San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1879-03-08
SIGHTS IN MEXICO
Deis,Ds Of tho americans .ffser ths n.
tton at the Capital. "sees-
Correspondence o, the Galveston Nav,

NY last iettef was written on the 18TH
instant, after our reception by pra.;
dent Diaz, and will now give a sbo..
account OF our doings since. On N.
18th instant, a small but select po,tr
composed mostly of correspondents y,
different leading journals of the Upitsa
States, proceeded by carriages to n.
historic battlefields Of Moline del Re,
and Chapultepec, where our heroic soi
diers achieved immortal glory durn,
the last war with Mexico. DR.. Skelton
an old resident here, was with us md
pointed out the different positions q,
the Mexican and American armies md
the way our brave troops advanced and
fought their way. A monument W.,
here seen, erected by President Com.
onfort in 1856, to the memory of tina
Mexican officers that fell in battle on y,
near the spot. Through the kindness
OF the commandant of fort, We vera
permitted to enter ratification. epcir.
cling large powder magazines. The Of.
ticer informed us that these magazines
had been exploded by an American
shell during the action, causing great
loss on the Mexican side. The works
we're subsequently carried by our troops
at the point of the bayonet. We then
viewed the walls of Chapultepac, show.
ing still the marks of innumerable Anne.
rican bullets and cannon balls. We
acre rejoined our carriages. and drove
to the famous and beautiful park Of
Chapultepec, with its grand old cedar
arees, some of them probably one thou.
sand years old. The renowned ceday
If Lebanon, spoken of in the Holy
Bible, could not have exceeded these
'rees in grandeur and beauty, for they
ire gigantic in size and holiness, the
Tree of Montezuma measuring forty
seven feet in circumference, and the so.
called four sisters being nearly as large.
1t the foot of the volcanic rock, on
which the castle is built, we left the
carriage to follow and assembled on foot.
The castle was also taken by our troops
in 1S47, its walls still bearing many
,,oclyo of +bo Rcbt
Chapultepec castle was formerly
summer residence of the Spanish vice.
roys, the last royal inmate having been
the unfortunate Macmillan, under
whose orders some tasteful additions
were made TO the castle It is asserted
that before the Spanish conquest the
old Montezumas had summer resi-
dence here. Should such have been
the case they certainly displayed good
taste, for a lovelier spot could hardly be
imagined. The castle is built in the
form of terraces, with the finest gardens
up to the top. The view from the tiled
roof over the valley of Mexico is grand
" magnificent and never to be forgot
ten! At your feet is spread one OF the
finest landscape panoramas OF the world,
combining titled fields, lakes, canals,
parks, the City of Mexico with its spires
and domes, and the towns of Iacubasque
and Guadalupe, with their beautiful
gardens in the near distance, all enclr'
cled by the grand old mountains, some
of them snow-capped, and over you the
bluest and clearest sky of the heavensl
Words are insufficient to describe such
a lovely scene--it must be seen to be
appreciated.
Next day being Sunday we went to
the cathedral, which is not a very impo'
sing building from the outside, but Oh
its establishment within untold MIL
lions have been spent. The cathCN
church loves to deck its affairs OF wor-
ship with splendor, but in this cathe-
dral, and, in fact, in nearly all the
churches of Mexico, gold and costly
stone have been used in the ornamen-
tai in such profusion as if it were the
basest metal and cheapest material ID
the latter part of the afternoon we llau
a drive on the Paseo, which may DC
termed the corso of the rich and iash'
ionable Mexicans. Here the fair sene
ritas may be seen in their cquIpaSeS'
while the caballeros are mounted Oh
rather small but prancing steeds, VIII
very SNOWY saddle and trappings' anu