446 HEAL DEL MONTE MINES. 



and arrows, but were unwilling to part with them, and shewed a 

 strong reluctance to any dealings out of the usual line of their traffic. 

 I obtained, however, from one of them, whom I tempted by a dis- 

 play of the money, for one dollar, his bow and arrow, as well as a 

 purse made of a beautiful squirrel-skin, from which the body had 

 been extracted through the mouth, so cleverly, that the orifice was 

 not enlarged by the operation. The bow was about five feet in 

 length, and the arrow two or three feet. With these the owner gave 

 me to understand that he had been accustomed to kill rabbits and 

 the smallest game. 



There were within a short distance of Real del Monte several scat- 

 tered settlements of people, also called by the general name of 

 Indians, but not without an evident though slight mixture of 

 Spanish blood. In comparison with the above-mentioned race, they 

 claim for themselves the appellation of ' gente de razon.' Indeed if 

 less pure in their origin than the others, it must be allowed that they 

 are far more entertaining in their characters. I frequently explored 

 their rural haunts, where the chief place of concourse is always the 



aue-shop. One Sunday, as I rested on a bank, near a place of the 

 , an Indian issued forth, very drunk, but observing me with a 

 book in my hand, in what perhaps seemed to him a contemplative 

 mood, he approached and gravely remarked, " mucha presencia de 

 Dios" words evincing an intelligence hardly to be expected from 

 him. I often entered into conversation with these harmless people, 

 and was much amused at their patronizing manner of assenting to 

 any proposition of mine which met their approbation. They seemed 

 to look at each other with pleased surprise, that seemed to say, s well, 

 these strangers are not such fools after all/ On one occasion I re- 

 member a man with a great wen growing out of his cheek, which 

 prevented him from speaking very plainly, but who nevertheless ap- 

 peared to be the oracle of the party, as turning round from time to 

 time, in answer to my propositions, he would ' nod the head' to the 

 rest, with an air that exactly reminded me of my old French master, 

 who would occasionally condescend to say, " mais il raisonne bien." 

 As a whet to our discussion, I sometimes treated my friends to their 

 favourite beverage of pulque, which they would acknowledge if de- 

 sired by dancing a xarabe or fandango, with all their might, and 

 singing to it at the same time. In the chorus, they have the art of 

 introducing the donor's name, which they drawl forth in a most ex- 

 traordinary manner ; some, to give it a deeper emphasis, lying down 

 on their backs, their mouths half covered by their cloaks, whence 

 they produce a very curious deep base tone. 



The character of a nation often displays itself greatly in the choice 

 of their amusements. The anniversary of the surrender of the castle 

 of San Juan de Ullua* gives rise to great rejoicings and festivities, 

 which the Mexicans are always glad of an opportunity to indulge in. 

 It is true, the garrison of the castle had surrendered from mere 

 famine, and consequently more owing to the remissness of the 



* The event look place November 17, 1825.- 



