The Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1834-184?, 1846-10-01
From the New Orleans Bee.
A NIGHT IN MATAMOROS,


yards and upon The tops of houses, a MAORI
ty of which have fiat roofs. When the
hour for retiring arrives, which is generally
speaking much earlier than in the large cities
in the United States, they pull their cots out
into the courtyard, (every house here of any
size has large yard in the rear) and two
or three dozen, male and female, sleep in
one enclosure. Those who have not cots
or the means of procuring them, make
very comfortable bed upon the bricks--with
which most OF those yards are paved. The
great majority of Mexicans rise early, fre-
quenty before the sun, but they sleep again
in the evening, from until about half past
o'clock. In fact they are as regular in
their siesta as you are in your dinner, and
when returning from my dinner, there are
seven or eight houses, the front rooms of
which are covered with cots, (bedsteads are
used only as ornaments here) upon which
senior, sonora, senoriias, and all the little ords
are mapping of at beautiful rate. Amongst
The over particular people of your country,
a lady would no more think OF sleeping IN
a room fronting thoroughfare, with the
window blinds open, than she would OF fly
ing. But here, bless you, they think moth
ing of ii. Why here, young senorita will
come to the window, and converse with a
gentleman of her acquaintance with Moth
ing on but chemise, and think no more of
II than Camp street gentleman would Of
going into house with his coat on. can
relate 20 you little incident that occurred
| in nv presence, and in which | figured
somewhat, to show you how little hold affec-
ted modes,y has taken with the natives:
In the courtyard of the house in which
occupy room, there are from go to 80
persons, including the owners family and
his domestics, two other families with their
domestics, with those who rent stores and
rooms from him, aud there are very many
1 who do that, considering that his building oc-
cupies whole square, seVen-eighths OF
whom sleep in the yard, or upon the roof
of The house. Men, women and children
4 sleep within few feet of each other as if
they were one family, and frequently they
have never spoken together. A sonora will
pull off all her UPPER garments, and lay down
upon her cot within or feet of gentle
man without seeming to know or care wheth-
er he is within that many miles. You must
not inler from this that such are bad women,
for if you do you will be frequently wrong.
1t is The manner in which they have been
educated, and the fault is in lack of mod
esiy, nothing else.
One night between ii and IL o'clock,
whea all were asleep in this yard, heavy
shower of rain came on, and you never saw
such scampng as there was for the rooms.
The early part Of the night was remarkably
warm and sultry, and an unprecedented
number had gone out TO sleep in the open
, air, or some six or seven Americans had
r gone on the top Of the roof, which they
reached by light ladder from the yard
The FIRST lew drops of rain admonished me
! to be up and moving. and ] had just got my
cot into my room, and was returning for
!, some clothing had dropped in my hurry,
= when | observed a senorita pulling away at
. The ladder and endeavoring TO remove it,
quickly comprehended her meaning and
: as quickly went to her assistance. We re-
: moved the ladder just in time 10 prevent a
, we'll drenched young man from descending.
!, !. The others quickly came up to the edge OF
/" The roof with The same intention, and begged
: US TO furnish Them the means of defending;
but no, we were memorable. Every stitch
: of our own clothing was wet, and we were
determined that the Joke should be carried
: out. They begged and laughed; others got
wind of what was going on, and joined us,
: :. and more amusing and ludicrous scene il
. would be impossible 10 picture. At length
: the cloud passed over, the moon broke forth
: and loud roar of laughter followed it, for
: there stood some half dozen fellows in their
: shirts and drawers; some with blanket UNI
. der the arm, others with one over them, and
: one or two with Cot under the arm, doub-
= led up so as 10 prevent The rain from soaking
: in it. With the moon-shine their good ma
. lures returned, and they heartily joined in
!, The laugh exacted at their own expense
" The next night those who were high mind
! ed enough TO roof it, had tie precaulion TO
= pull the ladder up after them.