The New York herald., 1867-09-11
TEXAs.
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE Of the HERALD.

SIGHTS and scenes In San Ant0niO-M xicRn
Cock Fighting Sundny-visit TO the Old
Catholic Missions In san Antonio Valley and
Description of Theus-MODto Banks and
CoIt's Revolver Trumps-A Spanish Fan.
dauso in Full and Respiendent Blaze Of
GlOry-SOurces of the Snu Pedro and San
Antonio Kivers-The Original Burini Place
of General Worth Moonlight Picnic-A
Tooth and Other Bones ofa Aastodon Found
Near San AmtoniO-Ciub Rooms Of the City
Indian Depredations and Anticipated
Trouble In the Future-A Blatant Rebel
Yielding 60 the Moral Snnsi0n Of u Six
Shooter-The Removal oft:enerai Shcridan-
Ujeiiaxy, Ex.GOveruOr of Buda.
SAN ANTONIO, August %, 1867.
Ny recent letter from this place. though intended
nua the time and for that extended 1t 10
the length did, was by no means exhaustive Of the
town and its surroundings As amid tho statues and
pictures and ruins OF Rome the artist feels deep and
absorbing interest growing up within him. ts
aud crooked streets and ancient churches and the
grand old structures Of the old days Of the Republic aud
its palaces and hovels open daily fields OF wonder.
Favius Tborus the river of classic story and tue
Appan Way, widely famed In legendary fore, take
new aud Stronger hold on his heart and imagination,
this quaint old city and its mongre population and
queer Streets and queer houses and queer bridges and
cock fights and mounebanks, and fandangos present
field observation aud study that il not exciting the
entire homage OF the SOUL at least for time dspes
WEAKNESS aud lasitude In the exploration OF their
deeply marked and curious phaseA Two circumstances
havo combined to prolons my stay longer than in
tended and taxing advantage OF tins delay 10 write
this latter description OF Of the and places
where as true aud faithful 'chel," have been srak
iny notes" anwhile. First booked myself In the
stage for Austin just week ago, but went to take
my seat found i've seats occupied by this number OF
stout very black very ocassnous and very shiny look
Ing negro soldiers and Of like salwart buld ebony
hue and greasy opideric shecn seated by the driver
I did not 20 In that Stage Next there care = rain
storm swelling Colorado several above its
height snd nterruptn2 stage travel and have been
able to take the stage since And now my es Of In
termedate sight SEEING which should not have taken or
had occasion to wrc bad it not been for the two
circumstances dss ,rib,d.
Not = grand moral spectacle, and particularly Oh
Sunday, is q cock fight, but 10 visit tho cock Gght
amphiiheatre just beyond what 10 called Mexico the
name given to tina. part OF the city lying the San
Pedro from its being Inhabited exclusively by Mexcans
was set down in the programme OF last Sunday after
noon. Two carriage loads went from the hotel II
an Intensely hot day. Tuo hot glare Of tho aud the
plaza fronting the hotel aGd the walls Of the limestone
houses did not invite TO tho excursion and tbs very
quletude OF the proclaimed against such sacregous
infringement OF the day But 1t will bs emembered
this fighting is Sunday institution, and as sight
seeing was our OBJECT, il did not sec il now, We
might not zee IL all Aud again the fighting would go
whsther were there not, 80 these whisperogs Of
opposing conscience ayaiied not and IL remorseful
preliminary round Of drinks, repenishing our pocket
fasks OF whis~ey laying IN good slppy OF segas and
the excitement Of he ride as ~e went VIII ring oser tue
main bridge crossn, the San Antonio and thence on
through Man street. mad. oar nay scr IS the main aud
military plazas, and after that going over tho
san Pedro ana through McKee,. took O deiour
to the let for haf mile to place OF
Destination Tue ttoraughfsre through which made
way Tired sth people bound the same local
iiy-tawny Mexicans wearing immen.e sombreros and
smoking corn busk cigsrettos and broad shouldsred
Mexican women aud young Mexican girls, wearing tho
nes tabe shawl over their heads despite the brung
Manv OF these senoras quite pretty, their fa
lures regular, and spleudidy dsrk, angaishing e..
