New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-01-28
The I.rhmu. Of rehuantepec.


The Eetr- Orleans Crescent OF the 18th INST con-
tsips sn interesting account Of Journey across
the Isthmus OF Tehuantepec by gentleman wno'
with nine others, was landed on the Pacific coast
bv the ship Powhattan, Captain Hopkins. Iney
had taken passage for PanRms from San Francis
co. which port they left on October and, on No,
vember %, they made land near the Saline del
Nsrcbe. about l. miles north Of the rehuantePec
River They had been for Is days on allowance
of water. and were still about 500 miestrom Pana-
ma Here they were abandoned by the CaPtaln,
and were compelled to make the best Of their way
across the Isthmus, with bat little money and no
clothes. except such as they had on when they
left the vessel tor day scruise-
We make the following extracts from the story
of their journeyings;
Arriving at the town Of San Mateo, the party
,vere taken before the Governor, 70 whom they
exnlaiped their situation, and were qusrtered, oy
his orders. in the City Hospital. The City was IN
q state of great confusion, as the cholera was rag
ing and thew every moment expected TO be at
tackled by the forces OF General Meendez' some
Of the streets and many of the principal buildings
were barricsded and fortified, and all seemed TO
feel az they expressed it, mucA0 0duteHfe
There were not more than a thousand troops all
armed with English muskets The city contain.
ed about coo inhabitants, mostly Indians. All
the Offices and nearly all the trade was IN the
bsrds of Spaniards and Mexicans. The city was
actually taken the day alter we ieIt, ana Ine
thatched houses were burned. The Tehuantepec
river runs along one side of the town. and IS here
W. arrived AZ Manitslan on the 18th Decem
her about noon During our last day aud night
travel. the river was broader and OF consideraoIe
deptb but very abrupt and short IN It's turns ana
w;ndirss We found here an American, MI
. r,lo nf n
Guide. and put US on the road for the river san
Juan which empties sixty three miles north OF
the GuAsacoalco the same afternoon. We arrived
AZ night at the town Of Jatipan, fifteen miles, anu
the next DAY arrived at the city of Acayucan-
twenty.seven miles This is very tine town.
situated on rise OF ground from which an eNce
lent view of the surrounding country can be OBJ
tanned IL is a place of about 5000 lnnaOWahts ;
and is a town Of considerable manufacturing I'M
uortsnce From here we rode nearly all niSht'
and toward morning halted az a Rancho a short
distance from the road. We could not rouse OUT
the natives, so wrapped ourselves IN our blankets
laid ourselves on the ground under sned' ahd
slept for a couple of hours as well as the Meas ana
the cold wind would permit. In the morning,
l13thl arrived in San Juan on the San Juan river,
a town of about 1000 inhabitants. The next
dav we hired q canoe 10 carry us down the river
so Tlacotalpan. l05 miles, where we arrived ABOUT
noon on the nth. This city is the finest we had
seen IN the country. There are also seVeral uau'
ufactories here, and a steam saw.mill.
From the city of Tehsuntepec to Chiuatan the
country is mountainous, part of the land being
covered with trees and thick underbrush, inter
spersed with great quantities OF the cactus, some
OF which grows to the hight of fifty feet The
road, or rather trail-for 1t is nothing more In
many places-runs through the old beds Of noun
tain streams and over the ridges OF mountains
the trail in many places being WORE down IN a
narrow rut to the depth oftwo and three feet, and
in other places narrow cuts are made just wide
enough for single horse to pass at time-the
walls of earth rising up on each side high above
our heads. From there to Boco del Monte the
country is not so billy nor SO well wooded, and
for miles we would ride through a most splendid
grazing country. Many passes, over hills and
across vallies, were so bad that none but mule
or Mexican horse could be persuaded to travel
them. At Boco del Monte the forrest commences
and continues to the river. The road is nothing
more than a narrow lane. cut through the woods,
and the trail is nothing but a COW path. In many
places the ground was very wet and marshy, and
the whole distance the travelling is very bad
The climate on the Pacific is delightful, the coun-
try abounds with tropical fruits The people live
on tortilas, poultry and fruits. The coffee tree,
mahogany and other valuable woods are indigo
nous the corn yields three crops year.