ARISPE. 265 
as a presidio, or garrison, and at one time contained 
two thousand inhabitants. The view of this town from 
a distance is pleasing. It stands upon a point of table 
land, which juts out into the valley like a promontory 
Fronteras, Sonora, 
in the sea. The church forms the prominent object in 
the landscape, and its style is quite picturesque ; its 
effect also is heightened by its somewhat ruined con- 
dition, Along the steep sides of the hill, the houses 
are placed, rising one above another, which makes the 
place appear much larger than it really is. Once within 
the town, one’s ideas of the picturesque are soon dissi- 
pated by the sight ofits ruined adobe buildings ; though 
he soon forgets the desolation around him in looking 
