第57部分(第3/7 頁)

hacked　to　pieces　by　machetes；　was　seated　in　a　collapsed　condition　in　a　doorway；　while　the　village　barber　tried　to　sew　up　his　hideous　wounds。　I　do　not　know　what　became　of　him。　Such　was　the　Mexico　of　those　days。

One　of　the　towns　that　we　visited　on　this　journey　was　a　place　named　Queretaro；　with　a　plaza　where　the　band　played；　for　all　the　Mexicans　are　musical；　and　the　young　people　walked　about　in　the　evening。　I　felt　so　ill　there　that　I　thought　I　must　be　going　to　die；　but　a　travelling　American　doctor　whom　I　met　in　the　place；　and　who；　good　fellow　that　he　was；　kindly　examined　me；　told　me　that　I　was　suffering　from　nothing　except　shock　to　the　nerves。

At　Queretaro　I　was　taken　up　a　hill　and　shown　the　wall　against　which　the　unhappy　Emperor　Maximilian　had　been　butchered　some　five…and…twenty　years　before。　In　this　town；　as　in　most　others　in　Mexico；　the　church　bells　seemed　to　ring　continually；　as　I　was　informed；　to　frighten　away　the　devils；　of　whom　there　must　in　truth　be　many　in　that　land　—　if　devils　exist　anywhere　outside　the　human　heart。

We　made　some　part　of　the　return　journey　from　Pinal　in　a　kind　of　diligence　that　we　hired。　It　was　reported　that　brigands　were　active　in　the　country　through　which　we　had　to　pass；　and　therefore　we　were　not　best　pleased　when　a　fat　Mexican；　who　was　convoying　a　huge　mass　of　pure　silver　from　some　mine；　insisted　upon　joining　our　party。　When　asked　why　he　was　so　determined　upon　the　point；　he　answered：　“Oh！　I　have　silver；　in　front　hide　brigands。　You　are　Englishmen；　and　the　English　will　always　fight！”　However；　we　saw　nothing　of　these　brigands；　perhaps　because　of　the　warlike　reputation　of　our　race。

On　our　return　to　Mexico　City　I　undertook　a　longer　journey　to　the　State　of　Chiapas；　then　rarely　visited　by　Europeans；　where　Jebb　was　intereste