We were very kindly received by the English merchants to whom my companion had letters, and we set ourselves to learn what was the real state of things in Mexico.

Everything that is really Mexican is either Aztec or Spanish.

The habit of building houses upon piles, which was first forced upon the people by the position they had chosen, was afterwards followed as a matter of taste, just as it is in Holland.

The interior of Mexico consists of a mass of volcanic rocks, thrust up to a great height above the sea-level.

There are even many huts built entirely of the universal aloe.

Even if severe wounds are given, the Indian has many chances in his favor, for his organization is somewhat different from that of white men, and he recovers easily from wounds that would kill any European outright.

If you are a married man resident in Cuba, you cannot get a passport to go to the next town without your wife's permission in writing.