Mississippi Democrat. (Carrollton, Miss.) 1844-18??, 1846-12-09
The Road from Mexico TO Vera Cruz.

"A contemporary, REMARKS inc lNeW IOTk |
Courier and Enquirer, says, shat the CT
ty of Mexico is only weeks march from
Vera Cruz" He is wrong. Seldom do
soldiers travel above 20 miles per day,
and as the city of Mexico is $50 miles
from Vera Cruz, they would be IA days |
in going that distance. The Diligence |
which runs between Vera Cruz and Mex. |
leo is days on the road. The traffic |
between the two cities is immense, AL
most all the goods landed at Vera Cruz
are conveyed TO the city of Mexico on the
backs of mules. A mule will carry 400
pounds weight, the freight Of which is
S24. During the rainy season (that is,
from April to September) the mules are
80 DAYS in going TO Mexico; during the
dry season only 20. The owners Of these
mules are men of honesty and substance;
thew and their servants are well armed,
and sometimes they have fierce contests
with the robbers.
The worst part of the road to Mexico
particularly for foot soidlers-is that
which is contiguous to Vera Cruz, for the
soil is sand, and sand almost as hot as that
used by chemists to make a sand.bath.-
Here The Diligence, though drawn by eight
| powerful horses, ''drags ITS slow length
| along'' at the rate of three miles the hour.
| Our soldiers would find marching along
| This part of the road extremely dltlcult
and chsome And IN this, as indeed IN
the other Mexican roads, 1t is advisable TO
march at ught. A some distance from
Vera Cruz he rankneSs of the vegetation
is surprising. Cacli, which in Europe
would bring high price, are here rotlIng
on the roadside. In some places, where
the road is rather narrow, gigantic plant
pushes lis stem into the very Diligence
Won are seated in. The BIZ DIS too, herea-
bouts. are as richly colored as the flowers.
But there is close, rank, church-yard
smell in the air, which is anything bu,
pleasant, and which reminds you that you
are not yet out Of the reach OF that
scourge of tropical climates-the yellow
fever.
When you get TO Jalapa, (Which is
about go miles from Vera Cruz.I you hno
that Nature here wears more cheerful
if IA less gaudy, aspect. You have lett the
terra caIienfe, or hot region, and are no"
in the terra tcmptGdG, or temperate dis
trict. 1t is indeed the Eden Of the Yves
; tern world. Fields, yellow with Indian
corn-groves of orange trees-ot styra!
! and other basamic trees-are seen on ev
cry side. The appearance of the Town
f itself harmonses well with that OF th'
country around. 1t has a ciean'y an
l wholesome look-so have It's inhablta nj
4 who number thirteen thousand. In
women Of Jalapa are noted for their beau
= ~. lis eleva. ion above the level OF tn
sea is 1881 feet. When a north win
: blows at Vera Cruz the inhabitants OF ia
lana are enveIoped in a fog, which some
e times lasts two or three weeks. Tue oc
S currence of these logs may be SAID to b
e the only Inconvenience of residence 1
S Jalapa. When Mexico was Spanish &C
t Iony a fair was held at Jalapa, which use
l. 10 he attended by thousasds of merchant:
81 from all parts of the country; and
s. which were sold The goods brought
o Vera Cruz, at stated periods, in fleets {
l. merchantmen from Spain. AT the pre-
IS sent day a similar fair is held at pa!tr
village in the interior of Mexico, Gale
'e San Juan. Almost depopulaled at oth'
e times, at the time of the fair. h'ty, ski
r. and even eighty thousand people are cot
he oregated at San Juan.
ed The next place of importance on II
Id road to Mexico, is PeroIe-the villages
IL Las Vigas, La FIoya and 81. Michael
e. tervene between 1t and Jalapa. Inc Toa
IS, from Las Vigas is very bad and steep
n When you are in Perole, you are IN VIII
TO- is called terra fra, or cold region Al
on cold enough it is in all conscience!
tie day or two before, you were persplrlng
}. every pore-now, your cloak and CO.
forter are in requisilion Perote is abo
AN 70 miles from Jalapa, and contains go
'ol' inhabitants 1t is 1892 feet above /
es- level of The sea. Its houses are ones
ear ried, very gloomy looking, but very stror
The English legal maXim-''every ma
ov: house his CASTLE" is equally true in
III rote, though in a different sense. M
ee, Perote is the famous castle of that nan
ON Thrice has Santa Anna been an INN;
- Of that casile-the last time prisoner
SCI State. 1t is not impossible that ere 10
Id, he may again be an Involuntary gues'
old The Governor of Perote. la the vlcin
III of Perote there are several villages
Tue habited solely by bandiui. The spies
whom may be seen proving about Per
the at The hour fixed for the arrival OF
Diligence.
any The third large town on The road
his Mexico is Puebla. The road here Is
was interesuug-s leading thro
ck, deep gulies, at others along dusty pl
the Puebla is about 80 miles from Perott
80 A'.arl,nr - some authorities, il conti
and CO., ,hnnsa,d inhabitants according