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MEXICO. 



thicken around him, with their streets cheered and beau- 

 tified, amid the general sterility, by groups of the grace- 

 ful Peruvian pepper tree ; and the roads are seen 

 crowded by long strings of laden mules, and gay cava- 

 liers — and the stupendous works of human design, har- 

 monize with those of nature, and prepare him for the 

 sight of the most extraordinary scenes in the world, 

 whether we regard the w r orks of men, or those of God, 

 the artificer of all. And such is the valley and city of 

 Mexico. 



LETTER V. 



My last letter closed with the entry of our travel- 

 soiled and battered train into the city of Mexico. Such 

 epithets may be w T ell applied to us, for we were covered 

 with white dust from head to foot ; our faces were ex- 

 coriated by the reflection of the sun's rays from the 

 heated plains ; and> contrasted with the splendour 

 around us, it was impossible not to feel that there was 

 something humiliating in our undisguisable shabbiness. 



All things considered, we were not sorry to find our- 

 selves speedily in possession of quarters in a species of 

 lodging, gaming, eating, and club house, called the Gran 

 Sociedad, at the corner of the two great streets, Espiritu 

 Santo and del Refugio, and near the centre of the city. 

 Here we hired badly furnished apartments, and even- 

 tually settled down for a month's residence. 



A few days, and you may imagine us fairly inured to 

 our new position. 



Espindola having loyally performed his contract, and 

 given up his charge, had clattered out of the gateway 

 with his mules and bag of dollars ; and, in high good 

 humour with his late employers and himself, had set off 

 to seek another engagement among the merchants of the 



