Page:Life in Mexico vol 2.djvu/173



Balloon — San Bartolo — Indian women — A beauty — Different castes — Indians — Their character, &c. — Those of noble race — Ball at the French minister's — Abecilla — Danger of walking unattended — Shooting party — A murder — Robbery of a farm house — Discomfited robber captain — The "Zambos" — Letters and visiters — Country life in Mexico.

23d April.

went to Mexico yesterday to see a balloon ascend from the Plaza de Toros, with an aëronaut and his daughter; French people, I believe. The scene was really beautiful. The plaza was filled with well-dressed people, and all the boxes crowded with ladies in full toilette. The President was there with his staff, and there were two bands of music. The day was perfectly brilliant, and the streets crowded with handsome carriages, many of them open. The balloon swayed itself up and down in the midst of the plaza like a living thing. Everything seemed ready for the ascent, when it was announced that there was a hole in the balloon, and that consequently there could be no ascent that day. The people bore their disappointment very good-humoredly, although it was conjectured that the air traveller had merely proposed to himself to get their money, without the slightest intention of performing