SIX MONTHS IN MEXICO. 



5 



vernor's house. That officer, however, treated 

 us with much respect, ordered refreshments 

 fpr us, and we spent the day very pleasantly. 

 This was the first Spanish town we had seen 

 in America, and its beauty, regularity, and 

 fine situation, filled us with admiration : every 

 house had its garden, and the view from the 

 principal church was truly picturesque. 



Our passage through the Gulf of Mexico 

 to Vera Cruz was rather tedious, owing to 

 our being frequently becalmed. But the 

 number and variety of the finny tribes^ the 

 sea birds, the shoals of whales, the multitude 

 of flying fishes, which support themselves for 

 a considerable time above the water ; the 

 bonitos, the dolphins,, and the glorious evening 

 appearance of the sky, were constant sources 

 of interest and of entertainment. 



On the afternoon of Monday, the 24th of 

 February, we expected to see the coast of 

 Mexico ; and our anxiety increased as sun-set 



