New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-01-25
IsTHMUs OF TEHUANTEpEC.
The Trip of the AIabama-The Tehuanteps,
Surveying Compnuv

Inc iOilOwing IS the account furnished 70 the n.
derwriters by Capt. r. w. Foster, COMMANDERS
the Alabama of her pioneer trip to the Coatzaeo,r
cos river aud Isthmus Of Tehuantepec:
The run to Vera Cruz, where we arrived IN ~.
10th ut. was for the season unusually plessant
a melancholy incident occurred on the psssageis
the loss of Mr. Reidheld. first officer. q yroSst
man and skillful IN bis profession.
IL was understood before We Jeff New. Orlean.
| that the detention at Vera Cruz was no. to 4.
longer than three days. At the expiration oftb,.
time permission could not be obtained from the
| local authorities 10 prosecute the voyage Thar
either opposed impediments 10 the departure q
the vessel, or else they had not received from "A,
capital definite instructions relative 70 the matter
At length, on the evening of the 23d ut the lonv
looked.ior permit arrived, and on the following
day we left for the Coetzacoalcos River.
The distance from Vera Cruz 10 the entrance
Of the river is about 1913 miles. Early on ths
morning Of the 25th the Alabama approached ths
bar and received pilot The sea was smooth
and the bar was crossed on depth Of / , feet
II must be borne in mind that at the time the tide
was at two thirds Hood At full tide there must
be q depth OF water of 3 feet
The banks OF the river are low and level. They
are overlooked during high stage of water; bat
otherwise they afford rich and abundant pasture
for cattle, herds of which we saw grazing on both
banks. When the waters rise they are driven 10
the high lands
While ascending the river many exclamatioss
were heard, What a splendid-what beautiful
river" We found the current weak and until
we arrived at about - miles from the mouth, lie
water was brackish. There are no material Oh
structons Indeed only one Of which we know,
viz: a ledge Of rocks under water. There is
| however, a good channel between It and the
Western bank. The danger can be discerned BY
the ripping Of the current on the Southwest es-
tremity, We placed there black spar buoy
with chain and iron moorings. II not designedly
removed, it will last for years.
There are ouly two abrupt winnings IN The rive.
| ney offer no difficulty however, even FOR vessal
| of tie size and length of the Alabama. On TIE
| entire route to Minatitan we found a suhclent
| depth of water for vessels OF large class.
Our arrival at Minatitlan was IN the a;ternoon@
| Christmas Day. The population crowded TIE
| banks to welcome US. The stars and stripes waved
ON shore as on board. A gun was fired, calling
| forth three hearty cheers 1t was an era IN hs
| annals of the Tehuantepec surveying expedition.
On the following day the debarkation took place.
The surveying parties pitched their tents In tue
! middle Of the town. The necessary arrangements
were made to enter on the duties OF the survey.
At Minatitlan the width of the river, by actual
announcement, is not less than $50 feet and the
| depth of water, for the winding OF the Alabama,
| not legs than $50 feet The depth Of water close
| in shore was sufficient TO allow OF moorlng the
vessel directly alongside OF the river bank. :.
Minatitan is situated on arising emnence: II
| ia a town of small dimensions and contains about
| 900 inhabitants. With the exception OF q coulle
| of French families tho population is oil mixed
| race The buildings are OF poles, walled WIZ
| composition of brown clay and stuooie. As
roofs are made with the leaves OF the palm tree,
If a suitable thickness TO exclude ram ana wi9a'
| The floors are of clay Two or three hammocu'
| some rude chairs Of the country make, ana ieH
| cooking utensils, constitute the furniture.
| We found the inhabitants kind and courteous.
| They are represented as being amlaoie ana ihof
fensive Int ndolent in the extreme. NO COM
| Densation could induce them to labor. They pre-
Ter inert idleness with poverty, and simple diet
offruit, tortas, and little jerked beef, to exer'
| ton OF any kind.
| From the town the land in a westerly direction
rises gradually for distance Of a mile and bali
| forming then an elevated ridge almost w. ). w.
or nearly parallel with the sea coast. There are
fine ranges for cattle, and the soil in many places
is rich and well fitted for cultivation; yet not an
inclosure or vestge of cultivation is TO be seem
The dwellings the ranches are destitute OF trees
| or shrubbery. We rode nine miles on this ridga
| through a delightful country, and occasionally
crossing deep decivities, to an Indian town called
| Coasloacaque 1t contained about 5000 nhahi
ants. These aboriginals are more civilized than
many of our Northern tribes They have, Judging
| by appearance, retained the same habits as when
the epHniards first came among them.
We passed on the route many fine mahogany
| trees. They abound at the head of the Coatzs-
| cOacos River and on its branches. With the aid
| of saw mills it would become available for frame
and boarded houses The natives assert that Il
| possesses qualities which render it ndestructible
| by insects. All other kinds of the softer woods
are, when cut, soon destroyed by their depreda-
| TONS
CoaslOacaque is scattered over n vast area OF
! ground All the buildings o. ch0saS, which we
| saw, contain only apartment. The church ia
situated on a beautiful green crest. IL is a high
and oblong building of considerable length, and
is constructed of the usual materials-brown clay
| and palm. leaf. On beam in the center OF the
interior building are inscribed the names Of the
architect and several priests. IL bears the date
Of 1896. Fine old cocoanut trees are planted par.
allel to the wings and front of the church, and
| make beautiful appearance.
From thence we rode four miles 10 the pretty
| little village Of Oteapsn. IL contains about 500
| inhabitants, principally Indians. Here appeared
| to be the most elevated part of the ridge over
| which we had passed. We looked down on
| Mount San Juan, and on part OF the base OF tae
| volcanic mountain, st. Martin. The climate here
| must be dry and healthy.
Two miles further carried us 10 the neat little
| town Of Chinameca. IL contains 1000 inhaoi-
| tants of mixed race. We were taken to the
parsonage. The priest we found to be very ID.
| telligent and learned man. He was formerly
member of the Mexican Congress- He was Ia
boring under bilious indispositiOn. As there was
neither physician nor apOthecary in the town, Dr.
Greenleaf, ship surgeon on the following day sent
the necessary medicines for bis relief At this
place we, for the first time, saw few well con.
structed houses, supported on arches in front, and
having balconies Our time was 700 limited TO
admit Of ramble through the mine
On our return, late in the afternoon, we passed
on the road many Indians returning to their homes.
The young females whom we met bearing loads
of fine wood, invariably on our approach fled %
to the woods. Coffee, cotton, sugar corn, %.
gether with every variety of tropical fruits. could
be raised on the high lands in great abundance
auctions, with the addition Of indigo, cocoa, van.
lila and variety Of dyes, could easily be cult.
waited Whether the completion of the conteni.