Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-09-12
LETTER FROM MEXICO.
A MULE-BACK TRIP TO PLAINS
AND CITY OF PEROTE.
Donkeys in High and Low Life
Pointed Hospitality = Bandits
and Exile Presidents Home.

Among the many charming excursions
that may be made from Jalapa, one of the
most delightful is horse back ride to the
famous village of Perote, which lies a score
of miles away, at the foot of the snow
capped Cofre." To speak with strict
truth, Betsy and generally take our horse
back rides ON bttrros-the slow but sure
footed donkeys, whom, from the owl-like
look Of philosophic meditation which each
wears upon his countenance under all cir
cumstances, We have dubbed the Mexican
" bird of wisdom One soon becomes at
tached to the patient little creature that
has carried one safely over narrow trails
and slippery sleeps, and feels a sense of
security on his back-when ones feet NAV
almost touch the ground-whlch is scarcely
possible upon a tall, housekeeping horse.
Here the donkey predominates, as TO num-
bers, over the equine species, a hundred to
one; and without Linn Mexico would be as
unlike herself as the play of Z" Hamlet y
with Hamlet left out.
DoNKEYs IN HIGH AND Low LIFE.
In the Capital and other more cosmo-
politan cities, some of the finest horses in
the world are seen, but even i'll these places
blooded' burros are of signal value and
are preferred for many purposes. The
Archbishop who is still supreme autocrat
of the country, despite the political deca-
denee of Papal power takes his daily air
lngs behind four clipped mules and at the
tirst appearance of their well. known mouse
hued backs and scrub-brush names, the
populace fall upon their knees, without
tn al hot
occupied by anybody but the coachman
The naughty Bishops of Linares, Zaca-
tecas, Guadalaiara and Michoacan-all verv
=" swell dignitaries of great wealth-ride
about behind spans of fancy burros, and it
is seldom indeed that one sees any of the
Catholic clergy in Mexico either on or be-
hind a horse. Probably this priestly par
TALLY for donkeys sprang from the belief
that Christ made all His journeys upon
them, from the fight into Egypt in His
mother arms to His triumphal entry into
Jerusalem.
The President of Mexico possesses the
finest pair of mules | ever saw; and the
most beautiful sonora in the City of Mexico
daily displays her dainty dresses and flash
ing jewels upon the fashionable paseo in an
open landau drawn by milk-white, care
iully-cllpped 6urr0S, with gold-mounted
harness and red roses at the base of their
expressive ears. The country bluT0s, unlike
their pampered city cousins, lead toilsome
lives which are one continuous round of
blows, kicks and hard usage. The poorest
Indian can own donkey. which will work
till death claims him, on such
meager fare as cactus leaves, old boots. tin
cans etc. The raw and bleeding back of
the Average donkey, the mountainous loads
piled upon him till only his
nose and boots are visible, and the abuse
which IS his sole reward for faithful sery-
ice, lead one 10 ferYently pray that if the
theory of RECONSIDERATION of souls be true
may the gods preserve US from a future life
IN that form When we set out on the
long journey
FROM JALAPA TO PERoTE,
Our gallant host, Don Juan. of the Hotel
Veracruzana, remarked, 1" YalgqIae Di0s"
protect me, God y what women are tbe
Americans! !" And we left him wrestling
with the problem why we did not prefer our
ease at his inn to such laborious pilgrim
age, which had nothing beyond sight
seeing for an incentive. The youthful
nephew OF mine host and two stalwart.
servants acted as cicerones:
and thus escOrted-with sIIndry letters of
recommendation in our pockets from the
Bishop, as an open sesame" to all doors
upon the route-there was really little
danger to be apprehended
Leaving the tlowery land of fruits, palms,
acacias ana roses, We rapidly assembled
he mountain spurs, coveisccd with volcanic
iebris, TO the wild plains of the terra tenn
3iGda, which are darkened by melancholy
ace of i,iues anu aIoes. Soon the lem
oerate region of oaks and ii;duid amber was
eft behind. and we entered the terra fra,
Or cold lands" to which climatic belt be-
longs most Of the central table-land of
Mexico. Now we found ourselves among
the clouds, with cold, drizzling rain fill
ing the air and drenching us to the skin,
until, emerging into the old Spanish high
way, paved with basalt, we entered upon
scenery. Through the vapors
spread out below us the peaks of distant
peered like islands, and it was
difficult to believe that we were not upon
the borders Of some vast inland sea. A
cascade at our right, after a
tumble of several hundred feet straight
down the mountain side, rushed ahead of
us, as if leading the way, and plunged into
the vapory ocean.
AT last we reached Las Vegas, the village
described by Humboldt as occupying the
highest point Of land between the Gulf and
the City of Mexico. All the houses in this
elevated ighborhood-unlike those of
cane and adobe in the tropical valleys-are
of pine logs, each tree furnishing but one
piece of timber, several inches thick.
These, roughly IeYn and closely fitted,
remind one of primitive days in New Eng
land, or new towns in our own Northwest:
while the single roofs and puncheon
hoors-unlike any others to be found in
out the Illusion. To add to
thoughts of home, jays and chickadees,
birds of the temperate zone, twittered
around us, and for the first time during our
long sojoHrn in the cactus country, we saw
the honest face of yellow dandelion.
As
IN THIS "LAND OF THE SKY"
The houses indicate colder weather, so The
people plainly show the effects of climate,
being harder and more energetic race
than the lazy denizens of those sandy
plains that skirt the Gulf.
II being now nearly II a. M-the accepted
hour for breakfast in Mexico-we decided
to avail ourselves of the hospitality be-
spoken in our biiissts de Recommendation, and
invite ourselves to share some kind souls
repast. The house of the Alcalde
was speedily found, and after considerable
flourish of credentials on our part-not I'M
accompanied by iudicious climbing of coin
and manifest suspicious on his side that
we might be banditti in disguise, that
worthy gentleman invited us to dismount,
swung wide the door of his casa and babe
us enter. 1t was now our turn for suspi-
cion, for it is we'll known that most of the
rancheras, and even many of the petty
officers in these rural districts are in league
with the " gentlemen Of the road" Not a
week before the diligencia, some 20 miles
farther down the valley had been stopped by
robbers and the passengers ordered to alight
and throw themselves on their noses. No
Mexican ventures upon these reads with
out being armed to the teeth, and the uni
versal salutation when travellers meet IS.
/" Que 'aoueddd hay 2h-(" Is there anything
new always having reference to the do
ings of the ladrones. In country where
justice is seldom to be obtained, but where
injustice can any day be bought, where
law exists but in name and is despicable
and powerless. it is not so much to be
wondered at that such outrages are SUBJ
mitted to BY demoralized people. who