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Show APPENDIX TO PART III. go\'cmmcnt of the United States on these subjects. A few, and very few intl<.;cd, of those nations have been converted by the missions, and these arc not in that state of vassalage in wl~ich the Indians fu1·ther to the south arc held. Goven:nU'nt and Laws.-Pcrfectly military, except as to the ecclesiastical jurisdiction. llforals and JUimncr.Y.--They being on the frontier, where buff. do and wild horses abound, and not engaged in any wat· with sa· vages who arc powerful, have adopted a mode of living by following those animals, which has b en productive of a more wandering disposition round the capital (St. Antonio) than in any other of the pro· Yinces. Cordero, by r<.;stricting (by edicts) the buffalo hunts to certain seasons, and obliging every man of family to cultivate so many acres of land, has in some degree checked the spirit of hunting or wandering life, which had been hitherto so very prevalent, and has endeavored to introduce, by his example and precepts, a gene· ral urbanity and suavity of ma11ners, which rendered St. Antonio one of the most agreeable places that we met with in the prov ll1Ces. Jllilitary .Forc<•.-Thcrc was in Texas at the time I came through 988 men, from the actual l'eturns of the troops which I have seen, five hundrc 1 men of whon1 were from St. Ander and New J .con, under the command of governo1· IIerrara. The dispo· sition or those troops arc as follows: 388 at St. Antonio, 'J.OO at the cantonment of , on the Trinity, 100 at the Tt·inity, and 100 at Nacogt!ochcs. The militia (a rabble) a1·e made somewhat respectable by a few A mc rican n·i le men w 11 0 arc m· co rporatcd alnOI\t:st them and arc about 300 men, including bow an<.l arrow • 0 men. Rcligion.-Catholic, !>llt much relaxed. Jlil.-tO?'lJ.--To me unknown, except what can be extracted from \arious anthors on that subject. . G<'nt•ral Remarks on JY~w Sj1ain.--To become acquainted Wit 11 all the ci\il aHd political institutes of a country, it requires a perfect 1u10wlcdgc of the language, a free ingress to the arclll· vcs, an.d •'l rc- sidcnce of some years: even then we can scarcely cI .I st· m~tu sh be· twecn the statute Jaws ancl common law, tkrt.v etl from ens t on1 ' mod-rals, and habits. Umler those circumstances it cannot be expectc th.\t I sh:dl be able to !;ay muc1 1 on the subj. ect, as I pos· scs·s cd n. one of the above ad vantages. I w1. ll, however, o fl'c r a I'c w o bscrva. r.w ns, . . • . • r. . . r the md!U\1 y To a stranger 1t 1s tmposstble to deune the lnntts o ·,.,nu ccclest., \Stl. cal J.U l'l.S t1 1' ct•w ns, m• every aufY,' u• r wI . l rc htcs to t 1lC tlC 1 ' APPENDIX TO PART IlL citizens, and in fact with the soldic1·y, the force of superstition i!l such that I am doubtful whether they would generally obey one of their ofTicers iu n direct violation of the injunction of their religious profe!>sions. The audiences or Mexico and Guadalaxara were formed, no doubt, as a check on the immense power of the viceroy. The number of members composing each is to me unknown, but they arc formed of the vice1·oy, as pt·csidcnt, with two votes, !~cuc rals, and bishops. To thei1· jurisdictions the appeals from the judgment of the imendants and all subordinate oflicet·s may he m ade in civil cases; but the military and ecclesiastical decisions arc distinct: yet notwJthst:mding all this semblance of justice, should an individual dare to make the appeal and not succeed in establishing the justice of his claim to redress, he is certainly ruined. \Yhcre justice is so little attended to, when opposed to power :md weulth, as in the Spanish provinces, the appenl is a desperate remedy. This u·ibunal or legislative body enacts all the lnw!:i for the general rev;ulations of their· divisions of th<.: kingdom. The captain genemlcy of the internal provinces appeared to me to be much m ore despotic, for the laws or· reg·ulations were issued in the for·m of an order merely, without any ki11d or a prcamblc whatsoercr, except sometimes he would say, "Hy ordc1· or the king;" and s uch was the style of g·ovcmors of provinces. .ftToraLs, Jl1anMrs, b'c.--For hospital ity, g-enerosity, and soh• ·icty the people of New Spai11 exceed any nation pc1·haps on the globe; but in national encq.;y, patriotism, enterprise of chnmctcl', or indepcnclcncc of soul, they a1·c p c l'baps tlw most deficient: yet thc1·c a1·c men who have displayed bravct·y to a sut·prising- dc!;rcc, and the Europeans who arc there cherish 'rith delig·ht the idea or their gallant anc<.;stry. Thei1· women kn·e black eyes ancl hair, ftne teeth, and :lt'c !~Cncmlly l.mmcttcs. l met but one exception to this nile at Chiltuahua of a fair· bdy, and she, by way of distinction, wa<> called ' the g-il'! with lir,-ht hair·" They arc all inclinillg· a little to eubonpoint; but no_nc (or few) arc cleg·ant ligures. Theit· dr<.;ss g-enerally i-; short Jackets :mel petticoats and hi!;ll heeled shoes, without any head dress. Over the whole dress they h::we ~t silk w1 apper, which tltey always '~e:u·, and, when in tile presence uf mrn, aficct to bring· it ovci· tltcu· face s, but from under \\ hich you frcqucmly sec peeping a htl't"e • . . 1 1• 1. • <> ~P•llh.lJl'r ulack eye. As we approachctl the Atlanttc an(l om· fronlic rs, we s·1w several latlics who wor<.; the vowns of our countrywon1cn, which th<:y concci,·ccl to l>c tnltL·h ~nore elegant than th eir ancient costume. The lower cbss of ~hP. |
