Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-01-21
CHRISTMAS In MEXICO.
THE P0SADAS AND THE BIRTH
OF CHRIST.
Delicacies Made of Mosquitoes Eggs
and Pounded Wonders
of the Tropics.

MEXICO, January 8, 1886.
Betsy and were invited to spend Christ
mas at the noble hacienda of san Antonio
near the village Of Tlalpam, not far from
the City of Mexico. Having great desire
to witness the ceremonies sacred TO the sea-
son, called the posadds, which are practiced
privately in many wealthy families of Mex
ico, we gladly availed ourselves OF the op-
portunity. The estate of San Antonio is
one of the finest in the country, covering
many square miles Of fertile valley, and
including floclls and herds .'on a thousand
hills" 1t was once the property of the
Dowager Marquesa de Vivanco, and her
descendants are as proud and exclusive as
were any of their titled ancestors.
1t being distinctly understood tn Amer
lean travellers may be excused from "put-
ting on style in any manner whatever not
suited totheir whatever their
entertainers may require of themselves as
betting their statiOn-we rode out unat-
tended, in the horse-ca to within a mile
of San Antonio, and walked the rest of the
way, though well aware that not a lady
" to the manor born would dare do so
unconventional a thing. We came near
paying dearly for our independence. having
forgotten the fact that the servants. sta
toned at the gates on purpose to keep out
Intruders, were not as well posted on the
habits of foreigners as their masters. As
we crossed the now stationary bridge over
the grasS-grown moat and entered the great
arched gateway-from which an avenue.
hNr a 10 rrr, s.E.-
leads to the mansion quarter of q mile
away-we were
AssAILED By FLOCK OF ANGRY GEESE.
Which came kissing toward US like the
many-headed Hydra, that watched over the
golden apples OF the Hesperides. Taking
TO our heels in inglorious flight, the gate
keeper awoke and sailed forth with half
dozen dogs at his heels in the worst of
humors from being disturbed at his mid
day siesta. In these out-ofthe-way local
ties chance visitor is a rare event, and the
barking OF dog an episode which excites
universal curiosity. Therefore. when the
gate-keeper's pack of yelping ours made
the welkin ring as they surrounded us it
was not surprising that solitary horseman
in the distant part of the grounds-with a
long sword dangling at his side as if he
were going forth TO fight the Saracens-
Cilne RdIlOiDlIig 10 ascertain the cause OF the
disturbance. 1t was Senor Vivanco. the
master Of the estate who sprang from his
horse the instant he espied us and con-
Quoted us with all honor to the casa, but
not without polite reprimand that we
had not allowed ourselves a suitable escort.
The Nivanco hacienda is one of the
finest in Mexico, producing annually an
enormous quantity of corn and maguey-
much pulque. mexcal and tepache being
distilled from the latter. The great, ram
bling casa is Of solid stone surrounded bv
scores of barns, granaries and outhouses-
all on so magnificent scale as to look like
the remains Of feudalism. Like most resi-
dencessiof the better class in Mexico, it
contains private chapel, over whose beau
tifuily canopied altar hangs a life-size ivory
figure of Christ upon the cross, while a
gorgeously dressed figure of the Virgin,
several fine old paintings, and some altar
service of gold and silver are worth thou
sands of dollars.