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born in old Spain, who have settled in Mexico. All offices, places and appointments under the Spanish government, are filled and held by them, the court of Spain being jealous in the extreme of all the other descriptions of people.

The second class, in point of rank, is that of the Criollos, Creoles, or descendants from Spaniards who formerly settled in America. Great numbers of these Creoles are very rich, have most elegant houses and furniture, and very large estates in land, which gives them greater influence in the colonies than the court of Spain approves of; therefore, she adopts such plans as she thinks will lessen their consequence. She never employs them in offices of power and trust under her government, whence arise jealousies of preference given to the first class. These Creoles in general are too indolent and luxurious to engage in trade of any kind; the commerce and navigation to and from Old Spain, as well as the internal traffic of the colonies, have always been carried on by the natives of Old Spain, who accumulate immense fortunes thereby, and generally return with them to their native country.

The third class, in point of rank, is that of the people of colour, under the denomination of Mulattoes, Mestizoes, Sambos, and Quadroons; they are the offspring of Europeans and Creoles, with negroes, Indians, Mulattoes, &c. and may properly be styled a mixed breed of such a diversity of heterogeneous gradations from the white to the black, that among a hundred faces, scarcely two are of the same colour. The handicraft and mechanic trades are carried on by them, in all which kinds and descriptions of labour both the Spaniards and the Creoles disdain to employ themselves, and depend upon this third class of people for the supply of the various articles which they may want, and which are not procured from Europe.

The fourth class, in point of rank and real utility, is that of the negroes. They are employed as menial servants: on gala and parade days, and visits, they drive the carriages and attend their masters and mistresses, dressed out in their richest liveries. They work in the fields, in the mines, &c. The free negroes receive, as their own private property, rewards and wages, and whatever they may gain by their own labour. The negro slaves are generally employed to work by their own masters and mistresses; in case they are hired out to work for other people, their wages and gains belong to their owners, by whom they are clothed, fed, and supported; in case of sickness and inability to work, every assistance is rendered to them. The negroes look upon themselves as a

race of people superior, to the Indians, in point of knowledge and abilities, and treat them as their inferiors. This kind of supercilious conduct and contemptuous behaviour is carried to so great an extreme by the negroes, that they and the Indians have a mutual and violent hatred and aversion to each other. Though there is a great number of blacks in the province of New Spain, they are mostly free people; and the slaves are comparatively few.

The fifth, and most inferior class, in point of rank, is that of the proper Americans, or native Indians, descended from the ancient peoplers of America. They are those who have not mixed their blood with the people of the old continent. They are a free people, (except a small annual tribute of about one hard dollar, or four shillings and sixpence English, which each male Indian, from the age of eighteen to fifty years, pays to the Spanish government,) and cannot be compelled to work, but in such time, manner, and kinds of work as are agreeable to themselves. When disposed to work, they are employed in cultivating the lands, and in raising the various kinds of produce, as cacao, wheat, maize, rice, beans, &c. and as herdsmen, shepherds, &c. They likewise work in the mines of gold, silver, copper, &c. and whatever they gain by their labour is their own property. Their employers pay them a very fair and reasonable price in proportion to the value of their labour: when working in the fields they gain from one to two English shillings per day, and when in the mines, they gain from half a dollar (two shillings and threepence English) to one hard dollar (four shillings and sixpence English) per day. In Spanish America, no European whatever is to be seen employed in the labours of the field.

The Mexican Indians are of a good stature, generally rather exceeding than falling short of the middle size, and well proportioned in all their limbs: they have good complexions, narrow foreheads, black eyes, clean, firm, regular, white teeth, thick, black, coarse, glossy hair, thin beards, and generally no hair upon their legs, thighs and arms. Their skin is of an olive colour. There is scarcely a nation, perhaps, upon earth, in which there are fewer persons deformed; and it would be more difficult to find a single humpbacked, lame, or squinteyed man amongst a thousand Mexicans, than among a hundred of any other nation. Their appearance neither engages nor disgusts; but among the Indian young women there are many very handsome and fair: they have a sweetness of manner and expression, and a pleasantness and natural modesty in their whole behaviour. The men

are very moderate in eating; but their passion for strong liquors is carried to the greatest excess.

