Equal labour and skill have not been bestowed on the defence of the left bank of the river, which is guarded by fifteen men only. We were detained some time at the principal fort, while our trunks were brought on shore and placed in the canoes in which they were to be conveyed up the river. An officer, distinguished from the rest by being a little more clothed, took an inventory of our effects; during which I employed myself in reconnoitring the country. It was of a kind powerfully to excite the emotions caused by the sight of nature and men under a perfectly new aspect. I felt that I was indeed in America, a feeling which New York did not at all convey to me.

The canoes were now ready, and we embarked in the best of them. Two Indians were placed in each to navigate them, and a third, armed with a musket, to prevent smuggling. In navigating this sort of vessel, which, as you know, is made of the trunk of a single tree hollowed, the Indians do not row, they use a long pole, at the end of which is fixed a flat board; they stand upright, and leaning their backs against the pole, urge on their little vessel by means of the resistance of the water to the flat board. This appears a painful sort of labour for the back. They must also be extremely careful to stand upright and steady, as a very slight inclination would be sufficient to upset the canoe. It is difficult to describe the powerful and varied impressions I received in ascending the river. My astonishment increased every moment at the novelty of all the objects which offered themselves to my view, and I was too much absorbed in them to perceive the intense and increasing heat. A little way up we saw a monkey quietly drinking at the stream; he darted into the trees with incredible speed the moment he saw us. The banks of the river were adorned by a singular tree which the Indians call Mangel. It is the Rizophora Mangle of botanists, and one of the caprices of nature. The branches of this tree send out numerous little boughs, some of which are furnished with leaves, and others falling perpendicularly seem eagerly to seek the water, for which they have a strong affection; as soon as they reach it they send forth roots, which fix themselves in the bottom and become in their turns so many trunks. The banks of the river have consequently the appearance of colonnades, under which, sheltered from the scorching rays of the sun, an infinity of the beautiful aquatic birds called by naturalists ardea, are seen seeking their prey. Some of these equal the swan in the delicate whiteness of their plumage, and even surpass it in elegance of form; some are of a beautiful rose colour, and some of other colours. Our boatmen (canoeros) kept near the shore that they might lean their poles against the ground and so lessen their fatigue. We were thus enabled to see the banks covered with two kinds of lobsters, the one of a fine vermillion red, the other blue. We saw also a cloud of beautiful butterflies of every conceivable hue.

The scene changed in a moment, and a magnificent forest arose crowning the shore, which, low and muddy before, was now converted into a precipitous rock. Amid the interwoven branches of its trees sported innumerable birds, some of which display astonishing skill in the structure of their nests. They are in the form of a long purse, at the bottom of which are deposited the eggs; a hole left near the top serves as a door, but it is placed on the side in order that the rain may

not penetrate through it. The nest is attached by a few threads to the extremity of the most slender twigs, so as to be inaccessible to beasts or reptiles. From time to time we saw near us some dark object which we soon discovered to be one of the tortoise or alligator tribes, some of them of enormous size.

The river Panuco, which I was told was navigable for canoes fifty leagues above its mouth, abounds in fish, which are frequently seen leaping above the surface, when they are caught by the numerous pelicans which are found on its shores. After we had proceeded some way, we left on our right a branch of the river on which is situated the village of Pueblo Nuevo de Tampico. It has a cheerful appearance from its beautiful situation, and from some of its houses being whitened. We were at too great a distance to see whether all was gold that glittered, but subsequent observation leads me to believe that my imagination outstript the reality. At the meeting of the two streams were anchored two small, old, and broken golettas, which serve as guard ships, and are not in a condition to be employed on any other service. The tricoloured republican banner, green, white, and red, floated upon them. These colours are said to signify independence, religion, and union. In the midst is painted an eagle resting on a plant of nopal and holding a serpent in its claws.

