From New Mexico

Correspoiiilcnct; of The Covmek. SASTA Ke. New Mk.xioo, I Juni' 1), UBSL 1 BOBH ttaU spcnt in this territory, the far fmed land of the Montezumas, lookiiir iiitu i civih.atioii of four or more rentuiie lias gtven DM KB insight of tho peculiar methods of living, "and the customsot (li.it race of jxioplc which traces ts ancesi i y back to the Catatan and Moor. and which lial its best and mostcourageous representative on the western heinisphero in Cortez. But, alas ! the land of the Montczumas Is no longerthe l;iiid of barbarie spleiulor nul poetic faney. It is now the land of the Mexican. Toxan, I ndian. Hurro, Coyote, and litnitedly the American. The land itself is tluit of a taltal place, good tor nothing else so far as I can discover, and which ought to bc put to the above use by the natives as -""ii g possible. AN OLD CITY. This city, or rather collection of adobe dwellings and trading places, is reputeil to bc the oldest settlement on this continent. The appearance of the elty ccrtainly Justinos the claim. It is not necessary to examine public records here, yellow and crisp with thcir three hundred andeighty years' age, to readily admit any assertion of exeocding antiquity wMch the city arrogates tottwlC It is old, vcry old, and in commou with all Mexican cities of the present day.there is the suggestion over all of earthness - aad bugs, and one easily turns from the view to the remembrauee of a higher order of progress. Yet this city, strange to record, luis been touched architecturally by a bcttcr civllization, as a few of its public buildings testify. Hcrc ai-c found the legislative halls of the territorial government, and the private resrIdences of the Governor and his staff, built wiüi sonic attempt to niake them appear like human habitalious. As a relie of the dark days of their history, the people have pi-en rvcd on the plaza a rudc structure on which fourSpanishgovernorspaid the penalty of their misdemcanors with their livcs, by tlu; papnlu method of hanging. SKUVILE C0NDIT10N OF THE C0MM0N l'EOl'LK. The native Mcxican to-ilay, excepting a few of thelcading families, likc the Mazauares, Oteros, Cueoas, Bacas, López, and Ortoz, who are very intelligent and p ed of great wcalth, and who control the commercial affaire of the territory, is sim ply a slave in a liinited sensc. The peons, or common pcople, are subject to and dependent on the dons, who own all the valuable pastoral portions of the tenitory. which they have secured in ]wretuity undcrtlie nameof grants. These dons own thousands of cattle and sheep, and aptly Ilústrate in such possessions the bib. lical ideaoftiooksand herds on in hundred billa. The relation of peon to don la tliat of slave to master. The many sorving the one and protecting hini, and the one givini: sustenaneeimu-h or little. M he dioses, to the many. Looking at the methods of living extant among them, tlie hideousnesi of maiiy of thcir social customs, their adobe huts, the sorrowful countenance ol the burro, thcir iiivalnable companion, one cannot speak of the Mcxican race in a very coinplimcnlary manner. Their app:rent aversión U the attributesofcivilization, together with their lack of energy and onterprisc, will never place them on a high level of social or political distinction. And f we are to judga rightfully ol' their progress tlms far, they musí u a distinct people toon becooifl cxtinct. The world will be none the wnrse for thcir absence from it. Santa Fe has the same appeaiance extornally as all Mexican cities. It is built in the l'orm of a square with its " dubas " facIng the plaza. lts nan-ow Btreeti leitd from the plaza at the auglesand with the smaller huts extendingcast and west tothe distance of a mile or more from the uper corners ui the enclosure, the city only presents au appearance of oddity. It distlnctly IrapiliWta one, however, with the idea of inertneM, "i in otlicr woids with what supineness and stupidity will do for a people in a few centuries of existence. JACAL. r" 'finir in detail, the flrgt thing wc will glance at is the " Casa, '¦ inuise in which the Mexican lives. The average jacal (p""nounced hikal,) ordwelling is usually built square with a frontageof about twenty teel The building is ncver Imt ouc stoiy high, and is built of adotx. - "doba" in the vel Dactilar - wliich is nothingmoreor lessthan mud brieks luirned in the sun. These bricks have great süibility and power of resistance agidnst the elementa, the sun's heat and the frost not having the remotest effect on them alter they are luid iu the walls of a building. The roof is flat, without a cornice, and in some instances is a vcritable garden in which llowcrs nod and bend to the hrcec as gracefully as over the garden fonces of the farms ou the ban ks of the Huron. The Moor, although of an arenaccmis lonnation is a marvel of neatness, as are also the white-washed walls. The door is a modest allair and is about live fect high and two wide, for the Mexicans are alilrcviated in stature and require but little "standing room." As a rule but one wiudow is put in, and through that must come all the light for the house, which is confiued U one apartment. In one corner of the room is a curious looking lirc-placi' aniund whicli the fatnily gathers at eventide. l-uully the only illuinination afforded that of the light of tlie burning fagotl OB the hearth, for the houcholcl retires eaily Few if any oriianieiits adoin thr' walls, as the Castilian female cares little for art otherwise thun penonal gewiiws, and they' don't go far. Chairs are not used ui the jacal, and room is found for only one pieee of furniture, a tablc, and a rudc bit of l'urniture it is, tOO. liaking and eooking are cai rieil on iu an out of door oven that has the appearance more of m ash -vault tllull unything else. wooini; tuk ihowsv eoDt On rctiring the Boor is Dtllbsed by -preadlag a pallet of rolcs mul skins, sliucp skin being universal ly used. All " tuinhle iu " luomiscuously and without removing the outer clothing. l'rayer is never offercd at this time. Temporal benclits, I presume, either iu kind, or quallty, not lHing V eiently niinieioiis to cali from them anv special dcnionst rationa of giatiludc. lf any religión is manifested it is that ol' the paotenU', whieh lx;ing of tlie Jestiit order, rc(juti-t's no suppliiaition to the Siipreine Iieing. DOLCE FAR NIENTK. It is unnecessary to add that a superabundanoe of lastaSH and inactivity overspreads the inhabitants of the " Hallaof th( iMiinteunias." Dutiog the nmnerous Mie moinents of the live-long day the duik] -cnoras and cnnritiis may bc seen tajUttÉ cm the gniuiul on the snimv iilc ol' Hit casas, smoking thcir cigarcttes, which tlicv roll togethfr with wonderful celerity, aiu seeiniiigly lost in an unconscipilS state o: drcaniy iiitnica!i'n. Kvery Mcxiciin wo man is invariahly a sinokcr and a beitel hldge of the "weed " than I n Senor. Tl the uninitiaU.'d nolhing could appear mor letc-tablc in tlic extreme, than lift in BUcb in abede M ba hewdeacribed, but the foL of Cortcz are of a radical tura of Bind; tor he wonM phie aw.iy and die if ilaced ín a State streel másalos and comttllsd 10 irmain tlierc. It woulil sro qutck¦ airainst tlie graiu, and lic woulil lic M meas; U ¦ flakoat f water- and dieabout is quiek. QUEEIt AKCIIITKCTUUK. Uut thereara other styk-s ot architecture ven more rudq. Log of :i uniform lengtfi nul BOl mofe tlian ten feet are Ml OH ad, " l' mvrid. lo form tlio .sides of the ¦plácito," and loop polM placed OU top for h! roof. This logcabin on kik h all orignal pln is "cliinkcd up" witli mud and tlaitered outWeand n, and the reatiÍMce s complete. A less elegant and capacioulabltation the "dug out" wliich U everythlllg the name inplics. It reAmblet a DonsteT prairie dog hole. It Is only tbe poorer classes that occupy these dunjceons. BAILK. The baile (pmnoaneed hy-lie,) enters argely "to the repertoire of their amusements. This dance is made up of four aouplei oerupying positions the saniosas in the Anicrleaii cotillion. The mu-ic is of the most agonlzing kind, a studente' hompipe inelndy being the exquisito niusie of the