Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1847-09-08

scribe the whole of this building to you-a
book would not suffice for the immense and
minute detail with which its walls and affairs
are embellished.
In order to afford you some idea of the
wealth of the church generally-and pass
ing over plate-glass and chrystal, silver
frames, lamps, carving and gliding enough
to make an ordinary metropolitan church
blaze with splendor-I will only mention
one object in the body of the buiIding-the
altar and it's accessories.
The cathedral occupies a space of 500
feet by 400 front. The main altar is not
erected against the wall, butnear the centre
OF the edifice, beneath the dome. From
this, extending around the choir probably
two hundred feet, there is a rail between
four and five feet high, and of proportions
bic thickness, composed of gold, silver and
a small alloy of brass. This Is surmount-
ed with silver statues for candles. In front
of the altar is the choir, itself a church, built
of dark woods of the rarest antique carving.
The altar (placed upon a marble platform,
eleyating it from the floor of the building.
and covered with gold and silver ornaments.
candlesticks, and crosses) is of wrought and
polished silver; and the whole is surmount-
ed by a small temple, in which rests the
figure of the Virgin Of Remedies, who en-
Joys the exclusive right Of three petticoats
one embroidered with pearls, another
with cmeralds, and tlird with diamonds
the value OF which, | am credibv inform
ed, is not less than three millions of dollars!
This, you will recolect, is only one part of
one church in Mexico, and that one said
not to be the richest!
Passing from the cathedral door to the
southeastern portion Of the city, YOU reach
the outskirts, crossing in your way the ca
nails from the lake. | have rarely seen
such miserable suburbs; they are filled with
novels built with sun dried bricks, often
worn with the weather to the shape of
holes in the mud, while on their carthen
floors crawl, coot, live, and multiply, the
Notwithstanding population Of tperoS.
This word, believe, is not pure Spanish
butts derived originally, it is said, from the
Castjljan iopra, or leper; and although they
do not suffer from that loarhsomc malady,
they are quite as disgusting.
Blackcn Il man in the sun; let his hair
grow long and tangled, or become filled with
vcmin; let him plod about the streets in all
kinds Of dirt for years, and never know the
use Of brush or towel, or water cven,cXccpt
IN storms; let him put on pair of leather
hreachcs at twenty, and wear them until
forty. without change or addition, and, over
all. place "A torn and blachcned hat, and a
lattcraa blanket brgrimcd with denominations
let him have wild eyes, and shining teeth,
and features pjnchcd by famine into sharp
ness; breasts barred and Drowned, and (if
lcmales) with two or three miniatures of
the same species trotting after her, and an
mother certainly strapped to her back;-
combine all these in your imagination, and
YOU have receipt for Mexican lepero.
There, on the canals, around the mark cts
and pWiue shops, the Indians and these
miserable out-casts hang all day long; feed
ing on fragments .quarcling, drinking, steal
ing, and lying drunk about the payemcnts,
with their children CRYING with hunger
around them. At night they stink off TO
these suburbs. aud coil themselves up on
the damp floors OF their Iairs, to sleep of
The effects of liquor, and to awake to anoth-
cr day Of misery and crime. ltit wonder
luI, in a city with an immense proportion Of
It's Inhabitants of such class, (hopeess in
he present and lulurc,) that there are MUIR
dcrrrs and robbers,
In The Indian population which pours
into the capitol from the lakes, must say
that there is apparently more worth and
character You see them lolIing about in
their boats on the canals, and passing and
rcpassing in their canoes, plying between
the city aud Chalco and Tczcoco. Ii is a
beautiful sight to behold these tiny vessels
skim like floating gardens to the quays in
the morning, laden 10 the waters edge with
the fruits, flowers, and vegetables, that hide
the skill that bears them.
The old houses in this ncighhorhood, ri
sing out Of the canals. the sluggish waters,
and the dark multitude of the better classes
in fanciul dresses, remind one strongly OF
Venice.
SkirGng the canal, and leading to the
plain which adioms the Chenampas, or
Corner floating gardens, is the Pasco de la
Niga, public drive frcquented by the bcdt
monde, both in coach and on horseback.
during the season of Lent. Scarcely an af-
tcrnoon passes, at that period Of the year,
that the observer will not find the canal COW
cred with gay boat-loads of Indians, pass
ing homeward from mar ct, dancing, sing
ing, laughing, stunning the guitar, and
crowned with wreaths of peoples. | do
not know the origin of the custom of wear
ing the torgeiful flower, but it is both a
healthier and more poetic oblivion than
tina: resorted to by many folks in other lands
after day of toll.
Turning once more westward, we again
reach the great square.
The departure of the President from the
/ palace has attracted n crowd. The adioin-
/ ing market, ever filled with people, pours
forth its multitudes in the square.
First, there is aguador, or water-carrer,
/ with his two earthern jars-one suspended
/ by leathern belt thrown around his head
in front of him, preserving the equilibrium.
/ Next there is an Indian with huge coop
/ of chickens and turkeys, or a crate of car
then ware, or pannier OF oranges, horne
| on his back like the aguador's lar. Then