Sonora, and Barispe, until beyond that river you commence ascending the great chain, or Cordillera, called by the Mexicans Sierra Madre, or Mother-mountains. Ures being sheltered from the north and east winds, is never cold, but in the summer is excessively hot, as it receives the full power of the south breezes, which come over the sandy plains of Cinaloa, and cause much more heat than the rays of the sun; for the hot air penetrates into every corner of the houses. After an early supper, Escalante and myself visited a church that we had noticed, as we passed, with a building attached to it, which we found was a Hospicio, or receptacle for aged and infirm friars. In this we saw the only friar now remaining in the State, who very politely invited us into his room, which was neatly fitted up. This old man, who told us that he was upwards of ninety years of age, was tall and upright, with white hair and beard, and wore upon the whole a very venerable appearance. He related to us many of the most remarkable incidents of his life, which had been spent from his youth in the northern parts of the Province amongst the Missions. He recollected the expulsion of the Jesuits upwards of seventy years ago, and declared that if they had not been driven from Sonora, it would have been one of the richest and most powerful States in the Republic; as a proof of which, he referred us to the numberless establishments which they had formed, and to others in a half finished state, which the eye meets in every direction, but which, unfortunately, from an entire want of knowledge of the arts and sciences, and the little attention that Government has paid to these people, have all been neglected, and suffered to decay. This old friar was a very interesting person. He had been well educated, (indeed most of the Missionaries who were sent into these parts were men of ability and enterprise,) and seemed to have a more perfect knowledge of the character of the people than any man that I ever met with. He stated them to be brave, active, and industrious, possessing uncommon natural abilities, and generous to a fault. They are void of that gross superstition and prejudice, which exist in many parts of the Mexican States, and make no distinction between a Catholic and a good man of any other creed. The old man told us that he could still read very small print without the aid of glasses; I
