LETTER II. 
VERA CRTJZ. 
YoTJ left me in sight of land-on soundings-with the Peak of Orizaba 
in full view, and although we presumed it highly probable that we 
would make our harbor before evening, yet were we disappomted. 
The wind became baffling toward noon, and notwithstandmg our captain 
was a brave man and stanch seaman, he determined, at nightfall, to 
avoid running close in with the shore, and therefore "lay to until day- 
light. Nothing could be more provoking ; the city was not more than en 
iniles distant, and the lights in the houses were distinctly visible over the 
^ WitTthe first streak of dawn, however, all was bustle on deck, and the 
topsails spread to the morning breeze. Day broke gloriously over the 
sea ; our colors were run up ; the ship headed for the harbor ; and when 
within a mile or two of -the castle, a pilot came on board. Our_ first m- 
quiry was as to the yellow fever-our next, as to the revolution. Of 
the first disease there were no remains, and the latter had termmated m 
ihe political death of Bustamante. . o. t 
At eicrht o'clock we moored under the walls of the Castle of St. Juan 
de Ulloa ; and in an hour afterward, with umbrellas spread to protect us 
from the scorching Novemler sun, we landed_ on the quay which has for 
so many years poured out the wealth of Mexico. 
Vera Cruz lies on a low, sandy shore, extending for miles along the 
coast I will not trouble you with the details of this city's history, famous 
as the spot where thousands have come to die of the vomito-ov, to make 
their fortunes (if they survi^ the certain attack of that disease,) and 
return with shattered constitutions to colder climates, to ache in memory 
of the heat they endured in Mammon's service. 
Landing at the Moletta, the first thing that struck me was a gang of 
more than a hundred galley-slaves, chained, and at work mthe broil- 
ing sun, cutting and carrying stone to repair the broken pier. i_ne 
second was the roofs of the churches, which seemed to be covered with 
mourning, as I supposed for some deceased prelate. The mourning 
turned out, however, to be nothing more than thousands of zopilotes or 
turkey-buzzards, the chief of which is usually perched on the peak ot 
the cross of the loftiest church-a sentinel for prey ! These two classes 
of folks, to wit : the galley-slaves and zopilotes, constitute a large part 
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