appeared to be, as the orderly hinted,
that they were "done" so frequently by the volunteers! Nevertheless,
coming suddenly upon one fellow, who, by dint of a dollar beforehand,
opened his door and agreed to enter our service for the time being, we
drove to the clubs, cafes, sociedads, and other places of public resort,
until near midnight, without finding those we were in search of, when my
friend, the orderly, suggested a visit to the grand ball in the Grand
Sociedad. In a few minutes I had gained admission, and making a run
through the mazes of a contra danza, came plump upon the friends I
sought. Though tired as possible after a fifty-six leagues ride, I could
not resist the fascination of a whirl, and catching a trim little damsel
around the waist, off we stamped and pirouetted through the large
saloon. Accompanying an old friend to his quarters, I soon fell into
heavy sleep, and never awoke until the sun was blazing in mid-day.

My visit to Mexico lasted five days. On the whole, I was not highly
impressed with the city. Like all other Spanish-American built towns,
the streets are laid out with great regularity and, excepting near the
suburbs, are well paved; the houses are of two stories--solid and
imposing--without any attempt at architectural beauty--the shops
particularly mean and insignificant for so large a town, and not
remarkable for either novelty or cleanliness. The city does not cover a
large space proportionate to its inhabitants, but it is seldom you meet
with streets so densely crowded. In some quarters, towards evening, when
leperos, vagabonds and population generally, left their dens for the
open air, the main avenues were so closely packed as to make it a matter
of the utmost difficulty to pass--far more people than are seen in the
lazzaroni haunts at the same hour in Naples, or the great thoroughfares
of London.

The Cathedral in the Plaza is a fine building, standing on the site of
the ancient Aztec Teocallis, but not comparable to the meanest of its
kind in Europe. The outside was very much pock-marked with musket balls.
I was more pleased with the Palace than any other brick-and-mortar
structure that came under my observation. It occupies the eastern face
of the Square--is of two stories, and painted a light-pink tinge--with
immense gateways opening into the Plaza, where were two brass guns,
gleaming like gold. Apart from its historical associations, and having
been the scene of many bloody st