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hearths have been at present? What would the marchands of Paris, from the Chaussée d'Antin to the Quartier Latin not give to see any of their festivals of the middle ages progressing in the same unaltered steady-going fashion as our own "Lord Mayor's Show."

The procession over, I cared not what became of its constituents; and it was not until the very last anniversary that I ever had the chance of dining at Guildhall, and seeing what became of the principal part of them.

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The ticket I received was wonderfully imposing; a whole sheet of Bristol board had apparently been used in its construction; and it was accompanied by a plan of all the plates at the table, my own being painted red, so that I knew at once where I was to sit. It did not say at what time dinner would be ready, but informed me that nobody would be admitted after a certain hour; so that, from some hazy recollection of the procession taking in its distinguished guests at the obelisk about three o'clock, I thought four would be a proper hour to arrive at Guildhall. The ride thither was by no means the least striking part of the day's excitement. From Ludgatehill to Gresham-street my cab ploughed its course through the densest mob of people I ever saw; and as they were all in the way, and had to be Hi'd!" and sworn at, and policed therefrom, I do not believe any one ever received so many epithets, more or less complimentary, in half an hour, as I did during that time. The windows were alive with heads; where the bodies thereunto belonging were crammed, was impossible to guess; and not only the windows, but the balconies and copings, the tops of shop-fronts and parapets were equally peopled; and this continued all the way to the doors of Guildhall, where my ticket and hat were delivered as I entered the Hall. The effect upon entering was very beautiful. The long lines of tables, sparkling with glass and plate, were striking in themselves; but they were comparatively nothing. The noble building itself, with its picturesque architecture, outlined by dazzling gas jets; the brilliant star at the western window, and the enormous Prince of Wales' feathers, of spun glass, at the eastern, surmounting the trophy of armor; the helmets, banners, and breastplates hung round; the men-at-arms on their pedestals, in bright harness; the barons of beef on their pulpits; and, above all, Gog and Magog, gazing, as they had gazed for centuries, on the banquet, carrying fearfully spiked weapons which nowa-days nobody but Mr. W. H. Payne is allowed to use and he only in a pantomime: all this formed a tableau really exciting; and, distant matters being considered, made one

think there was no national conceit in the pride and glory of being an Englishman, after all.

From the Hall the majority of the guests went on to the Council Chamber, where the presentations were to take place; and here there was amusement enough to be found in watching the toilets of the company. The gentlemen in their court-dresses and colored gowns, were well enough; there was a grave municipal appearance about them that set off the scene wonderfully, nor could it have been possible to have seen so many good old honest intelligent heads together any where else. But we must run the risk of being considered forever ungallant in saying that the dress of the ladies, with few exceptions, was in itself worth going to see. Their costumes were not poor-on the contrary, they were as magnificent as Genoa, Lyons, and Mechlin could make them. Neither were they old-fashioned: such would not have been altogether out of keeping. But they were singularly comical ; the most heterogeneous colors, styles, and trimmings, were all jumbled together: and the wonderful combinations of manufactures they wore in, and on, and round their heads, would require a list as long as the "Morning Post's " after a drawing-room, to describe. Caricatures of the coiffures of all the early Queens of France and England might have been detected, by a sharp eye, amongst the company; nay, one old lady had made up so carefully after Henry VIII. that, with whiskers and beard, she would have been wonderful. A large proportion had a great notion of a fluffy little feather stuck on the left side of their heads; and all preferred curls to bands, when such were practicable- and curls of elaborate and unwonted nature and expanse. Amongst them, to be sure, were some lovely girls who would have put the west-end belles upon their metal — faultless in dress and tournure as a presentation beauty—but they were overwhelmed by the dowagers.

There did not appear to be much to be seen here, for it was impossible to get near the dais, so I went back to the Hall to my place at the table, and learned, to my sorrow, that dinner would not take place before seven. But there was plenty to be amused at as the more distinguished guests arrived, and passed on to the Council Chamber through an avenue of gazers, being announced by name as they entered. This name, however, it was impossible to catch; every one, from the size of the place, ended in unintelligible reverberations. So that from "Lord Or-r-r-r!"" Mr. Baron Pr-r-r-r!" or Captain Uls-s-s-s!" you made out what you conceived to be the most probable, and

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were contented accordingly. From time to time a brass band in the gallery played selections from operas; hungry gentlemen looked wistfully at the cold capons; and frantic officials with white wands ran about with messages and ordered the waiters. For myself, I confess to having settled quietly down on my form, and made myself as perfectly happy with my French roll and some excellent Madeira, as any one could possibly have desired.

