Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1903-09-09
TIE TOURIST In MEXICO.
Many Things OF nteres to he sees
While Travelling Through the
Land OF the DOna.

In old days men spoke Of making
the adventure Of SPAIN" without
which a young gentleman Of family
could hardly consider his education
complete. Nowadays, thanks TO
steam, all "adyenturing" as far as rail-
ways extend, is merely az matter Of
money and inclination Mexico, or
"New Spain" was, 20 years ago, as diff
6cult Of access from the United States
as Spain from England in ancient days.
There was the sea gate at Vera Cruz
where ships made perilous anchorage
IN an unprotected roadstead, and then
came the journey in diligence to this
capital amid perils Of the road. This
before the Mexican railroad was built,
says the City of Mexico Herald.
To enter Mexico from the north was
an enterprise for the hardest travel
ers; the roads were bad; "mala gente'
on many Of them, and long days of dust
and heat, and thirst before any consid-
cradle town could be reached. A
Scotch friend has recently written us
that he made the journey from Texas
to this capital 20 years ago on horse
back, and enjoyed it; but he had jour
neyed much in the Argentine before
the railways, and of late, in Morocco,
wholly innocent of the modern meth
cd of locomotion.
Nowadays all is changed; travel is
made comfortable and often luxuri-
Gus; women, in small parties, travel
here, making the adventure of Mex.
leo" with ease and perfect safety.
Tourists are numerous and Of all
kinds, some (perhaps the most) see
ing nothing but the new material de-
velopment, opportunities for invest
ments, prospects of gain; others there
be who look at Mexico in its intensely
interesting aspect Of a country unique
in linguistic and chronological blends,
for here the Moor has left traces of his
language and customs, these mingled
with the customs and languages of the
Aztecs and other Indian races, while
the genius of the tenacious Spaniard
presides over the complex civilization
Of the country.
In architecture the man or wom-
an of education sees the marked influ-
ence of Arabian taste and usage; for
here the Moorish house, with patio, OF
court, is common; the barred win
dows; the porch with its huge doors.
through which one sees flowers and
fountains, all most Andalusian and de-
rived by the southern Spaniards from
the Moors, who, in turn, got 1t all from
the Saracens, and they from the Per-
slams. Thus Mexico, architecturally, Is
very oriental; great American a%rtistA
and architects have come here and ad-
mired the severe lines of stately an.
sient buildings, where beauty Is
achieved without petty ornamental
ton. The Moor has left his Arabian
words all over the Mexican "casa."
The 'zaguan," or "porch; the "axo-
tea" or roof, these are Arabic words
The "albinii." or mason, who buildA
the walls and lays the roof, is called by
another Moorish name. The list might
be greatly extended. The tourist, call
ing for his "taza" OF coffee, uses, un-
consciously, the Arabic "tast," or cup;
he admires the display of the "jo-
yeria," or jewelers., and what is
"joya," a jewel, but the Arabic Gum
harp" "Almacenes," or warehouses;
"azucar," or sugar; 'algodon," in
which one sees clearly the origin Of
''cotton"-all words Of the Arabic v o
cabulary.
The high-peaked national saddle is
the Moorish saddle modified, and the
technical vocabulary of every trade in
Mexico is filled with Moorish terms. A
few came from the Indian languages
and so Aztec and Arabian meet in the
new world. The Spanish language has
the Latin manliness and dignity with a
strong blending of the color of the
Arabic. Spanish differs thus from
Italian, also descended from the Latin,
In a certain oiental majesty and Wv
idness. 1t is a language of solemn dis
course, for ardent love making, for
military command, and for every pur-
pose Of the highest literary art. 1t is
. widespread tongue, spoken in the
Philippines, in little islands of the Pa
eifc, among the Spanish Jews living
long exiled in Constantinople, in
North American ports, and over a vast
extent of the new world. It is not de-
caying, it is-fulI of life, its literature
showing a surprising vigor.
The. intelligent tourist win note
these and many more facts; he win see
here triumphs of architecture dating
from colonial days, a strange mingle-
ment of customs-Aztec, Spanish and
Moorish, with recent additions from
the great and restless nation al. the
north. He will see the new wine Of
m%odernity being poured into the old
Spanish bottles, with the inevitable re-
suit. Everywhere the old, the very old,
and the very new. Mexico is in transit
ton; it viii lose many things delight
ful to the artist and the antiquarian,
to all people Of taste and refinement;
It will gain many useful things. But
It viii be long years before the interi-
D