The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1848-10-11
NEW MEXICO AND CALIFORNIA.
From Notes Of a Military Reconnaissance, &c. b,
Lieut.. Col. Emory.

From Notes Of Military Reconnaissance, &c. by
Lieut.. Col. Emory.
The country. from the Arkansas 10 this
point, more than l.200 miles, in its adap.
thiion To agriculture. has pecdliaIilies
which must forever siamn itself anon the.
pupuIaIIOn whIrh Inhabiis a. All at
North Mexico. embracing New Mex;ro.
chihuahua. Sonora. aud the CALIFORNIA;.
as far north as The Sacramento, are. as the
hest information goes. the same in The ply
STEAL character al iis surface, and differ but
!iule in climate or products.
In no part of this vast tract can the
rains from iea,en he relied upon, To any
extent. for the cultivation If The soil. The
earth il destitute Of trees, and IN great
part also IT any vegetation whatever.
A few feeble streams flow in different d.
reclions from the great mountains, which in
many places traverse this region. These
streams are .epara,rd, sometimes by plains
and snmelimes BY mountains, without wa.
ter and without, vegetation. and may be
called deserts, 81 FAR as they perform any
useful part in the sustenance Of animal
life.
The cultivation Of the earth is, there.
fore, confined to those narrow strips Of
land which are within the level Of the
waiefs Of the streams, and wherever prac-
li.ed in community with any success or
Ia any extent. iiv"lves degree Of suhor-
dlna,,nn and absolute obedience 10 chief,
repusnan, tn the habits Of our people.
The chief who directs the time and
the quantity of the precious irrlgatine
water must be implicitly obeyed by TIC
whole community A departure from his
orders, by the waste of water, or unjust
distribution of il. or neglect 10 make the
proper embankmenis. may endanger the
means OF subsistence Of many people. Tic
must, therefore. be armed with power ia
punish promptly aud Immediately.
The profits of labor are ton inadequate
for The existence of negro slavery. Slave
nv. as prarlired nv the Mexicans. under The
! form of pponagr, which enables their mas
ter Ia get the services of the adult while
in the PRIME of life. without the obligation
Of rearing him in infancy. supporting hin
in old age, or maintaining his family. at
fnrds no data for estimating the profits 81
slave labor as il Exists in The Unilet
States.
No one who has ever visited this coun
try, and who is acquainted with the cha
rac,eI and value Of slave labor in the Uni
ted States, would ever think Of bringin.
his own slaves here with any view to pro
tit, much less would he purchase slaves in
surh purpose. Their labor here. If the.
could be retained as slaves among poems
nearly of their own color, would never re
pay the cost of transportation, much les
the additional purchase money.
| made many inquiries as To the charac
ter OF the vast region Of country embrace
IN the triangle formed by the Colorado q
the west, the Del Norte, and the CHA
and the information collected, will, at som
future time. be thrown intn notes Tor III
, benefit Of future explorers. bu, are not Civ
en- in This work, as profess to-wrle "nl
Of what saw.
| From all ,lla, learn, the country doe
no, dIsss materially in its physical ehara'