Mayne Reid Part 6

This grand shallow sheet, then, so saline that fish cannot live in it, and vegetation withers under its blighting breath, is the congenial dwelling-place of the axolotl, and, if I mistake not, its only one in the Valley of Mexico; at least I am not aware of its existence in the other three lakes lying northward, their waters salt, too, but at times so low as to be almost dried up, or showing only a residuum of mud, its surface an efflorescence, akin to soda, and resembling h.o.a.r frost, called "tequiqzuite."

Though in a sense the sole inhabitant of Tezcoco, the axolotl is not left to peaceful or undisputed possession of the lake. It has its enemies in the predatory aquatic birds--herons, cranes, and cormorants-- while man is also among them. To the "Lake Indian" its capture is a matter of economic industry, its flesh being a saleable commodity in the market. It is not absolutely relished as an article of food, except by the Indians themselves; who, as is well known, will eat anything and everything that lives, moves, and has being, be it fish, fowl, reptile, or insect. This, from ancient usage, originally a thing of necessity, not choice, when the Aztec, surrounded by Tlascallan, with other warlike enemies, was confined to the islands of this inland sea, and from it compelled to draw part of his sustenance--to eat indifferently frogs, tadpoles, newts, and such repulsive reptiles; as also the eggs of a curious water-fly--the axavacatl (_Ahuatlea Mexicana_)--a sort of "caviar," still obtainable in the markets of the Mexican capital. I have seen the axolotl of respectable dimensions--at least a foot in length, while specimens of fifteen and sixteen inches are occasionally exhibited. Fish or flesh, relished or not, it is often eaten by invalids, the Mexican _medicos_ p.r.o.nouncing it a specific for liver inflammation and pulmonary complaints, as we do cod-liver oil; while it is also supposed to be serviceable in cases of hectic fever, and as a food for children. A mucilaginous syrup, compounded of its gelatinous portions and certain medicinal herbs, is sold in the _boticas_ of the apothecaries as a balsam for colds, coughs, and other bronchial maladies.

I refrain from touching on the zoological character of this creature, so strangely abnormal, as I could add nothing to what is already known to you. Besides, that is a question for the scientific naturalist, to whom I leave it. But it may not be generally known that, in addition to your Brighton Aquarium species--which is, I suppose, the _Siredon Humboldtii_, or _Siredon Harlanii_, of Laguna de Tezcoco--there is a new and quite distinct one recently discovered, inhabiting Lake Patzcuaro.

This large sheet of water, lying centrally in the State of Michoacan-- more than a hundred miles from the Mexican valley, in a direction nearly due west--has also its axolotl. Its discoverer has named it _Siredon Dumerilii_, after the accomplished French herpetologist; while its local vulgar name on the sh.o.r.es of Patzcuaro is "achoque de agua," or "water achoque," to distinguish it from a sort of land lizard called "achoque de tierra"--the _Bolitoglossa Mexicana_ of Dumeril and Bibron, also common around the edges of the Michoacan Lake. The Patzcuaro species differs from yours of the Brighton Aquarium in several respects. In size it is somewhat the same; but its colour, instead of being blackish, or white, as in the Albino varieties of Humboldt's Siredon, is of a violet-red, slightly blemished with grey, the gills only being black, while the neck, throat, and breast are of a pale, whitish hue.

Without dwelling longer on this subject, I will venture to say that when all of the great Mexican saline lakes--such as Chapa'a and Cuitzoc--are searched, there will be found other species of axolotl, distinct from any of those yet known to science. Mexico is a fine field for the scientific explorer; its paths. .h.i.therto but little trodden by the naturalist, because unsafe from being so much frequented by the "Knights of the Road," ycleped _salteadores_.

Mayne Reid.

CHAPTER SEVEN.

WHO WAS FIRST INTO CHAPULTEPEC?

Captain Mayne Reid returned from Mexico to the United States in the spring of 1848.

He spent the autumn and winter at his friend Donn Piatt's house in the valley of the Mac-o-Chee, Ohio. Here he wrote the greater part of "The Rifle Rangers," in which he gives us pictures of his Mexican life, returning to New York in the spring of 1849. The question was then going the round of the newspapers, "Who was first into Chapultepec?"

