94 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 



rather to be avoided than sought after. There is a spacious 

 bull-ring at the northern end of the paseo, where exhibitions 

 are given to crowded houses on Sundays and festal days. 

 The sport, however, is cruel and "barbaric, and, although 

 we patronized it on one occasion, yet the tourist had better 

 forego this brutal entertainment. At the buU-fight which 

 we attended, several horses were butchered, four or 

 five bulls killed, and several men nearly lost their lives. 



One of the most admirable establishments in the city 

 is the Monte de Piedad (signifying "The Mountain of 

 Mercy"). It was founded by Count Regla, the owner of 

 the Real del Monte silver mine, more than a century ago, 

 who gave the sum of $300,000 for the purpose, in order 

 that the poor might obtain advances on personal property 

 at a low and reasonable rate of interest. Any article de- 

 posited for this purpose is valued by two disinterested per- 

 sons, and three-fourths of its value is advanced. • If thp owner 

 ceases to pay the mterest on the loan the article is kept 

 six months longer, when it is exposed for sale at a marked 

 price. After six months more have passed, if the article is 

 not disposed of, it is soM at public auction, and all that 

 is realized above the sum which was advanced, together 

 with the interest, is placed to the credit of the original 

 owner. This sum, if not called for in a given time, reverts 

 to the bank. The establishment has also a safety vault, 

 where all sorts of valuables are stored for safe keeping. 

 One dollar is the smallest amount loaned, and ten thousand 

 is the largest. 



The Museo Nacional, situated in the rear of the national 

 palace, is of surpassing interest to the naturalist and anti- 

 quarian, and we visited it soon after our arrival. As we 

 entered, after ascending two flights of stairs, the first thing 

 we saw was a gigantic cast of the Megatherium Cuvieri. In 

 this room were also a few minerals. To the left of this 



