Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1847-12-08
EDITORS CORRESPONDENTS
CAMP BuEYA V,sr, (NJox 10, 90 -,

Il.
CAMP BUENA VISTA, (Mex) Oct %. AZ.
lear -: had an interesting ride. i'm comma
my with several friends, through what NAV pronrr-
l be called the suburbs of Salto ON the west Side
OF inc city, few days ago-'rhey arc far more ex.
tensive than supposed them TO be- The country
In that direction gradually incnes towards The
mountain, and being much lower than the CITY. is
lot inc most part, completely hid and overloaded
from It, The grounds are very rich. and well irri.
gated ana arc laid oil into small squares with tole
Tabie regularity, nterseccd by narrow streets and
tne evenings are numerous, standing out amids,
the most wild and tangled thickets ffrut trees and
vines which your fancy can picture. IL is impossi
ole Tor inc rays OF the sun ever to pcnetrate some
OF mem. and tho wonder is, 10 one from a less ore
MAJ cline, how the earth is capable of SUSTAINING
Such growth of vegetation. | do not bel;eve
however, that tho fruits ever attain any tb;nc Ill
REPRESENTATIVES of those which have found in
the market, that supposed TO be of ncirhhor,ool
proouction, were rather detective and ilsipd The
people here seem 10 know nothing about nrunino
!ret trees, or at least they do not practise it
tried '6 give one of them an idea of i, drri,o ,h
summer, whose garden visited for the purn9sc y,
bathing, and who had some fine younr annie troos
Whicn never could come TO any thing in the condi
ton they were; but whether | made \ convcrt nt
MN or not, do not know. | thought he did not
the knife. r0'0u " use
But, to return TO my ride-It afforded mo ca
much pleasure that would wish, if possible. 10
convey TO your mind some distinct immersion nj
the wild and lovely scenes presented I have al.
ready SAID the grounds laid of in squares =
oo's OF tncse are enclosed with well built walls of
sun-dr'cd bricks, such rs the MeXicans usn in CON
structng their houseS-otlers by rows of the Ma
quay plant, whose immense. broad -sprcodinr and
sharp pointed leaf affords an excellent deCrnco =,
gainst inirnsions-while others lie entirely omen
no uI.cneS 'Sr conveying the water through these
of EsfN
penis me very existence of all the vegetation thai
SO luNurlantly adorns them, and which else wouIJ
soon become blighted and barren waste Tho v,,
ter, understand, is turned by city regulation i,,o
certain main or leading channels, alternately on
particular days IN the week, ana thus distributed
ny lateral bitches throughout the whole of The ne;gb
borhood which the channel is intended 10 saryn
by the way, In this matter Of irrigation. the Mex
leans may he considered adopts and believe il is
ABOUT the only thing they do excel in but beinr onc
OF prime necessity with them, (the earth PRODUCING
nothing without, it would be strance indeed If ,Lo
should not have learned it, No stream that can nos
s!biy be made 10 subservc the purpose of an arid
cal channel, so as to carry it higher urounJ s
neglected by them, where there is land that roo,,
be cultivated. The springs which rise here are
COLLECTED anu carried along the ridge land all the
way to Saltilo, and where rayipe is oncoun.orad
an aqueduct OF masonry Is constructed altbouob
the lands which border it are wholly neglected. =,
present, and seem to have been SO for voarc h, :,
Is said they were al. under cultivation in the Sra
Ism regime-an evidence, among Others that the
GeoPie are rathcf gong back than advancing under
saGif ianclcd republican system Of government
But, have again wandered from nv object
On the South Side the suburbs are abr,,ntIv tcrmi
Hased by the bluiy hills which overhana that mart
OF the CITY, and en- the West. towards the yknun
tain, by deep, impossible gulles, the wear ofares
doubling and twisting close upon each other. but
seemingly never running together. One of these
down Wi ch fi,,o.
We assembled for a considerable distance sometimes
making our way through the bed of the stream. and
at others along the bank where the wash had taken
broader sweep when the floods were I'D. The
'sdos OF this guley from 80 TO 40 feet pornen-
dicuiar, and the marks of the water were trscnd
long them many feet above heads At leDgtb
we came 10 n narrow guiiey. though of Great denth.
which puts in from the hills above Saltillo. with
well marked path leading into it, but barely wide
enough to admit one of us to pass al n time THE
we concluded 10 explore, and after many tortuous
winnings we were surprise! TO find ourselves with
IN square two Of the spot where we first struck
the suburbs One OF the company denominsied tbis
gulley the BANDITS pass, and not inaplly for by lis
-connexion with the main one it opens secret. an
almost subtcrranean communication with the CITY
tor miles; and whatever may have been the charac-
ter of the Inhabitants of these sylvan scenes in for
mer days, must say was not very favorabIy i'm
pressed with that Of the present-At one place
saw church ediiice abandoned TO decay lust after
1T had been well started upon It's foundations. and
at another, bath of costly construction in ruins
evidences OF some change at least in the character
of the people.
We are still without any news from the CITY of
Mexico.-It is reported that there arc a considera-
bic number Of Mexican officers at San Luis Potoei
but we have not heard that they are DOING anv
thing.
- Gen. Wool left us on Tuesday, escorted bv two
companies of Dragons, for Monterey-leavinT Col
HamtramcE in command of all the troops here
The Colonel and his staff accompanied the General
short distance beyond Saltillo on his way. and
returned in the evcning.-Gcn. Taylor sets out for
home on the 9Th of next month
A strong scouting party, consisting of three Tex
as companies of mounted men, were sent some DAYS
ago 20 the ncighborhood of Parras in search of ncr
rillaS, and we have rumor that they have had an
encounter with them. Two Of our men only. it is
said, were wounded, and several Of the Mexicans
killed.
We have had some very cold nights recently.
Gas cold, j am told, as any weather last winterO
and ice of considerable thickness was formed in
fin basin.-In passing by the Alameda the other
day, observed that the majestic trees were drop
ping their leaves pretty much as they do with us
IN the fall. AT Monterey. however, the weather
is quite warm. The difference is owing TO our
great elevation.
The health Ofour Regiment continues about the
sarne. In my company there is no case Of serious
sickness, though there arc number complaining.
Yours, Sc
1t is now said that Mr.. Benton is to play the
grand pacifactOr on the Mexican question. as he