Page:The Rambler in Mexico.djvu/70

64 the space, and rushed pellmell into the hospitable courtyard, much to the delight of our honest arriero, who, with his young wife and two children, was upon the lookout for us. He gave as a hearty welcome to his home, where, both for his sake and our own, we had determined to take an entire day's rest.

A salvo of hearty kicks was meantime fired by old Bamanos upon every set of ribs and haunches within reach, either as a salutary correction for their general want of discipline, or a publication of his resumption of authority as "lord of the walk" now that they were at home.

Zacualtipan was the largest town we had yet seen in Mexico, though far overrated, it being reported to contain ten thousand inhabitants. Its situation, at the broken ground towards the head of a vast rocky ravine of great depth, descending for several leagues towards the valley of Rio Oquilcalco, is very picturesque. Many of the houses are constructed of limestone, with balconies and galleries somewhat in the Spanish taste. The principal church is more curious in parts, than beautiful in proportion: and it is singular to trace here and there many of the Moorish and Arabesque details which are to be found in the splendid churches of the mother country, transplanted hither on the soil of the New World. The church is furnished with its quota of bells, priests, and tinsel; as we had an opportunity of discovering an hour after our arrival, when a large, but dirty and tawdry funeral procession, with hymns and crucifix, perambulated most of the narrow streets of the place, of which the deceased seemed to have been a wealthy inhabitant. There is little or no trade or manufacture here, as far as we could learn.

The house of our arriero was comfortably, but simply furnished with settees round the walls, and was by far the most pleasant lodging we had occupied since our arrival in the country; and though far from wealthy, it was easy to see that the master was respected by his townsmen. He devoted the following morning to a ramble with us in the adjacent country, in which he