Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/223



time held  a  fair  for  the  disposal  of  the  products  of  the country. The distance  to  Mexico  is  about  one  hun- dred leagues, travelled  only  by  pack-mules  and  saddle animals. The road  is  bad,  but  is  less  frequented  by bandits  than  that  from  Mazatlan  to  Mexico. There is no  wagon  road  leading  from  the  town  in  any  direc- tion, the same  winding  paths  and  the  same  means  of conveyance  over  them  being  employed  now  that  ob- tained in the  days  of  Cortes.

The city  that  once  boasted  a  busy  population  of  fif- teen thousand is  now  reduced  to  a  lifeless,  inert  town of three  thousand. The population  is  heterogeneous, but the  business  is  mostly  in  the  hands  of  Americans and Europeans. Round a  large  plaza,  where  groups of animated  traders,  cock-fighters,  and  gamblers  are often seen,  and  on  the  narrow,  irregular  streets  lead- inyf from  it  are  situated  low  but  substantial  houses  of tiled  adobe,  stone,  and  wood,  roofed  with  palm-leaves, and before  which  run  verandas  for  protection  from  sun and rain. The shops,  cafes,  and  most  of  the  dwellings are dazzlingly  white- washed,  and  the  interior  neat  and orderly. The tumbling  walls  of  tenements  long  un- occupied, give the  appearance  of  general  decadence  to the  place. The castle  of  San  Diego,  standing  on  an eminence  east  of  the  tow^n,  is  the  chief  defence,  though I have  seen  guns  planted  on  the  island  at  the  entrance of the  harbor. A plain  church  stands  on  the  plaza, the interior  of  which  is  decorated  on  fete  days  with palm-leaves and  flowers. Pendent from  the  ceiling was a  miniature  ship  to  assist  the  devotions  of  sailors.

It was  half  past  eight  o'clock  on  the  evening  of March  19th  when  the  Panama  fired  her  gun  in  Aca- pulco bay,  and  there  we  remained  until  noun  next  day. Scarcely does  the  steamer  come  to  anchor  before  it  is surrounded  by  canoes  laden  with  fruit,  which  come swarming from  various  parts  of  the  shore,  and  naked swimmers ready  to  begin  their  aquatic  gynmastics for a  consideration. The boats  contain  oranges,  times, bananas,  piue-applcs,  cocoa-nuts,    bread,   cakes,  and