At length some trumpets announced the approach of the Lord Mayor; and his procession, including my dear old friend of childhood, with the large flower-pot-shaped muff upon his head, entered the hall to a grand march. They came in long array down the steps, then round the end below Gog and Magog, along the southern side, and so up to their tables. This was really impressive; and, as the civic authorities, the judges and sergeants, the trumpeters, and all the rest marched round, one was tempted to think much more of Dick Whittington, and Sir William Walworth, Evil May Day, the Conduit in Chepe, together with Stowe, Strutt, Holinshed, and Fitzstephen, than the present good Lord Mayor, Sir James Duke, and all the municipal, military, naval, and forensic celebrities that accompanied him, to the tune of "Oh, the roast beef of Old England!" played in the gallery.

Our good friend Mr. Harker without whom I opine all public dinners would go for nothing, and the Old Bailey Court become a bear-garden-gave the signal for grace, the tureens having already appeared upon the tables during the cortège; and then what a warfare of glass and crockery, of knives and forks and spoons, and callipash and callipee began! The hapless guests by the tureens, had a hard time of it in supplying their fellowvisitors; and the rule for politeness in the Book of Etiquette," which says, It is bad taste to partake twice of soup," had evidently never been learned; for they partook not only twice, but three times; and would, doubtless, have gone on again but for the entire consumption of the delicacy. For the vast number of people present it was astonishing, by the way, how well everybody was attended to. The waiters ran over one another less than they usually do at great dinners; they recollected when you asked for a fork, and brought you one; and if it had not been for their clattering down all the plates and dishes against your heels under your form, the arrangements would have been perfect.

At the head of our table was the most glorious old gentleman I had ever seen. Whether Farringdon Without or Broad Street claimed him as its own, I do not know, for the wards

were divided at the table; but whichever it was had a right to be proud of him. He knew everybody, and all treated him with the greatest respect. He was a wit, too, and made some very fair puns; besides which, by his continued pleasantries, he kept the whole table alive. He took wine with all whom he saw were strangers, and offered them his snuff box with a merry speech. He was the best mixture of the fine old courtier and common councilman it was possible to conceive; and my admiration of his good fellowship was increased, when I was told that he was actually eightytwo years of age! I should like to have had some quiet talk with that old gentleman. He must have known many youths, barely living on their modest salary, who afterwards rode in their own carriages in the lord-mayor's proces sion-perhaps, as the chief actors. He could, I will be bound, have told us stories of the riots of '80, when he was a mere boy; and of the banquet given to the Allied Sovereigns in that very old Guildhall, a score and a half of years afterwards. But he left our table early; and when he went, and told us all that he was going home to put on his slippers and have a cigar, we were really grieved to part with him, and could have better spared the touchy gentleman near him, who did nothing but squabble with the waiters, and threaten to report them.

The dinner was despatched-the cold turkeys, and hams, and tongues, and the tolerably hot pheasants and partridges-in less time than might be conceived. There was no lack of anything. The punch was unexceptionable; the Madeira of the choicest; and the champagne unlimited. And after all this, a bevy of pretty young ladies, with an equal number of gentlemen, appeared in the south music gallery to sing the grace, which they did very well. The visitors evidently knew their busiThey did not applaud when the grace was over, in the manner of some reckless and enthusiastic spirits fresh at public dinners, who look upon

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it as they would do upon a Cyder Cellars chorus; but received it gravely, filled their glasses, and waited for what was to come next. Then the trumpets sounded, and were answered from the other end of the Hall, and the new Lord Mayor rose and proposed "The Queen," and if her Majesty could have heard how that toast was received, with an enthusiasm that made the very men-in-armor totter on their pedestals, and Gog and Magog almost invisible through the haze of excitement, she would have known that the expressions of her belief in the allegiance of her good old city of London, with which she was accustomed to respond to addresses, were beyond the conventional, after all.

