Wisconsin herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1846-1849, 1846-12-12

surpassed by any country on the lace
Of the globe. And yet, in conse-
quence of the inactive and feeble
spirit Of her people, and the prohigate
and selfish character Of her rulers, she
has remained stationary for years, and
is now about to fall prey, to a very
considerable extent at least, to quar-
rel and conflict with the United States.
Blackvood in glancing at the principal
features of this great territory, thus
notices Vera Cruz
"Vcra Cruz, its chief commercial
city, and medium of intercourse with
Europe, is handsomely built. exhibit
ing the usual signs of commercial
wealth, in the statelincss of its private
houses, and in the rarer popularity Of
wide and clearly streets. But when
did commerce build with any other
consideration than that of trader
Vera Cruz is provcrbially unhealthy;
a range of swamps in the vicinity
loads the summer air with fatal eXha-
lations; and the Vomto, the name for
rapid disease, evidently akin to the
fearful Blackvomit ofAfrica, requires
either the most vigilent prccaution, or
more probably the most fortunate
chance, to escape its immediate seizure
Of the frame. Yet it is said that this
disease seldom attacks the natives Of
the city.
But the general susceptibility of
the European frame to tropical diseas-
es, is tried here in almost every shape
of suffering; and iyhpus, yellow fever,
and almost pestilence, terribly thin
the concourse of strangers.
Yet such is the courage Of money
making in all parts Of the world, that
climate is regarded as only bugbear.
The trader in Vera Cruz enters on the
campaign against 'all the ills that flesh
is heir to- as if he had a patent for
life. The streets, in the trading sea-
son, exhibit perpetual crowds; the
harbor is full OF masts, nesting under
the protection of st. Juan D'Ulloa
from the bursts of wind which some
times come with terrible violence from
the north; and the funeral and the fes-
tivity go on together, and without
much impeding each other, in land
which for the time exhibits the very
Festino, or fete of the Merchant, the
Sailor, and the Creole
Abiding to the Castle of San Juan
/ D'Ulloa, and TO its present efficient
condition for defence, the writer says
that this is different state Of things
from the condition in which 1t was
found by the French squadron in 1889.
The ramparts were then scarcely
mounted, the guns were more danger
Gus to the garrison than to the enemy.
and Of regular artilerists there were
few or none; engineers wero unheard
of. The French naturally did as they
pleased; achieved uiagnanimous tri-
umph over bare walls, and pluckcd a
laurel for the Prince de JoinviIe from
the most barren Of all possible soils Of
victory; but it served for a bulletin
They would probably now find an
other kind Of reception, for the ram
parts have guns, and the guns have ar.
Itillerymcn.
After passing Puebla, one OF the
handsomest cities in Mexico, cultrya-
ton extends 10 a considerable distance
on both sides of the road. To the
right lies the republic of Tlascala, so
memorable in the history Of the Span
ISL conquest, and once crowded with
population Of warriors. The road
then runs Mt the foot Of Pococalapeil.
the highest ofthe Mexican mountains,
seventeen thousand feet above the lev
el of the sea. The capital is now APP
preached; and on passing over the
next ridge, the Fl st glimpse is caught
of the famous val y and city Of Mexi-
co. From this ridge, Cortes had the
first view OF his conquest. II must
have been an object Of Undesirable
interest to the great soldier who had
fought his way to the possession Of the
noblest prize Of his age. The valley
of Mexico, circuit of seventeen hun
bred square miles, must have been
most magnificent sight, If it be true
that it contained forty cities, and vii
lagos without number Time, war
and the fatal government Of Spain,
have nearly turned this splendid tract
into a desert. Bot it still has fea-
lures combining the picture sque with
the grand. Tie valley partially re-
sembles the crater Of an immense vol
cano wholly surrounded BY mountains,