A peculiar feature in the description of Mexico is, the celebrated artificial fields and gardens which float in the lakes, and add to their picturesque appearance. The original method of forming them is extremely simple: they plait and twist willows, and the roots of marsh plants, or other materials together, which are light, but capable of supporting the earth of the garden firmly united. Upon this foundation they lay the light bushes which float on the lake, and over all, the mud and dirt which they draw up from the bottom. The regular figure of these islands is quadrangular, their length and breadth various, but in general they are about eight perches long, and not more than three perches in breadth, and have less than a foot of elevation above the surface of the water. These were the first fields which the Mexicans owned after the foundation of the city of Mexico; there they first cultivated the maize, great pepper, and other plants necessary for their support. In process of time, as these fields grew numerous, from the industry of those people, there were cultivated among them gardens of flowers and of odoriferous plants, which were used in the worship of the gods, and likewise served for the refreshment of the nobles. At present they cultivate flowers, herbs, and every kind of gardenstuff. Every day of the year, at sunrise, innumerable boats laden with flowers, fruits and vegetables, which are cultivated in these gardens, are seen arriving by the canal at the great market-place of that capital. All kinds of plants thrive therein surprisingly; the mud of the lake is an extremely fertile soil, and requires no irrigation. In the largest gardens there is commonly a little tree, and even a little hut, to shelter the cultivator, and defend him from rain or the sun. When the chinampa, or owner of a garden, wishes to change its situation, to remove from a disagreeable neighbour, or to come nearer to his own family, he gets into his little vessel, and by his own. strength alone, if the garden is small, or with the assistance of others, if it is large, he rows it after him, and conducts it wherever he pleases, with the little hut and tree upon it. That part of the lake where the floating gardens are, is a place of infinite recreation and amusement, where the senses receive the highest gratification, and multitudes of people are constantly visiting them in boats, on parties of pleasure.

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BIOGRAPHY

OF

COMMODORE DECATUR.

COMMODORE STEPHEN DECATUR is of French descent by the male line. His grandfather was a native of La Rochelle, in France, and married a lady of Rhode-Island. His father, Stephen Decatur, was born in Newport, (Rhode-Island,) and when a very young man removed to Philadelphia, where he married the daughter of an Irish gentleman by the name of Pine. He was bred to the sea, and commanded a merchant vessel out of the port of Philadelphia until the establishment of the navy, when he was appointed to command the Delaware sloop of war. He continued in her until the frigate Philadelphia was built, when the command of that ship was given to him, at the particular request of the merchants, who had built her by subscription. In this situation he remained until peace was made with France, when he resigned his commission, and retired to his residence a few miles from Philadelphia, where he resided until his death, which happened in November, 1808.

His son, STEPHEN DECATUR, the present commodore, was born on the 5th January, 1779, on the eastern shore of Maryland, whither his parents had retired, whilst the British were in possession of Philadelphia. They returned to that city when he was a few months old, and he was there educated and brought up.

He entered the navy in March, 1798, as midshipman, and joined the frigate United States, under the command of Commodore Barry, who had obtained the warrant for him. He continued for some time with that officer, and was promoted to the rank of lieutenant. The United States at that time required some repairs, and, not wishing to remain in port, he requested an order to join the brig Norfolk, then bound to the Spanish Main. He per formed one cruise in her, as first lieutenant, and on his return to port, resumed his station on board of the United States, where he remained until peace was concluded with France.

He was then ordered to the Essex, as first lieutenant, and sailed with Commodore Dale's squadron to the Mediterranean. On the return of that squadron he was ordered to the New-York, one of the second Mediterranean squadron, under the command of Commodore Morris.

When he returned to the United States he was ordered to take command of the Argus, and proceed in her to join Commodore Preble's squadron, then in the Mediterranean, and on his arrival there to resign the command of the Argus to Lieutenant Hull, and take the schooner Enterprise, then commanded by that officer. After making that exchange he proceeded to Syracuse, where the squadron was to rendezvous. On his arrival at that port he was informed of the fate of the frigate Philadelphia, which had ran aground on the Barbary coast, and fallen into the hands of the Tripolitans. The idea immediately presented itself to his mind of attempting her recapture or destruction. On Commodore Preble's arrival, a few days afterwards, he proposed to him a plan for the purpose, and volunteered his services to execute it. The wary mind of that veteran officer at first disapproved of an enterprise so full of peril; but the risks and difficulties that surrounded it only stimulated the ardour of Decatur, and imparted to it an air of adventure, fascinating to his youthful imagination.

The consent of the commodore having been obtained, Lieutenant DECATUR selected for the expedition a ketch (the Intrepid) which he had captured a few weeks before from the enemy, and manned her with seventy volunteers, chiefly from his own crew. He sailed from Syracuse on the 3d February, 1804, accompanied by the United States brig Syren, Lieutenant Stewart, who was to aid with his boats, and to receive the crew of the ketch, in case it should be found expedient to use her as a fireship.

After fifteen days of very tempestuous weather, they arrived at the harbour of Tripoli a little before sunset. It had been arranged between Lieutenants Decatur and Stewart, that the ketch should enter the harbour about ten o'clock that night, attended by the boats of the Syren. On arriving off the harbour, the Syren, in consequence of a change of wind, had been thrown six or eight miles without the Intrepid. The wind at this time was fair, but fast declining, and Lieutenant Decatur apprehended that, should

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