Ypsilanti sentinel. [volume] (Ypsilanti, Washtenaw Co., Mich.) 1843-1900, 1847-06-02
From the Washington Unions
THE ROAD FROM VERA CRUZ
TO MEXICO.

IhE ktOAD F6OM v EVA C16 Il
TO MEXICO.
NO. /.
DEAR SR, Agreeably to the desire express
ed by you yesterday, l send you some sheets
containing description of the lower portion Of
the road from Vera Cruz to Mexico, en- which
our army under Gen. Scott was moving by the
latest accounts. 1t is made from my notes and
rcccl!ections Of my trip to Mexico ten years
ago, and will, hope, be Of some use in render
ing more easily intelIigibly the news which
may be daily expected from that quarter. Should
YOU consider it worth while, will send you a
similar sketch of the remainder of the road to
Mexico. With great esteem, yours.
ROBERT GREENHOW.
WASHINGTON, SATURDAY MAY j, lS47.
In the afternoon of Thursday, the 18th of Ju-
ly, lS47, our good sloop-of-war, the Vandalia,
in which had the honor to be passenger
anchored in the roadstead between island of Sac
ri6cios and the mainland of Mexico, within a
couple of hundred yards of the British frIgate
Madagascar; and saw spread around scene
with every point of which had long been ia
miIiar from description. On the right lay Sd
criicios, little ridge of sand protrudlng above
the water: on the left, the low shore of Mexico,
beyond which appeared family shadowed on
the sky the tall peak of Orzaba and the irreg-
ular outline of Perote; in front, the towers and
spires of Vera Cruz and the white mass of the
castle of Ulua glttering in the sun; while, tur-
ming to the southeast, the black craggy rocks
of the volcano of San Andres Tustla arose at
the distance of sixty miles over the point of
Anton Lizardo. The weather was delightful,
the sunset recalled to mind those of Naples,
and the breeze, pure afd fresh, seemed to con-
tradict the assertion of the old pilot that the
romito was raging in Vera Cruz, scarcely four
miles of: Through that famed hot-bed of pes
thence was to pass on my way to the city ct
Mexico; but only, as l expected, to pass, for
l had been instructed not to enter it until the
means of conveyance to the interior were ready;
and, with this view, had sent note by the
pilot to our counsel requesting him to engage
place for me in the diligencid, or stage-coach,
for the following day. But here | had reckon
ed without my host; for at 9 o'clock messen-
ger came in boat, bringing me letter from
which 1t appeared that must Immediately go
up 10 the city and spend the night there, as the
water-gate would not be opened in the morning
until after the departure of the coach. No al
tentative being left, prepared to obey the sum-
mons, and was soon on my way in the boat
Iowed by three stout half naked Indians to the
dreaded city.
A few words as to the topography of the sur
places may not be unac eptable at the
present moment.
The Mexican coast there runs nearly north
west and southeast The whole shore and
the country for one or two miles from it is very
low and nearly level, presenting sheet Of sand
rumped by the winds, and sustaining only
few weeds and shrubs where the ridges are
highest. Opposite the shore, at the distance of
about three-quarters of a mile, begins an ex-
tenSiye bed of coral rock. four or five miles in
diameter, of which several portions project a.
Dove the sea, forming small islands, while 9TH
ers, just covered by the water, prevent all but
the smallest vessels from passing over the spot.
The most southern of these isands-called Sa--
rifcios by the discovercr, Grijalva, in 1913,
from the quantity of human bones found upon
tin a mass of sand about three hundred yards
in length by twenty in bredth, partially cover
ed by rank weeds. Isla Verda Green Island)
is another, about three miles eastward from Sa
rifcios; and about the same distance northwest
from the latter island is that of Ulua or San
Juan, entirely occupied by the famous fortress.
From SACRIFICES to Ulua stretches line of
coral reefs, called the Lardndera or flasher
,coman, from the foaming breakers which ap-
pear on it during storms; ard between these
reefs and islands on the cast and the main land
On the west, is the channel which forms the
of the Vera Cruz. The city lies ex
actly opposite to the castle; in the intervening
space, constituting the harbor, vessels, while
discharging their cargoes, are moored to rings
in the castle wall, from which goods are sent
over in lighters. Should their mornings fail
during a norther, they must infallibly be dashed
to pieces on the Lavandera: and for this reason
ships of war and others, which are not required
to be near Vera Cruz, usually anchor between
Sacrifcos and the main land, as they there have
a clear sea to wlndwarl in the case of breaking
their cables.
The shores here are very difficult of access
in consequence of the violence of the surf. Be
tween Vera Cruz and Anton Lizardo, in a dis
lance of about twelve miles, the only place at
which boats can reach it with safety i; en- the
north side of small projection of the coast cal
led Mocambo Point, nearly opposite Sacri6clos
and there, no doubt, Gen.Scott effected the dis
Of his army on the 9th Of March
last.
On the spot where Vera Cruz now stands, the
the Spanish discoverers,in 1918 .found an Indian
village called Cuiua or Ulua, from which the Is
land opposite was named San Juan d Utua, or
81. John Of Uiua. There, on Good Friday of
the following year, fernando Cortes disembar-
ked, and traced with his sword on the burning
and the outline of settlement which was to
bear the name of la Vlla RIGA de Ia Vera Cru-,
he Rich Ci,y Of the True Gross. There he alb
Heated the authority conferred on him by the
hen Governor of Cuba, and accepted in IFS
stead a commission from the mayor and al
lesmen of the new settlement to command the
Iorces of their sovereign in the expedition for
he conquest of the great empire of Anahuac;-
and from that point, after burning his ships,
which lay in the roadstead opposite, he began
MS march in the interior. No spot in America
except perhaps that (if it could be identifed)
On which Columbus first landed, has SO many
associations connected with it, or is
more likely to be regarded with interest in af-
ter ages.
The settlement thus begun was soon after re-
moved to the mouth of river twelve miles fur
lher north, where it was maintained until the
end of that century; and then in consequence