124 NEW TRACKS IN’ NORTH AMERICA. 
with little bowers and summer-houses, in which tame birds — 
chirp and twitter. | 
Numerous irrigating canals run through the city, and send ~ 
off branches to the different mansions; and although in years — 
gone by the wealthy families must have lived in great luxury, — 
it was the luxury of an age very picturesque, but long passed — 
away in Europe. There are two plazas, several churches, a — 
large mint—the only modern building in the town—a fine © 
park ornamented with four large gates of Moorish design, 
and a burial-ground full of interesting monuments. But — 
everything is going to rack and ruin. Civil war and family © 
feuds have left their marks on all; even in the late war the — 
city was taken and retaken several times, and the property of — 
each party was alternately plundered by the opposite faction. _ 
When Hermosillo was first taken by the Imperialist party, ] 
some cannon had just been forged at the mint by means of | 
native coal obtained at the Bronces Mine on the Upper Yaqui. — 
These field-pieces, four in number, were exhibited at the — 
Paris Exhibition. The city remained in the hands of the — 
Imperialists until the spring previous to my visit, when two — 
thousand so-called Liberals appeared before the place early | 
in the morning of the 5th of May. | 
A hard fight took place between the little garrison and the j 
assailants ; no quarter was given, and all the defenders were ; 
at last overpowered and slain. Then the rabble crew com- 1 
menced robbing and plundering all through the town. Not 1 
an inhabitant was to be seen in the streets; every shop | 
was closed except those which had been broken open, and 4 
were being sacked by the rabble. By eleven o’clock in the 4 
forenoon the Liberals had laden themselves with spoil, feasted 7 
and drunk until many of them were placed hopelessly hors de 4 
combat from liquor, when, suddenly, the cry came from the — 
