Concert--Diligence--Leave Puebla--Escort--View from the Cathedral
Towers--Black Forest--History of the Crosses--Tales of Murder--An
Alarm--Report of a Skirmish--Rio Frío--Law concerning Robbers--Their
_Moderation_--Return to Mexico--Carnival Ball--Improvement in Dress.
MEXICO, 24th.
We went to the concert with our friends, the H---os. The music was better
than the instruments, and the Señora Cesari looked handsome, as she always
does, besides being beautifully dressed in white, with Paris wreaths. We
took leave of our friends at the door of the hotel, at one in the morning,
and lay down for two hours, in the full expectation of being robbed the
following day, a circumstance which has now grown so common, that when the
diligence from Puebla arrives in safety, it excites rather more sensation
than when it has been stopped. The governor had ordered us an escort to
Mexico, to be stationed about every six leagues, but last week the escort
itself, and even the gallant officer at its head, were suspected of being
the plunderers. Our chief hope lay in that well-known miraculous knowledge
which they possess as to the value of all travellers' luggage, which no
doubt not only makes them aware that we are mere pilgrims for pleasure, and
not fresh arrivals, laden with European commodities, but also renders them
perfectly familiar with the contents of our well-shaken portmanteaus; so
that we trusted that a sarape or two, a few rings and earrings, and one or
two shawls, would not prove sufficient to tempt them. We got into the
diligence in the dark, half asleep, having taken all the places but three,
which were engaged before we came; some sleepy soldiers on horseback, ready
to accompany us, and a loaded gun sticking out of each window. Various
beggars, who are here innumerable, already surrounded us; and it is, by the
way, a remarkable circumstance, that notwithstanding the amazing numbers of
the léperos in Puebla, the churches there are kept scrupulously clean, from
which Mexico might take a hint with advantage.
Puebla is one of the few cities founded by the Spanish colonists, instead
of being built upon the ruins of former greatness. It was founded in the
sixteenth century, on the plains of Acajete, in a site occupied only by a
few huts belonging to the Cholula Indians. It is surrounded by productive
corn estates, and the landscape, when the light visited our eyes, was
fertile though flat. The two finest views of Puebla may be seen from the
towers of the cathedral, and from an azotea in the street of San Agustin.
The landscape is extremely varied and very extensive.
To the north we see the mountain of Tlascala, the _Matlalcueyetl_, better
known as the Malinchi; next it the hill and temple of Guadalupe and the
mountain of the Pinar, crowned by its white church. Other churches and
convents adorn the slopes of the mountains, the Church of Loreto, the
Temple of Calvary, etc. The Malinchi is fertile, but these inferior
mountains are sterile and bare.
To the south lie the great volcanoes, and between them we can distinguish
the difficult and steep road by which Cortes undertook his first march to
Mexico. We also see the city and pyramid of Cholula, the hill of San
Nicolas, and that of San Juan, where General Bustamante encamped in 1832,
when he went out against Santa Anna; near it the farm-houses of Posadas and
Zavaleta, one celebrated by a battle, the other by a treaty.
To the east, but at a greater distance than the other mountains, rises the
Peak of Orizava, the Star Mountain; the side now seen, that which rises
over the table land of Mexico; its other side descends rapidly to the
burning plains of Vera Cruz, and is the first distinguishable land
discerned by those who approach these coasts. Even at this distance, its
snowy summit is seen contrasting with its fertile woods and pleasant
villages. It has, what mortals rarely possess united, a warm heart, with a
clear, cold head.
We were awakened at a posada by their bringing us some hot coffee, and a
man with a white nightcap on, having poked his head in at the window, in
defiance of a loaded musket, I concluded he was a lépero, and sleepily told
him I had nothing for him, in the phrase of the country to importunate
beggars; "Perdone V. por Dios!" "Excuse me, for God's sake!"--but he proved
to be a gentleman, who merely came to put himself and his property at our
disposal, at that early hour of the morning.
