34 



PUEBLO VIEJO. 



but bushy hill ; with the tranquillity reigning in the streets 

 and environs, forms a pleasant contrast to the busy, half 

 European, and more prosaic features of its more pros- 

 perous rival. The peninsular position of Tampico, ren- 

 dered it of necessity subject to a certain degree of mo- 

 notony. Here there was none ; the town was low built 

 and flat roofed, the facades of the houses mostly showing 

 in the faded gayety of their colouring, what they had 

 once been. Many had courts and porticoes, and a group 

 of tasty old houses, of Spanish erection, near the humble 

 church and in the vicinity a group of tall cocoa palms, 

 marked the former seat of government. 



Were you inclined for an hour's stroll, that hour car- 

 ried you up the undulating slope of the hills, amid a wil- 

 derness of sweet flowers and shrubs, pausing from time 

 to time to catch a glance of that broad and magnificent 

 picture, of those lakes and rivers with their intermediate 

 woods and plains, glowing in the sunshine, till gaining the 

 crest called La Mira, you might survey the country 

 spread like a map at your feet on one hand, and on the 

 other the deep blue waters of the gulf unfurled to the 

 eastern horizon. Did you seek repose and shade, a foot- 

 way, turning abruptly from the main road of the town 

 against the bosom of the hill, brought you unexpectedly 

 to the Fuenta, a little dell concealing one of the most 

 beautiful and poetic springs in any land. How poetic ! 

 how classic ! I have often exclaimed, when burying 

 myself under the shade of the trees and luxuriant creep- 

 ers, which, in untrimmed luxuriance, overhung that ro- 

 mantic paradise of birds, butterflies, and garapatos, and 

 scanning the groups of females gathered round its basin. 

 The source lay concealed underneath a massive shrine of 

 gray stone, to which convenient access was afforded by a 

 descent of a few stone steps, while a long stone reservoir, 

 extending for a dozen feet along the bank of the dell, 

 richly overshadowed by a splendid line of matted creep- 

 ers from the trees above, served the purpose of a con- 

 venient place for washing. Its margin was generally 

 crowded with females of all ages. The groups employed 

 in filling their large earthen jars and bottles, the grace- 



