Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1846-08-22
Correspondence Of The American.


the Sabbath to go out, all the world here does,
and partake of the usual Mexican amusements of
cock.6ghting and fandangos. am not rrofes-
siLg Christian, but here the want of Christianity
in its purest forms is painfully evident, that
sigh often escapes me on contemplating the
wretchedness of this deluded and degraded popu.
lation. The commonality, and the lower orders
of the Mexican race are, in this part of the coun.
try land 1presume il is not unlike the rest of the
-epubc,) though nomnally free, the veriest
slaves on earth worse of, and more completely
brutalised. by many degrees, than the lowest of
our Southern negroes They are rarely half
dressed. mostly possessing but single garment,
made of coarse white muslin, in the shape of a
pair of Pennsylvania -four bags joined together,
la Siamese, and representing the distorted ghos
Of a pair of panialoons. This article of dress is
universally worn without suspenders and in
case Of rain, muddy roads, or anything of that
kind, the owner rolls them from both extreme
ties, until the most rigid follower of Baron Swe
denborg could no longer discover the slightest re
sembdance OF pair of pants about him. On thes,
occasions he is once more d savage, as far a
dress md the color OF his skin can make him.
But their customs are even more remarkabI
than their dress. You really buy Mexican
for his whole lifetime, for about thirty dollars
Parents sell their children for term of years, Z,
individuals who treat them as they do their hor
ses and often prize them less highly than the,
do an ordinary specimen Of the latter animal.
had no idea. before coming TO this country
that the Mexicans are so dark as / have foun,
them. II always seemed TO me that they wer
merely Spaniards, born in this country, and dit
fering from the inhabitants Of old Spain only i
their manners and customs. But instead of re
sembling the latter they are dark as Indians, nay
negroes. With very few exceptions, they are c
a dark coffee color, with high cheek bones, th
| lips, very slight beard, and straight black hair
which is very abundant, and coarse as the man
of horse. And ;he manner of wearing thei
hair is sadly TO their disadvantage: being allowe
to grow down to their eyebrows, and totally oil
scure the forehead, it gives them the most vi
lannon's appearance you can possibly imagine
Their extraordinary passion for silver orn
ments is, dare say, well known to you; but III
utterly useless, and indan.like application ofth
metal, for the sake of show alone. has indeed,
no small degree surprised me. You will see
pair Of bags walking in the Plaza, with II
brown body Of a man extending from their upp.
extremity TO vast superstructure OF straw, Sc
wing in the treble capacity Of hat. sun. shade ar
umbrella. Near the rim of this covering, ye
will perceive three or four turns Of a half in,
rope made of silver tinsel, at the ends of whi,
are appended long silver wires with bulb
knob OF the same metal on the end of EACH oft,
finely chased and, 'for all the world" like wh
our ladies call har-pins Half way up the DO,
Of this hat, and on each side, is piece of siv
plate about three inches in length, and general
cut into the shape of widely spread eagle a
from the extremity of each wing extends slv
mob, about the size Of fbert, upon a silver
destal of an inch and bali 10 length Thes
and others Of the same character have, in
eyes Of Mexican, charm far above gold or
Almonds They glitter in the sun; and that
the height of Mexican glory.
1 You must recollect that thus far I have or
been speaking OF the Seniors: now let me sa,
word concerning the Senioras and seniorit
! The ladies of this part OF Mexico, after arrivi
at the age Of about thirty years, almost witho
| exception become very fat and lubberly; and
they have hitherto possessed any charms in t
way OF beauty, they are all apt to take III
! leave save one, and that remains faithful tos
last. All Mexican women, of whatever a
have teeth of the most admirable whiteness
=
to this rule since came TO Mexico. The VI
emLonpoint of these Gonnas would, at first sig
satisfy you Of their lively, laughing, dispositi
| You never enter their houses without being
ceived with smiles, and many compliments
| wishes concerni- your health and are univ
sally presented with cigarrito just taken fir
| a pair Of lips that still possess just cla
vpon your admiration. This, whether you ar
! smoker or not, you must consume before
leave the house; and sometimes even / ha
found them much too short. But between
oiearrios and the dark eyed daughters, I b;
several times felt my head reel, and my idea,
the utmost confusion. However. | must apr
pirate special paragraph 70 the Senioritas.
| believe it is generally admitted that the IT
potent weapon of the Mexican ladies is their ey
That they are very brilliant and expressive
nit. without hesitation but that they erce.
this particular feature. I most positively de
! have seen dark eyes In old Pennsylvania,
as far eebpsed in lustre and intelligence ALT
have seen in Mexico, as sunshine does in bri,
ness the shades of midnight, The features
the face are seldom strikingly handsome, ore
regular; and the ravages Of the small pox
| rout ihuta1 in M email dauraa 20 -hI;to,