ing battery that crowns the cliff,
stopped the passage of armies. But it was of no use to try to think;
the wheels would strike fire upon the boulders lying in the road,
tumbling us about until all romance and recollection were pounded out
of us.

Gladly we halted at Plan del Rio to take a little chocolate and look at
the ruins of a stone bridge blown up by gunpowder, while new horses
were being brought out to drag us up the Cerro Gordo pass.

Here we met a small body of soldiers conducting eight freight wagons
that carried loads of coined silver, and were drawn by twelve horses
each, on their way to the coast--a common sight to the people of these
parts, as was evident from the indifference with which they regarded
such cargoes of money; yet it was calculated to make an American stare,
though he had been accustomed to look upon treasures of California in
her palmiest days. But a few millions in silver make a most imposing
show.

FRIAR PAGE AT VERA CRUZ.

Our monk, on his journey to this point, had kept along the shore,
crossing the Antigua near its mouth, visiting old Vera Cruz. He thus
describes what he there saw:

"The first Indians whom we encountered in our journey were at old Vera
Cruz, which is on the sea-shore, where, as we have already said, the
Spaniards first designed to establish themselves on undertaking the
conquest of the country, but which they had to abandon on account of
the little protection it afforded against the north winds. Here we
began to note the power which the clergy and friars have among the poor
Indians; how they rule them, and the respect and veneration which are
paid them. The Prior of Vera Cruz having written, the morning of our
departure, advertising them of the day of our arrival, he commanded
them to come and receive us, and to serve us during our transit through
their territory. The poor Indians obeyed with the greatest promptitude
the orders of the Prior, and at a league from their village twenty of
their principal men encountered us upon horseback, and handed a wreath
of flowers to each one of us. Then they set out on their return in
front of our caravan, and at a bow-shot distance, and in this manner we
proceeded until we came up with others on foot, with trumpets and
flutes, which were played very agreeably before our whole cavalcade.
Those who had come out were the employees of the churches and the
chiefs of the fraternities, all of whom presented us a garland of
flower