Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1873-03-05
SAN LUIS PorosI. MEXICO,
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supplied by another from one Of his
four pockets full. The first day we
did not venture to say much, for the
good reason that our vocabulary of
Spanish was exceedingly limited
But the inquisitive party piled us
with questions, the most of which we
did not understand, to ascertain who
we were, and what our business might
be. BY the aid OF certain gestures,
circumlOcutlons, winks and mods. we
understand that he asked IL l were
an engineer" flor Gen. Rosecrans'
railroad. A large party OF engineers
had passed through to San Luis PO-
tosi few days before). In the same
manner, accompanied by a severe
picking of the palm of his hand, we
inferred he desired to know from what
ed.
The road was tolersbly good, except
few places where the mud was
deep. On either side we're the usual
hedges of maguey and cactus. or this
last we have seen fifteen or twenty
different species. The most prevalent
is the variety known in the United
States as the "prickly pear" which
here grows 10 the size fan apple-tree.
Ia some places it is cultivated for the
sake of the cOchineel insect, which
feeds upon it. They SOW them upon
the plant, and afterward collect them
and make the dye. The leaves OF
the cactus are over foot in length
and something less in width. and on
their edges they generally have the
fruit called tuna, when ripe Is red,
and much relished by the natives
| When the leaves are young and ten
der the poor use them for food. cook
! ing them like cabbage, and in the dry
season they are fed to cattle. This
species of cactus is here called nOpal.
Another kind. of prismatic fOIm.
five or six sided, which grows straight
up to a height of fifteen or twenty
feet, is used for the purpose of hedg-
ing yards and gardens. They grow
so close together that they make an
almost solid wall, through which !
nothing can pass, somewhat resem- |
bling the bssaltic columns OF FingaPs |
Cave.
Once, while we were ascending a |
mountain, we saw before US seven |
horsemen, fully armed, drawn up
across the road We were all dis.
mayed at the sight, and fully expect
ed to be robbed; but st length our sus-
pense was relieved by the infOrms-
ton that it was troop of soldiers for
an escort. The first night We lodged
at Tula. Here are remains of the
summer palace of MonteZuma and a
church built by the Spauiards who
came in the time of Cortez. The
next morning we arose at o'clock
and started on our journey. We be-
guiled the tedium of the way by a
mutual interchange of Spanish and
English with our companions. The
road was very rough aud stony, lead
ing through barren and mountain
Gus country, aud as the day advanced
it became worse. Often, for leagues,
we drove over the dry and rocky beds
Of the torrents of the rainy season, and
suffered an incessaut jOlting, until
finally, at o'clock p. m, we could
endure it no longer, and stopped at
San Juan del Rio TO rest until the
same time the next uay. This town
has population of about 10, coo, some
of whom are wealthy, being the own
ers of the adjacent haciendas; and
like all other towns in Mexico it is
well supplied with handsome church
es.
Fortunately there was room for us
the next day, and We found ourselves
in the company of a Frenchman and
his family, who owned wooden facto-
ries in Celaya and Mexico, and who
could speak English. He also had
with him a supply of arms, and bad
an escort to meet him at the most
part of the journey. The
country over which We passed that
day was level and well cultivated. In
some places they were tnrashing
wheat. They did not have the latest
patent of steam thresher, but spread.
ing it out upon solid pavement, sur
rounded by a fence or wall, they drove
1 twenty five or thirty mules aud colts
around upon it with shouts and con-
fusion. In other places they were
the wheat, cutting IL by
the handful with sickles.
At 7u'clOck p. m. We reached Quer-
etaro. This is a large but decIying
town of ABOUT Is, 900 inhabitants
Here we remained a week, during
which time we made some acquaint-
Ances, saw the place of Gen Mira
mons headquarters, and the convent
where Maximiiian was confined du-
ring his imprisonment, and the spot
where he, together with his two gen
erals. MiramOn and Mejia, was exc
cuted. This city has been besieged
seven times in twenty years. Here
the Empire fell. But the State is still
governed by the Church party, and is I
one of the most bigOted Romish States
in Mexico. The State College is pre-
sided over by a padre. I was per-
mitted TO visit this institution, and
ascertained through one of its profes.
sofs formerly beer vender in the
town. that the course of instruction is I
much the same as in an academy in
the United States, giving special at
tentiOn to modern European lam
guages.
We resumed our journey on Thurs
day, October 81, at 8 O'Clock a. IN,
and passing over a broken and mount.
ainOus country, with scarcely any ira
ces of cultivation, at noon We reached
San Miguel, one of the most beautiful
cities we have seen in Mexico. The
to it is down steep noun
tain, at the foot of which lies spread I
out the well built city with its church
es and towers. 1t contains about 10,
900 inhabitants The streets are mar
row, and we saw looms in the houses
as we passed along. From this point
to San Luis Potcsi we had open well.
titled country, trayersed by good
roads. We had seen grand mountain
scenery before, but there seemed to be
something harsh aud forbidding il
its aspect. But now the landscape |
spreads out to the view in all the low 4
illness of peace and prosperity.
Night found us at the little hacien- '
da of La Quemada. Here We remain '
ed i've days. It is a small one but ]
contains nine leagues square, and has l
sixteen ranches or farms upon it; is
owned by family of brothers whose
father was an Englishman. They ,
made our stay very pleasant, indeed,
ordering in to US sstrawberries(0 Oct %. !
and treating us to music each eve :