CITY OF ZACATECAS. 99 
be accounted for, by taking into consideration 
the peculiar mode of travelling of the country, 
which renders resorts of this kind almost un- 
necessary. Arrteros with their atajos of pack 
mules always camp out, being provided with 
their cooks and stock of provisions, which 
they carry with them. Ordinary travellers 
generally unite in little caravans, for security 
against robbers and marauders; and no ca- 
ballero ever stirs abroad without a train of 
servants, and a pack-mule to carry his canti- 
nas (a pair of large wallets or leathern boxes), 
filled with provisions, on the top of which is 
lashed a huge machine containing a mattrass 
and all the other ‘fixings’ for bed furniture. 
Thus equipped, the caballero snaps his fingers 
at all the hotels garnis of the universe, and is 
perfectly independent in every movement. 
The city of Zacatecas, as my readers are 
doubtless aware, is celebrated for its mining 
interests. Like all other Mexican towns of 
the same class, it originated in small, insignifi- 
cant settlements on the hillsides, in the im- 
mediate vicinity of the mines, until it gradua- 
ally grew up to be a large and wealthy city, 
with a population of some 30,000 inhabitants. 
Its locale is a epi _— formed among rug- 
ged mountain ; and as the houses are 
mostly built in ane overtopping one another, 
along the hillsides, some portions of the city 
present all the appearance of a vast amphithea- 
tre. Many of the streets are handsomely 
paved, = two of the squares are finely or- 
namented with curiously carved jets-d’eau, 
