from the time of my departure from Durango, become dissatisfied with my interpreter; but I said nothing to him until I had some strong suspicions of the unfriendly intentions of the man. I had been informed that, at a distance of two or three days' ride from Guatemepé, a hard battle had been fought between a party of five hundred Camanche Indians and a thousand Mexicans, the latter being defeated. This intelligence, I was of the opinion, my interpreter was turning to an account injurious to the advance of my journey; for he had imparted it to my servants, and would himself, every cross we came to by the sides of the road,-which, the reader must recollect, were erected over murdered persons, shout aloud, Los Indios!-(The Indians!) Discovering that his exclamations had an undesirable effect upon my men, I remarked to him, that I was sensible that I was surrounded with danger, but if he persisted in alarming my servants, which might result in their desertion, he might return to Durango, or take any other direction he chose, for I believed his course of conduct to be prejudicial to me. He insisted that he was entirely innocent of an intention of harm, and implored that I would forgive the indiscretion, and think no more of it. He knew as well as I did that, if I discharged him, I could not employ another interpreter, for my last chance had escaped me, and that I must need one in future more than ever. I expressed myself satisfied, but took care to watch and divine, if I could, his every action. My guide became rebellious, and would stop and have long conversations with every one whom he met. This conduct I had been advised by all of my friends to prohibit, but so excited had the man's mind become, that it was impossible to make him desist. Thus my disagreeable journey was continued the whole day, until my arrival at Chinacates, a rancho belonging to the estate of the Conde of Guatemepé. I dismounted at the house of the administrador before sunset. The governor was from home, but his wife came to the door and invited me in, which I did, and, to my great astonishment, after I had become seated on the bench behind the long table, she took from a box a six-barreled pistol, the only one that I had seen in the country, besides my own, and walked across the floor. I drew from my belt my pair of similar weapons and laid them upon the table, so that she might behold also that I had twelve shots, which had a desirable effect; for she appeared no sooner to discover them than she laid aside her own. The woman, I knew, did not intend hostility, but as that part of the country was very much infested with marauding land-pirates, she had ever been accustomed to be prepared to meet the worst. However, the husband soon arrived, and I fared well. My ride, the next day, was mostly upon a ridge of a mountain, which would, at times, bring me in view of the great valley of Guatemepé. No incident worthy of remark happened during the day, saving that, on one occasion, I was interrogated, in my mother-tongue, if I was a foreigner, and, upon replying in the affirmative, I had the pleasure of conversing with an Englishman. Having exchanged intelligence from the different points of our journey, we cordially took leave, as if each of us had been old acquaintances. It was Sunday, and, at the hour of four o'clock, P. M., I was safely lodged in the town of Santa Argo. Santa Argo has mines, and is situated upon what is called the Santa Argo river. The mines are not now worked, for the reason of the poverty of the ore. The attention of an enterprising Mexican company has, at that place, been directed to the manufacturing of cotton, and I was credibly informed by the superintendent of the factory, the company had borrowed their capital, and were enabled to make a handsome profit, paying thirty-seven and a half per cent. upon the loan. Thus it can easily be perceived, how dearly the Mexicans have to pay for cotton fabrics-so much for protection and home markets! The New Englander related to me what the swindler would call a smart, but to others a disgraceful account of a Mexican gentleman of Saltila, who having determined to go into the cotton manufacturing business, visited the factories of the United States, for the purpose of securing perfect machinery. Upon his arrival he made, through a merchant, as his broker, a purchase of a cotton factory machine, at the cost of twenty thousand dollars, and had it shipped to his home. He also engaged an American artisan to go to Saltila, and put it together. But all having arrived, upon examination, it was discovered that no two wheels of the whole fabrication belonged to one another, being all mismatched, some too large and others too small, like the cannon balls that were too great for their guns, not a wheel could be turned, nor a shot fired. Thus, while the Mexican character falls short of correctness, it is nevertheless taken advantage of sometimes. Still it is to be hoped that the twenty thousand has never done the swindler any good. The Mexicans are very ingenious and apt artisans, acquiring with much celerity the skill of any of the mechanical branches. They never serve the long apprenticeships, that are so common in the Union and in Europe; but having worked at a trade some one or two years, they think themselves sufficiently proficient to carry it on; and thus quit their tutor and set up for themselves. Indeed it is but seldom, generally in Mexico, the mechanic has ever received a day's instruction in his particular trade; but of himself, dependant alone upon the force of his genius and invention, transacts his peculiar business to the satisfaction of his customers. Like the Chinese, the Mexicans have a good imitative capacity, and make any thing by pattern very tolerably. It is a part of the accomplishments of a gentleman to know how to shoe a horse or mule; and all, when they travel, take with them an assortment of shoes and nails, so that if it |