122 



SIX MONTHS IN MEXICO. 



pavements I discovered fragments of sculp- 

 tured stones, and in a small house I found the 

 ancient arms of Mexico, the Spread Eagle and 

 Nopal, with hieroglyphic characters. At a 

 well about half a mile from the town are two 

 circular carved stones, that may have been 

 used on the identical spot, before the Conquest, 

 for the same purpose as at present. 



On our return our host pressed us to wit- 

 ness a cock-fight (it was Whit-Sunday) : to 

 oblige him, I saw for the first time in my 

 life that sanguinary sport. The building, 

 which was erected for the purpose, was crowded 

 with persons of both sexes and of all ages, and 

 I was mortified at seeing several well dressed 

 females, whose looks too evidently betrayed 

 the pleasure they received from this inhuman 

 pastime. I could not but consider it as a 

 strong proof of the great distance at which 

 these people are placed behind the inhabitants 

 of Europe in refinement and intellectual en- 



