made, instead of the tyrants who impose the necessity of it. An anecdote is related, that when Santa Anna was making up the first payment of the American indemnity, among other citizens whom he sent for, to levy his contributions upon, was one Señor Don Luis Alimeno, who had formerly been a foreign minister. Upon the arrival of this citizen, he was required to subscribe a liberal share of the indemnity; but he replied to the Dictator, that he had no money. The despot said, "put down the citizen's wife for ten thousand dollars; she is worth the property."

The people of Mexico are certainly the easiest in the world to govern, or else they would not suffer themselves to be oppressed in so grievous a manner by their government. Santa Anna being informed that the issue of copper coin was too abundant, hurled forth a decree, calling into the mints all of that currency. The holders, without delay, complied with the order, and received in return, not the cash, but government scrip. Although the copper coin in the hands of the people amounted to two millions of dollars, yet the holders of the scrip have not, nor can any one tell when they will receive the just amounts of their funds.

To give a correct idea as to how the government of Mexico pays the honourable demands against it, I will relate a case, the claimant in which, I was acquainted with, and from whom I had, from day to day, a history of the transactions as they happened. While in the city, there arrived an Irish gentleman, a Captain Coin, from the city of Dublin. He had, some two or three years previous, sold to the government of Mexico a steamer called the City of Dublin, for which he never received the pay agreeable to contract; consequently, he was under the necessity of visiting Mexico to recover the debt. On his arrival at Vera Cruz, he visited Santa Anna, who was then at Mango de Clavo, and obtained an order from him on Señor Don Trigueros, the Minister of Finance, payable on sight to Captain Coin

for the steamer. On the Captain's presenting the order to the honourable minister, he was informed by him that there was no money in the treasury; but that he would give him, on his own account, fifty thousand dollars for his claim of sixty thousand eight hundred and fifty. Captain C. insisted on the payment of the full amount, and proposed to accept an order on the collector of the customs at Vera Cruz for the sum. This was refused, and the Captain was obliged to suffer himself to be shaved by the minister of the treasury, or else wait for his money an interminable length of time.

There are things of deformity in the church, as well as the state in this country; carried on by bribery and corruption. And here I would take occasion to remark, that it has not been my design to hunt up matter far fetched and unauthenticated, for the purpose of exasperating the public mind against a nation already rendered sufficiently odious, alike for the want of honour, and the perpetration of barbar-ous cruelties. My only intention is, to give a few prominent features of the daily practices of those in high as well as low places; so that my readers may have some data by which to judge of the moral and political character of the Mexican people. Such an independent course, in my opinion, should be pursued by the journalist regardless of criticism or the hope of flattery. Nothing I would so much regret, knowing as I do the faithlessness and dishonour of the Mexicans, as to delude a seeker for information in regard to the true character of a people, whose country perhaps it may be his wish to visit or reside in. I shall, therefore, not attempt to seek the praise or encomiums of any, by vouching for the virtue of the few, hard to find, or dread the contradictions and anathemas of those who have never had the experience of travel, or who may otherwise be lucratively interested.

I therefore say, that there are Mammon discrepancies, in church as well as in state, emanating from the very throne

of their earthly divinity. The British government having neglected to insert an article in their treaty with Mexico, requiring of that government to make valid the marriages of British protestants performed in that country; and also, to give power to her consuls to administer the matrimonial ceremony, Englishmen are subject to the inconvenience and expense of visiting the city of Mexico, and there by bribery to obtain the nuptial tie of the Archbishop; the marriage being null and void otherwise, both by the religious canons and the laws of the land. Of what avail are the high fiats of heaven, or the positive statutes of a country, if money is to set aside the one, and cover the other? Verily, the god of Mammon is supreme over heaven and earth-the Dictator, too, perhaps. An instance of the above described state of things came under my own knowledge; as the parties I became acquainted with, and a happy couple they were; where it cost the gentleman two thousand dollars to illegally marry his wife.

CHAPTER XI.

Gratitude to T. Ducoine. Left the city of Mexico the 8th January.

