THE ASCENT OF ORIZABA. 77 



replaced the ice-cream. The municipal building was 

 lighted with candles, and presented a very pretty appear- 

 ance. The church was decorated very tastefully, and was 

 lighted by a multitude of candles; some were strung about 

 the sides of the church, while others hung in long pendents 

 from the roof. The altars were all covered up, and had but 

 few candles before them. The whole effect was at once 

 pretty and impressive. 



People were passing to and fro from the church in a 

 continuous stream. Wishing to see more of the church, we 

 edged our way through the crowd and entered. Before*the 

 covered altars were kneeling people in every station of life. 

 The proprietors of haciendas and the poor natives were side 

 by side; richly dressed ladies and native girls in rags were 

 kneeling together, their dresses touching. In fact, the 

 solemnity of the occasion seemed to bring all classes to the 

 same level. Throughout the whole church not a sound was 

 heard.' The people stepped softly, and spoke not a single 

 word inside the church during the time we were in it. We 

 were afterwards told that it was the custom to perform their 

 devotions on this day in silence. 



On the 6th of April, we set out for the ascent of Orizaba 

 (called by the Aztecs, Citlaltepetl, or Mountain of the Star) 

 with eleven guides and carriers, and several burros. Be- 

 sides our guns, ammunition, and other collecting utensils, 

 we had provisions for three days, consisting of eggs, bread, 

 oranges, dried beef, and a cask of water. Our road led 

 over a sandy plain, slightly ascending. After following this 

 for four or five miles, we reached the forests of pine and 

 spruce. At this point the ascent became very steep, and 

 the burros labored very heavily under their burdens. Here 

 the song of the robin was heard, and blue-jays were seen in 

 abundance. We might easily have imagined ourselves in a 

 New England pine forest The trees here were noble ex- 



