The Kalida venture. [volume] (Kalida, Ohio) 1841-1865, 1848-03-21
MEXICAN CORDOyA

MEXICAN CORDOvA.
The following letter from the city Of Cor
dova, which place was taken possession Of
by the American troops on the 18Th inst,
without any resistance, will be read with in
teresi: a 81 s
CoKDovA, Mexico, February 18Th 1913.
GENTLEMEN: snatch moment from a.
midst the constant business carcs which per-
plex me, TO write you few lines about
''matters and things in these pa'ts,'' and the
progress Of The American aims thus far in
this new field. s a,
the command and its largo supply train,
which left Vera Cruz on The moIning Of the
9th inst reached this city on The mo'ning
Of The 18th, when twas en- ercd by por-
ton of the troops, and possession taken Of it
without the least resistance being off.rcd
Little ifany was expected. as illc evening
before, when the column reached the baci
enda Of Los Portre,as, about three leagues
distant, and whcIc it eucampcd FOR The nigih,
a dcputalion from ;he Ayuntamento Of Cor
dova arrived TO meet the commanding Off
Ger and pay their respects, md perhaps prof
fer the hospi,aliies Of the ciiy-ofer lis sur
the troops, or transact
som, such business This corporate dele
CATION came Sin staie'-beng transported
in handsome carriage drawn by four mules,
and each official wearing hs cooked hat nd
handsome rapier. These, with their suits
of black-afer The Americnn rasllion--
courteous manners, handsome features, &c.
made the body very dign fed looking ono.
When tho troops entered the plaza tie
next day, this delegation, together with all
the rest Of tie city officials, received the
commanding officer at their chamber where
they we're all in attendance for the purpose.
Whilst the troops were entering the city.
The plaza and streets were well crowded
with spectators, and much hapdsomer sci
Of females graced the doors and grated win
dows than have ever before -seen in this
country. Every thing went off very quietly,
and not single disturbance has yet arisen
in the city. The city was not deserted by
the Inhabitants, as others have boen upon
their being taken possession Of by our troops
Neither time nor space will permit al
present my going into detailed account of
our journey hther--the country passed
through--or desc -iption of this city and
the surrounding country. A word, however,
about each. The road through the tierrds
calicntcs, or 10 the foot Of the maintains, a
distance. of about fifty miles, is g generally
level, in some places being very rough and
rocky, particularly where the wafer washes
in torrents through the gu|lics during the
rainy season. This portion of the country
is generally wild, barren, or unculiivaled
waste-a few rude huls dotting the ROAD a,
|, ng intervals, but at present deserted, and
each bearing name, as if it were town. =
The face of the county is lille diversified
by scattered growth Of chapparal and slghI
undulations. Water is very scalcc on this
ro"le, being found only at long intervals. II
is very difficult TO conjecture how Or when
the cattle, which are often seen grazing up
upon the dry grass, procure their water. a
small stream, LA Soledad, is crossed at San
Diego, and met with again at Teo Lingo
AT the latter place the rocky bluffs OH one
of fi,s banks rise to the hight of several han-
drcd feet, and arc the most perpendicular,
as we'll as beautiful, | ever bcheld. The
palisades Of The Hudson sink into 'utter in
significance in comparison with them. AT
Paso del Macho, nearer the mountains, the
first piece architecture is 10 be met with
being bridge Of the most solid and
beautiful masonry, crossing a ravine couple
of hundred feet deep, anG built up from its
bottom. An old Marcellus tower on one
side, but now in ruins, was the defence Of
the pass during the reign ofthe Spaniards.
Crossing the ridge, several magnificent brid-
ges, like the one above mentioned, are pass
ed, which cross ravines several hundred feet
in depth, and through which the mountain
torrents dash in all their wildness. No des-
cription can do justice 10 the bcauy OF
these places. A continuous wall, several
miles in length, connects these bridges, and
is protection against accident from getting
over the high precpices along which The
road winds.
After crossing the ridge the change is
complete. The richness and beauty OF the
country defes all description. Every hevt
and flower grows, as it were, spontaneously
How different The pure, balmy, and re
ireshing air from the fetd atmosphere 0
Vera Cruz-the warm and sullry one Of tht
'stierras cplentcs." Sugar, coffee, cotton
tobacco, lice, maize, barley, and o;her grain