The remaining toasts could only be heard by those at the principal table; but when the ladies left, the gentlemen went up, and stood about on the forms and benches to see and hear the "great guns" of the meeting. Afterwards tea and coffee were served in a long room to the right of the council chamber; and then dancing began in the latter apartment, until the part of the hall above the railing was cleared for the same purpose. During this period the company had an opportunity of seeing two very clever pieces of scenic view which were displayed to be looked at through windows, on what might possibly otherwise have been a blank wall. These were modeled representations of the Tower, and the Rialto, at Venice. They had a charming effect; the sober light and air of tranquillity thrown over them being an excellent contrast with the noise and brilliancy of what was in reality" the hall of dazzling light," usually treated as a poetic and perhaps

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apocryphal piece of festivity inseparable from striking a light guitar.

The dancing was famously kept up" with unabated spirits," as newspapers say of a ball. To be sure, the more refined Terpsichorean nerves were occasionally shocked by hearing subdued wishes for "the Caledonians. The majority, too, preferred the polka to the waltz; and mistrusted themselves in the deux temps. But they were evidently very happy, and believed greatly in every thing about them; and if. we could always do the same in society we should have little to grumble at. At last, not choosing to let the world generally know at what hour my faithful latch-key put me in possession of that most inestimable property, one's own bed-room, I slipped off, and arrived at home with calm propriety, filled with gratitude to the Lord Mayor, the Sheriffs, and the Corporation generally, for a very hospitable (and to me a very novel) entertainment.-Bentley's Miscellany.

HUNTING IN WESTERN TEXAS, AND VISIT TO SAN ANTONIO DE BEJAR, IN 1843.

BY A TRAVELLER.

During a lengthened residence in Galveston | Island and its vicinity, when my occupations permitted, I devoted myself to sporting, or, as called in Texas, hunting. Bird-shooting is denominated "gunning.'

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In winter, wild geese, wild ducks, brant, canvass-backs, sand-hill cranes, &c., are met with in great numbers, and are brought down with buck-shot, either on the wing or from an ambush. As spring approaches, quails, wild pigeons, and the delicate prairie-hen, (a species of grouse) afford sport for small shot; but the magnificent wild turkey requires a small rifleball, or buck-shot. Before the warm weather sets in, oystering and turtle parties are formed; and when summer is approaching, fishing on the coast, in the bays and rivers, affords profitable amusement, in the shape of red-fish (as large and finer than cod), mullet, trout, perch, cat-fish, &c., &c. In these expeditions, woe be to alligators, rattle-snakes, opossums, racoons, fox, wolf, skunk (polecat), peccary, or Mexican hog! and when in the deep woods of the lower country, exciting indeed is the chase of the puma (lion of Texas), the tiger, and leopard. These last three wild animals are much smaller, and have none of the ferocity of

similar species met with in the jungles of Africa or India, and may be easily tamed.

In the autumn of 1843, having affairs to attend to in Western Texas, and being at Galveston, I made arrangements for starting. The first was to find my half-wild Comanche mustang, which had been loose on the island for months; and having sought for the animal myself in vain, I offered a reward to whoever would bring him to me. In a day or two a Scotsman, who had the reputation of being a "first-rate" horse-stealer, produced my mustang, which was in capital condition, observing that he had friendly recollections of me when out in the "Lafitte" privateer, on a cruise after some Mexican transports; and the only remuneration he required was to take a drink with one from the old country.

Discarding all European gear for myself or horse, I patronized the straight Comanche saddle, as better adapted for travelling over a rough country, and in not being liable to get wet when fording rivers, and moreover well suited to carry a blanket or two and well-filled saddlebags. Habiting myself in buckskin, broadbrimmed hat, and stout Mexican mantle or poncho; armed with a double-barrelled gun,

one of which was a rifle; a pair of pistols in my belt, and a bowie-knife, (the couteau-dechasse of the country); a store of bullets, shot, powder, coffee, sugar, tobacco, and a change or so of linen, I started alone, in the month of August, for Western Texas.

