The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-10-19

1
place on the American side one mile above Ring
| gold Barracks; Roma, new town the Texas
| side, with a population of about five hundred,
| among whom are several enterprisng merchants,
| who carry on considerable trade with the neigh
| boring Mexican States; Mier situated two miles
from the Rio Grande, the river Alcantro, with
| population of about two thousand; Guerrero, six
| miles from the Rio Grande, on the Salado with
| population of about four thousand.
The soil on both sides Of the Rio Grande be-
| tween Ringgold Barracks and Fort Mcintosh is
very fertile, and under cultivation The principal
| products are corn, beans, melons, &C. Some to-
bacco, planted this year for the first time, looks
WELL Ebony, willow, musquit, and blackberry
grow along it's banks. The grazing is excellent,
supporting immense tiocks of sheep and goats, and
vast herds OF cattle. Large droves Of wild horses
and cattle are seen in every direction Game is
very abundant There are large mines of bitumn-
Gus coal near Guerrero. The distance between
| these two points, Ringgold Barracks and Fort Nc
Intosh, ID one hundred and twenty miles by land,
and two hundred and sixteen by water.
The next military post is Fort Duncan. (near
Eagle Pass,) garrsoned by three companies of the
First Infantry, under the command of Colonel
Morris. 1t is about hundred miles by land,
! and two hundred and thirty four by water, above
Fort Mcintosh. The only town of any size be-
tween Forts Mcintosh and Duncan is Presidio, sit
uated six miles from the Rio Grande, opposite the
ford at Preside Rio Grande and about thirty miles
from Fort Duncan. 1t contains two thousand in
habtants, and has garrison of two hundred men.
little town is springing up just below Fort
Duncan, which will probably become of con
siderable commercial importance, as it is near that
point where the roads from Mapimi, Parras, Mon
| clova, Santa Rosa, San Fernando Nava Preside,
&C., strike the Rio Grande
The soil between Fort Mcintosh and Fort Dun
can is excellent; but, in consequence of the fire.
quent ncursions Of the Indians, only small por-
ton is under cultivation. The farmers turn their
attention on grand scale to the raising of sheep
| and goats-animas which the Indians never steal.
Wild horses and game abundant. Timber the
same as below Fort Mcintosh, with the addition of
pecan. There two inexhaustibe mines of
bituminous coal Of superior quality on the Texas
side of the river-specimens of which, brought
down by Captain Love, have tested
| There several rich silver mines ON the Mexi-
can side, forty fifty miles back from Pre-
| sido Rio Grande, which were worked to advantage
| by the Spaniards before their expulsion in 1929
| even after paying handsome per centage of the
nett proceeds to the Mexican government and the
| owners of the land. Nothing prevents their being
worked now but the want of capital and, perhaps,
| energy.
lean, above Fort Duncan; neither will there be any
| until settlers afforded some permanent protec-
| ton against the Indians.
| The country and soil, between Fort Duncan and
the mouth of DEVILS river represented by Cap
tain Love as beautiful and rich beyond description,
| and watered by numerous streams flowing into
| the Rio Grande from both sides. The principal
| are the Escondido or San Fernando, Elm, More
Las Morus, Pecan, San Filippe Bear, and Turkey
| The whole country is susceptible ofirrigation but,
| from single visit, it of could not be de-
| cided whether scarcity Of rain in that region
would render this mode of watering the soil
| sary. The lands well tmbered at intervals
with live oak, pecan, mulberry, blackberry, ash,
| musquit, &c. There many fine mill sites on
the streams, nearly all have excellent water
| power They abound with perch and the regular
| specklcd trout of our northern mountain streams
The bear, antelope, deer jaguar, ocelot, ounce, pu
ma, catamount, wildcat, wolf, turkey, goose duck,
grouse partridge, pigeon SQUIRREL chachaiacd, &c.
| &C., were found in great abundance Captain Love
says that he frequently saw herds of black tail
| deer, numbering two three thousand. He also
saw immense droves of wild horses and cattle. He
describes this country the finest in the world for
| grazing, and believes it capable of sustaining al.
| most any giuen number of sheep and goats. From
| the mdness of the climate, sheep in this region,
| Grandc TO its mouth, require no sheds during the
winter months, and it is also unnecessary to cut
| hay for them, they can Craze the entire year.
The sheep along the valley of the Rio Grande seem
TO be free from the diseases common at the
North. From this fact, the small expense in taking
care of them, and the first cost, (about fifty cents
| per head - this will become very lucrative bust
meas.
There is an extensive mine of bituininous coal on
1 az - -
| Duncan.
The face of the country between the mouth of
DEVILS river and Rabbits Falls is generally noun
famous and barren along the river, though por-
| tons of it back from the Rio Grande, between the
DEVILS river and the Puerco, good for grazing
or cultivation. valley about ten miles wide,
covered with fine musqut grass, stretches for hun
dreds of miles between the Pucrco and Rio Grande.
Captain Love saw no Indians during his expedi-
| ton, but passed many places where they had re-
| Gently been, with large numbers of horses and
mules, and saw numerous small fires at night in
the mountains, probably indicating their presence
About fifty miles below the mouth of the Puerco
| there is large cave containing several rooms,
with natural arches overhead. and capable Of hold
ing one thousand men. narrow passage leading
/ from it probably terminates the other side OF
the mountain, as a strong current of air rushed
! through the entrance. A short distance above the
there thirteen natural towers, about 1000
! feet high, and 81 in diameter.
| The " Grand Indian Crossing is l2l miles above
| the mouth of the Puerco. This is the ford where
the Camanche and other tribes Of Indians pass the
| Rio Grande when making their incursions into
Mexico, and is the only crossing place for more
than 400 miles, the river from the mouth Of
Devils River to Rabbits Falls (and probably long
distance above) is from IL TO IS feet deep. There
four feet of water at the crossing. The city Of
chihuahua is only $50 miles from this point. The
road leading to the Crossing runs along the val
| ley between the Rio Grandc and Pucrco mentioned
above, is very wide, well beaten, and resembles a
much travelled thorougbfare. 1t runs up this valley
two hundred miles, when il crosses the Puerco,
and goes off into the Indian Summer range team
be seen from the mountains ten fifteen miles,
winding along the valley.
garrison stationed at this point would enable
TO prevent the passage Of the Indians into Meyi
| and materially aid i'm CARVING mt our trentv