TAMPICO. 



25 



native and foreign, have the same lust of gain ; they 

 only differ in their mode of following it, the one striving 

 for it by hook and crook, the others waiting till it drops 

 before their noses. 



While I am scrawling these general outlines upon pa- 

 per, I may at once say that the tone of society is neither 

 creditable to the superior education of European resi- 

 dents, nor to the lofty pretensions of the Mexican em- 

 ployes, who form the nucleus of native society here. The 

 latter are ignorant and debased, insufferably bigoted and 

 proud : jealous of foreigners, and, I believe, the majority 

 here, as throughout the country, thoroughly unprincipled. 

 Extraordinary indeed must the virtue be, which will 

 make the possessor sensible to stern justice, and insensi- 

 ble to a bribe. 



As to religion-^-name it not : the God of the South is 

 Mammon. Thejfe is nothing in the degraded ultra-Cath- 

 olicism of New Spain which can touch the heart and 

 elevate human nature ; and unfortunately the majority 

 of the young European merchants who resort here to 

 drive their gainful commerce, evince by word and deed, 

 that the lessons of their youth, and the God of their 

 fathers, are alike forgotten. Had there been more fam- 

 ily men among them, one might perhaps have met with 

 more honourable exceptions. Like many mauvais sujets 

 all the world over, they were in general good-tempered, 

 serviceable fellows ; and, personally, we had nothing to 

 complain of, as far as our slight intercourse with them 

 went. 



I have summarily mentioned the two principal classes 

 of the inhabitants, forming, as it were, the elite of the 

 town. It may be observed of the common people, that, 

 little as can be said in their favour as a mass, individual- 

 ly they are by far the most picturesque in form, manner, 

 and clothing. Their characters and costumes are as 

 various as their blood. The poor Indian is distinguished 

 by his sandalled foot, miserable attire, and subdued air. 

 He, at least, seems to have gained nothing by the change 

 of masters. How should he ! He was the slave of the 

 few, now he is the slave of the many. If the Spaniard 



c 