Leaving the "Pirate's Isle "* by the ferry at Virginia Point, with myriads of musquitos and horse-flies now as companions, generally halting at a settlement at sun-down; or if benighted in the woods, or having lost my way, or my mustang got tired, I camped for the night at any convenient spot.

visited the ever-memorable battle-field of San Jacinto, where the sanguinary Santa Anna was beaten and made prisoner by the Texans in 1836. They generously gave him his liberty; and in return, on his arrival in Mexico, he made a lengthened and savage war upon Texas until last year, when Texas was annexed to the United States.

Visiting Houston, the then seat of Government, and paying my respects to President Sam Houston, I crossed the Brazos river at San Felipe, founded in 1824 by S. F. Austen (the father of Texas), now in ruins and deserted, having been burnt by Santa Anna, a few days before the battle of San Jacinto. Remaining a few days at Columbus, on the Colorado river, visiting La Grange, Austin, on the same stream, and Gonzales, on the Guadaloupe river, I arrived at last at San Antonio de Bejar, "the Thermopylat of Tex

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Descending into its romantic and picturesque valley, the deserted missions of Concepcion and San José are seen; and on approaching nearer, the ruins of the devoted Alamo present themselves. On the western bank rises the towering steeple of the so-called cathedral; and through the bright and almost tropical foliage peep the castellated houses of the Spanish and American resident, and the square huts of the Rancheros and Peons. The river, which is clear and sparkling, is generally fordable, formed by tepid springs a few miles distant. The Texans, in their raptures regarding this locality, call San Antonio their Vale of Avoca.

The then population of San Antonio might be classed under the following heads: A very few opulent Mexican residents, foreign merchants, Rancheros, and Peons. The two first

This is in allusion to Galveston Island having been the residence of Jean Lafitte, the "Pirate of the Gulf," from 1817 to 1821.

+Called so on account of the slaughter of about 160 Texans in the Alamo fort, by Santa Anna, a few weeks before he himself was taken prisoner. David Crockett was one of the victims.

need no particular description, but the latter require some notice.

The Ranchero, or herdsman, has a preponderance of Spanish blood over the Indian. Still, he is an uncultivated being, who passes the greater part of his life in the saddle, herding cattle and horses, hunting wild cattle, mustangs, deer, and buffalo. Unused to comfort, and regardless of ease and danger, he has a hardy, brigand, sunburnt appearance, especially when seen with his high, broadbrimmed hat, buckskin dress, Indian pouch

and belt ornamented with various colored beads, armed with his rifle, pistol, and knife. He is abstemious in the way of food or strong drink, but passionately fond of his "cigarito de oja de maize." As a useful and judicious companion on a long journey, or on a trip into the woods, it would be difficult to recommend his equal.

The Peon, or laborer, has generally more of the Indian in his composition than the former. He is superstitious and ignorant, and has but little of the energy of the Ranchero. The Peon resides in the city and suburbs, tilling and cultivating the productive land, or "labores" (small farms), and appears of a contented disposition. In Mexico the Peon is nearly as much a slave as the Negro is in the southern states of America. His usual dress is a calico shirt, wide calico trousers, a fancy colored girdle about his waist, his jacket thrown carelessly over his shoulder in summer, a broad-brimmed hat, the band studded with silver ornaments and colored beads. Early in the morning he goes to mass, then to work; after dinner he sleeps his siesta; and in the evening amuses himself by tinkling his rude guitar to his mistress, dancing zapateos, smoking, and gambling at times.

The females of the Rancheros and Peons are pretty, good-natured, and obliging. They dress plainly, but tastefully; and well know how to show off their figures and feet when tripping to matins or vespers, their heads and greater part of their faces coquettishly covered with the black mantilla. These are the votaries of the bayle and fandango: they flock to the scenes of mirth and music, conducted with decorum and gentleness. From early evening to the soft hour of twilight, they may be seen, in the summer season, going in joyous groups to sequestered parts of the river, to bathe; and there the curious eye might occasionally observe them gliding about in the limpid stream, their regularly-formed, bronzed faces peeping above the surface of the water, and their black hair floating over their shoulders.

The days of the governador and alcalde

have passed away forever; and in their place are seen the American mayor, sheriff, and

constables.

