollection of our journey. In every other respect we could only look back to it with pleasure. We had traversed a country, hitherto visited by very few of our countrymen, where, if there were but few beauties, there was novelty in abundance to attract us, and we had received, at every step, the most unequivocal proofs, that the Commission with which we were entrusted was a most acceptable one to the great mass of the inhabitants. Many of them termed the commencement of a more unrestricted intercourse with Europe, "the second discovery of the New World;" and such it has indeed proved to us, for we have acquired more information respecting America, and a greater insight into the capabilities of the country, and the character of its inhabitants, in the last three years, than had been obtained during the three centuries which preceded them.
- ↑ Vide Sketch of the Revolution. Book II.
- ↑ The trees were all cut down, when Santana and Victoria were besieged in Veracruz by Iturbide's army, under the orders of General Echavarri.—Vide last Section of Book II.
- ↑ Vivan los Embajadores de la Europa! (Long live the Ambassadors of Europe!) was, if I recollect right, the most general cry.
- ↑ The outline of this mountain is given in the drawing of the Maguey, vol. 1. Sect. III.