156 STX MONTHS ITS MEXICO. 



person was small. Some of the teeth had 

 been lost before death. 



A National establishment for affording tem- 

 porary relief to persons in pecuniary distress 

 has long been founded in Mexico, under the 

 protection of the government.* It occupies an 

 extensive building opposite the Franciscan 

 monastery. I procured an introduction to the 

 director, a highly esteemed ecclesiastic, who 

 politely attended me, and explained the regu- 

 lations. I was shown property of all kinds, 

 deposited, as pledges, for money advanced. A 

 room of great extent and strength was thus 

 filled with various articles of value. Whole 

 services of plate were piled up upon each 

 other. — Massive silver vessels, dishes, cruci- 

 fixes, statues of saints, pictures with silver 

 frames, articles of female decoration, dia- 



* Might not the regulations of this establishment fur- 

 nish some useful hints to the society about to be formed 

 in London, under the title of the Equitable Loan Com- 

 pany ? 



