Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1829-02-11
A MERCHANT.
From unpublished letters on Mexico, by an officer
of the Mexican Navy.

me DAEtuG oTOuNu " y cru STNZ.
A wild weed grown plantation presented it.
self: the trees unhealthy, s'unted, and many Of
them broken in the middle, and trailing the
upper half Of their decayed foliage across the
pathways. The sun srnck down in full glare
over the place, and p, sifcrous neat rose up
in palpahle exhalalions from the ground 1t
was now The oommchcem"n,loi the sickly sea.
son. Behold how much excellent advice vas
thrown away upon me; for certainly NAV rec
kon this visit among the foremost OF all my i'm
prudent actions. Blu, my hungeriug after won
dcrs and adventures almost dispeled every fear
Of conse quences, and quite ob'ierated from my
memory all DR.. James Johnson has said in his
excellent work on the "Infuence Of Tropical
Climates on European constitutions which
YOU were kind enough to send me previous to
my departure. My steps were n.w lmpedrd
by a quantity Of human bones OF all shapes,
hurs, and dimensions; bare and beached, black
or decaying, and what was infinitely worse,
some Of them were covered with dry and dis
coloured skin. paused awhile and looked a
round me II seemed like The high road to
Hades; and some minutes elapsed ere | fell,
thoroughly disposed 10 proceed. A few PAGES
further, however, broughi me more immed ae-
ly into the scene; for on the right hand side,
piled up in the angle Of decayed and erumb.
ling wall. lay Tremendous, h APP OF bare and
grinni"g skulls! They were mol arranged in
any express form, but had evidently been cas-,
there for the purpose of clearing away lil;le,
jus, as we see rubbish heaped up ina corner.
a drunken party Of soldiers and sailors sacking
q town, or a herd OF resurrection men, who
should act thus, would occasion little surprise
to those who are al all acquainted with such
"men and times;" we nigh, even excuse a So
cieiy of antiluaries, or Other depredators and
despoilers for the good Of science, had they
done so in a strange country (,hrir own native
land being natural. if not philosophical tx
cep,ion), but that any nation Of people so far
removed from barbarism as The Mexicans nov
are, should thus heedlessly toss about The man
gled remains OF their coun,rymtn-beslde ma.
ny Of whom they had fought and bird; with
whom they had Ioiled, and eat, and slept in
close companionship-would puzzle any one
10 explain, un,il he became thoroughly acquain-
ted with this singular people. seemed TO
stand III a vision Of skulls! Just in the act OF
turning oh TO path be, ween the 'rees On my
left cAugh' sight Of an object which instantly
brought all my impressions 10 climax. Up
on high green bank, few yards from this
hideous heap Of The last remnants Of mortality,
stood one solitary skull, apparently looking
down al me from its dark and hollow eve caves!
What made it SO pre.sminently dreadful, was
the Circumstance of its having all the hair up,
on the head, while the face, temples, jaws, and
teeth, were Of ghas,ly and ivory whitsness!!
! shuddered Involuntary, end for moment
felt my self facina,ed, as it were and rivcied IL
the spot BY its apparent consciousness, both Of
itself and Of my presence. could not help
looking behind al it as walked away.