try with their children and movables. Those who are poorer, are making their way out on foot—men and women carrying mattresses, and little children following with baskets and bird-cages—carts are passing, loaded with chairs and tables and beds and all manner of old furniture, uprooted for the first time no doubt since many years—all are taking advantage of this temporary cessation of firing to make their escape. Our stables are full of mules and horses sent us by our friends in the centre of the city, where all supplies of water are cut off. Another physician, a Spaniard, has just been shot!
Every room at San Cosme and in all the suburbs, is taken. In some rooms are numbers of people, obliged to sleep upon mats, too glad to have escaped from the danger, to care for any inconvenience. A quantity of plate and money and diamonds were sent here this morning, which we have been hiding in different parts of the house; but they say that in cases of pillage, the plunderers always search the most impossible places, pulling up the boards, brick floors, &c., ripping up the mattresses and so on, so I believe there is no use in concealing anything. Near us lives a celebrated General, on whose political opinions there seems much doubt, as he has joined neither party, and has become invisible ever since this affair commenced. He is a showy, handsome man, with a good deal of superficial instruction, and exceedingly vain of his personal advantages. I am quite sure that, having allowed him to be a fine-looking man, he would forgive me for saying that his character is frivolous, and that his principles, both
