The Polynesian. [volume], December 04, 1841, Image 1

About The Polynesian. [volume] (Honolulu (Oahu), Hawaii) 1840-1841

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THE POLNEIAI
j, J. JAUVES, Editor.
SATURDAY, DECEMI1ER 4, 1811.
Vol. o. iiO.
C O M MUNI C A T E I).
LEAVES FROM MY JOURNAL.-llv j. r. b. m.
No fi. Tour across Mkxico.
The city of Mexico with its splendid
buildings and other .attractions, lias been
i ii .1 '.a
ko 01 if ri arm so wen ucsciikuu iiiui 11
'would be useles for tne to attempt to give
I w
kny new ideas of the place, especially as
iickness prevented me, during our short
Mav from making more than a cursory
observation of this " Garden of the New
World."
A day or two after my arrival I visited
he famous statue of the Bronze Horse,
liich is a noMe work, being a colossal
tatuc in bronze, of Charles of Spain, and
one entire casting. The rider is in the
Ionian costume, and all the proportions
f this huge statue are well preserved.
u
t formerly stood in the Grand Plaza, but
uring tho Revolution, when the populace
Lore destroying every thing relating to a
King, it was removed for safely, to one of
he courts of the Palace buildings, where
t still remains, appearing to much disad-
antiige, on account of the small space in
ft IiIMi it is nnr-1nfit- T wns informnrl tfi:it
IfMr Poinsett, when Minister here, offered
lie Government ten thousand dollars for
is statue, intending it should be placed
tt Washington ns the statue of the Fa-
her of his Country, but could not pur-
ll liase it.
On the morning of the 24th of June at
hrec o'clock, we seated ourselves in one
the line American coaches belonging
1o the mail line, and escorted by a guard
... . ii
f ferocious looking dragoons roiled mer-
Iv out of the city. The numerous de-
;iys which we had met with, had increas-
d my eagerness to reach home to such
iree that I bade adieu without a
hade of regret to the noble city of Mexi-
o, with its palaces, its fountains and its
hiirches, and throwing myself back, I in-
ulged in pleasing anticipations of a
Incedv progress towards home. Between
llexico and Vera Cruz there is a lir.e
f mail coaches, which was first cstablish-
I by Americans, but which has now
issed into the hands of Mexicans. The
ouches were built in New York, and are
iandsome. comfortable and strong. The
rivers also are Americans, and I could
Iasily imagine myself travelling again in
to United States, while rolling along the
ad, except when our progress was stop
cd by a team of mules sometimes of sev
ral hundred, carrying bales, boxes, &c.
Lc. from the sea port to the metropolis.
ur coach contained a bpamard, an old
Mi.i Inn i-i 1i1if inI nun A innrif.'i n lineiiln
b ur own party ; thus of eight passengers,
01 ix were Americans, and five of them from
re lie Sandwich Islands, a place which most
' f the people of this country are entirely
knorant of. Indeed while in uaudalaja-
i, I was asked by a very respectable old
lexican gentleman in what part of the
nited States the Sandwich Islands were
tuated ! He was confident that they
-
clonged to the United States, and scem-
Mhink they must either be in the Mis-
issippi or Columbia river.
Our escort left us at sunrise to take
ire of ourselves, and we were constantly
i the qui vivo " for the gentlemen of
to road, who are very numerous between
wsico and Vera Cruz, both coaches hav
la8 been robbed the day before.
i lie lare Irom Mexico to Vera uruz is
'' dollars, and each person is allowed to
3ta one aroba or twenty five pounds
ight of baggage. For all exceeding
Lint
At about four o'clock we entered the
n
II'
;r'
I'l
in
at
Pucbla de los Angelos, the most beautiful
city in Mexico. The streets are straight,
crossing each other at right angles, and
were as clean as a floor. They have
broad foot paths, and some of the princi
pal ones were laid with large flat stones
over which wc rattled in fine style. This
city is entirely Spanish, having been
founded since the conquest, and contains
some 00,000 inhabitants. The buildings
arc large and lofty, the Hotel where wc
stopped being by far the handsomest and
most comfortable that I have seen in Mex
ico, and in almost every aspect this beau
tiful city wears the appearance of being
the abode of wealth and luxury. The in
terior of its cathedral is gorgeous beyond
description, and the value of the gold and
silver ornaments with the number of pre
cious stones, is incredible.
