The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1847-02-12

tue rest. lnelr 0ruitS upon Tue Fich
valley Of Parras, are frequent and
heavy and but the week before our
arrival a party had paid our friend
Don Manuel visit, carrying of
some corn and sheep, but they left
ons Of their party to pay for it.
They buried him themselves, on the
spot where he fell, with his blanket
and arms, turning his horse loose.
Parras has probably 5000 inhab-
itants, of whom few are English
and Americans, a larger number ma
tive Spaniards, a s,illlarger number
Mexicans Of the Spanish stock, but
& the greater part by far mixture Of
A the Spanish and Indian or African
blood. The last are an ungainly
looking people, an unques,ionably
BY Gar, an inferior race TO either Of
the other cdsirs, to whom they are
scrvants-the plebians, while the
others are patricians, and the dis
tinction in castes is nowhere more
scrupulously insisted upon than here.
PArras covers double the territory
Of Monclova, though it has not as
large population, and the reason
is, that more than half the city linn
its is vineyard. 1t has dozen of
vineyards, covering 6 to 10 acres,
from which large quantities Of wine
are made; some Of far superior
quality to the common article sold
in the U. States. have heard men
that are good judges, say, that they
have "drunken old wine" here, 20
which they have tasted no equal this
side the ''big water The houses
in Parras of course, are built of sun
dried brick, as in all Mexican towns,
one story high, walls very thick, &C.;
streets narrow, paved, and town well
watcred. There is good fresh run
ming water in every street, and there
arc half dozen of fine reservoirs,
which, from their construction, APP
pear to be used as public bathing
places. The town lies on gentle
slope on the side of a high mountain,
and but for the trees in which it is
buried, every house would be visi-
BILE from our encampmcnt. 1t has a
full complement of dry goods stores,
on not as large a scale, however, as
as in American towns Of the same
size, and prices ranging about dou-
Bile those for the same articles in our
own country. The public buildings,
embracing the residence of the Al
calde, the prison, barracks, &c.,
cover a square, and resemble in APP
pearance penitentiary surrounded
by its massive walls. But all the
splendor is expended upon the
churches, OF which the town has two.
They are large heavy buildings, of
stone and cement, and appear out
wardly as we'll calculated for defence
as for worship. Inside they certain
ly surpass all have ever seen, in
richness. The walls are covered
with fine paintings in gold frames,
the images are gold or gilt, the can
dlesticks gold and silver, the cush-
ions, trappings and trimmings, all
rich with gold and silver lace, and
at once arresting and dazzling one.
The churches are open morning and
evening, and besides prisons, YES
pers, and mass, prayers are daily Of
fered up for protection from their
enemies. The populacc ozo~4 into
the church as it opens, and kneel,
remaining in that posture 10 or Is
minutes and then retire, one by one,
or in groups, as they came. A vio-
lin and base viol meantime, play a
lively air in the gallery, to relieve
the unbroken humble below. There
bre no seats, and when there is a
discourse, the people either stand up
or sit on the floor.
The people here appear very friendly,
and even profess 10 be more friendly to-
wards our own government than that Of
Mexico. and as our regiment marched
through town the other day, some even
+. went so far as to shout" Tiu0 / inner
icana" But The dupliciiy Of the Mexi-
can character is proverbial, and we are
not deceived. There are evidently some
tina! hate us, for some Of the men have
been badly used that have fallen into their
hands and few Of Them had hard usage
in return. But there are few trays o.
this sort, and wha, there are. generally
owe their origin 10 "glass too much.
There has some provisions been Ia
ken on the San Luis road, supposed
have been intended for Santa Anna, al
though the owners stoutly denied il.
spy, unques'ionably sent here by SAINT;
Anna. was taken few days ago by som,
teamsiers IN town, who questioned then
90 closely that they were led to suspec
him 10 lie prompted by more than mert
curiosity. They turned him over to III,
picket guard, who brought him int
camp. A Plan Of our cncampmcnt wa
found in his possession, and Of The com
handing points around, and numbe
Of notes as 10 our strength. Sc. lie wa
kent in durance by Gen. Wool, day O