THE AUSTIN PAPERS. 563 Calderon The sieges of these two places was continued without any important occurrance save occasional skirmishes, and the scarcity of provisions in Vera Cruz, untill the day of-when the besieging army under Echavarri entered into a convention with Ayuntamiento of Vera Cruz, called the convention of Casa Mata from its bearing date at that place this convention is as follows-&c, &c. In the mean time the Emperor who left Xalapa the 1 Dec• ehtered Mexico on the 12 th Dec•· and wa.s received with great demonstrations frya.rs and priests bearing crosses, a splendid Image of the virgin at the head of calle de los Plateros fronting the great square- another at the entrance of his Palace the windows and doors of which were hung with curtains and festoons, as was also the street leading from the tryumphal arch to the Palace, the whole of which was fancifully illuminated with small lamps suspended in festoons across the street throughout its whole extent presenting when viewed from either extremity the appearance of Millions of stars suspended over the Street below the eves of the houses-a Splendid Gilt try- umphal car was also made at the cost of the City in which it was intended to have drawn the Emperor into the City from the Gate; but he, probably thinking that his journey had afforded no cause of tryumph, prudently defeated this design by making his entrance in the night previous to the day he was expected- The admirers of H. M. however were determined their labour should not be lost, and accordingly a procession was formed whieh moved from the l\Ionastary of St. Francisco composed of about 100 fryars and priests bearing crosses, a ·splendid Image of the Virgin .Mary as large as life clothed in silver and standing on a fanciful pedestal of Glass-Christ on the Cross and a quantity of Saints- Preceeded by the Emperor [75] body Guard of ~Horse next followed t.he Car drawn by fryars in which was the Portrait of H. M. sup- ported by two Priests-a full Band of Music a detachment of Infantry and an immence crowd of the Rable populace closed the line-This farce was succeeded [by] others of a similar character, the Car was hauled and rehauled through the Streets and illumina- tions and incessant and deafning peals of Bells seemed to occupy the whole attention of the People-It was however manifest to all and was even observed with regret by the too]s and crentures of the Emperor, tha.t the great mass of the respectable and intelligent part of the inhabitants viewed these displays with the disapprobation and contempt they merited-in the train of the Car was seen none but fryars, a few servile officers who had been promoted for their per- sonal exertions in proclaiming the Emperor or insulting the congress and the lowest dregs of the Rabble who a.re a nearly perfect con- terpart of the Lazeroni of Naples except being a. mixture of Indians
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