The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1847-06-04

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than any which | had seen in Mexi-
CO. As he appeared to be very much
engaged, made my visi! short he
ofrerd me guards, if | should desire
them but | declined and, after a
conversation of an hour, took my
leave.
Fuebla stands, according to the
best observations, just 1900 feet, or
more than a mile and one third, above
the level of the sea. And such is
the diminution of the temperature
in consequence, that the evenings
were cool, and the nights quite cold
when passed through it, although
it was then exactly midsummer, and
the sun was nearly vertical at noon.
The surrounding country is better
cultivated than any other which | saw
in Mexico; wheat, Indian corn, and
beans being the principal articles of
agriculture. Tie city is not only
the seat of religion and education,
but also of manufactures large
mount of cotton fabrics being pro-
duced there, under the benign inilu-
ence Of productive duties, equiva-
liant to two or three times the value of
the foreign article excluded. Yet
nearly all the raw cotton consumed
in Mexico comes from the United
States, and pays an import duty at
the place of entry, from which it is
to be carried on mules, at an enor-
nous expense, to tie place ofmanu-
facture. The Inhabitants seem TO be
almost exclusively mesti-os, the In
dian evidently predominating much
more than at Jalapa or Vera Cruz.
The Poblanos by no means enjoy a
high chara cter for order or honesty;
being on the contrary, regarded as
little better in those respects than
the people of Perote. Puebla is in
deed the headquarters of ruflianism
and Intolerance. | was assured that
until within a few years a foreigner
could rarely pass through the city
without being attacked or insulted !;
and when the stage coaches were
first established about 1882, they
were regularly stoned as soon as
they appeared. A better order of
things was, however, beginning to
manifest itself, Notwithstanding the
efforts Of Bishop Vazquez to pre-
vent it; and for myself, can only
say, that during my walks through
the city on two evenings, from five
o'clock until nearly eleven, | met
with no disagreeablc incident what
ever.
We left Puebla on the morning OF
the 18th of July, at half-past three
O'Clock. The coach was filled with
passengers, among whom were a
Mexican officer, and an Englishman,
with several women, one of whom,
about 80 years old, did nothing but
smoke cigaritos during the whole OF
the journey. AS soon as it was light,
began TO look out on the left for
the remains Of the great pyramid OF
Cholula, within four miles of which
we were TO pass and soon recog-
Missed it, rising high above the plain,
with the church on its summit, Just
as it appears in Uumbolt's drawing
-reminded Inc strongly of the cele-
brated lsola Bella, in the Lake
Maggiore, near Milan. To those
who may not have read any of the
numerous descriptions of this pyra-
mid, | will simply say that it is q
square mass Of unburnt bricks, l75
feet in height, constructed in foul
stages, the lowest of which is more
than 1900 feet square, with the
sides exactly opposite to the foui
quarters of the compass. At what
period it was erected there are nc
accounts or other means of judging
its date is, however supposed to be
far anterior to the occupation of the
country by the Aztecs, whom Cor
tez found in possession; and there is
nothing calculated to contradict the
idea that its antiquity may equal
that of the Egyptian piles.
At the distance of I miles from
Puebla, we crossed the Rio Prieto,
or Black river, "A small stream which
drains the valley OF Puebia, and
empties into the Pacific, near Aca-
Ipulco, forming the only outlet from
the plateau between the two great
ranges, Of which Orizaba and Po-
pocatapetl are respectively the high
est pinacles. From this stream we
began the ascent Of the last mention
ed range, which divides the valley OF
Mexico from that Of Puebla; the
rise is gradual and the road is good,
so that we proceeded at a fair pace,
and before seven O'Clock we arrived
at the town ofSan Martin el Grande.
seventeen miles from Puebla.
Wharf.-The Weapons.
The ladies, who are continual,
on the watch for means to render
themselves irresistible, have adopt
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