We stopped for the night in Puebla and
early the next morning were again on the
road. This day we passed in safety a dan
gerous pass, where frequent robberies have
been committed. We had an escort at
intervals during the day, and at dusk
reached the town of Perote, which pre
sented a strong contrast to the one wc had
left, being dirty and gloomy. This town
is noted as being the abode of many of
the Ladrones of the road, and it is said
that some of the highest authorities of the
place are in league with them. They keep
a constant look our here for the stage,
having spies, who note the appearance of
travellers and their baggage, and report
accordingly, when if the booty promises
much, and the resistance little, they gen
erally make an attack. Wc noticed sev
eral suspicious looking fellows in the court
yard of the coach house when wc alight
ed, who stood around with their Spanish
cloaks wrapped round their faces, as our
baggage was taken into our rooms. One
person, apparently a very well known and
respectable man, came up and began to
examine our arms apparently from mere
curiosity, of which we thought nothing at
the time.
Wc started from Perote at 4 o'clock,
making a great display of our arms at the
windows of the coach for effect. Being
advised not to accept the escort which is
a private one, that generally joins the
coaches from Perote, as it was hinted that
they were not above honest, wo declined
their services when they came up, much
to their discomfiture, as they no doubt
expected a high reward from their servi
ces to the foreigners. But we felt strong
enough, and did not like to employ a
guard who were suspected of being con
federates of highwaymen.
We mot with no adventures, and arri
ved at the pleasant little town of Jalapa
at noon. This ij a small town delight
fully situated on the side of a mountain,
and is surrounded by other peaks, among
which towers the majestic summit of Oriz
ava buried in snow. The air here is mild
and salubrious, with frequent showers, and
the climate is said to be one of the best
in the world. It is a great resort for val
itudinarians and strangers in the sickly
season. Here we remained a fortnight,
until the day before the packet was ex
pected to sail from Vera Cruz, and with
no books, and no means of amusement,
the time dragged very heavily. On the
morning after our arrival, on the return of
the stage from Perote, we learned that we
came very near meeting with an adven
ture on the road from Perote. It seems
that some of the good people at that town
having an an idea that as we were Yan
kees, and going home, we must have a
good deal of money with us, had lormed
a plan to relieve us of our superabundance
of cash, and a party of nine we ll armed
were chosen a committee to follow us for
that laudable purpose. They followed us
several miles until wc stopped to break
fast, when seeing the display of our arms
and our constant vigilance, (one of us be
ing on the look out on each side) they
thought better of their plan and conclu
ded to postpone the execution of it. But
determined not to have their trouble for
nothing, they attacked the coach which
we met going to Perote, with a gentle
man's private carriage, in which were
himself and lady, and stripped them of
every thing, even to the lady's car rings.
Had it not been for our apparent strength
and the display of our arms, wc should
have been attacked. This occurrence
gave us something to talk about, which we
stood greatly in need of, and led to an
interesting conversation with the drivers
respecting their adventures on this road.
The one who drove us down had been at
tacked and robbed fourteen times. Most
of the drivers know the fellows, but are
obliged to be silent, as they would be
obliged to leave the road if they informed
against them. Two or three of the dri
vers have been shot as a lesson to the oth
ers, and they have profited by it. One of
them who had a very spirited team of
horses, ran away from them several times,
as they were drawn up to stop him. At
last they sent word to him that if he re
peated the manoeuvre, his life would not
be worth an hour's purchase. Knowing
their ability to perform the threat, the
next time he saw them ranged up in the
road before him, he attempted to pull up,
but his horses having been used to going
at full speed at this level place, became
unmanageable and he dashed by them at
his usual rapid rate. The first two fired
at him, not intending to hit him, but he
could not stop the frightened animals.
The second couple as he passed took de
liberate aim, and shot him through the
head. He fell dead from the box, when
the robbers rode off without doing any
farther mischief. Ihis has had the eflcct
intended, and now the drivers stop when
ever the robbers make their appearance.