Excepting in the few principal families and foreign residents, the inhabitants still adhere to the tortilla or maize-cake as bread; and a sort of olla podrida, seasoned with garlic and red pepper, is their favorite food. The neverfailing stone metate, on which the maize is ground, to make the tortilla; a hide stretched upon a frame, serving for a bedstead; a few low stools, a small table, a little crockery, their clothes, a few valuables in an antique trunk, and jorongos, or Mexican blankets, constitute the catalogue of their worldly effects.

San Antonio has ever been the theatre of strife and bloodshed, and hardly a wall or house has escaped the effects of cannon-balls even the church bears evidence of very rough usage. Those turbulent times have passed; and whatever may be the result of the present war between the Americans and Mexicans, San Antonio has a good chance of becoming a flourishing city in the hands of the former.

Having remained some time at San Antonio and its vicinity, I was one of a party of six, principally with the object to hunt the bear in the Guadaloupe mountains.

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We were better armed than mounted; and it was pretty clear, had we got into a "difficulty with the Indians, we should have had to fight, for but little dependence could be placed on the retreating movements of our mustangs. In addition to rifles, pistols, and bowie-knives, we had our spears, such being useful instruments at times in a bear-hunt. We loaded two mules with Indian corn-meal, salt, bacon, groceries, tobacco, some whiskey, an iron pot, coffee-pot, frying-pan, and tin pannikins. All were habited in buckskin, each having his warm Mexican mantle, or Xorongo.

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We left San Anionio the beginning of October; but cre we started, an old Indian fighter, my respected friend, Colonel Jack Hays, guessed" that six was too small a party to go far into the Indian country, without we wanted to get up a fight with "them d-d red rascals," adding, "Citizens, before you slope, come and have a drink." This we did, at the French consul's groggery; then, lighting our Alamo pipes," left for the woods. Travelling a few miles, we camped down for the night at the springs or head waters of the San Antonio river. Here we saw numberless even-running streams, issuing out of a limestone rock containing silica, giving rise to four streams, which soon unite, and form one of the clearest and prettiest rivers in the world.

Round the springs is an almost impenetrable wood; and under the huge branches of its giant trees we "fixed our pallets," consisting of our saddles for pillows, horse-cloths for beds, and our Mexican mantles for covering. We had our supper, which was quickly prepared. One of the party made the fire; another mixed up the Indian corn-meal with water and salt, baking it in the frying-pan-this was our bread; another made coffee; another broiled the dried meat on sticks; and the other two watered and hobbled the horses round the camp.

Late in the evening, it blew a coolish "norther" (as yet the freezing and wintry "northers" have not set in), which cleared the sky; and, when the moon was up, we antici pated sport amongst the wild turkeys, or, as called by the Mexicans, "guajalotes." The moon being now bright, three of us left camp, the other three remaining on guard. Creeping silently through the woods, we got under the branches of a huge cotton-wood tree, espying on the upper ones a dozen or more wild turkeys at roost. Each of us marked his bird; and at the word "Fire!" the woods reëchoed again, and three wild turkeys, large and fat, came tumbling down through the foliage. We returned with our game, had a cup of toddy, and then to sleep, each keeping a guard of two hours during the night.

By day break we had had our sylvan meal — breakfast, dinner, tea, and supper are pretty

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much the same in the woods · and commenced travelling over an undulating country, covered with frost-oak, with here and there pieces of rock, and occasionally a few siliceous pebbles seen. During the day we shot many fine deer, with the object of making bags of their skinsby taking them off whole-to contain the wild honey we expected to get in the woods. Large flocks of turkey-buzzards hovered above us, eager to dart down on the carcasses of the deer. These birds will follow hunters and Indians great distances, in the hope of getting any flesh that is not eaten. Moreover, when one is in an Indian country, a flight of these birds seen in the distance, hovering about, ofttimes warns the solitary hunter not to approach the trail of a body of Indians.

We camped on one of the branches of the Salado river, where we had fine rich musquitgrass for our horses. This grass is excellent food for sheep.

We had some rough travelling to the Cibolo river ("Cibolo," the Indian name for buffalo); The country traversed was hilly, and covered with insulated masses of the limestone of the district; and in the gullies it was seen stratified. During heavy rains the Cibolo,

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