n _nouveau riche_
air, consequent upon the transition period of Mexican life of recent
years. The beautiful monument and statue of Guatemoc is planted in this
avenue, and is worthily deemed a successful embodiment of Aztec art
sculptured by modern chisels. Upon Sunday morning--the fashionable time
of _serenata_ or promenade concert--the wealth and beauty of the
capital foregather in carriages and upon foot and listen to the strains
of the band. Here we may, from the seats of our victoria, observe the
Mexican upper class at our--and their--ease. Hats off! A private
carriage comes driving swiftly by; its coachman attired after the
English fashion, and the whole equipage of similar character. In it is
a well-dressed gentleman well past the middle age, with dark complexion
and characteristic features. It is the citizen-President, the
redoubtable General Diaz, and the universal salutations are evidence of
his popularity. The air is balmy and the warmth of the sun pleasant.
But at any moment these conditions may change, and a ruthless
dust-storm, swept by the wind from the dry _adobe_ plains surrounding
the city, descend upon us, the fine dust covering our clothes and
bidding us direct our coachman to turn his horses' heads towards our
hotel. This, however, is not frequent, but when it does occur it brings
a certain sense of disillusion akin to that felt by the British
holiday-maker when he has gone down to an English seaside place to
enjoy the balmy air and finds a bitter east wind blowing!

[Footnote 29: Named after the viceroy who caused its construction.]

But the bull-fight--ha! the bull-fight--takes place
this--Sunday--afternoon, for this is the Mexican Sunday sport: a kind
of licence, possibly, after the numerous _misas_ of the early morning!
We have purchased our seat in the _sombra_ of the great bull-ring, and
the _corrida_ is about to begin. Let us glance round the assembly of
many thousands of persons. The seats of the great amphitheatre are
divided into two classes--the _sol_ and the _sombra_, "sun" and
"shade." That is to say, that the seats in the shady portion--for the
structure is open to the sky--are of one class, and command a high
price of, say, ten _pesos_ each, whilst the sun-beat portion is of an
inferior class, and price, say, one _peso_. It is a sea of faces we
gaze upon, the _elite_ of the city in the _sombra_, and the lower
classes, the _peones_ and others, in the _sol_.

The arena is empty, but s