Iowa capitol reporter. [volume] (Iowa City, Iowa) 1841-1855, 1847-06-16
which saw in Mexico; wheat, Indian
corn, and beans being the principal arti-
clea of ane;n,,lAnxn IT, =.

Of manufacturers large amount Of cotton
fabrics being produced there, under the
benign influence Of protective duties,
equivalent to twoor three times the value
ofthe foreign article excluded. Yet near
ly all the raw cotton consumed in Mexico
comes from the United States, and paws an
import duty atthe place Of entry from which
it is to be carried on mules, at an enor-
mouse expense, to the place Of manufac-
ture. The inhabitants seem to be almost
exclusively meslizos, the Indian evidently
predominating much more than at Jalapa
or Vera Cruz. The Publanos by no means
enjoy high character for order or honesty
being, on the contrary, regarded as little
better in those respects than the people Of
Perote. Puebla is indeed the headquar-
tiers of ruffianisn and intolerance. l was
assured that until within few years
foreigner could rarely pass through the city
without being attacked or insulted; and
when the stage coaches were first estab-
lished about 1882, they were regularly
stoned as soon as they appeared. A bet
ter order of things was, however, begin.
ming to manifest itself, notwithstanding the
efforts of Bishop Vazqnez to prevent it ;
and for myself, can only say, that during
my walks through the city on two even
ings, from o'clock until nearly II, met
with no disagreeable incident whatever.
We left Puebla on the morning of the
10Th Of July, at half-past three o'clock.
The coach was filled with passengers,
among whom were a Mexican army off,
Ger, and an Englisl,man, with several wo-
men, one of whom, about 80 years old,
did nothing but smoke cigaritos during the
whole ofthe journey. As soon as it was
light, / began to look out on the left for
the remains of the great pyramid of Cholu-
la, within four miles Of which we were to
pass; and l soon recognized it, rising high
above the plain, with the church on its
summit, just as it appears in Humboldt
Notwithstanding me most strongly of
the celebrated lsola Bella, in the Lake
Maggiore, near Milan. To those who
may not have read any Of the numerous
descriptions of this pyramid, will simply
say that it is square mass Of unburnt
bricks, It's feet in height, constructed in
four stages, the lowest of which is more
than | 300 feet square, with the sides ex.
actly opposite to tie four quarters of the
compass. At what period it was erected
there are no accounts or other means OF
Judging; its date is, however, supposed to
be far anterior to the occupation Of the
country by the Aztecs whom Cortes found
in possession; and there is nothing calcu-
lated to contradict The idea that its antiqui.
,, ty may equal that Of the Egyptian piles.
At the distance of seven miles from
Puebla, we crossed the Rio Prieto, or
Black river, smalistream which drains
the valley ofPuebla. and emptes into the
Pacific near Acapulco, forming the orly
outlet from the plateau between the two
great ranges, of whih Orizaba and Popo-
catapetl are respectively the highest pima
cles., From this stream we began the as
cent Of the last mentioned range, which
divides the valley of Mexico from that of
Puebla; the rise i. gradual and the road
good, SO that we proceeded at fair pace,
and before seven o'clock we arrived at the
town of San Martin q Grade, seventeen
miles from Puebla.
San Martin contains about thousand
| inhabitants. and has, as usual, large
church, filled as usual with tawdry trumpe-
ry ornaments. The panorama visible from
this town is fine, and embraces the scenes
! of many of the mDst celebrated achieve
ments of the Span ards during the conquest
of Mexico. Within few miles on the
west, at the base bf Mount Malinche, lies
Tlascala; on the outh is Cholula, and in
the distance towards the north, extend
the plains of Apan, on which Cortez gain
ed the decisive vhtory over the forces OF
Guatamozin, nef Otumba. The grand
feature, however "a this panorama is Pc.
/ pocatapetl, the viw Of whica. is finer from
San Martin thanfrom any other spot or
its northern or e.stern sides. The noun.
tain there appears almost detached from
the rest of the range, and relieved against
the sky, representing a regular. truncated
cone encircled with belt of snow. The
lower portion is covered with woods, and
that nearest the edge is free from snow ii
consequence Of the heat; black line also
extends down through the middle on the
side opposite to San Martin, probably an
accumulation of rocks produced by the
cooling of the lava in the last eruption
| The mountain has been assembled to the
edge Of the crater several times; the mos
complete scientific examination of it was
however made in 1923, by Baron de &c.
rolt, then charge d'affares of Prussia in
Mexico, and now minister of that power in
Washington, of whose interesting report
procured copy, now before me. BY
these observations the limit of vegetation
was ascertained to DO 1854 feet, and the
whole elevation of the mountain 1882
feet above the level Of the sea; at the latter
place the barometer marked only fifteen
inches and sia .tenths, and at the Pico del
FraiIe, more than a thousand feet lower,
water boiled at the temperature Of IT'S
degs. OF Fahrenheit. The crater was oval
in form. and about one mile in its greatest
diameter its depth was about thousand
feet, its bottom being sort Of plain with
numerous splits and holes, from which
sulphurous vapors were constantly issn-
ing. Stones were projected frequeatIy
with much noise from these holes, but tacy
never passed beyond the cavity of the era.
Il IL