The following is an extract from a letter written by Mayne Reid in reference to the storming of Chapultepec, and in which he inclosed some testimonies of his part in the affair:

"These doc.u.ments were hastily collected in New York in the spring of 1849, when I heard of other individuals claiming to have been first into Chapultepec. I do not claim to have been first over the walls, as I did not get over the wall at all, but was shot down in front of it; but I claim to have led up the men who received the last volley of the enemy's fire, and thus left the scaling the wall a mere matter of climbing, as scarcely any one was shot afterwards.

"While collecting this testimony I was suddenly called upon to take the leadership of a legion organised in New York to a.s.sist the revolutionary struggle in Europe, and I sailed at the latter end of June, 1849.

Otherwise I could have obtained far more testimony than contained in these scant doc.u.ments here.

"Mayne Reid.

"P.S.--General Pillow was at the time using every exertion to disprove my claims, it being a life and death matter with him, having an eye to the Presidency, to prove that the men of his division were the first to enter Chapultepec."

The following testimony was given to Mayne Reid, and, as he says, "generously given, as only one of these officers was my personal friend, the others being almost unknown to me."

Testimony of Lieutenant Cochrane, Second Regiment of Voltigeurs.

"On the morning of the 13th of September, 1847, the regiment of Voltigeurs, to which I was attached as subaltern officer, was ordered to clear the woods and the western side of the wall, extending from Molino del Rey to the Castle of Chapultepec, of the Mexican Infantry (light), and to halt at the foot of the hill, in order to allow the storming party of Worth's division to scale the hill.

"We drove the Mexicans as ordered, but in so rapid a manner that, along with some of the infantry of the Fourteenth, Fifteenth, and Ninth of Pillow's division, we kept driving the enemy under a heavy fire from the Castle, and a redan on the side of the hill, clear into their works--the storming party coming up rapidly.

"After driving them from the redan, I pushed for the south-western corner of the Castle with all the men about me, and scarcely ten yards from the wall, an officer of infantry, and either an officer or sergeant of artillery--judging from the stripe on his pants--were shot, and fell.

They were the only two at the time that I saw in advance of me along the narrow path, the rock of which we were scrambling. On collecting under the wall of the Castle there were some thirty or forty of us infantry and Voltigeurs at the extreme corner of the Castle, and several other officers were there at the same point. The main body had halted at the scarp of the hill, some forty yards from the wall, awaiting the arrival of the scaling ladders before making the final and decisive a.s.sault.

"I ordered two men of the Voltigeurs to go back a little way and a.s.sist the ladders up the hill. As they proceeded to do so they pa.s.sed the point where the infantry officer above alluded to lay wounded, who, with evident pain, raised himself and sang out above the din and rattle of musketry:

"'For G.o.d's sake, men, don't leave that wall, or we shall all be cut to pieces. Hold on, and the Castle is ours!' or words to that effect.

"I immediately answered from the wall: 'There is no danger, Captain, of our leaving this. Never fear'--or words to that amount.

"Shortly after the ladders came--the rush was made and the Castle fell.

"In the course of a casual conversation about the events of that memorable morning, while in the city of Mexico, this incident was mentioned, and the officer who was wounded proved to be Lieutenant Mayne Reid, of the New York Volunteers, who had been ordered to guard the battering guns upon the plain, and had joined the party in the a.s.sault on the Molino del Rey side of the Castle. I spoke freely of this matter, and was quite solicitous to become acquainted, while in Mexico, with the gallant and chivalric officer in question. This is a hasty and imperfect sketch of this transaction. I heard that Lieutenant Reid had made a speech to the men of all arms, which had induced them to ascend; but, as a party were fiercely engaged at the redan for a few seconds, I could not have heard his remarks above the din, as I was one of the redan party. It may be possible that the above speech is the one alluded to, though from what I heard said of it, he must have made other remarks at an earlier moment.

"Of course, I have not given the exact words, as some eighteen months have elapsed since that never-to-be-forgotten day, but I have given the _fact_ and the substance of the words, which shows far more--the _fact_, I mean--credit and honour to his courage and his gallant conduct than the mere words could.

