Page:The Overland Monthly, volume 1, issue 1.djvu/14

 in his last place of refuge. Such of the Mexican population as had been opposed to him, worn out with their half century of civil wars, were now beginning to ask themselves if the advent of the accomplished young Austrian Prince and his amiable Carlotta would not, after all, prove to be a positive benefit to the country, by putting an end to the wearisome conflicts between ambitious leaders, and still more important, be their surest bulwark against the dreaded encroachments of their northern neighbor; for with them the belief is inborn, that sooner or later the great republic will overrun and absorb Mexico and her civil and religious institutions.

The Mexican capital, at this epoch, presented a strange and absorbing scene, such as will scarcely ever again be witnessed—the spectacle of a large city in North America occupied by European troops, with the view of founding monarchical institutions in the new world. It was, for the moment, perhaps, the most cosmopolitan of cities. Curious varieties of costume, graceful or grotesque, representing the peoples of central and eastern Europe, met one at every turn. There were heard the incomprehensible tongues of Servia, Crotia, Dalmatia, and the Lower Danube, mingling with the equally bewildering phrases of the Polish and Hungarian; while to offset the softer accents of French, Spanish and other Latin languages, arose now and then the screaming ejaculations of the Egyptian and Nubian, known in Mexico under the general name of "Turcos"—a gibberish defying the lingual lore of any but those practiced, bronzed campaigners, who, since the days of Louis Phillipe, have been advancing the tricolor in the wilds of Africa. Delegates from every corner of Europe were there, and to all of these was a dash of romance in the Mexican expedition peculiarly appetising. All had formed roseate visions of pleasures in the fabled "Halls of the Montezumas," amid gorgeous tropical scenery, birds of burning plumage, and under skies of perpetual summer; and those whose fortunate lot it was to be quartered in the great city, lost no opportunity to make the reality fully equal the dream.

The native population, delighted with the novel scenes around them so opposite to the usual monotony of life in Mexico, followed after the daily pageant like pleased children. They were in no respect behind their European invaders in the race for diversion. The streets of the city flashed with brilliant costumes, and resounded with stirring music; money jingled in the cafes; huge-hodied lumbering carriages gleaming with silver ornaments, and drawn by large easy-paced mules, with silver-mounted harness, moved with dignified trot through the principal thoroughfares, their fair occupants exchanging greetings with friends on either side; venders of lottery tickets, beggars and street musicians flourished. Mexico wore anything but the air of a city under military rule. It was a very Babel of tongues; a panorama of varied costume; an ever-moving throng, combining the military splendor and polished civilization of Europe, with the semibarbaric elements of a strange and decadent race, retaining even to this day many of the characteristics described by the old Spanish chroniclers as existing in the days of Hernando Cortes. Austrian, Polish, French, Belgian and Mexican uniforms mingled in the crowd; the Zouaves, of whom there were several thousands in the city, predominating. At all hours the latter were to be seen walking with that loose, swinging gait peculiar to this branch of the French service. They seem to have been selected with a special view to litheness of form and power of endurance. Whole regiments of them had served in Africa, whence they had brought swarthy, bronzed faces, and great muscular development. Every man was an athlete.

Standing at the corner of the grand