MEXICO.
South-west of the United States is the country of _Mexico_. Till
within a few years, it was a Spanish colony; but is now independent.
In Mexico there are _seven_ kinds of people: 1. _Whites_, born in
Europe; 2. _Creoles_, born of Spanish parents in America; 3.
_Mestizoes_, or descendants of Whites and Indians; 4. _Mulattoes_,
sprung from Whites and Negroes; 5. _Zambas_, the offspring of Indians
and Negroes; 6. _Indians_, who are the copper-colored native race; and
7. _African Negroes_.
The Mexicans are of good _stature_, well proportioned, and so free
from personal defects, that there is scarcely upon the earth a nation,
in which fewer deformed persons are to be met with. Their skin is of a
copper-color; and they have good complexions, narrow foreheads, black
eyes, white, firm, regular teeth, and thick, glossy, black hair.
Some of the ladies are said to be very beautiful; but they have one
practice, which is very disgusting――that of _smoking cigars_. They
carry their cigars in a gold, or silver case, suspended by a ribbon at
their side; and as soon as one cigar is exhausted, another is lighted;
and they only cease to smoke, when they eat or sleep.
It is said that the Mexicans are moderate in eating; yet one would
think they must eat a great deal, as they have eight meals a day. This
I suppose, however, is only among the higher classes. Chocolate is a
favorite beverage, but if they eat little, they drink much. Indeed,
drunkenness is so common, that in the city of Mexico, the police send
round _tumbrils_, or carts, to collect such as are found stretched in
the streets.
The senses of these people are very acute, especially that of sight,
which they enjoy to old age, unimpaired. Their constitutions are
naturally sound; and, though most of them die of severe diseases, it
is not uncommon for them to attain to the age of a hundred years.
The Mexicans have good understandings; but education among them is not
very general. They are said not to be as passionate as the people of
some other countries. They are slow, and very persevering in respect
to works, which require time. They are generous and disinterested.
They set but little value upon gold. The Spanish inhabitants dress
very expensively. They generally wear silks, and adorn their hats with
belts of gold, and roses of diamonds. Even some of the slaves have
bracelets, and necklaces of gold, silver, pearls, and gems.
The Roman Catholic is the established religion. The natives retain
many of their superstitious notions and practices. When one of them
dies, the deceased has a jug of water given him, and pieces of paper,
with directions where to go. At the same time, a little dog, or some
other domestic animal, is killed, to accompany the deceased on his
journey, to the invisible world. The corpse and the animal are now
burned, and the ashes placed in an earthen pot, which is buried in a
deep ditch.
BRAZIL.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account