The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-04-24
Letter from the Camargo Company,


We have received for publication, the following
interesting letter, from gentleman of this city,
who lett here with a couple Of friends. on the LIST
margo company for California, on the I'D. The
party left Tampico on the 9Th of March, and this
letter contains many details of the journey, (which
will interest our readers:-
''SAN LUIS PoTosI, Mex, March "a, IS49
"We arrived here on the ed instant, just one
month from the time of arriving at Tampico, and
after journey of fourteen days. from the latter
place. ! never saw such travelling, in my life.
There was nothing but what we would call a cow
path tor days, over mountains and through chappa-
raj, and we were of course obliged to go single file
We took up our march, on mules, at from three to
six IN the morning, and travelled on walk, about
thirty miles per day, nearly the whole distance;
eating two meals per day-one before, and one
after the march. We sometimes went all day
without water, and when we did find any, it was
stances we should have had to hold our noses when
drinking it; but we had to swallow it, together
with our fastldiousness, and good it was Our
food has consisted of tortillas, bread prepared
with stone rolling pin, then drying il over a slow
fire in small, thin, round cakes Sometimes we
had coffee, but it is HIGH being a, prohibited arti
Gle. We had also rice cooked with onions, garlic,
pepper, &c, in such style that could scarcely
eat 1t at first. We had also sometimes jerked
beef, prepared IN long strips about an inch thick,
and dried IN the sun without salt. AT some places
we could get nothing to eat, and were forced to
make out with few bulscuits, some tea and cof-
fee we had in the company tor such emergencies,
and making half meal, trusted to Providence for
a better one on the morrow Frequently our
horses and mules had to do with corn once a day
and once we had to drive them three miles to wa
ter, and then had the water to pay for In spite of
everything, we have kept our health, and are all
ready to start again In the morning. Our company
numbers thirty nine, all well armed and fearing no
attacks of robbers. We have got over all the
worst of the travelling, having crossed all the
mountains except one range, which will be crossed
tomorrow morrow raising Us some fourteen en-. thousand
to the plains.
"The country, so far. has been very barren and
uncultlvated, though the soil is very heavy and
grow, and there is very little cultivation at any
time. I'm crossing the mountains, we found pure
hme-places where the inhabitants had dug for
several feet into the side of the rock get lime to
the surface of the table lands. We were two or
three days traversing region covered with salt
mixed with dirt, making vast white plain, with
scarcely any vegetation.
start again, knowing as much as now do, think
j should go around the HON, though have not
much reason to regretcomIng this way. AS it is, we
have got along without any mlshap, except one day
when one OF our number got lost III the mountains.
We had search for him all night and the next day,
until IL A. M, when we found him. lie had shot
wild duck just before, having kinded fire
with his pistol to cook by and keep of the wolves
any number of which were bowling around him
all night. San LUIS is beautiful city, with great
number of churches, several of which Mr. W. and
myself visited this morning. They were such as
We had read of, but never before seen; splendid
beyond all my powers Of description. Some of
these were founded by the old Spaniards, and are
full of fine paintings, statues, and gold and silver
ornaments One that we visited occupies an
entire square, being, in fact, four churches
under one roof. In the largest of these we
met priest, who showed us through the build
ing, pointing out all the ornaments He was very
kind and polite. The people here are not so well
disposed towards us they have been at the other
places we have stopped at This is probably owing
to Santa Annals having raised large army hers
during the war, (the army defeated at Buena Vista)
very few Of the soldiers Of which ever returned.-
"None of us have been sick, nor has any one
had occasion for medicine. We leave this, as |
said, tomorrow, and expect that our journey to
Mazatan will occupy twenty-five days"