The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-06-23

lay, far the eye could see, tossed into all n,srn
OF confused shapes, like rocky waves with ragged
SUBMITS, grown black with age, and had the appear
ance OF lempest-tost sea Of molten iron, suddenly
eongcaled in all It's wild confusion, In contemph
ting the probable force producing the phenomenon
II presents the idea Of the explosion Of a mountain
aud the masses tumbing into their present disorder
by night we arrived at the pretty town Of Aguacat
| Ian, Of some 1--WE thousand inhabitants, having A
| fine plaza surrounded by shade trees, and a con.
| spieuous church and convent, The porads of Aqua
catlan is one Of more pretension than any on the
route, having large corridor IN front, over which i.
announced IN large letters, "here may be found syerv
convenience for persons Of good taste" The Offices
surrounding the court yard we're each labelled, and
il was very gratifying TO notice one "Here the
bread is made with the greatest cleanliness" Gen.
orally the arrangement of all these poradas 10 the
same The traveller is shown into room contain
ing heavy table, bench with high back, and
some boards N corner-upon which TO place his
| beddlngi but In addition TO this AT Aguaeatan We
had lay sala OF drawing-room, furnished with ma
hogany chairs. The proprietor is undoubtedly one
| OF those spirits IN advance Of his age and country
| On the following morning our route from Aguacat.
Ian TO lstan lay for ten twelve miles through the
| most fertile and best cultivated valley we had VET
| seen, and better covered with farm houses and wi.
lagos; still the cultivation is CARELESS antique, and
| barbarous, the plough in use being no more than
sharpened log of wood. The afternoon of this dsy
brought us TO the Banancss, the widest and most
picturesque scene on the whole route from the Pa
| clhc TO the Atlantic. The bsrranea is gorge seye
raj thousand feet deep, separating two ranges Of
| mountains, and the descent is by Ig-zag road
along the face Of the left hand range with this ts
mendous gulf on the right the bottom of this corr,
being reached, Rule advance shows that are sill
on the summit OF a mountain, for another opening
OF still greater depth appears on the left hand the
bottom Of which has also to be reached; the road
there continues in this deep and shady valley along
the banks OF rocky stream, and beneath oyerhang-
i ing preciplces for some miles. In this wild and
difficult pass, by some capricious impulse ia seen
the only evidence OF national energy, or internal I'M
proyement which came under my notice. A broad
handsome, well-made, paved carriage road is being
cut from the face Of the mountain, descending il in
a succession Of inclined planes, turning one upon
another, and much Of the road is already COM
peled. Ascending from these shady depths BY
precipitous road we reached, little after night
the miserable village, but good porada Of Mo.
chotiti. Leaving this village early in the morn
ing we entered upon the lonely, desoate table
lands Of Mexico; but although uncheered BY
shubbery or cultivation, we had the advantage Of
a good level road, which towards evening brought
us rather suddenly upon different scene From
the brow Of the elevated plain upon which we had
been travelling, we looked down upon an extensive
green valley, spread with fields of the maguey
plant from which the brandy Of the country is dis.
titled. Immediately beneath US was the town Of
Tequila, with its houses and church domes shoot.
constructed with handsome houses and regular
streets, owed much Of its effect to distance for in
passing through 1t, the appearance of the whole
place was one Of poverty, dllapidation and decay.
Sleeping that night at the village Of Amelatan on
the following morning, Sunday May 10Th, under
a broiling sun, in clouds of dust; and amid troops
of mules, at ii o'clock we entered the truly beauu-
| fu city Of Guadalaxara, but not without seeing
something of the benighted policy, constructed to
facilitate robbery, and sustain a rapacisus soldery
the system which scarce permits an article to
| from one part Of the country to another without
taxation. Although we had now advanced 80 far
in the interior, at the garits, interior custom
house, of our mules selected to be unoaded
while slovenly epauletted Yellowstone Mexican
general or colonel, tedy-oyerhauled the bag.
gage TO see that we were not smuggling. Had we
really been loaded with contraband articles il would
have given US no annoyance, as he was only station
ed there to make his living by taking brides How
ever we had avors to ask, and did not choose 10
pay him to release us from the detention.
| Guadalaxara is very snowy city, of palace-like
houses, and enormous churches and converts, cover
| ing many squares OF the city; concealing in their
recesses vast population lost life and usefulness.
Flowers and gardens seemed to be prevalent taste
and the verandahs iron balconies projecting from
the second stories filled with vases Of fow-
to give along the length Of elegant streets the
appearance OF hanging flower gardens. broad and
shaded paseo extends for mile and half along
one side Of the city, and terminates in a hand
| some rose-hedged park and garden. Fountains
Of stone and bronze, bubbling forth clear cold
water, are seen in every direction. But these
are all remnants and splendors of the past
the present is in strong contrast. Poverty, vice,
and wretchedness its characteristics; beggars
forming the great population Of the Streets and the
prisons thronged with criminals ofthe vilest charac.
ter, and existing in the most disgusting filth. The
prison of Guadaaxara is of the most fertile
| crutng stations of the army. The California gar
| risn mad tboso
rather they were sent there to depredate with impu-
nifty upon the unofending inhabitants until patience
being exhausted, all Mexican rule was expelled.
Their offences and their expulsion came under my
own observation; and but recently a garrison Of
these criminals was sent to Mazatlan, and it had
scarcely reached there before threatened sack of
the town. Seven assassinations occurred in one
| Mexican town during my short residence in it, and
| never heard Of anything worse happening to the
criminals than being made soldiers of, although one
of them had dispatched his third victim. At Qua
dalaxara, we were startled by receiving the Mex
can account, in triumphant and boastful language,
of the capture of Captain Thornton's dragons
This intelligence placed in very precarious sit
uation. All the representations we received being
through the Mexican press, gave US great uneas
ness to the result of our interests on the frontier
Notwithstanding the large allowance we made for
Mexican braggadocia. Soon after the arrival of the
intelligence, boys were crying extras about the
streets, CRYING out Triumph over the North Amer
| cans" We determined to hurry our way,
though it was in anxiety and gloom that we did So
From GuadaIaxara a line of diligences runs to
Vera Cruz, and this line is worthy of all commenda-
ton. The conveyances arc good Troy built coach
/ es; the horses and mules in fine order, and the
coachmen possess great skill and dexterty. ORR
ginally the coachmen all Yankees; but now
they are Mexicans who have grown up on the
road, and among the coaches and horses. 1t is
somewhat amusing to notice the amalgamation they
have made of the Mexican costume with that of our
coachmen drivers The universal Mexican
serape has given way to the box coat; but the split
leg panaloons hold their own, and brightly color
ed handkerchief tied the throat and chin seems
| a type of the woolen cravat so generally worn by
our drivers in cold weather. The fondas (liotels)
are regulated by system extending along the
whole route, prescribing what shall be given, and the
hours ofmeas, and also regulating the charges These
rules also direct that every passenger shall be fur
nished with clean sheets and pillow case, which no
one has used, at every lodging place on the route
The hours Of travel are from three to four in the
morning to the same hour in the afternoon u