Page:Vol 6 History of Mexico by H H Bancroft.djvu/646

626 favor. Hunting, fishing, and cognate sports are little followed by the impatient Mexican, and the climate does not tempt in that direction; but excursions to the country, dias del campo, are a feature among recreations.

With residents of the capital, the daily promenade is now, as formerly, the essential and main exercise. The Paseo de la Vega, toward Chalio, is now less seldom used than the Paseo Nuevo, running in the direction of Chapultepec; and here during the late afternoon may be seen sometimes over a thousand carriages and several times that number of horsemen, a few of whom still appear in the old national riding-dress. The exchange of greetings and flying flirtations goes on continually, as one of the objects of the promenade. Humbler pedestrians line the paseo or resort to the Alameda park, which forms one of the chief sights of Mexico.

In the country may still be seen the heavier travelling carriages, perhaps a dozen feet between the axles, swinging on leather straps, and drawn by about four spans of mules, with postilions. On the Vera Cruz route to Mexico, American stages and drivers were introduced half a century ago, with good effect. Before the present energetic government took control, the proverbial highway robberies were one of the attendant evils of travelling. Robber bands had emissaries along the routes, often in league with innkeepers and officials, or they stalked abroad with impudent