"Theo. D. Cochrane,

"Late Second Lieutenant Regiment of Voltigeurs.

"Columbia, Pa., May 20, 1849."

"Cleveland, O., June, 1849.

"Captain Mayne Reid,

"Dear Sir,

"Very much surprised was I yesterday, when Mr Grey, of the _Plain-dealer_, honoured me with a call, and communicated to me some lines of your letter to him, wherein it is stated that you had sent me about fourteen days ago a letter, with inclosure to Upman. I never have received your letter, and can obtain no information at the post office about it. Nevertheless will I testify to what I have seen of your military bravery and valour at Chapultepec--the only place where I have personally observed your gallant conduct.

"When our regiment--Fifteenth Infantry--had charged through the cypress trees on the foot of the Chapultepec Hill, and after our skirmishers had taken the first redan, and chased the Mexicans out of it, I saw a young officer on my right hand side collecting about thirty or forty men of different corps, and encouraging the same with an address, which the roaring of the cannon and the musketry hindered me from understanding.

Shortly after I saw the little band of heroes, with their brave leader in front, charge the right side battery, where a howitzer was posted; and they tried very hard to climb the mud walls, which were about twenty feet high. Soon after I perceived through the dense smoke, caused by the last discharge of the battery towards that small command, that the officer had scaled the wall and fell, what I then took for dead.

"All this was done in half the time I take to write it, and I was too much occupied with the command of my own detachment to enter into more particulars of that deciding moment. My earnest admiration was paid to the dead hero; and onward we went to the left corner of the fortification. How we entered the Castle, and what great excitement prevailed in the first half-hour of that glorious victory, is too well known for further description. But one thing I must add, that my first inquiry after the abating of the excitement was, 'Who was that young officer leading the charge on our right?' and one of my men gave me the answer: 'It is a New Yorker by the name of Mayne Reid--a h.e.l.l of a fellow.' That name I had heard several times before very favourably mentioned, without being personally acquainted with the man; and just as I was going to see if he was really dead, or wounded, General Cadwallader addressed the troops from the window of the Castle, and gave orders to rally the different companies and be prepared for further orders. I had to stay with my company, of course, and could not satisfy my great desire to ascertain the fate of that brave young man. One thing more I wish to say, namely, that this same brave conduct of yours helped on the left a great deal, because it turned the fire of the infantry in our front and gave us time to storm the walls the right moment.

"Yours most respectfully,

"Charles Peternell,

"Captain Fifteenth Infantry."

Donn Piatt received the following statement, made on affidavit by Lieutenant Marshall, of the Fifteenth Infantry:

"I was in command of our company ordered to the attack of Chapultepec (Captain King being indisposed), and had approached, under cover of trees and rocks, to the brow of the hill upon which the Castle stands, where we halted to await the coming of the scaling ladders. At this point the fire from the Castle was so continuous and fatal that the men faltered, and several officers were wounded while urging them on. At this moment I noticed Lieutenant Reid, of the New York Volunteers. I noticed him more particularly at the time on account of the very brilliant uniform he wore.

"He suddenly jumped to his feet, calling upon those around to follow, and without looking back to see whether he was sustained or not, pushed on almost alone to the very walls, where he fell badly wounded. All the officers who saw or knew of the act p.r.o.nounced it, without exception, the bravest and most brilliant achievement performed by a single individual during the campaign; and at the time we determined, should occasion ever require it, to do him justice. I am satisfied that his daring was the cause of our taking the Castle as we did. Nor was it an act of blind courage, but one of cool self-possession in the midst of imminent danger. Lieutenant Reid had observed from the sound that the Castle was poorly supplied with side guns, and knew that could he once get his men to charge up to the walls they would be almost upon equal footing with the defenders. What makes this achievement more remarkable, Lieutenant Reid was not ordered to attack, but volunteered."

He also received letters from Captain D.J. Sutherland, of the United States Marines, and Captain D. Upman, of the United States Infantry, to the same effect.

The chief honours of the a.s.sault on the Castle at Chapultepec were undoubtedly his.

CHAPTER EIGHT.

HE SEEKS TO AID THE REVOLUTIONARY AGITATIONS IN EUROPE.