:::::::::*• TWO BIRD -LOVERS IN MEXICO m^i^ 



As if to punish us for our extravagant delight, mists 

 and liaze soon closed like a curtain over all, to keep 

 the coveted sight from our eyes for days to follow. 

 An hour or two later, we approached the harbour of 

 Vera Cruz, in the teeth of a rising storm, only too 

 real this time. We anchored behind the protecting 

 breakwater and went ashore in a small and shaky boat, 

 which, soon after our landing, was swamped at her 

 moorings. Within three minutes after reaching shore 

 the wind increased to a hurricane, cutting off all com- 

 munication with the steamer and our bao'iiaii'e. On the 

 strength of the comforting!?) information tliat it was 

 an unusually severe '" norther " and would last two or 

 three days, in company with our stranded fellow ])ass- 

 engers, we sadly sought accommodations in this most 

 overcrowded and unsavoury of Mexican cities. 



To many of our party, the most enduring memory 

 of these first two drearv davs will ever be tlu' stini>in<r 

 storm of Hying sand which tilled the air ; others will 

 never forget the Vultures which walk about the streets 

 and ])eer hungrily at the passers-bv ; T am sure that all 

 will be able to recall the flavour of the paregoric pud- 

 ding (or should I call it sopa cle aniae-seed?) which 

 was the puce de resistance of our Christmas dinner. 

 But our memories are not altogether unpleasant ones. 

 Our pockets were delightfully heavy with great silver 

 dollars and other denominations of Mexican money 

 which we had received for our American gold. Some 



«4 U)-^ 



