On the Mexican highlands, with a passing glimpse of Cuba . rd toward the Gulf and into climbed many thousands of feet to Saltillo,where the mercury almost registered frost. Nowwe were descending the Inner slopes of the barriermountains, passing near the battle field of BuenaVista, where Zachary Taylor smote Santa Annaand his dark-skinned horde, and gained the famewhich made him President of the United were entering that vast desolate inland plainwhich stretches so many hundreds of miles southto Acambaro, where we should begin to climbagain yet higher ranges, crossing them at
On the Mexican highlands, with a passing glimpse of Cuba . rd toward the Gulf and into climbed many thousands of feet to Saltillo,where the mercury almost registered frost. Nowwe were descending the Inner slopes of the barriermountains, passing near the battle field of BuenaVista, where Zachary Taylor smote Santa Annaand his dark-skinned horde, and gained the famewhich made him President of the United were entering that vast desolate inland plainwhich stretches so many hundreds of miles southto Acambaro, where we should begin to climbagain yet higher ranges, crossing them at last—at an altitude of eleven thousand feet,—before weshould finally descend into the high cool valley ofAnahuac to the City of Mexico. About nine oclock, we drew up at a waysidestation for breakfast {almuerzo), If I hadknown it, I might have obtained my desayunocoffee and roll at an earlier hour upon the were now upon a wide-stretching sandy cold mist hung over us. The scorching sunwas trying to penetrate this barrier. A band of 46. THE DESOLATE PLAINS On to Mexico City Indians wrapped to their eyes in brilliant coloredblankets of native make (zerapes), their high-peaked sombreros pulled over their eyes, withfolded arms, silent as statues, stood watching deliberately took their photograph. They didnot smile or move. A group of Indian womensitting on the ground near these men were not soplacid. They regarded the kodak as an evil mys-tery and hid their faces in their rebozos when Ipointed my lens at them. The strange instrumentsmacked of witchcraft, and they would none ofit. With rebozos still drawn, they got upon theirfeet and fled. In another hour the bright white sun dissipatedthe mists. The sky was blue and cloudless. Thetrack ran straight, with rarely a curve, mile aftermile into the South. The land lay flat as a table,an arid plain, shut in by towering, verdurelessmountains, ranging along the horizon on east andwest. All day we thus sped south th
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookidonmexicanhig, bookyear1906
