risen from the lowest condition by means of the most corrupt and degraded character. He was yet courteous in his address, and knew how to conceal, under a smiling exterior, villainous designs. Doubtless it would have been well for the people of the province of New Mexico to have been relieved from the tyranny of this unprincipled and infamous governor; but it is more than questionable whether the Texans had any right to interfere in this matter, even if great benefits were to result directly to the people of the country, and indirectly to Texas.

Upon their arrival in the town of San Miguel, they were placed in mean quarters to await the arrival of the Governor, and, while there, saw two of the Texan band, who had preceded them as scouts, shot before their faces in the most ignominious manner. One of these was a brave and much admired officer, by the name of Howland, who met his unfortunate fate like a man. The Governor arrived shortly before this detestable crime was perpetrated, but did not prepossess his prisoners much in his favor. One of their little party, a Captain Lewis, in order to save his life, or avoid a long imprisonment, proved a traitor, and basely betrayed into the power of Armijo the entire band of Texas, who would otherwise, perhaps, have either escaped from the country, or made a brave effort to overcome the miserable bands of mis-named soldiers who surrounded them. Had it not been for the treachery of this base miscreant, it is not unlikely that a far different fate would have befallen the unfortunate Texans, and that even wearied, dispirited, and broken down as they were, the objects of the expedition might have been accomplished. As it was, all surrendered themselves into the hands of the Governor of New Mexico, were plundered of what they possessed, and, with a single blanket, and the clothing only they had on (well worn by their four months sojourn in the wilderness,) the greatest part of them were compelled, during a winter, cold in the extreme, to march on foot, a distance of two thousand miles and upwards, to the city of Mexico.

The scenes of the narrative now change, and we follow our author into the heart of Catholic Mexico, where we have descriptions of manners, institutions, and social life, of a different character. Mr. Kendall had a passport and letters, which showed his objects in visiting the country-that he was simply a tourist, and had only accompanied the expe

dition on account of the protection it afforded in crossing the wilderness. Notwithstanding, we find him detained as a prisoner, and compelled to accompany the Texans on their long and painful pilgrimage.

Salezar, to whom we have before alluded, a brutal fellow, and most worthy coadjutor of his excellent master, Armijo, was their first guardian and conductor. Under his guidance, they were compelled to take long marches, both by night and day, to pass twenty-four hours together, frequently, without food, (and even that, when obtained, was of the most wretched character, an ear of dry corn or something equally palatable,) to sleep upon the cold, hard ground, to suffer in fine, incredible hardships and privations, to which those of the wilderness were as nothing in comparison. Sometimes, one among the party, overcome by such inhuman treatment, would find himself too much exhausted to proceed farther. A bullet, from the inhuman Salezar, would instantly put an end to his sufferings, his body being left upon the plain, a prey to the wolves or carrion birds. And thus were three most cruel murders perpetrated before they reached the beautiful town of El Paso, where they experienced not only kind treatment, but had clothes and other necessary wants supplied by the charity and compassion of its citizens, and where they also changed their infamous conducter for a gentlemanly, humane, and estimable Spaniard by the name of Ochoa.

El Paso is a very interesting town, far removed from other Mexican settlements, and many of its inhabitants of pure Castilian descent; reminding the reader, by its picturesque position, the simple and kindly manners of its people, and its seclusion, of "The Happy Valley" of Rasselas.

The travellers experienced, during the remainder of the way, the kindest attentions, as if to compensate, in some degree, for the harsh treatment of the base and unfeeling Salezar; although it is certain that they suffered much during their long route, from their unusual mode of travelling, and the coarse and any thing but plentiful or nutritious fare, on which they were compelled to subsist. They passed, during their weary pilgrimage, through some of the fairest provinces, the richest and most beautiful cities of Mexico. They received various kind attentions from the inhabitants of Lyocceticas, San Luis Potosi, and Guarnajuato and other places, which served to mitigate, in a good measure, the suf

ferings they experienced from want of clothing and other necessaries. Contributions also were made for their benefit, and even wagons purchased for the conveyance of such of their number as were unable, through sickness, to keep up with the rest; for to add to the troubles attending their march, the small pox had broken out among them, and a large number were seized with the disease. Finally, after a journey of upwards of three months, the haggard and wretched company, who, a few brief months previous, had left Texas, with such bright hopes and expectations, arrived at the city of Mexico. A large portion of them, among whom was our author, were conducted to the hospital of San Lazaro, set apart for the unfortunate lepers, who abound in Mexico. Some were chained heavily and compelled to work in the streets, and, in short, all manner of contumely seems to have been heaped upon the unfortunate captives.

