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Show 2,36 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE to the camp, and begged of me to take him back to his company, but I would not give any encouragement to the scoundrel, only a little change, as he was without a farthing 20tb May, Hlt:dncsday.-C~me to the IIacienda of Pattos by nine o'clock. 'This is a handson1e place, where the marquis De San Miqucl frequently spends his sum. 1ners, the distance enabling him to come fran1 Mexico in his coach in ten days. llere we met the Mexican post· rider going to Chewawa. l)on Ilymic who had left us at Paras, joined in a coach and six, in which we came out to a little settlement called the Florida, one league from Pat· tos, due north. Distance 18 miles. The Ilaci"nda of Paltos was a square enclosure of about three hundred feet, the building being one story high, but some of the apartments very elegantly fur_nished. In the centre of the square was a Jet d' eau, which cast forth water from eight spouts, extended from a colosean female form. From this fountain all the neighbouring in· habitants got their supply of water. The marquis had likewise a very handsome church, which, with its. orn.a· ments cost him at least 20,000 dollars; to officiate lfi which, he maintained a little stiff superstitious priest. In the rear of the palace (for so it might be called) was a fish-pond, in which were immense numbers of fine fish. The population of Florida is about 2,000 souls. 'fhis was our nearest point to the city of Mexico. 21st May, Tbursday.-Marched down the water course over a rough and stony road about ten miles, when w~ left it on the right, and came on eight miles further t.o a horse range of the Inarquis's, where he had four of ~115 soldiers as a guarda caballo. Ilaltetl at half past nmc o'clock. At this place w~ had a spring of bad water. THROUGH THE INTEIUOR PHOVINCES, &c. 257 22d_May, Friday.-Marched at thrrc o'clock and came on 16 nul?s to a. small sh, ·d. and in the afternoon to Ia Rancho, eight miles to the left of the main road ncar the foot of the mountain, where was a pond of water but 110 houses. Some Spanish soldi rs WC're here. \Ve left I)·ttt • • ' OS mountam on our left and right, but here th 're was a cross mount~in over ~hich ~ve ~ere to pass in the n1orning. ' 1 he marquis mamtams 1.500 troops to protect his vassals and property from the savages. They arc all ca-valry, ,and as well dr~ss~d and armed as the king's, but are treated by the kmg s troops as jf vast] y inferior. . 2.:d May, Saturday.-Marched early and came to a ~pnng m the mountain. 24th Mny, Sunday.-Marchcd at an early hour and passed thro~gh the mountain, (scarcely any road,) called .th .e mountam of the Three Rivers. At the 1 <'~th ·1 .~ nu e JOined th_e main road which we had left to our right 011 ~e ~2d mstan.t, and in one hour after, came to the main cx1can road from the ca tern provinces ; from thence north-west to the Rancho, nine miles from Montdovez whence the cap t a1· n sent · ' 111 an express to give notice of our approach. '25th May, Mondt~y.-In the afternoon lieutenant ~dam.s, commandant of the company of Montclovez arnved m a co· h d · . <tc an s1x to e cort us to town, where we arnve. d about five o ' c1 o c k , I'l . M . I n the ev nm. g visited ca~tam De Ferara, the commandant of the trOOj)S of Cog-qui! la an I · f' '. <. mspector o the five provinces. Lieutenant Ad 1 • h . ams w 10 commanded th1s place was t e son f 1 · h · . ' h· d 0 . an ns engmcer In the service of Spain. I Ie a mar ned a rich . . 1 f h I'l r d h . grr o t e asso Del N ort ', and tr1ey tvc ere ll1 el d u . h' rgance an ~tylc for the country. W l' pul P at IS quarters and , h · were very ospJtably entertained. xk |