The Sun.
London, England, 1846-09-04 00:00:00

THE MEXICAN SOLDIERY.

The Mexican soldier is of the middle stature, or below
it, small-boned, slightly built, graceful, with a smooth,
soft, glossy skin, scarcely any muscle, no visible sinews,
and of extremely light weight. He can be agile for a
short time, but is constitutionally indolent. This is the
Mexican Indian from the interior. The soldiers of
mixed blood, partaking of the more northern races, and
of old Spain, are stronger, rather sinewy, and capable of
more continued exertion. These, however, comprise
only a minority of the soldiers of the Mexican army.
The Mexicans are capable of no great physical efforts
or endurance. Their constitutions are without stamina ;
and from their habit of getting into the shade whenever
they can during the day, taking a 'sap at noon, or lying
about under walls or in shady places, flat upon the
ground, to play at cards for reales or medios (and
dollars, if they have any), they are so enervated that
the climate, during the sickly season, is very apt to
affect numbers of them, if much expossd during the
fiercest hours of the day ; to which, in fact, they have
never been accustomed. They very often take the yellow
fever, and even die of the vomito negro (particularly at
Vera Cruz, Tampico, and Alverado), as well as the
temeritous foreigners. They even fear it beforehand.
A Mexican soldier who has been drunk over night
with aquadiente, and has a sick headach next morning,
will ask permission of his sergeant to' leave the ranks
during parade or guard duty, as be is very unwell, and
will go and squat down under a wall or shed. If you
ask him what is the matter, he shakes his head
with a melancholy, much injured, but resigned air,
and answers, " Calentura, senor—calentura." I will
answer for it that any moderately strong English grena-
dier—not a regular boxer, but who can only " hit
straight"—would knock down ten or a dozen Mexican
soldiers, equally unarmed, one after another, as fast as
they presented themselves. Put a sword into their
hands, and give a stout Highlander a claymore, or a raw-
boned Irishman a good shillelah, and the ten soldiers
would be very likely to tumble to the right and left with
broken blades and heads. The Mexicans are by no
means deficient in courage. They have fiery spirits and
no fear of cold steel. They are "always ready to die." I
have even heard them in hours of danger use that very ex-
pression. What they want is physical force; the power to
justify their feelings. The Mexican officers are for the
most part not good. They are valiant but have no
judgment. They are far too exciteable, and without
self-government. Moreover they are much too young ;
many of their lieutenants, and even captains, being
mere boys. I was once acquainted in Vera Cruz
twith a Mexican colonel of artillery who was not
wo-and -twenty. He was a very well-informed, high-
spirited,toian and
a amiablegood young man,
;but, of
a g
oodcoumrasethwemith-
a-
out any adequate experience for such a post. The
Mexican cavalry is admirable—in respect of horseman-
ship. The artillery is good in all respects. In the re-
cent battles (as well as in former wars) they seldom
failed to throw their balls and shells directly into the
works of the fortress attacked ; and before General
Vegal's little fort was taken, his guns had destroyed
one-third of the assailants ; but when the strong-armed
men got close in amongst the Mexican ranks it was all
over in a minute.—American paper.

PORTUGUESE ONIONS.—A vessel arrived at one of
he wharfs adjoining the Custom-house from Oporto
has brought a cargo consisting entirely of onions, com-
prising, consigned to different houses, the large number
of 800 boxes of this description of vegetable, the pro-
duction of Portugal. We have lately alluded to the ex-
tensive importation of onions which have taken place
from the quarter under notice, but no instance of an
entire cargo, or so large an arrival at one time, has come
under our observation. Whether they be imported to
so great extent for pickling purposes, which is so general
at this season of the year, or otherwise, they evidently
form an important and interesting feature in the list of
foreign supplies to our markets, and
the present im-
portation, on account of the large quantity, is entitled to
particular notice.
EARLY CLOSING OF PAWNBROKERS' SHOPS.—
Yesterday, the Act to regulate the hours of business in
pawnbrokers' shops, w hich was passed on Friday, was
printed. It will take effect in the course of the present
month. The following is the enacting clause:—" That,
from and after the 29th September next after the pass- ,
ing of this Act, no pawnbroker shall receive or take in,
or permit or suffer to be received or taken in, any goods
or chattels by way of pawn, pledge, or in exchange, be-
fore eight of the clock in the forenoon, or after seven
of the clock in the evening, between the 29th September
and the 25th March following, or before seven of the
clock in the forenoon or after eight of the clock in the
evening during the remainder of the year, excepting only
until eleven of the clock on the evening of Saturday
throughout the
year, and the evenings next preceding
Good Friday and Christmas- day, and on every fast or
thanksgiving day appointed by her Majesty; and in case
any pawnbroker offeud against the provisions of this Aet,
every such pawnbroker shall, for every such offence, on
conviction thereof upon the oath of any one or more cre-
dible witness or witnesses, before any one or more of
her Majesty's justices of the peace having jurisdiction
over the place where such offence shall have been or
shall be committed, forfeit and
pay not less than 205.,
nor exceeding 51., as such justice or justices shall
.ad-
judge; and every such penalty shall and may be levied,
together with all the costs attending the information,
summons, and conviction, by distress and sale of goods
and chattels of the offender or offenders, or person or
persons liable to pay the same respectively, by warrant
under the hand and seal of any justice or justices before
whom such offender or offenders, person or persons shall
or may be convicted; and every such penalty shall be
applied and disposed of in like manner as forfeitures in-
curred for any offence against the last recited Act" (the
39 & 40 Gee. 3, c. 99).