392 DON ANGEL TRIAS, Book II. 
uphold any unworthy party spirit or persecution, so that 
this revolution in Chihuahua was the most harmless and 
amiable one it has ever been my fortune to witness. 
Public life was naturally full of excitement, and more 
interesting to a stranger than under the usual course of 
events ; but the European would err greatly in thinking 
that such, a political change in the less civilized Mexican 
territory must necessarily assume a harsher form than in 
Europe, justly proud as she is of her refinement. Chi- 
huahua at least, where the change was deeply felt by all, 
could have shamed by her example, the party-spirit of 
many German states under similar circumstances. The 
controversy was conducted by the press with vigour, but 
without coarseness, Five newspapers appeared at that 
time in this small town, and their numbers, with other 
temporary papers, were always announced daily in the 
streets. The inhabitants from time to time were roused 
by the bells tolling in the night, that they might learn some 
important intelligence, some new success which had at- 
tended the principal party. Thus, on January 31, it was 
told through the town that General Trias had been re- 
quested to come from Guadalaraja and take the command 
of the army of the Pronunciados, then marching towards 
the capital, and that, in case of success, powerful support 
for the presidency was promised. 
Don Angel Trias is an interesting man, well known 
both in Mexico and in the United States. At this time 
I was introduced to him by Colonel Langberg, and spent 
an evening with him in animated conversation about 
natural history, literature, and the latest political events 
in Europe. Referring to the geology of the country, he 
showed me a well-preserved grinder of a mastodon, which 
had been lately found on the eastern side of the Sierra 
