IdQ Ten Years of my Life. 



The heat was overpoweriner, but the cars were tolerably airy, 

 and the seats were not provic!ed with cushions, which would 

 have been quite intolerable. We had with us an escort of 

 French soldiers, and how much they were required was proved 

 by the appearance of some guerillas, who fled, however, after 

 a few shots. 



The country became more attractive towards the end of our 

 journey, and we arrived without further accident in Paso del 

 Macho, where the railroad reached its end. 



Next morning we continued our journey per diligence, and 

 started at five o'clock. The coachman objected to the admit- 

 tance of my dog Jimmy in the diligence, but the almighty dol- 

 lar softened his heart, and on paying the fare for a two-legged 

 passenger my inseparable four-legged companion was allowed 

 a seat. A French lady was not so fortunate, for her splendid 

 Newfoundland dog was too large, and she had, with much re- 

 gret, to leave it behind under the care of an attendant. A 

 Mexican'.jdiligence is a most wonderful vehicle, only surpassed 

 by the wonderful roads. It is dragged along by eight mules, 

 first tvvo abreast, then four, and then again two. The skill of 

 the coachman with a confusion of reins in his hand is admir- 

 able. His place is indeed no sinecure, for he has to keep on 

 a perpetual conversation with his mules, which he calls by 

 their names, animating them by all imaginable kinds of sounds. 

 He would, however, scarcely succeed in persuading them to 

 do their duty alone by means of his eloquence, if not sup- 

 ported by an aide-de-camp, a boy as active as a monkey. Now 

 he runs along the road collecting stones, now climbs up with 

 his load at the side of the coachman, throwing with unerring 

 aim a stone at some offending mule, uniting his voice to that 

 of his chief. 



This man is a very important personage, and his pay is very 

 high — I believe nearly three hundred gilders a month — besides 

 free board and lodging. He looks very picturesque with his 

 leather jacket, large gold ornamented sombrero and shaggy 

 zapateros, or short trousers made of goat-skin, from which the 

 hair has not been removed. 



It occurs very frequently that the diligence is attacked and 

 plundered by robbers, and many horrible adventures of that 

 kind are recorded, famishing the passengers no very reassuring 

 matter for conversation, and keeping them in a continual 

 excitement. 



