Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1847-08-14
esS. r.Ylos.s PLEASURE rr,p.


Special Correspondence Of the N O. Picsyuns
MoNrERKv, Mexico, July 10, l647.
have just learned that party is to start for
below early to.tnorrrow morning, Of which op-
pot,unity I shall asai! myself, aud will endcavor
to give you On account Of General I sy lors trip
,o Mamalequi, the plantation OF Ceb. Arista -
apprised you in my last that he wss TO make
an excursion, and Of my intention to make one
ct the party. es 81. sse 'H
1t vas quite refreshing to sec the old general
mounted on his morse on Wednesday morning,
the 9Th inst, surrounded by the members Of his
rtaff, about to leave the monotony Of his camp.
10 enjoy himself for few days-a eratiiicstion
he has denied himself until now. Gen. Gushing
end his aid-de.can.p accompanied the expedi.
ton, escorted by dozen dragons. We took
the road to Sdlinss, which lies in a direction a
Little north Of east, about twenty miles from
Monterey, and through the village Of San Nico.
las de las Caeas a tourishine little place Coz
Mexico, Of some considerable extent, six miles
from Monterey. At this town they raise con.
siderable c,rn aud vegetables for the Monterey
market. We left camp at noon and arrived at
Salinas about o'clock in the afternoon, where
the alcalde received the general and party with
every demonstration OF respect, invited him into
his court room, aud treated him to figs and un.
ripe wstetmelons. ] do not mean to speak
slighiinely Of his tteai, because il ives evident.
ly "tbe best he had in the shop"
Aris.a's hscienda is situated upon or near
'he Rio Pecacho. and f the foo, Of spur Of
the Sierra. in o northeastern.y direction from
Monterey, about twelve miles from Salinas, snd
from distance has quite tho appearance of d
bnronical estate. His plantation is a very ex
ten.ive one, comprising fourteen square lcsgucs;
but miles Of il are useless low chspa-rai. only
relieved by the tall Spanish hayoret plant,
which htistles up in every direction. Arista pnr.
chased the place about four years ago from a Ia
dy residing in the city of Mexico for 5000,
and has since expended about $4,000 in i'm.
proving it. There isa very fine sugar and saw
mill upon it. the motive power Of which is wa
ter, Of course. The dam neross the river for
ming the mill pond is a very fine solid peace Of
msson work. end is estimated in the bill of sale
at $4,000. The estate is managed by an adj.
ninistrador, who has under him an overseer -
There are sbout 90 men and boys, poems. upon
the place, and so many women and girls. all o
whom are fixtures for life, as are oil poems, in
ninety nine cases out Of hundred, end quite a,
bad Oft as slaves in your section Of the country
worse even, as when they become past worl
their landlord % is not compelled to supper
them. and this duty devolvng upon their rela
lives, serves TO bind them the frmer.
am afraid Arists does not find sgricul'ur
quite as profitable as the profession Of arms, 10
according to the account we received from tn,
overseer the profits OF the estate are little or no
thing. The nominal wages of the peons is from
two to ten dollars per month, but as they or,
compelled to.Purchase every article they con
scme and all their clothing from the proprieto
Ofthe estate, every month finds lhom deeper il
debt. Two crops OF corn are raised and TWEEN
y-four Jaaegas Of seed is the usual amour
planted. The yield is generally one hundre'
told. which would make the annual crop 24O
fdnegas or 260O bushels. OF this but little
sold off the estate, a. it is the principal ar,icl
Of food. The crop of beans, which 10 also on
OF the "stsnd.bys," is estimated at 500 jancgo
--220O bushels. There are about q thousan
head Of cattle on the estate and lew sheep On
goats, but as one beef is eeaeraliy killed uearl
every day the ssle of the estate is very small-ns
more than twenty 6ve year. The cane Gro
is as yet email, but more lan6 10 dedicated to il
cultivation every year. and it must soon yield
handsome profit; at present no more than 4
arobas (lOOO pouods) Of sugar are made 10 tn
year. but ofa good quality. A small amount
RICE Of fair quality is also raised. BY far th
greatest source Of prof, s the lumber. some POI
tons Of this extensive domain being heavil
numbered with pine. The growth of cotton hs
besn attempted, but without any decided su,
cess.
The administrator and overeeer came out
meet Gen. Taylor and offer him the hos pta i,
,'i the place. and we encamped shout half a mi
irnm the main building, under the shade of con
p'csn trees. The residence of Arists is sp
r'nos and very strongly built with walls thr,
feet thick, loopholed for musketry. 1t is CO.
.'ructee Of the large sun.dried brick, stucco.
aad white-wushed, and better adapted for cor
h'rt than almost any house have been in
These brick. which are about foot square q,
l'ur or five inches thick, are made by the peo,
tor a bit and half(ua real medis) hundr,