414 
SCENES IN THE PACIFIC. 
oners before the American and British consuls, who rendered 
them all the aid and protection which their situation required. 
They were, however, again tried and condemned to perpetual 
imprisonment upon an island in a mountain lake of Mexico. 
But Mr. Consul Barron—a nobler man never lived—saved 
them. Graham returned to California a broken-spirited, ruin¬ 
ed man. The others are dispersed elsewhere. Our Govern** 
MENT HAS NEVER AVENGED THEIR WRONGS ! 
After tarrying a week at Tepic, we took leave of the gene* 
rous spirits who had succored the unfortunate men that had 
suffered under the tyranny of Californian misrule, and mounted 
our mules on a journey across what is called the Republic of 
Mexico. Our first point of destination was Guadalaxara. 
The country between these two cities was found very uneven 
and generally sterile; not one twentieth of it being susceptible 
of cultivation. The general aspect of the soil is that of a 
reddish dust, encumbered with volcanic rocks ; and the whole 
broken at intervals with mountain peaks, dry river beds, and 
craters of extinct volcanoes, usually sunken far below the 
general surface of the country. Guadalaxara is a town of 
about seventy thousand souls—I believe I am right in sug¬ 
gesting that its inhabitants have souls. At all events, they 
support priests enough to warrant a presumption to that effect. 
The whole city swarms with the scoundrels. This latter term 
is particularly applicable to those of them who forget their 
vows of chastity, and raise large families of illegitimate chil¬ 
dren. I understood there were some that did not practise this 
mode of social life; but did not see them. From Guadalax¬ 
ara we travelled to Queretero. The country between these 
peaces is quite similar to that between Tepic and Guadalaxara. 
It is however more elevated, studded with more mountains, 
and less broken by ravines. Queretero contains about sixty 
thousand souls. The people, like those in Tepic and Guada¬ 
laxara, are little else than partially bleached Indians. There 
are not white people enough to fill the public offices. We 
next travelled to Mexico. The country along this part of our 
