Ypsilanti sentinel. [volume] (Ypsilanti, Washtenaw Co., Mich.) 1843-1900, 1847-06-09

concerning our former minister In Mexico, Mr..
Poinsett, (then Secretary of War; for whom
he seemed to have the greatest regard; and
afterwards found that this feeling was fully re-
ciprocated.
The magnate of the place, taking precedence
OF all COVE nors and commandants at that time
however, wasMr. Welsh, an English gentleman
formerly consul of his nation at Vera Cruz, who
having accumulated large fortune in business
as merchant, and married lady of the coun-
try, had vested his funds in land and cotton
manufactures at Jalapa. In his plantation,
which was devoted chiefly to coffee trees, he
Was endeavoring to combine the neatness and
completeness Of An English farm with grand
eur of a Mexican hacienda; and in this he had
succeeded to all appearance fully, though
whether the returns would justify the outlay
might be questionable. For his mandatory
he was erecting, al vast expense, dam in the
shape of wall Of cyclopean dimensions, across
the little stream which flows through the town;
and by these works he was distributing among
the inhabitants large sums of money, which
could not fail to ensure his popularity so long
at least as the supply should be kept up. He
informed Inc that he could obtain a sufficient
number of laborers, who would work well at
three reals (37A cents) per day, regularly paid;
and he appeared to be very sanguine as to the
success eff his plans.
Since writing the above, learn that Mr..
Welsh's scheme proved abortive, and that he
has been entirely ruined by the failure of his
cotton factory, in consequence of which he has
been obliged to leave Jalapa.
| The only American whom found there was
Mr.. Samuel Jewett. of Vermont, who had lived
in Mexico ever since the establishment of its
independence, and had also married native of
the country. He appeared to have been engaged
in almost every kind of business, and was then
making combs and bleaching wax, with what
success could not learn. He, however, lived
very comfortably, and gave me dinner, one of
| the best of which | preserve the remembrance:
it was wholly Mexican, as he had promised on
inviting me and though Sonora Jewett ac-
kDowledged that she had been sparing in her
chile red pepper on my account, there was
enough left to scorch my throat consi derably at
first. The meat was nevertheless declious, and
| the dessert beyond all praise; remember par
| tcularly the salad of lettuce, dressed with the
pulp. or marrow as it is more properly, of the
nguacati, or alligator pear-the best, | think,
OF all tropical fruits; and also something be-
tween a custard and pudding, called "huevos
del rev" which shall leave untranslated.
am, indeed, induced 20 believe from my obser-
walton that the MeXicans have carried gastron
omy to a high degree of perfe ction, and that
they are gifted with peculiar faculties in this,
as in several other branches of the fine arts:
the materials afforded by their country are ex-
cellent, and, with little care, would be unri
vailed.
| saw every thing, indeed, about Jalapa wor-
thy of notice, including much that was interes-
ting to a stranger in Mexico, though little that
seems to merit particular description here
AS regards climate and soil, it is one of the
rlyah1 in ha ,horo
else, perhaps, can be found a temperature SO
generally equable and agreeable, or SO great a
variety of vegetable productions, all excellent
| of their kinds. The same dress-a summer
dress-s worn at all seasons; in the middle of
July found the weather, in the day, warm, but
not more SO than was comfortable, and the
nights delightfully."- cool. Showers fell in every
hour. the clouds appearing and disappearing
with rapidity most astonishing; and, during
the dry season, as was assured, the extreme
aridity prevailing in all other parts of the coun-
try is not felt at Japala, where the air is plen-
tifully supplied with moisture by the north
winds from the Gulf. AS to its productions
the pine-apples of Jaapa have been pronounced
the best in the world; the coffee which drank,
gathered from trees which | saw growing, was
of the finest flavor, and no less delicious was
the chocolate procured from the same fields
lection: and, strange to say, many those also
which are considered as peculiar to the tenn
perate zone, and even to Its northern portions.
Never have l eaten more exquisitely favored
peaches, or more delicate lettuce, than those
which were daily served on the table of our iol-
ly Scotch landlord, McCartney-peace be to
his soul and on that of my worthy fellow
countryman Jewett.
The town contained then about eight thou
sand inhabitants, and had probably held grea-
ter number at some previous period, as there
were many deserted houses in the outskirts
The houses were, as already said, generally of
but one story in height. and were almost all
built in the form of hollow square, with a
court, (patio,) surrounded by an arcade, in the
centre. These courts were usually filled with
sn,all trees or shrubs, which presented most
pleasing appearance, as seen from the streets
through the wide doorways, while the music of
a guitar might generally be heard from within
at any hours. The inhabitants seemed to be,
with few exceptions, of mixed blood, those of
pure European race being nearly all foreigners;
and this is the case throughout Mexico, except
in the capital. The people of the surrounding
country, of whom saw great numbers in the
market place, were all apparently pure, or near
ly pure, Indians, resembling strongly in fea-
lures the aborigines of our own States, they
are very dark, and in general short and stout,
with dull grave faces, seldom lighted up by
smile or any other sign of excitement. The
dress of the men Is uniformly a sort of skirts,
made of a piece of coarse blue woollen cloth,a-
bout yard wide and two and half yards long.
doubled, with slit in the middle for the pas
sage of the head, and sewed up at the sides, ex-
cept where space is left for arm-holes; this tied
about the waist with rope or strap. sandals OF
raw hide, and palm-leaf hat with round
crown, form in general their whole equipment.
Some of them, however, have also the serape,
or blanket, with slit in the middle, which is
universally used in the higher country. The
women commonly wear a short cbemise and
petticoats; though saw many without the for
mer article, or any other covering above the
waist than the reboso, or scarf, which every
woman, of every class in Mexico, always car
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