LETTER THE EIGHTH


Ball in Preparation--Agreeable Family--Fine
Voices--Theatre--Smoking--Castle of Chapultepec--Viceroy
Galvez--Montezuma's Cypress--Vice-Queen--Valley of Mexico--New Year's
Day--Opening of Congress--Visits from the Diplomatic Corps--Poblana
Dress--"Function extraordinaria"--Theatre--Visit to the Cathedral of
Guadalupe--Divine Painting--Bishop-Beggars--Mosquitoes' Eggs.


A great ball is to be given on the 8th of January, in the theatre, for the
benefit of the poor, which is to be under the patronage of the most
distinguished ladies of Mexico. After much deliberation amongst the
patronesses, it is decided that it shall be a _bal costume_, and I have
some thoughts of going in the Poblana dress, which I before described to
you. As I am told that the Senora G---a wore it at a ball in London, when
her husband was Minister there, I have sent my maid to learn the
particulars from her.

We called to-day on a family nearly related to the C---as, and who have
been already excessively kind to us; Senor A---d, who is married to a
daughter of Don Francisco Tagle, a very distinguished Mexican. We found a
very large, very handsome house, the walls and roof painted in the old
Spanish style, which, when well executed, has an admirable effect. The lady
of the house, who is only nineteen, I took a fancy to at first sight. She