ulous province of Jalisco, famed for its wealth, and only second in
importance to the city of Mexico itself. The crowds of well-dressed
pedestrians that thronged the streets and squares, the well-appointed
troops, elegance of the buildings, and smart appearance of equipages and
dashing horsemen, all gave the air, even at a rapid glance, of great
ease and opulence.

The gentleman to whom I was endorsed, Senor Llamas, had been in early
life an _arriero_, but by the force of merit and ability he had urged
himself to his level, and became a person of immense wealth, universally
respected, and occupying a place of high judicial trust under the state.
He possessed more energy, quickness and enthusiasm, than any Mexican I
met with, before or since. After arranging in the minutest details
everything for my comfort and speed on the road, I went to a very good
stopping-place, the _Fonda de Diligencia_. Here I bathed, and slept
until the streets became noisy with vehicles and horses passing for the
afternoon's drive. Facing my balcony, in an opposite dwelling, there
appeared a lady of exceeding beauty, or, as the porter of the hotel
told me in reply to my exclamation, _Si Senor! bonita como un
peso_--lovely as a dollar. She first appeared at the gilt-railed balcony
in the dishabille of the country, that is, with only skirts of the
dress--the sleeves and bodice hanging down in front; leaving the person
from waist up only slightly concealed by the camisetta, which half
reveals and half hides the shoulders and bosom. One must be blind,
indeed, not to become something of a connoisseur in female beauty, after
residing any length of time in Mexico; for the flimsy veil, which is
usually worn in the day by all classes of women, only serves, by the
pliant grace of their movements, to render their forms more defined and
attractive. But to return to my vis-a-vis. At a second visit to the
balcony, the bodice was laced, and superb masses of hair fell like a
dark cloud over neck and arms. At a later period the toilette was
completed, with a lace mantilla, and her tresses braided in two long
plaits. A dear little baby was crowing upon her breast, and the
beautiful Senora amused herself by entwining and knotting the braids of
her hair under the infant's arms, when she swung the little fellow to
and fro, in the most graceful manner conceivable. I never beheld so
charming a duet. The bell sounded for dinner--there was a well-set
table, and among a