Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-06-02

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purposes, like the castles Of fudal
kings The evidences Of their
learning, genius and earnestnes ne.
main in crumbling arches tower;
and walls, affairs and bastans, sug-
gestive alike of religious and war.
like purposes Some of the old faded
pictures that yet hang on the wall
are believed TO have been painted
before the days Of the Conquest
We could but look with wonder
and awe upon these massive, crum-
bling piles, hat unless cared for
soon by the church, which still owns
them, and = large body Of land
around them, must soon yield to the
hand of vandalism and the tooth
of time. The keepers are women,
who admit visitors for a small SUI
pend at the door, but there is no
real protection against the relic
searcher and pilferer. Here Spanish
American civilization planted its
banners when a circuit Of Missions
girdled the continent from Mexico
to the mouth Of the St. Law
renee river, This was the
gateway between Mexico and Lou.
isiana long before Tennessee was a
State, or there was a confederation
Of American States. The history
Of these Missions and the attempt
to cOlonize this lovely region and
convert the Indians is one Of pecu-
ll9r and romantic interest-a his
tory within itself, better learned BY
reading the archives Of Mexico and
Spain and the older histories of
those countries than to be written
up in the sketch Of 4 hasty tourist.
That this whole region under the
jurisdiction of the Missions was
controlled by master minds is not
only evident in buildings with
artistic statuary that would
adOrn any old church or cathe-
dral Of Europe, but in the
abundant proofs hat the soil was
in a high state of cultivation. The
old acequias, for irrigating purpo-
ses, yet remain on every hand, and
in some of them the water runs
fresh from the river and clear as a
mountain brook. The vast plain
around, covered with maschet,
chapperal, and settled here and
there by the abOrgines with their
thatched and unchimneyed huts,
no. doubt blOomed like a garden
and yielded a rich crop of golden
grain to support a teeming popula-
ton. The descendants of some Of
this early colony yet live in the
neighborhood, and are respected
and well-to-do citizens, and thor
oughly Americanized under the
: Saxon influences which
swept away the former magnificent
system.
On our return the drivers refined
in the suburbs of the city at the
side Of a little Enclosure large as a
circus ring, filled with Mexican
people mostly, though some Of our
American brethren were inside
and apparently much interested.
This was a Mexican cock
one of the peculiar institu-
tons of the old civilization, yet
cherished by the first families"
Men, women and children crowded
around, and all seemed to be bet
ting. They were a motley looking
set, of the poorer classes, and mostly
very dark and poorly dressed. No
drinking, swearing in English, or
noise. 1t all looked like earnest
business. A little hut on one
side was evidently occupied by
the keeper Of the place. Large
coops at the door held the game
cocks. Two were brought out and
immense knives, sharp as razors,
fastened on their heels. When
turned loose the excitement became
intense in the crowd, but all was
quiet, After a few futters, the IT.
tie red drove his knife through the
heart of the big speckled rooster,
and he fell dead. The winners got
their money, the g~entlemanly crowd
dispersed and we drove on, exclaim-
ing in the language Of the Dutch
man, "Vot a beables unit yot a
country" J. II. M,