since then! How much we had seen! How many different climates, even in the
space of the last four days!

But my thoughts which had wandered three centuries into the past, were soon
recalled to the present by the arrival of an officer in full uniform at the
head of his troop, who came out by order of the government to welcome the
bearer of the olive-branch from ancient Spain, and had been on horseback
since the day before, expecting our arrival. As it had begun to rain, the
officer, Colonel Miguel Andrade, accepted our offer of taking shelter in
the diligence. We had now a great troop galloping along with us, and had
not gone far before we perceived that in spite of the rain, and that it
already began to grow dusk, there were innumerable carriages and horsemen
forming an immense crowd, all coming out to welcome us. Shortly after the
diligence was stopped, and we were requested to get into a very splendid
carriage, all crimson and gold, with the arms of the republic, the eagle
and nopal, embroidered in gold on the roof inside, and drawn by four
handsome white horses. In the midst of this immense procession of troops,
carriages, and horsemen, we made our entry into the city of Montezuma.

The scenery on this side of Mexico is arid and flat, and where the waters
of the Lagunas, covered with their gay canoes, once surrounded the city,
forming canals through its streets, we now see melancholy marshy lands,
little enlivened by great flights of wild duck and waterfowl. But the
bleakness of the natural scenery was concealed by the gay appearance of the
procession--the scarlet and gold uniforms, the bright-coloured sarapes, the
dresses of the gentlemen (most, I believe, Spaniards), with their handsome
horses, high Mexican saddles, gold-embroidered _anqueras_ generally of
black fur, their Mexican hats ornamented with gold, richly-furred jackets,
pantaloons with hanging silver buttons, stamped-leather boots, silver
stirrups, and graceful mangas with black or coloured velvet capes.