As we proceeded, the stream became more winding and narrow; its shores are all formed of the deposit of oyster-shells and other testacea, which in some places form banks of a considerable height. Upon one of these is built a hut where we were to sign some paper which had been given us at the custom-house. I took advantage of this

momentary delay to climb the bank, and thus obtained a wider horizon. My curiosity was amply repaid; the view from this little height was delightful; the whole lagune is visible, and in the distance, Pueblo Viejo de Tampico, towards which we were steering our course. Pueblo Viejo is a collection of wretched huts scattered here and there on the banks of the lagune; the shore rises behind it, and is covered with grass and trees; the whole aspect of the place bespeaks great poverty. When, after long delay, the officer had found his spectacles and looked over this same paper, which he was an immense time in doing, we proceeded on our voyage. We entered the lagune and immediately came in view of Pueblo Viejo; in passing before it we saw the market, which is close to the river, and forms a miserable sort of mole. The Indians come down to the river and lie alongside it in their canoes, whence they carry on their traffic. A little way from the market is the house of the consul of the United States, the best in this part of the country. We here moored our little bark, after a most delicious voyage of four or five hours. The priest of the village and a sort of custom-house officer were to attend, the former to examine our books, the latter our other effects. The reverend father however did not make his appearance, and the other gentleman, in the act of clenching five or six scudi, acquired an acuteness of vision which enabled him to see through our closed trunks that they contained nothing contraband. One of our party accepted the offer of the viceconsul to remain in his house; the rest proceeded to the lodging prepared for us.

One glance is sufficient to give a pretty accurate idea of the whole village, as all its houses are alike; they invariably consist of two distinct apartments, one of which is the sitting-room and the other the kitchen. The first differs from the second in being more spacious, and sometimes plastered with mud: the second is of precisely the same style of architecture as the buildings at the fortress. These dwellings are so transparent that they ought rather to be called cages than houses; they are so entirely pervious to the weather, and so wretched in every respect, that they are inferior to the meanest Irish hovels.

In crossing the piazza we saw a party of fifty Indians roofing the cathedral with palm leaves; the whole party set out howling and hissing in the most deafening manner. This we found was intended as a mark of respect and courtesy towards us. The church is of a piece with the rest of the buildings.

The village of Pueblo Viejo has suffered greatly from a fire which, a short time since, destroyed about sixty of the best houses.

We were now at our inn: a black woman from San Domingo keeps this inn, which is a great blessing to Europeans; they can live there in a manner somewhat agreeable to their habits, which are not unknown to the good negress. She lived some time in New York and New Orleans, and is a better cook than we expected to find. In the afternoon we went in a body to solicit a passport of the commandant, whom we found extremely disagreeable and troublesome; he received us unceremoniously, I may say rudely, in slippers and a nightcap, without a cravat, and as stiffly erect as an Egyptian statue. He surveyed us very deliberately, and then with the voice of one who thought himself entitled to command, he asked us who we were; as soon as we had satisfied his curiosity on this head, he said, "Where is the captain of the ship which brought you hither?" "On board," replied one of us. "And why does he not make his appearance before me?" This, as you perceive, was a puzzling question, but he soon relieved us from our difficulty by uttering these most significant words, "I would have you know that I had already given orders for your arrest. It is rumoured here that you come for other purposes than those you announce, and this captain, who does not choose to show himself, might land Spaniards in the same manner, &c."

A gentleman in the service of the American consul at length succeeded, by his courteous manners, in calming the fury of this irascible commandant. He acknowledged that our captain had inadvertently been guilty of a great omission, but assured him that we were all respectable men, and perfectly peaceful in our intentions, of which he might convince himself by perusing the letters we offered for his inspection. He deliberated for a few moments and then told us to return to-morrow, when he would consider what was to be done. We left his house somewhat confused and humiliated at a reception so different from what we had expected.

It was true that a rumour had got abroad that we were come to subvert the present order of things, and our most common instruments were converted by the imaginations of the people into implements of war.

In the evening I visited the market, where I bought some lapotes

chicos, a fruit which in its form and colour resembles our medlar, but far excels it in flavour. The taste is so sweet and delicate that I know not to what to compare it.

May 26th. We remained at Pueblo Viejo, and I availed myself of this opportunity of secing the environs; I climbed the most elevated spots, and penetrated into thick forests which appear coeval with the world. I seemed to be wandering in a botanic garden richer than any I had ever beheld, and every plant, every blade of grass, reminded me that I was indeed in a New World.

The parrots made the air resound with their importunate cries, and many other birds which were strange to me, attracted my admiration by their extreme beauty. The confidence with which they suffered me to approach them was very striking; they do not as yet see in man their most formidable enemy. On reaching a little eminence called La Mira, I fancied myself transported into an enchanted garden; this little hill commands the whole subjacent plain, the beautiful lagune, the magnificent forests, and the course of the river to its most distant windings; the opposite mountains, tinged with lovely and harmonious colouring, terminated the most astonishing view I ever beheld. But my delight was not without alloy, whilst I stood "estatico per nuova meraviglia," a swarm of insects, of which this wood is literally full, had covered me from head to foot; I should not so soon have been sensible of this, had not some little red ants taken care to remind me of their presence. The most disgusting of the insects which abound here is that called the garrapato; it buries its head and fore legs in the skin, where it remains, and sometimes for a month afterwards causes swelling accompanied with indescribable irritation.