chamngy 1.-The ana Jet inviting robustness and round
Of n.urc All were dress in th Fir sunday clothes,
Somo'of the young Mexicans worc cloth 3. gogeonsiy
decorated with g buttons, extending down hs outside
seams, and nearly all Though on foot wore Mexican
spurs. which kept up lively cmnkns Jingle they
walked The shawis OF some OF the women most
elaboratelv embroidered. sho wing most sklul taste
this branch OF femnine industry The road all alive
with their laughter and conversation latter cd
wholly In tue Spanish patois prevailing here At n-
tervals we ou.ong tho Gro sd gamecocks running
sign boards that we Wcro on the rglt road The cham.
pons aud victims OF the co ming contests. AS de-
seconded from our Carriages aoi nd ancsd TO the aruph
theatre, seats most oblignelv vacated fR
commodaoa Spacousness or elegance forms no feature
of this cockpit II has this extent aud no more
diam er enclosed BY rc gb board fence Two feet high
and outside OF this rude wooden benches without baGks
eiake holders and umpres Over all. as protection
aga nst the blazing sum- II booth of Dezqus brancaeS
aod underneath tnem tables and benches Rsre
furnished Mexican dishes and drinks, done up In the
most approved style. to those who Ike them might
write column and mcrs OF the cock lights hioh short
iy began and las cd III slndoxn, but wnn giving the
bare sseleton will leave 10 resder's ma,nagon
fill up the picture Every BODY seemed 10 know every
cock their pedigree and lighting qualities AMI nearly ali
up staxos their fevorites varying from ten
az many dollars To keep an eve Oh the varying pro-
gross OF tie 6ght the large crowd Of thse standing up
kept rushing back aud foih in frantic scgmens OF circles
seeking BY encouraging words ana Signs 10 cheer To
victory inef favorites IL was Babel cOa,usi0l on
. small scale, and FAR moro exciting. When victory
Was declared the excitement knew NJ bounds. Next %
the luxury OF seeing cock fght tho highest
luxury to q Mexican ia TO win his bet have seldom
seen more cYctabis crowd than during .lc progress
OF one OF those nshts and certainly have seen far
tanor pictures than their attGdos snd picturesque
groupings in the intervals OF the hgntlnr. Some Of the
cocks were fought with sisshos the Ike ale two
and hall inches long and sharp As razor and some
th their own spurs these sashcs a morsirosiiy
OF oruery. good hit with in vital part Is sure
DEATH In the second 1sht the tao cocks made ono
mutual dash, gave muluM thrust with their sashes
and both fell dead. TINS OF course draw. one
light with spurs lasted hour and ,hiry.nve minutes
and at tho last final blow each killed tue other making
this likewise dAw. Seventeen fights were fought
sogether and OF the contestants twenty-one died on
the hed, hahed In glory and blood. had never seen
cock nShrg before, aud DO not care TO see repetition
ot tins sundays sceue.
As soon should one visit the British metropolis with
out seeing the Tower OF Lyndon or WesmlpstI Abbey,
or so TO Sustordon-Avon without look ng at toe tomb
OF shskspear, or make months sojourn 10 the CAV
French capital without stroll along the Boulevsrs
on tho Clamps Eysees come to san Antonio and
nt visit the ord Missions As stated IN my las, letter
there are twelve OF these Old churches In the An
tonic valley SONS OF thom are tao hundred years old
and all but three at present piles remed
able RUNS. Tnefe vere two carriage loads besides
OF ncle Samurls four horse smbuanoes making ~
ths parry OF v!sts The excursion gotten up for
tue bneht OF several army officers just ordered here and
newly arrived, and though say H. who perhaps should
dot, tor my era.iGcaiiob well. Toe officers whom
re er are-hsjOr Burbank, the new post paymaster;
Captain Porter the new depot quartermaster;
Lieutenant GaTretSon, OF General Gnaln's an:
Major smith, Liesteuant Wolf and su COON JAG.
sou. MAJOR Moses not OF Amy
but VINO will he rendered the sdluant
Genei ci the fhird corps junng the war came
on from Galveston 70 bay the Confederate ,annery
slse one Of the party. The made mp officers
who ha' long bocn on DUTY here. Cooue Lee, Post