It is strange that the Government of this
country cannot find some means by which
to rid the country of these fellows. lot
a stage passes that they do not know the
number of passengers and their means of
defence. One cannot walk in safety a
mile from this town of Jalapa, without
carrying arms, and I have frequently been
cautioned against going far alone, even in
the day time, lest I should have a rencon
tre with sonic of these gentlemen of tho
road.
The walks about Jalapa are very pleas
ant. The town is built on the side of the
mountain, and appears to great advan
tage from a distance. Much taste is dis
played by the Mexicans in building, and
in laying out their grounds and roads.
One of the roads which lead out from tho
city is laid out with remarkable neatness,
and it is the favorite promenade. It is
paved with small stones with broad side
walks, and enclosed byadobic walls, plus,
tered and whitewashed, having large pil
lars of the same material about twelve feet
apart, on which were placed urns, having
an oriental and pleasing appearance. The
top of the wall is made in curves from
one of these pillars to the other, and at
intervals it makes a semicircular bend
from the road, forming recesses, round
which are seats, in which recesses the la
dies who frequent this fashionable prom
enade, seat themselves to rest and observe
the passers by, while groups of tastefully
dressed children amuse themselves and
the spectators by their noisy gambols. A
bridge thrown over a stream at the com
mencement of this promenade, is built
with the same regard to taste and effect,
and is also a very fashionable seat ; a piet
ty little waterfall dashes down into the
stream, which below it becomes quite a
river, large enough for pleasure boats, one
or two of which are seen gliding in the
distance, at times concealed among its
windings by the overhanging shrubbery,
and then shooting up to the very foot of
the fall, within speaking distance of tho
pedestrians on tho bridge. Here, close
by is a dye house, the contrast between
which and our unsightly ones at-home
struck me, as another evidence of the
good taste of these people. Instead of
an unsightly, dirty looking clapboard af
fair, offending more senses than one, here
is a tasteful and neat looking building,
made of adobies, plastered ami painted
so as to resemble slate stone, with a hand
some arched gateway and a wall enclos
ing the grounds, having more the nppcar
aaee of a gentleman's country scat, than
a dychousc. This promenade was thus
tastefully ornamented by the citizens of
Jalapa, a lottery having been got up for
the purpose, the proceeds from which
were devoted to this object, and a more
romantic spot could not have been chosen.
The surrounding hills, rising up in the
distance covered with trees, with the snow
capped summit of Orizaba towering far
above them, form a pleasing background
to the beautiful scenery around.
We celebrated the anniversary of our
national independence, by having a sup
per in the evening, mustering for that pur
pose all the Yankees in the place; wc
numbered ten in all, and spent the even
ing after the usual manner, in songs, senti
ments, tfcc , but I was too sensible of tho
pleasure I was losing by my not being at
home at this lime, to enjoy the evening.
After a stay in J. of twelve days, every
one of which appeared a week to me, I
joyfully took my seat again in the coach
for Vera Cruz, bidding adieu to beautiful
Jalapa without a shadow of regret. Hero
we parted from one of our number, Mr
C, whose declining health had induced
him to remain and try the effects of the;
famed climate of Jalapa. He was in ill
health when we started and our arduous
jaunt had been too much for him.
We rode until 5 o'clock, P. M., and
slopped at a place called the Plan del Bio,
where we found the heat almost intolera
ble, and we began to have very unpleas
ant misgivings concerning the state of the
Thermometer at Vera Cruz. Wc were
incessantly occupied in making smuliy
laborious but ineflcetual efforts to sleep,
but 1 lie balmy god gave us a dead cut.
At midnight we were roused to take our
places in the coach. Tin road from Jal
apa to Vera Cruz is horrible, most of it a
sleep descent, Jalapa being about 4,000
above the level of the sea. It is a most
uncomfortable sensation, that of being
sleepy in a coach, especially when the
road is none of the best. One vainly at
tempts to combat this drowsy feeling,
which at last overpowers him, and his
head drops on his breast, catching a min
ute's uneasy dumber, till a tremendous
jerk of the coach throws hint from his
balance, and neatly breaks his neck if he
is on the middle seat, or his head, if he is
not. There is something twtieinely ludi
crous in the sight of two or three drowsy
passengers in a coach, on a rough road,
I their heads now bobbing up and down,