Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1841-12-18

caravan arrived in this city on the and July
all in good health, in less than two months,
the quickest trip ever made over the de.
sert.
Now for Santa Fe, or the Holy City.
II is situated in a valley ten miles long, and
from to wide, surrounded by immense
mountains covered with pine and cedar
trees, and affords the most beautiful scene
the eye can conceive or mind imagine
Santa Fe is the seat Of Government of
New Mexico, and is commanded by Gov
ernor General 1t is also military post.
port of entry and depository of all the an
cient archives of the neighboring States
The houses are built of raw bricks two
feet long, six inches deep and one foot wide,
made with straw and mud, and dried in the
sun, and such is the durability that many
houses more than two hundred years old
are standing and look well, they are only
one story high, handsomely whitewashed
inside, with dirt floors Even the palace
in which his Excellency resides, has no
other than a dirt floor, but they are gen.
orally covered with carpets, the houses are
covered with stones and dirt, and are Hat
rooted, perfectly weather proof The city
contains six churches, generally richly tit
ted out. The population is about eight
thousand inhabitants, all rigid Roman Cath
olics 1t is situated on small branch of
the Rio del Norte, and about ID miles
from the main river, which is nearly the
size of the river Wabash at Vincennes.
The ladies certainly are far more beau
tiful in this country than those of the same
ranks in America, their jetty black hair,
piercing black eyes, slender and delicate
frame, with unusual small ankles and feet
together with their gay winning address,
make you at once happy and easy in their
company. Perhaps no people on earth
love dress and attention more than the
Spanish ladies, and it may be said of q
truth, that their amorous frtations with
the men are matters to boast of among
themselves. They work but little, the fan
dango and siesta form the division of time
The fandango is a lascivious dance, par
taking in part of the waltz, cotillion, and
many amorous movements, and is certainly
handsome and amusing. II is the national
dance. In this Governor and most humble
citizen move together, and III tins consists
all their republican boast
The men are honest--perhaps more 81
than those of the same class in the United
States, proud and vain of their b!ood--the
descendants of the ancient Spaniards of
their pure blood-thoso of the Spaniards
and Pueblo Indians, the descendants OF
their great monarch, Montezuma, doubly
more so. The pure blood cannot inheri,
Office here, the present Governor General
and all the officers of State, are of the
mixed blood of Montezuma. This has
been the case since the year 1886. In
that revolution fell the most honorable and
beloved Of all the native Spaniards in
Mexico, and all his family were banished
In this city there is but one officer of jus.
tice, the Alcade, and he has nothing to
do.
The commerce of this place is certainly
very considerable, and although there is
but one gold mine worked now, and one
copper mine, yet the daily receipts afford
about six or seven hundred dollars nett
More than from one to two hundred and
twenty hands are employed at work. The
revolution has put every thing aback here
in the mining departments, as they were
generally held by natives of old Spain, and
accouted forfeits to the General Govern
ment after the revolution. This thing will
soon be settled, and then the Holy City
will appear in all her gaudy pumage
again.
start in two or three days TO Califor-
MIA. The company consists of about two
hundred Americans and Spaniards, to CO.
operate on the lst of January is42, with
the Columbia caravan, at Monetary on the
Bay of San Francisco. We expect the
Governor will allow us to settle, and con-
cede to US certain lands, &c.