The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1858-04-22
Fr0m tie Harjom .1mcrirnn.
THE PALMETTOES IN MEXICO.
by ONE OF TIE TWO HUNDRED.

in the city Of Mexico | was Palmetto
one Of the three hundred who survived
tho slaughter ut Churubusco, Charultcpcc,
and the Bclen gate; and one of the 1000
the day after its fall. On the morning
alluded to, | encountered II new enemy,
one more terrible than I'm army with ban
ncrs'-onc which appaIls the boldest heart,
and against which, courage is unavailing.
My room was in the National Palace, aud
my duties were light and pleasant. For
their gallantry and suiferings i'll the battles
of the valley, the lalmcttocs were quar-
tered in !hr National Palace, and "dwcIt in
marble halls" Their ,!m'ics were the light
est poss,be--as guards for the palace, for
tho market, and for the theatres. had
been in command OF small guard at the
quarters Of Gen. Pillow, who was confined
by his severe wound received at Chapnlc-
pee, and was up at dawn. The first thing
astir &c morning in the cities of Mexico,
10 VIZ o'd "o'I''Nli. Nhc S'tS VII NV S'lt'L
corners to sell otolc, Il kind of beverage
made OF meal, milk and sugar, boiled to-
gether. 1t is pleasant, cheap, and nutri-
tlous, and Il popular hevcrag" in Mexico
drank bowl of otoic, and in Il few min
u;cs started to my room in the palace,
about half a mile distant. In my WAY
had to cross the Grand Plaza in front Of
the Cathedral. Very soon ! grew sick aud
dizzy, nausea WAS prcying OH my
stomach, and my head became SO dizzy,
that reclc'l like a drunken man. Several
times | stopped to get n finn footing, and
with determined effort, started forward
again. came first in collision with the
walls Of tho houses, and next was thrown
of the sidewalk ! was hcwidrrcd! What
could bc the matter? | knew that | h;l
not taken anything intoxic;. ting, and vet no
other hypothesis could account for my con
slition. Then in II moment, Il suspicion
flashed across nv mind. remembered
the bowl Of 0iolr, and nj! was clear. WAS
poisoned! My first impulse WAS to 60 buck
and run my sword through the old l,as
who ha,! poisoned me, but then | rcmrn-
bcrcd that She WAS :. moM"n though Il
ficnd, and 10y the laws Of chivalrv her per
son was sacred from Violence had only
q few minutes to olclihcraic-indrc,l only
few minutes to live, and hurried on to
my room TO write iiastv farewell to the
loved ones nj home, and then to die! Quit
ting the sidewalk, I took to the street
for more room TO walk in. The line Of my
footpath made anglc and tangcuts, aud
curves not described in geometry. rur-
sued my difficult way, and finally reached
the Plaza. About 5000 people were on
their knees priests We're darling about
around The Cathedral muttering prayers,
and crossing themselves.
1t was somcthin. unusual, hut in Tia,
strange land ] wondered at nothing.
passed pool Of w;ter--a stagnant pool, as
| had seen it dozen times, and it wa
tossing about as furiously OH small scale
as a sea swept by the storm.
1t struck me rs very remarkable. trie.
TO reason, to calm myself, and comprelicn
my condition, but in vain. What coul
set pool Of stagnant water TO violent ag
tation, and ovcrrnnning its banks? Quicn
iS"tc =? Still went on. ] passed Il large
Sc L. ,.l
centre Of the Plaza-it was lashcl into n
tempest, and empticd into the street. II,
was all very strange, but the conviction
that ] was poisoned, and perhaps dying, ac
counted some what for the fnt;,s,ic tricks
of nature. But soon the marvel was cx-
plained. When l arrived ut the door of
the palace, addressed the sentinel the
question, "Mr. sentinel, what is the cause
Of all this excitement and bbub in the
plaza?"
The sentinel looking at me with aston
ishment replied:
"Good heavens sir, don't you know an
earthquake when you feel one?"
The mystery was solved. IT was an
earthquakc-a long, violent earthquake,
which startled the natives in terror from
their houses. The houses in Mexico are
built with an especial view TO earthquakes.
They have but one story, and are solid in
their structure, that ordinary commissions of
nature pass harmlessly over them. This
was the most violent earthquake that had
visited the city for a century. A town 40
miles distant WAS laid in ruins by it, and
the most solid buildings in the capitol were
seriously damaged. 1t continued several
minutcs-while l walked three or four
hundred yards.
Thanking heaven for my preservation,
and recalling my curses upon the old atole-
woman, mounted the steps of the palace
with light heart. / expected to break
fast that morning in another WORLD, but my
r,1oo,,oy n oiuf, n, 10 l.,