The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1847-01-19
The Capture OF LaRuna-Its Importance and
Value.


day we give the official account of the capture
IL viii be found on the outside.
This is welcome news Its seizure will not
only teach the Yucatacoes not to to trife with us,
but 1t will be of some importance to us in various
points o. view. If the place Is not the larges
town in Yucatan, it is certainly one OF the mos
important. 1t intercepts all communication be-
tween the rest OF Yucatan, and the department
of Vera Cruz. Had it been in our possession at
an earlier date than the Goth, the able Mexican
General Vol, might not have succeeded IN re-
turning to Mexico, for it was at Laguna ne
landed.
This town is situated at the southeastern ex-
tremty of the Gulf of Mexico; and is three hum
dred and twenty miles from Vera Cruz by sea;
but, by land, it is a little farther. The appear
ance of Laguna, as seen from the harbor, is sin
gular; for the houses, with perhaps dozen ex-
cepuons have matched roofs, and are only one
story high. The harbor OF Laguna is perhaps as
safe as any in the world Only one vessel,
we believe, has been lost in it the last fifteen
years 1t was during hu rcane of almost
unparalleled violence, that this one was lost /;
her crew were saved. But the entrance Of the
harbor of Laguna is not very good-a bar crosses
- "'"~N 40 AiPuoooOic " VcsSclS uIdWluk uOSvO
sixteen feet OF water. Banks of mud, too, line
either side of the entrance, and thereon vessels,
whose commanders have never been to Laguna
before, often touch, particularly when a north
er blows. In January, 1912, four English mer-
chantmen struck on these mud banks, during a
norther and although they were got of, when
the gale abated, one or two of them sustained
considerable damage.
Laguna is tolcrably healthy during the winter
months; but as in other parts Of the eastern
coast of Mexico, yellow fever prevails from April
to October. In May, 1912, three or four hundred
Indian troops arrived at Laguna from Central
Mexico In July, of the same year, one half their
number had died of fever.
The population of Laguna does not exceed two
thousand five hundred. They are motley set,
being of all colors-whte, black, yellow. and
brown. The habits of the majority of the working
men in Laguna are dissoute in the extreme. In
playing at cards or dice, and drinking raw Cata-
Ian brandy, perhaps the strongest Of spirits, they
pass the intervals of cessation from labor
The import trade of Laguna has improved con.
sderablY of late-stl, it is moth ng when COM
pared to its export trade-though that trade is
confined to one article-palo tinto, or logwood.
AS 1"oAsAJ "a AO6WoSN CAPSAtSN ~uA"6 viz
busy part of the year, (whichis from November
to March or April is immense. In the month
OF January, 1912, fourteen square rugged vessels
were loading at Laguna, with logwood. The
wood is almost always shipped on account of the
owners of the vessel-not ON account of the mer-
chants at Laguna. The merchants buy the
ogwood of the logwood cutters, and sell it to the
ship masters who visit the port. This business is
very good one-though, in great measure, it is
monopolized by one firm, that of Gutierrez Bro
theirs & Co. For series of years, the managing
partner of this firm, was an American gentleman
named Russell he died few years ago. 1t is
said, that the year previous to his death, the
house of Gutierrez netted fifty thousand dollars.
The master logwood cutters of Laguna are
strange class of individuals. They are mostly
white yet, living they do, the greater part OF
the year in the midst of swamps and forests Of
logwood trees, they often become as swarthy in
complexion and as uncouth in figure as the In
dams they employ They sometimes commence
logwood cutting with only small captal-say
ten or twelve thousand dollars-a great portion of
which they perhaps have borrowed from some
mercantile firm, of Gutierrez Brothers, & Co.,
for instance. In this case, they contract with Cru.
tierrex Brothers, to repay them in logwood, de-
liverable at stated periods; and, we may add, at
low prices.
When the logwood cutter has thus provided
himself with "the sinews of war;" he buys half
a square League, or so, OF forett. Sometimes, if
he has interest with the government, he gets
it for nothing. Of course, he selects land
as near to Laguna as he can get. A portion Of
this land he clears; and builds thereon huts for
his nlosos laborers; and a rancho, or house for
himself To the house is attached a store, where
he sells groceries and grog. The n,osos 60 to
their work very early in the morning, and return
to their huts in the evening. They are generally
paid twenty-five cents for every quintal of wood
they cut; and, if expert cutters, they can earn,
on an average, dollar day. But, how.
ever much they earn, they save nothing. On the
contrary, ninety-nine out Of hundred niosos, not
only spend what they make, but likewise get
into debt to their masters, who have no objection
to their doing For, be it observed, no moso
can leave his masters service whilst he owes him
money; therefore, the more money he owes him
the more he is in his power and he always is
in his masters power. To his masters store he
is obliged to resort for everything. What he eats
and drinks, and wears, he buys there. In the
evening, he goes to the store to receive his
ings-a portion he spends in drink, and when
drunk he buys some article of clothing, for which
he has no earthly use, and which is charged to
him at an exorbitant price. In this way, bill is
soon run up, which the moSo never pays, and
which, though nothing but a bit of paper, with
some figures thereon, is as a rod OF iron in the
hands fthe master.
What is this but species Of slavery-a slavery
Of the worst kind, too? And slavery which
prevails, not only in Yucatan, but in most of the
agricultural districts OF Mexico. Yet the Mex.
cans tax us Americans, with being save-hold.
ing people! striking example this, of the in.
consistency of thurman nature, of Our readiness to
pull out the mote in our neighbours eye, when a
huge, numbering beam is sticking in our own.
But to conclude with logwood cutting: the wood
is conveyed in canoes to the harbor of Laguna,
and there put on board vessels as thew lie at an.