They received, on all parts of their route, from the Mexican women of the higher and lower classes, unabated kindness and attention. They sought, on every occasion, by sympathy and expressions of condolence, to soothe their sorrows. They are frequently spoken of in the narrative, and these allusions are among its most entertaining passages. The following is a graceful description of a female of the lower orders:

"It was at Albuquerque that I saw a perfect specimen of female loveliness. The girl was poor, being dressed only in a chemise and coarse woollen petticoat; yet there was an air of grace, a charm about her, that neither birth nor fortune can bestow. She was standing upon a mud wall, the taper fingers of her right hand supporting a large pumpkin upon her head, while her left was gracefully resting upon her hip. Her dark, full, and lustrous eyes over-arched with brows of pencilled regularity, and fringed with lashes of long and silken texture, beamed upon us full of tenderness and pity, while an unbidden tear of sorrow at our misfortunes, was coursing down a cheek of the purest and richest olive. Her beautifully curved lips, half open, as if in pity and astonishment at a scene so uncommon, disclosed teeth of a pearly and dazzling whiteness. Innocence and the best feelings of our nature, were playing in every lineament of that lovely face, and when some one of us more unfortunate than the rest, would limp halting by, again her tears would gush from their fountains, and illumine a countenance of purity. * * * She could not be more than fifteen, yet her loose and flowing dress, but half concealing a bust of surpassing loveliness, plainly declared that she was just entering womanhood. Her figure was faultless, and even the chisel of Praxitiles himself, never modelled ancles of such pure and classic elegance.

"As the long and straggling line of prisoners passed the spot upon which this lovely form was standing, sore, and worn down by long marches, and want of food and sleep, her rare beauty drew the eyes of all towards her, and exclamations of wonder were upon every lip. She understood not our language, and in the artless simplicity of her nature, knew not that her singular loveliness, combined with the display of charms her unstudied yet graceful attitude and scanty dress had given, was the theme of almost universal admiration. She beckoned to a youth among the prisoners, a German lad but little older than herself, and presented him the pumpkin, with infinite delicacy and grace; and as she did it, the exclamation pobnecito! (poor unfortunate!) was heard gently falling from her lips in tones of softest pity."—Vol. I., pp. 383-4-5.

The contrast between the men and women of the country, is greatly to the advantage of the latter. The most careless reader cannot fail to observe in this respect our author's partiality. Yet, on several occasions, the politeness of Mexican gentlemen is spoken of in terms which show that the courtesies of life are both known and practiced. Beautiful, as are many of the pictures of female grace, sweet simplicity, and unsophisticated manners, furnished by the author-interesting as such qualities are in the softer sex, yet in Mexico we must admire them chiefly as ministering gratification to the eye or sense. Nature has done every thing for them; art and refinement little. The riches of the mind are left in the ore of nature. We speak of the middle and lower classes. In Mexico, and other large cities, many refined, educated, and accomplished women are found. We are reminded, when we read of the softness of the climate, the luxuriance of the vegetation, and of the beauty of the scenery, of a terrestrial paradise, nor does the character of the female portion of the inhabitants dispel the illusion. Innocence, sweet confidence, matchless beauty, checker the moral landscape, and impart to it an indescribable charm. There is another view of it, however, less pleasing, in which the social evils of the country form a dark back-ground, which is drawn by our author with a powerful hand.

Superstition, the darkness of a semi-barbarous age, government, without order or regularity, prevail. Mexico has little to boast of in the character of her rulers, from Santa Anna down to the meanest officer. Nominally a republic, the government is, in truth, a despotism. Both mind and body are enslaved. It is the policy of the priesthood to keep the people in ignorance, that they may preserve their rich

benefices, and of the rulers to draw tightly the reins of power, to prevent the people from escaping from their guidance. We have various evidences of the supremacy of the military over the civil power; we see citizens deprived of their liberty against their will, in order to be enlisted in the state soldiery, even forced away from parents who depended upon their industry for support. We have instances given of great and inordinate wealth, possessions rivalling the patrimony of princes, to which are attached incredible numbers of Peons or vassals, who, in many respects resemble the villains of feudal times. The Constitution of Mexico, which proclaims liberty and equality to the highest as well as the meanest of her citizens, is a dead letter, as far as these unfortunates are concerned, they being, to all intents, the bondslaves of the great landed proprietors, and transferable with the soil. The administration of justice, according to our author, is a mere farce. Bribery and corruption stand near the tribunal of justice, soil its fair and ermined robe, and render it a mere formal mockery. Crimes of a fearful character are of every day occurrence, the consequences of an uncultivated state of society in a climate where the passions are easily roused, and rage with ungovernable fury. The mechanic arts are generally in a miserable condition, altho' we have specimens presented for our admiration, of almost unrivalled architecture, in some of the larger cities. The entire absence of those domestic comforts, which mark the superiority of the moderns over the ancients, is another proof of the imperfect state of those arts which embellish life, and which have become, in our times, the common property of all enlightened nations. The innumerable crowds of Lazzaroni or beggars, which, like so many destructive locusts, infest the large towns-idle and useless citizens, who exhaust the wealth of the country without bringing any thing to the common stock-these are among a host of causes which, like so many incubi, weigh upon the body politic, and prevent either healthy, natural, or useful action-so many diseases, not incurable it is true, but to which the education of all classes, as with us, can alone minister a remedy. The education of the mass has done every thing for the enlightenment of mankind, in other countries, and its influences may yet dispel the darkness which overshadows the social world of Mexico.