4-' 



A MEXICAN MARRIAGE FEAST. 



Several of the members, with whom I was per- 

 sonally acquainted, suggested that a little delay, 

 and some farther inquiry, might be advisable, 

 before an angry letter was written to a stranger 

 living amongst them. This forbearance, however, 

 was overruled ; and as the state appeared to be 

 in danger, the letter was sent before the meeting 

 broke up. I give a translation of it here, as it 

 explains the nature of their suspicions, which, I 

 need scarcely say, were utterly without foundation. 

 It serves also, in some degree, to show the temper 

 of the times : the government and its institutions 

 being still new, and administered by inexperienced 

 hands, it was natural for the executive branch to 

 feel somewhat over-cautious, and to be apt to 

 suspect, without cause, that their authority was 

 trifled with. 



TRANSLATION. 



" The Ayuntamiento has learned, that during 

 the time you have been resident in this city, you 

 have taken measurements for making a plan of it, 

 and of the neighbouring hills, according to the 

 series of observations which it is known you have 

 made of its respective points ; and that you are 

 now in expectation of some necessary instruments 

 from the port of San Bias. Even admitting that 

 these operations have been the result of mere 

 curiosity, and have not been made with the above- 

 mentioned intention, the Corporation, nevertheless, 

 cannot but express its surprise, that while the Su- 

 preme Government of this empire has given orders 

 that the officers and other subjects of his Britannic 

 Majesty should be treated with the greatest atten- 

 tion, — (as accordingly has been done by allowing 

 them to enter the country,) — you should not have 

 condescended to request of this subordinate go- 

 vernment the necessary permission for carrying 

 on such operations, the object of which can have 

 been no other than that which is assigned above, 

 the very serious consequences of which you can- 

 not be ignorant of. 



" God grant you many years. 



"Dated in the Council-Chamber of Tepic, 19th 

 April, 1822. Second year of the Independ- 

 ence of Mexico. 



(Signed) «J. R. 



« M. D. See." 



Spanish diplomacy, like that of China, has means 

 of showing every shade of respect or disrespect, by 

 the mere form and style of the despatch, without 

 any direct breach of etiquette ; and accordingly, 

 this testy communication was written on an uncut 

 sheet of coarse note paper, and transmitted with- 

 out an envelope. I thought it most suitable, how- 

 ever, not to take the least notice of these symp- 

 toms of ill-humour, but to answer the Illustrious 

 Ayuntamiento in the most ceremonious and formal 

 maimer possible, but at the same time with the 

 utmost good-humour, I had nothing, indeed, to 

 say, but that 1 never had the slightest intention of 

 making any plan of the town or the neighbouring 

 country, and had taken DO measurements nor any 

 Observations, and that I neither had brought with 

 me, nor had I sent for, any instruments. 



The Ayuntamiento, who had probably been 



, hoaxed by tome wag, were afterwards sorry for 

 having sent me such a despatch, and it was actu- 

 ally proposed in council to write me another in 



explanation ; but a friend of mine, belonging to 

 that illustrious body, put a stop to this, by declar- 

 ing, he had authority from me to say, that 1 was 

 perfectly satisfied of there having been some mis- 

 take, and that I had already received too many 

 proofs of their good-will to require or wish for 

 any apology. This puzzled them a little ; but 

 they were ever afterwards particularly civil and 

 kind, not only to me, but to the other Englishmen 

 on the spot. 



CHAPTER XLVI. 



Marriage Feast — Description of a Mexican Bride — Indians 

 armed with Bows and Arrows. — Singular Bee-hives, and 

 Bees without Stings. — Discussion on the Export of the 

 Precious Metals. — Neglected State of Female Education. 



2\st of April. — A family of my acquaintance, 

 consisting of a widow, her son, and two daughters, 

 invited me to-day to accompany them to a wed- 

 ding-dinner, given to an old servant of theirs by 

 his relations. These ladies had observed, that the 

 English were always inquiring into the customs 

 of the natives ; and thinking it would amuse me 

 to see this dinner, had asked me to join their 

 party. It appeared, that at such entertainments 

 it was considered a creditable thing for the parties 

 to have the countenance of their former masters, 

 or some person in better circumstances ; a very 

 natural feeling, and one which the higher classes 

 in that country appear to have great pleasure in 

 gratifying. Indeed, I never have seen in any 

 part of the world a more amiable, or more con- 

 siderate and kindly feeling of superiors towards 

 their dependants, than exists in South America 

 and Mexico. In those parts, also, now very few, 

 where slaves exist, the manner in which they are 

 treated is highly exemplary. And it may be said, 

 generally, that in the Spanish colonies, or in places 

 occupied by the descendants of Spaniards, the 

 treatment of servants of every kind is milder than 

 in most other parts of the world. This has some- 

 times been explained, on the supposition, that the 

 oppression of the mother country might have 

 taught the colonists gentleness and indulgence to 

 such as were dependent upon them. But ex- 

 perience shows that the contrary really takes 

 place in the world ; and we must look for an 

 explanation of the fact in the genuine goodness of 

 the Spanish character, which, though overlaid and 

 crushed down by a series of political and moral 

 degradations, is still essentially excellent, " and 

 worthy of a far better destiny. 



The cottage in which the entertainment was 

 given stood on the wooded bank of the river, on 

 the north side of the town ; and, though not ten 

 minutes' walk from the market-place, had all the 

 appearance of being far in the country — such is 

 the promptitude and luxuriance with which vegeta- 

 tion starts up in these happy climates. 



As we approached the spot, we observed a 

 number of people, in their best dresses, seated on 

 the grass round the house ; they rose as Ave 

 entered the court, where the master and mistress 

 were standing ready to receive us. The former, 

 who, it seemed, was the padrino, or person who 

 gave away the bride, was the giver of the feast. 

 In the room to which we were shown, a dinner- 

 table was laid out for eight or ten people. The 



