SIX MONTHS IN MEXICO. 25 



tiling, for during my stay I never conversed 

 with any of them. 



I had several letters to the first houses, 

 both English and Spanish ; but as I brought 

 no cargo nor consignment, and had not any 

 speculation to offer, those to whom I had pre- 

 sented them, after a few questions, generally 

 left me with marks of surprise, that a man in 

 his senses could venture so far from home 

 to such a place, with motives so inadequate ; 

 this remark occurred so frequently, that at 

 last they almost persuaded me to be of the 

 same opinion ! 



Vera Cruz contains about 7000 inhabitants, 

 as I was informed by every one of whom I 

 made the inquiry, and they were persons 

 likely to possess the most correct intelligence. 

 Humboldt, who was there in 1802, states the 

 habitual population at 16,000; but the city 

 appears to me as large as many places that 

 contain 20,000 people. 