spheres in oomparlson. Thcy seem to go through thu figures mlagUng and intermingling more like. automatons than liunian beingt, but never losinr their hearings. There are four ligures in a Mcxican quadrille, and although the dancers maintain a RÜff-baclc snrt of indift'erence and never -mile they sccni to enjoy the sport withal. The figures ditl'er matcrially trom tlioso the Amerieans are familiar with, and in evcry respect the baile il as unlike a soir -e as it is potslble to lc. The room in which the dance wats held is not more than twenty feet square with ceiling less than elght ftet. Around the room are impromptu benehes, upo which are seated " wallflowers" of Castilian Society- the Señoras predominating.tlieir sairron eolored dreBses, pink ribbons and bright tinsels formlug a stran;ely variegated cast. As but olie set can be accomniodaled at a time, the uiieinployed ladies are allowed ampie time to indulge in the national habit of smoking. No round dances are known in the Mc.xican category of fandangos. PKCULIAR FKM1NINE TRAITS. The Mexican women are invetérate gamblers - tliey are more proficient and ganerally more successful than the men, as they posses kecner susceptibilities, and seem to have a clearer forecast of the turn of the game than Don Senor. The followers of Cortcz can play nothingbut "monte," and it is said the frame was much in voguc in the rcign of Qucen Isabella, as was also the baile. They never venture a cent on the more scientifically modern gumes of faro, chuek-a-luek, keno or policy, which Amerieans are conversant with. TUK SOCIAL KELATION. As meutioned bef ore in tb is letter the social relations of the Mexicans are suierlatively bad. The moráis of the faniily are about the same as their public moráis. Indeed, their social relations may bc said to be remarkably loose. The permanent question and study with the heads of families is how to dispose ot the ilau-rhters by marrlage, lor in ao dotng the Senor hr.s to exerdae more than native shrewdness in forming an alüance forhis Señorita, whose indiMietions at some prevlous time may have seriously injured her cliances in the matrimonial Held. Havlng soen bis seuorttá married, then they prepare for the deluge, for it inevitably comes, and quite with them asa matter ot' eourse. ('hastity with a Mcxican is an entircly negative quantity. It is oeither tanht in the home circli-, the schools, nor inculcated in the doctrines of tbe chnrcli. RELIGIÓN. The reUgioii of this poople is that of the Jesuit order, and it abounds in fanalic i-ni and saperstitton. It has no coiitrolling effect upon the daily lile. Il inculcates no monis, no obligations; it is alone with them ccremony and mummery. They assemhlc in their chinches on the appointed davs, sitting on mats laid on tbe Hoor, and (Ing and ehant. gossip and indulfre in any kind of levity irres)ective of tbe miuistiations of their priests. The eharacter of the priests is not such at to inake au abiithif; mpression for gOOd on tlie simple minds of their iollowers. It is verilably the blind leading the blind. The priest lea ves the (Xh1 things of this worlc and lic does not often forget to take all the world offere. But little attentiou is paid to the .siek- a physician seldom benig callcd. They dit (puickly and are buricd with promptitude and much eereniony. The body is earried f rom the house to tho chiireh by foui i' --nvr-, preoeded by thrce young men car rying aioit ctandards, and threc piiest.Tho body in goin;i from tlie nousc to the ehureli and cetnelci v s uMMd, tbe top of the COffin being removed The mourneis and friends of the deceascd follow aftrr tlie colMu in proiniscuoiis order, if mourners they lic; for it is dillieult to imagine a mort hoartless eereniony in uil ts features Ihau tbe burial rites of the Mexicans. A band of niusie accompanie tbe iirocession, playIng lively airs fcrUlch, together with the gaj Coiors univeisally worn by llic womcii, aiu: the ehatttag, driftinj; crowd reminl om ïatherof a lioliday tlrin the last s;ul observ anee paid to tlie ashes of a departed onc.