When we entered the black forest, and passed through the dark pine woods,
then the stories of robbers began, just as people at sea seem to take a
particular pleasure in talking of shipwrecks. Every cross had its tale of
murder, and by the way, it seems to me, that a work written with
_connaissance de cause_, and entitled "History of the Crosses," though it
might not equal the "History of the _Crusades_," would be quite as
interesting, and much more romantic, than the Newgate Calendar. The
difficulty would consist in procuring authentic information concerning
them. There were a lady and two gentlemen in the diligence, and the lady
seemed to be very much _au fait_ as to their purport and history. Under one
her own servant was buried, and she gave rather a graphic account of his
murder. He was sitting outside, on the top of the diligence. The party
within were numerous but unarmed. Suddenly a number of robbers with masks
on came shouting down upon them from amongst the pine trees. They first
took aim at the poor _mozo_, and shot him through the heart. He fell,
calling in piteous tones to a padre who was in the coach, entreating him to
stop and confess him, and groaning out a farewell to his friend the driver.
Mortal fear prevailed over charity both in priest and layman, and the
coachman, whipping up his horses, passed at full gallop over the body of
the murdered man, so that, the robbers being on foot, the remainder of the
party escaped.
Whilst we were listening to tales of blood and murder, our escort took
leave of us, supposing that we should meet another immediately, whereas we
found that we had arrived at the most dangerous part of the road, and that
no soldiers were in sight. We certainly made up our minds to an attack this
time, and got ready our rings and watches, not to hide, but to give, for we
womenkind were clearly of opinion, that in case of an attack, it was much
better to attempt no defence, our party having only two guns amongst them.
There was a diligence some way behind us, full of people, and belonging to
another line; driven by a Yankee coachman, so drunk that he kept his seat
with difficulty, and, in defiance of all remonstrances, persisted in
driving the coach at a gallop close by the brink of the great precipice
along which the road wound; so that the poor passengers were exposed to a
double danger.
Suddenly our escort appeared at the top of the hill, and the officer,
riding up, excused himself to C---n for the delay, which had arisen from
their having been engaged in a skirmish with the robbers in that very
place. Two he said were taken, and he had marched them off to Puebla, where
they will probably be let off in a few days, after a form of trial. Four
had escaped, and had hid themselves amongst the trees and rocks, but could
not, according to his calculations, be very far off. However, we were quite
reassured by the arrival of the soldiers, and the sight of Rio Frío was
very reviving. We got a very tolerable dinner from the Bordelaise in the
forest-valley; and although the next part of the road is reckoned very
insecure, we had no longer any apprehension, as besides having an escort,
the fact that some of the robbers had been taken a few hours before, made
it very unlikely that they would renew their attempts that day.
This pestilence of robbers, which infests the republic, has never been
eradicated. They are in fact the growth of civil war. Sometimes in the
guise of insurgents, taking an active part in the independence, they have
independently laid waste the country, and robbed all whom they met. As
expellers of the Spaniards, these armed bands infested the roads between
Vera Cruz and the capital, ruined all commerce, and without any particular
inquiry into political opinions, robbed and murdered in all directions. In
1824 a law was proposed in congress, which should subject all armed bands
of robbers to military judges, in order to shorten proceedings, for many of
those who had been apprehended and thrown into prison, found some
opportunity to escape, while their trial was pending, and many had been
imprisoned four or five times for the same offence, yet never brought to
justice. In this law were included both robbers by profession and those
bodies of insurgents who were merely extempore amateurs.
But whatever measures have been taken at different times to eradicate this
evil, its causes remain, and the idle and unprincipled will always take
advantage of the disorganized state of the country, to obtain by force what
they might gain by honest labour. Count ----- says gravely, that he cannot
imagine why we complain of Mexican robbers, when the city of London is full
of organized gangs of ruffians, whom the laws cannot reach; and when
English highwaymen and housebreakers are the most celebrated in the world.
