Sketches of the campaign in northern Mexico : in eighteen hundred forty-six and seven / by an officer of the First Regiment of Ohio volunteers.

238 APPEARANCE OF MO0NTEREY.
over the walls," as an old artillerist expressively remarked.
The walls served the double purpose of enclosing the "L holy
ground," and as a place to deposit the dead. Rows of tombs
were built in it, some of which being open, exposed to view
" dead men's bones, and all uncleanness." Leaving that
gloomy receptacle of poor mortality, we entered the city by
one of the streets which Worth's division had fought through,
to the Plaza de la Carne, in the center of which is a rudely
constructed jet d'eau. Thence we proceeded by the way of
the Plaza ilMercado, or market square, to the great Plaza,
around which are clustered the public buildings of the city.
The streets of Monterey are all well paved with round
stones, and sloped to a gutter in the middle. They are
uncommonly narrow, which, however, causes no inconvenience, since the people possess but few vehicles, and it seldom or never happens that
" Laden carts with thundering wagons meet,
Wheels clash with wheels and bar the narrow street."
The dreamy and dignified old Hidalgos would probably prefer the roar and crash of Paixhan-guns, to.the rattle and
clatter of omnibus and cab in their idle and quiet city.
Beside scaling off a little of the everlasting stucco from the
walls, and sundering some of the scarcely more durable iron
bars that protect the windows, our light artillery had not
damaged the town. The houses, nearly without an exception, are built of stone, and in the square, massive style well
suited to that sultry and revolutionary country; combining
comfort with a solid strength that makes them as defensive
as so many fortresses. The floors as well as roofs, the latter