Page:Life in Mexico vol 1.djvu/157



 San Fernando — House of Perez de Galvez — A removal — Size of the Houses — Old Monastery — View by Sunset — Evening Visits — Mexican Etiquette — A Night-view from the Azotea — Tacubaya — Magueys — Making of Pulque — Organos and Nopal — Environs of Mexico — Miracle — Hacienda — View from the Countess Ca's House — Arzobispado — Anecdote — Comparative view of Beauty — Indians — Rancheritas — Mexican Cordiality — Masses for the Dead — San Augustin — Form of Invitation — Death of a Senator — A Mistake.

25th February.

have been engaged for some time past in the disagreeable occupations, first of finding, then of furnishing, and lastly of entering into a new house. We were very anxious to hire that of the Marquesa de Juluapa, which is pretty, well situated, and has a garden; but the agent, after making us wait for his decision more than a fortnight, informed us that he had determined to sell it. House-rent is extremely high; nothing tolerable to be had under two thousand five hundred dollars per annum, unfurnished. There is also an extraordinary custom of paying a sum called traspaso, sometimes to the amount of fourteen thousand dollars, taking your chance of having the money repaid you by the next person who takes the house. We next endeavored to procure a house not far from our present residence, a palace in fact, which I mentioned to you before as having been occupied at one