Moreover, that Mexican robbers are never unnecessarily cruel, and in fact
are very easily moved to compassion. This last assertion may, occasionally
hold good, but their cruelties to travellers are too well known to bear him
out in it as a general remark.
As a proof of their occasional moderation, I may mention, that the ladies
of the F---a family, at the time of their emigration, were travelling from
Mexico with a _padre_, when they were met by a party of robbers or
insurgents, who stopped the coach, and commenced pillaging. Amongst other
articles of value, they seized a number of silver dishes. The padre
observed to them, that as this plate did not belong to the ladies, but was
lent them by a friend, they would be obliged to replace it, and requested
that one might be left as a pattern. The reasonable creatures instantly
returned a dish and cover!
Another time, having completely stripped an English gentleman and his
servant, and tied them both to a tree, observing that the man appeared
particularly distressed at the loss of his master's spurs, they politely
returned and laid the spurs beside the gentleman.
About four o'clock, though nearly blinded with dust, we once more looked
down upon the valley of Mexico, and at five, during our last change of
horses, we were met by Don M---l del C---o and the English courier Beraza,
who had ridden out to meet us, and accompanied us on their fine horses as
far as the Garita. Here we found our carriage waiting; got in and drove
through Mexico, dusty as we were, and warlike as we seemed, with guns at
the windows. In the Calle San Francisco, the carriage was stopped by
Mr. -----, Secretary to the English Legation, who invited us to a grand
masked and fancy carnival ball to be given on Monday, it being now
Saturday. On our return home, we found everything in good order. Had some
difficulty in procuring ball-dresses in time.
On Sunday we had a number of people to dinner, by chance, it being Spanish
fashion to dine at a friend's house without invitation. This evening we go
to the ball.
26th.--The ball was in the theatre, and very brilliant, but too many of
the first people on these occasions keep their boxes, and do not dance; yet
it was wonderfully select for so large an assembly. When we arrived, we
were led upstairs by some of the commissioners, those who had charge of the
ball, to the E----'s box, whom we found, as usual, elegantly dressed--the
married ladies of the family with diamonds, the younger ones in white crape
and gold. I had a black silk mask, but finding myself universally
recognized, saw no particular advantage in keeping it on, and promptly
discarded it. We took a few turns in the ball-room, and afterwards returned
to the box. There were some capital figures in masks, and some beautiful
ball-dresses, and though there were a number of dominoes and odd figures, I
could not help remarking the great improvement in toilet which had taken
place since the fancy ball of last year. One or two girls, especially the
Señorita M----, wore ball-dresses which could only have proceeded from the
fingers of a Parisian modiste. Madame de -----, dressed as a peasant, and
with a mask, was known everywhere by her small foot and pretty figure. But
it is impossible to look on at a ball very long, not mingling with it,
without growing tired; and not even the numerous visitors to our box could
prevent us from feeling much more sleepy than during many a moonlight ride
through the lovely lanes of _tierra caliente_.
Next night there was a public masked ball, but we did not attend it. We
feel much the better for our journey, and only hope that some day C---n may
have leisure sufficient to enable us to take another ride through some
other part of the country. This being near Lent, we shall have no _soirées_
for six weeks, though balls are occasionally given during that time of
fasting. The house has become very comfortable in the way of servants; our
housekeeper a treasure, the coachman and footman excellent, the cook
tolerable, the soldiers rarely tipsy more than once a week, and generally
only one at a time, the others decent--so that we have nothing to complain
of ----- has established a hen-house near the stable, and any old Indian
woman who brings her a _manojo_ (several hens tied together) is sure to be
received with open arms.
One of our first visits on our return was to Tacubaya, where we were sorry
to find the Countess C---a very much indisposed, and her courtyard filled
with carriages, containing visitors making inquiries. I shall now send off
my letters by the packet, that you may see we are safely re-established in
Mexico.