A Mexican passenger. Attempted conversation. Chocolate. Arrangements. My first day's journey. Extensive plain. Mountain scenery. Volcanic eruptions. Valleys divested of forest. The soil generally shallow. The rocks. Haciendas. Stone walls. Orgono hedges. Fields without enclosure. The manure of a hacienda. Splendid scenery. No improved roads north. Natural ways. Mijico. Dined at Cula. Description of Dinner. Chille. My first night's lodging. When day dawned. Table land. Arroyo Zarco. The mother of the driver. Fast driving. Cross-bar broke. Ladrones. San Juan del Rio. Conversation and smoking of two Mexicans. View of Gueretero. Aqueduct. A priest and the revolution. A walk at night. Plaza lights. Lost. Guitar. Moonlight. Starting of the diligencia. Ladrones. Escape. Celaye. Monument. Mexicans dressed as Indians. The Pope and the Catholic religion. Three Spaniards of old Spain. Language. Politeness. Landlord. Cotton goods. Third day's travel. Guanajuato, Darkness of the night. Dinner. Night's ramble in the street. Visit to Mexican ladies. Conversation and entertainment. Departure from Guanajuato, Mines of Guanajuato. Magnificent present. Detection of fraud in the Mint. Level country. Siloa. Leon. Arrival at Lagos. Lake region. Loss of sleep. Settlements with my Mexican friend. Waked up alone. Chocolate. Letter of introduction. My difficulty. Fruitless efforts to be understood. Fortunate arrival of a Mexican. Attention of the inhabitants. Doct. Tesus Anaya. Interpreter. A large party of travellers. A party of Americans. Appearance of the travellers. Tyler's message to Congress. Manner of warfare upon Mex ico. No want of water at Lagos. Vegetables and fruits. Bathing. Walk. Paintings of the houses. American negro. Practice of medicine in Mexico. Angel Gabriel. Simon's wounds. The evening of the second day. Arrival of the diligencia. An American passenger. Proposed journey.

I SHALL ever feel grateful to Mr. Theodore Ducoine, a native of Philadelphia, of the largest American house in the city of Mexico, for the assistance he rendered me in forwarding my departure from the capitol; which took place on the night of the 8th of January; a day memorable in the history of my own country.

I left the city of Mexico in the diligencia for Lagos, a distance of four days' and nights' travel. When I was awakened to take my seat, I found that there was one other passenger, and that the individual I was destined to travel with, was a Mexican, and had all the appearance of a gentleman.

Having taken our seats, the Mexican saluted me by saying," Bueno notche Señor," Good night, Sir,-to which I responded, "Nil gratias Señor," I thank you, Sir; by which I

presume my fellow passenger very naturally concluded, from my answering him so readily, that, although a foreigner, I was familiar with the Spanish tongue. No sooner had we passed over the pavement of the city, than he began a conversation with me in his own language, to which I was obliged repeatedly to reply, No intendi, Señor, I do not understand, Sir; for I had not been long enough in the country to have studied the Spanish; and I could not consequently undertake a conversation in that language. However, he seemed to persist in his loquaciousness, while the only defence I had, was to keep up a volley of English, which, for short periods, would attract the attention of the Mexican, as he did not understand a word I said.

Having become fatigued in attempting to render himself agreeable to me by talking Spanish, he at length in a most inquiring manner said-" Parlez vous Francais, Monsieur ?"

-Do you speak French, sir? to which I said, "No, Senor," which effectually silenced my talkative companion, who, apparently in despair, or disgust perhaps, wrapped himself up in his cloak, and my following his example, we thus, with our mutual thoughts locked up in our minds, played the dummy to each other until 10 o'clock the next morning -that proving to be the time of taking our chocolate.

After taking some refreshment, the diligencia being ready for its departure, I offered the lady of the house some money for my repast-but she refused to take it, pointing to my Mexican friend, to whom I shook my head, to intimate that he was not to pay for me; at the same time offering him money. This he refused, repeating often "Lagos," from which I inferred that he would settle my bills as far as that place, as I was unacquainted with the language of the country. Having no objections to such an arrangement, I also said Lagos, accompanying my repetition of the name by placing one dollar upon another, to inform him that I would settle with him at Lagos. Thus we travelled on with