Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1842-07-27
From Tie Neic Orleans Picdw,ne.
FREEBOOTERS IN MEXICO.

bandiili infesting the high roads of Mexico,
and not few of them glow with sngula-
rity and interest
But a few months ago, the diligence was
proceeding with nine passengers along the
same road, Wien it was ordered to stop by
two ruffians, who suddenly darted into the
road. from thicket, and pointed their wea-
pons at the driver. None Of the passen-
GERS were at all armcd-all were immedi.
ately terror-stricken, and the driver obeved
the freebooter's demand instantly, for fear
Of being shot down from his seat. The
poor fellow sprung to the ground with all
speed, and stood at the head Of his team,
while the bewildered.and trembling passen-
gers quietly submitted to be plundered.-
One Of the thieves remained on his horse,
while the other, with his carbinc cooked in
one hand, was busIy engaged in searching
the pockets and baggage of the travellers
with the other. And this piece Of consul
mate audacity on one side and coward!ce
on the other. took DIace in full 61ylight.--
Nine men sat like bIubbering schoolboys,
and suffered themselves to be rifed when
nothing could have been easier taan to
have disarmed one robber, and shot down
the other in twnkling, or, at least, scared
him of, OBTAINING the other prisoner
Men who could submit tamely to force SO
despcably unequal, deserve all the misfor-
tune in the way Of loss that may befal
them.
Another incident is currently related,
which shows forcibIy how easily the ma
IL I>o Icd w op tro-
veIlers have nerve 10 defend themselves.
They are off like smoke al the first mani
festation Of real danger, and no man with
Il particle Of courage about HIM, need ever
fear them. A solitary Frenchman was
once travelling alone in the diligence from
Pucbla to Mexico, with some five or six
hundred dollars in specie, which he re-
solved to defend as long as he had life
He carried with him the best double bar
relied gun he could find, and had cartridge
made to fit his piece, each contain ing
full charge Of buckshot, which he deter
mined the robbers should pocket before
they should get at his gold.
Somewhere about midnight when The
moon was kindling into burning silver the
ice-encrustcd sides Of the mountain, the
driver Of the diligence suddenly discovered
upon turning bend in the road, a large
party of ranchcros about fifty yards in add
vance. The solitary traveller was immc
diately Informed ofthe fact, and the alarmed
driver pulled up his horses at once. The
FrSachmaI asked if it was not possible TO
secrete his money in the diligence, but the
trembling driver gave answer in the mega
tive. At once preparing himself for war,
the Frenchman swore they should not get
his money without a fight, and he was i'm
mediately ready for action. Both barrels
of his gun we're loaded, and he coolly drew
his ramrod and held it between his fingers
while he took two more cartridges from
his belt and placed them in his teeth, in
order TO facilitate him in reloading. Then
cooking his piece, and seeing that the rob-
bers were not advancing, he commanded
the cowardIy driver 10 resume his seat, and
the diligence slowly proceeded. Cllm as
a block Of stone he awaited the scenc.-
When within n few PAGES Of the rascals,
who were ten in number, nine on horse
back and one on foot, the driver was COM
mandcd by the robbers TO stop, and he did
so.
One of the freebooters then came to the
side Of the dill gence, deliberately opened
the door and ordered the passenger out
But the muzzlc of gun was at the robbers
breast, and the instantaneous reply he re-
ceived was charge Of buckshot in his
heart A wild shrek sprang up fearful
Iy, and started away the moonlight among
the mountain echoes, as the freebooter
gave a convulsive death bound, and fell
stone dead on the. road!
The brave Frenchman had another car
fridge in the discharged barrel instantly,
and the same preliminaries were observed
as before for Quick reloading. Had the
whole ten men beset the door OF the dill
gcnce, the Frcnchman would have shot
every one Of them. They possibly may
have had some vague notion Of that fact,
for in thirty seconds after the robber fell
there was not one Of the other nine in sight,
and our solitary hero in the diligence re-
served his remaining nine fires and pre-
served his gold.
DR.. HERscHELL.-The following account
of visit 10 the celebrated DR.. IlerschelI
is from the Diary and Letters Of Madame
D'Arblay.
Or. Herschell is a delightful man--so
unassuming. with his great learning, so
willing to dispense il TO the ignorant, and
SO cheerful and easy in his general man
ners, that were he no genius, it would be
impossible not TO remark HIM as a pleasing
and sensible man.
81 was equally pleased with his sister,
whom wished TO see very much, for her
great celebrity in her brothers. science
She is very little, very gentle, very mo-
dest, and very ingenious; and her manners
are those Of person unhackneyed and un-
awed by the world, yet DESTROYS 10 meet
and return its smiles. love not The phi
tho, hrn..or NIL hrnthnr nd