Weekly national intelligencer., 1851-08-09
FROM THE MEXICAN BOUNDARY SURVEY.

Letters have been received in this city from Mr..
BARTLETT, Of the Mexican Boundary Commission,
dated at Arispe, State Of Sonora, (Mexco,) June @
Waiting, before proceeding to explore the Gila,
for the arrival of Col. GRAHAM, U. S. Army, (now
on his way to join the Commission and the Indian
Commissioners, Col CRAIG and the Commissioner
had determined to make journey 10 Fronteras,
in Sonora, for the purpose chiefly Of ascertain.
ing the practcablity Of drawing supplies from it
for the use Of the Boundary party, &c.
With this brief Introduction, the following ex-
tracts from the Letter of the Commissioner speak
for themselves:
81 took two wagons and COL CRAIs two for our provi-
sions, corn, tents, baggage &c., intending gil them with
dried fruits and vegetables if they could be procured The
party all mounted horses and mules save myself
Not having the Of my left arm, lin consequence Of fall
from mule, could not ride except in wagon. With
this little party penetrated the Indian country two hundred
miles to Foneras (see map Of Cookies route where we
took the whole population BY surprise, it
to any strangers except the Apaches Ny letter and
port from Gen. CoSDE made all straight and we were hosp-
aby received Frontess is fourteen miles from Cookies
road, as he states, but thirty miles. When reached
Black-water creek fosnd Of road SOUTH and
four soldiers appeared u.s. messengers from Gen. CAHRAsco
at Froneras to guide to that town, thirty miles distant
II took to e.ch thsre there no road and
we had to work our way as well could. Gen. G. had
arrived at Fronter but three days before with his brigade
Of four hundred soldiers infantry and horse on campaign
against the Apaches He gave kind reception, furnish
ing us with corn and provisions without charge"
found little At Froneras Il is poor, miserable place.
Three years since Il was entirely deserted by its inhabitants
and is only within the last four months that the people,
encouraged BY the organization Of Gen. Canascos brigade
for their protection, have begun return. Village after vii
lage. progressed SOUTH was in the same condition
Some still deserted and falling to ruin in others there
symptoms Of recolonizaton came on to this place.
Arpc, formerly the capital of Sonora Like the other places
had visited, it in sad condition. The incessant at
tack MURDERS and robbees by the Apaches had reduceds
population from four thousand to fifteen OF eighteen hundred
Its houses unenaned and falling ruin and it's beau
u valley overgrown with rank weeds The appearance Of
its church and dwellings its paved streets and beautiful gar
dens indicate it, former wealth. The people, learn, are
returning although the emigration California has been
another means Of prosrating and depopulating it.
To be short the result Of my visit to Sonora is that we
have nothing to expect from it. The whole country even
for hundred miles to the SOUTH has been nvaged and de-
populated and the present inhabitants have barely enough
for their subsistence Provisions and corn are scarce
and dear was my wish to Ures the present capi-
ta four days journey south, but the high price of corn and
scarcity Of provisions will not it therefore set out
on my return tomorrow, and hope in days to be at the
Copper mines.
ATspei ssveny-ve miles southwest Of Fronteras The
day before my arrival here courier arrived from Luaymas
with dispatches for the military commanders stating that five
six hundred Americans had disembarked on the coast Of
Lower California OF sonora intending to subugae one or
the other of these States did not believe the story and
COL CRAIs, as well % myself, assured the military com
mandants that if il true. which we doubted il was no
more than mauding expedition, not counenanced by the
United States; and felt that the Government would
all the means In m power to crush the attempt and carry
out the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo."