The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1884-10-01

are built of stone AMI have fiat roots.
The doors are composed OF three thick
ness Of plank, the middle upright, the
inner cross wise aud the out side diago-
nal. These are invited together by bolts
and thickly studded with nails No glass
being used, the windows consist Of small
openings with iron CRATES on the inner
side. There houses built ia the form Of
= square have open courts Ia the inter-,
paved with stone. Here, upon cots or
suspended hammocks, the family vii.
spend the night, the houses from a zen
eral absence of all ventilation besng sim-
ply intolerable in the middle of the sun
mer. even at this elevation
The lower class of Mexicans live in
adobes. or huts composed Of grass. canes
and mud Several families occuIying a
house together.
The people are nearly all Catholics
The Monterey Cathedral, bath ing all
powers of description. IL one of the first
places of interest TO which tourists are d-
rected. Ii is incomplete though II has
uow been IN process of erection alb 1ut ore
hundred and twenty-five years. Accord
ing to tradition the Virgin Mary appear
to some priests about the year 700 and
command the erection of a building of
given proportion to be begun upon the
present cite OF the cathedral. Taxes
we're at once levied, and voluntary con
tributions received, and the work begun
L q conspicuouS-part of the building may
be seen the tree under which the Virgin
appeared, and which, it is stated died
Immediately, but has never decayed, be
ing miraculOusly preserved In proof Of
he nf tho MI, ~, h,,,l "A
this magnificent structure over 1t. 1t IL
said, when completed it will be one of the
finest and most expensive edliices Oh the
continent A number Of temples or places
of worship were also visited all having
pretty much the same appearance of de
parted glory or fading granduer. The
square of it the command to surrender
was obeyed when Gen. Taylor with his
six thousand men took possession of the
garrison Of ten thousand strong. Quite
still remain, but tourist generally consid-
er it at least prudent, to refrain from
comment upon them in the presence Of
the natives.
We attended the the eater one evening,
and there learned for :. Ing man to take
his girl to such place OF amusement was
quite formidable undertaking compared
with the free and easy American style Of
doing such things. La the srst place, he
must invite the entire family, parents,
uncles, aunts, sisters, brothers and grand
parents too fthey happened to belong to
the household-(A All this for the pleasure
of attending his lady lovel. Then, as
the theatre is only an enclosure made OF
canes woven together, without roof. seats
or any of tfe usual furniture of such
place, (nerely stage upon one side, one
or two dim foot lights) the young man
must contribute still more for the ac-
commodstion of the party; taking a
servant with chairs sufficient in num-
Der for all, tied together aud piled
upon and around him until entirely hid
from sight. Notwithstanding We could
not understand the language, we enjoyed
the acting, and dividing our attention be
tween it and studying the crowd. Tn
fortunately a sudden thunder storm and
rain brought the performance to rathor
abrupt termination when only about half
through, On thia occasion We saw the
only pretty woman met while in the city,
and the number of these over sixten years
of age were very limited The majority
of them looking old, yellow and prema-
turely faded Ia fact, would, hue for
their eyes have been decidedly ugly, nor
were we very enthusiastic over even their
one good feature since there was a listless
less III their tongue and way at turning
their "a,moad shaped orbs" suggestive
of stupidity. The y0unget girls however
were all life, tire and animation, and had
ours been many heart, it would at once
been smitten by their smiles and g,ances
! The day following our evening 1T the
theatcr we went out to the warm springs
aboHt q mile and u hall Rum the city.
These are very numerous, covering
quite nn area of surface. The bath
houses are quite small, 4XG feet in size,
and SKI in height, and are built Gf oloal-
! u woven Gangs. bach room OF closet
| is furnished With small clothes box from
which you are to take soap and towels,
then stow IN it your clothing to protect
them from the steam CT yapn. du,ing
the h;.,h Ihuse SO desiring, arc at lIb-
erty to bath directly i'll the springs,
where the water is OF course much hotter,
aud can only be gradually entered as
( you accustom Yourself 10 tLe heal.
ThGul.h the Iauuntain roads were eX-
ceedinyfy rough and oftimes even dan
gerous, the numerous magnificent views
gained from the heights, by which the
city is SURROUNDED, fully repaid us for
any and all iLpou renionCe attending our
daily rides or walks The day before our
departure, reinforced by newly arrived
party from San Antonio. we visited the
far famed "Hermit's Trec-hou,c an
easy half days ride from the city.
:'Mauy years ago. SO runs the
story as told by our guide, in a lit OF
jealousy, finding his lady love false to
her vows, and to hlm, the Hermit : then
gay youth OF fortune, had stabbed her
to the heart, and leaving her thus. fled
to this lQut mountain where he has ever
since remained faithful for more than
thirty Yeas to his vow, never to speak
! or in any manner notice woman. The
house is built in or rather on grOuf Oh
three trees. seventy-two and half feet
from the ground. It has TOUR small rooms
ana is reached by q perfectly upright
81 ladder ma le fast to one OF the trees.
The house is steadied and made periec tly
secure by chains riveted in the stron"
foundation tlinLers at each corner and
similar fastened to surrounding uees.
Whenever the hermit is at home. The
! ladder is unfa. tenod at the tor, so that
any induisitive visitor stood in danger oi
fall in attempting to catch a glimpse
of the interior of this oddly constructed
house Yet, all have not been haiiied
in this, not unnatural curiosity, since
, when leaving it himself the ladder must
be left secured for his own return con
away, as he frequently did for severa
, days journey across the mountain, Ger
, tain venturesome spirits. had once dar
ed pry into the windows. Marvelou:
t were the reports carried away Of tn