On my return to our inn in the evening, I found a French lady of about fifty, and exceedingly ugly; she spoke almost every language in the world, and was, according to her own representation, the most intimate friend of all the great ladies in the four quarters of the globe. She had just travelled by land from California, where a friend and fellow traveller of hers had died; she had passed, thus unprotected, through regions inhabited by cannibal tribes, accompanied only by an Indian girl, whose brother had been eaten. We were joking about the way of spending our evening, and one of us proposed going to the theatre: to our infinite surprise and amusement, she told us that there actually was a theatre at Pueblo Viejo, that the manager gave himself out for the first musician at the court of Madrid, and that there was to be a performance that very evening; she was tired and would not go, but I was too eager to know what sort of thing the theatre of Pueblo Viejo could be, to hesitate for a moment. I was conducted to a shed, constructed in the same style as the others, at the door of which was placed a table with a candle upon it, and a boy who stood yawning and waiting for the arrival of spectators. "You are the first," said he, "and it is very late." "Well, I will come again." I returned in half an hour, and found, to my great regret, that there would be no performance, there being, unfortunately, no audience. The boy said the people were all gone to the fête of Pueblo Nuevo. I was determined, if possible, to see the theatre, and I entered boldly. The pit is open to the heavens, the walls are formed of canes covered with leaves, and the stage and scenery as wretched

as can be imagined. The prima donna, who, if she was nothing else, was at least a white, stood in her little room divesting herself of the sock, or buskin, and of all her splendours: I bowed to her, and the meagre appearance of her face strongly inclined me to invite her to supper.

Very few old people are to be seen at Pueblo Viejo, the fever and other maladies incident to the climate save its inhabitants from the evils of old age.

May 27th. Our caravan set out with above forty mules either for the saddle or for burthen. We were divided into two bodies; the first, which might be called the état major, set out first: the second, of which I was one, remained to escort the baggage. After an hour's ride we passed Tampico, which lay on our left. Tampico is built in the usual style of magnificence, but from the beauty of its situation and the whiteness of most of the houses, it has a more cleanly and cheerful appearance than Pueblo Viejo. The road still lay through the lovely botanic garden which I have already mentioned, and almost every step disclosed some object which awakened our wonder and admiration. The perfect silence which reigned among us, a silence only broken by an occasional exclamation of surprise, sufficiently marked the state of all our minds.

The few hours' march in the first day's journey passed rapidly; it was only half-past one, P. M. when we arrived at Los Ranchos de las Tortugas. The Indians call their cabins Ranchos, and designate a collection of them by the name of the place near which they are erected. The miserable hut of one of these poor people, upon whose hospitality we had thrown ourselves, served us as a place of rest; or rather not the hut, which would have been too small, but a sort of shed adjoining it, which usually served as a place of shelter to the cattle, and was entirely open on the four sides. Our dinner was soon prepared, and, thanks to the provident care of one of our party, it was an European dinner. Whenever we were in situations which afforded nothing to cat, we had recourse to two miraculous tin cases which had been prepared in New York, and which never failed to yield us excellent provision. The air having been exhausted from them they were hermetically sealed; nothing was wanted but hot water to prepare for us a luxurious repast of fish, fresh as if just from the sea, delicious poultry, meat, &c. I could not help being struck by the fastidiousness and prejudice of the lower classes of England; the artisans of our party turned up their noses at this unaccustomed sort of food, and at our humble lodging, while their superiors, many of whom often had fared so much worse in the heart of Europe, thought themselves remarkably well off.

The remains of an idol of rudely sculptured stone has just been discovered; I send you a sketch of it with a scale of English feet. It is probable that this spot had been consecrated ground, as it united all those features which are usually found combined in the places selected by savage nations for the celebration of their religious rites. We were on the summit of a gentle eminence, near which were a forest and a spring. There was nothing picturesque in the situation, for the Indians always fix their habitations on a level spot, which they industriously clear of every tree and bush, so as to leave it entirely bare,