[Illustration: The houses in La Villita are built of rock and adobe. The residents were mostly soldiers, many of whom had intermarried with the Indians, and their families. A feeling of class distinction was created in 1731 with the coming of the Canary Islanders, who considered themselves of noble lineage. The Islanders established their own settlement and refused to have any relations with those living in La Villita.] [Illustration: The Cos House in the Villita settlement is an outstanding example of an early dwelling in San Antonio. Here General Perfecto de Cos signed articles of capitulation on December 9, 1835, after the Texans had captured San Antonio from the Mexican force.] [Illustration: High walls to give protection as well as privacy, enclose a patio of the Cos House. The house itself is of adobe with very thick walls.] [Illustration: This picturesque old adobe house on Dawson Street is but a few hundred yards from the Alamo and is typical of hundreds of similar early homes still to be seen. At the door of this home is a _metate_ stone, still used by many Mexicans to grind their corn for a _masa_ mixture used in making tortillas.] [Illustration: Located in Military Plaza is the Spanish Governors’ Palace, a restoration of the historic building used by the Spanish governors and vice-governors of the province.] [Illustration: In the keystone over the entrance is the Hapsburg coat of arms bearing the date 1749. Philip V of Spain, founder of the Canary Island settlement in San Antonio was a descendant and heir of the Spanish Hapsburgs.] [Illustration: The arrangement and furnishing of the ten rooms in the Spanish Governors’ Palace give a picture of home life in the better class Spanish homes of the day. In such homes there was a private chapel such as this room of the Blessed Virgin. There are four fireplaces in the Palace, each different. According to tradition, sticks of wood were placed on end in one corner of the fireplace and the fair señoritas named each stick for a young señor. He was worthy of her consideration if the stick burned evenly, but if it burned in the middle and fell apart, he was not to be trusted.] [Illustration: This is the living room in the palace.] [Illustration: This interesting stairway led up to the _despensa_, or storage pantry, where food was stored.] [Illustration: In the _cocina_ or kitchen of the Spanish Governors’ Palace the stove is typical of the Spanish kitchen in which charcoal fanned to flame by bellows, is used.] [Illustration: This _comedor_ (dining room) in the Governors’ Palace was the scene of many gay and festive affairs.] [Illustration: The garden of the Spanish Governors’ Palace, filled with subtropical shrubbery and flowers, could have been no more beautiful in the days when Spanish viceroys ruled within its walls. The pebble mosaic walks form interesting patterns in the patio.]