New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-12-23
Facts ahOut Mexieos
-
pY coz. lAMsAY.

H0cg4 0UOoS mC8NOs
nY coz. lAMsAT.
Az meeting Of the American Geograpnic@
N, esasssesl eocsty, held on Tuesday evening INC
vJpivereisy. paper was read upon his recen1 oO"e'
,,ops N MEXICO BY Col Ranssy. wcpresen' ne pr
.,psl poiuss of interest in the following skeen '
~osnmepeed with IN extract from Presc''
.of II, that extensive empire which one M D'
edged the authority 81 SPAN .u c.r he conpared with
W. ss,n IA mi, equally whether we consider inc va
:s ~ r. soii and climate the inexhaustoe stores Oh US
mineral wealth its scenery gram is nhab;sants NOT onIy
yonn r9 IN intelligence that of the other North
az .es hut reminding MS by their monuments OF
~ primitive civilization Of Egypt and Hindostn or,
sv the peculiar circumstances OF its conquest adven-
,,rc, md romantic any legend devised by Norman
or Italian band OF chivairy.
Co, r. said that while peculiar charm IL thrown
over the whole Republic Ct Mexico there was no por-
~. m Il presenting such diversified attractions as the
sr;op which was the subject of hispapcr Heretofore
history has drawn largely from the useful and orna'
mental arts which have foushed in this region as well
. fo the rich and gorgeous productions of boanteous
stu,c N enhellish the truthful narrative designed to
n,esse and instruct mankind. Perhaps II will become
our duty often borrow in return from history to con-
s, The reports of the existence of valley Astounding
IN natural productions slmoet beyond the limits OF hui
man belief and susceptible Of an Improvement equalto
that Of any other province In the known world He
oAserved that his notes were not written IN his study
but were composed in house built Of mud, and not
With all the attention TO detail that ne could have
wished but IL his intention TO have had them al
,erward nut In correct order; but through want Of
time and opportunity he had not been able to do So
and therefore, he should throw himself on the indu-
rsnee of the audience He had map which he would
1eseribe and show that in ordinary maps there were
scversl eerepous errors but he must premise .hatthe
Pacific Ocean must be understood in relation to Mexico,
IN bs te South Sea- He then referred to the map, and
aescYibed the situation Of several of the principal
tovns He then remarked that the American con-
tnept was discovered by mistake, and those who at
tempted to explore IT, never received sasfaction and
Columbus himself treated badly because ne found
America and Cortes even after all bis conquests
They had not come up to what was wanted in Spain
Columbus had started to find western passage 10 the
Indies and though Certes made reports which ne ex
emplfed by the mineral wealth he brought into Spain
stiff he was countensnced TO thefu extent because
he did not discover the secret OF strait and thus Is
explained the real why he did not receive the u
need Of praise from the parent country But in order
to discover the eecret of strait voysger after yoy
ager made explorations and surveys and were backed
no by the Spanish Government which was ct that time
lust a. the American Government IA at this time. 1t
held almost the empire of the world and almost every
people In subsection the greatest country then
known and In the time OF Charles had larger fleets
and more political power than has been known by any
Kingdom since hrs time in Europe even the empire Of
Napoleon was small in comparison. He owned nearly
All America and with his immense power sent expcdi
tion after expedition 10 discover strait, and all that
coast Of Mexico carefully surv yed by the Spanish
msYncrp and their charts are even now considered the
best that exist and sea captains always speak OF mem
,with respect The attempts numerous, and iDcud
ed several In different directions but at the same time
they had some of the trangcst ideas of the formation Of
the continent that be conceived But In me various
attempts made find western passage TO lndia weseo
the great dcsre which manifested II has been the
dream of three centuries TO find communication
through this Continent between the Atlantic and Pacific
Oceans but while the Spaniards anxious 10 pros
ocute the surveys they neglected the terrestrial surveys
that's the land-and thus while we have excellent
surveys of the seas, misled by the other for
there then very little indeed, known OF the real
geography Of Spanish Mexico
M. Ramsay then described the geography Of the
eouutry and pointed out the committed by
BARON Humboldt in his descriptions So far as re-
rsred elevations of mountains and the extent plains
he was very accurate but as regarded the sources OF
rivers and their courses, and other essential parcu'
lara he was at fault. Col. r. explained from map
that Baron H. had correct knowledge of the coun-
try and pointed out many errors into which he had
been led by the incorrcctness of the maps Of this
try The greatest service Baron H. had done to Amer
CO was his discovery of the mineral wealth of Mexico,
the world having not before known 1t was so rich
Nothing appeared to have been done toward giving
even tolerably accurate geographical description of
that country until the formation Of the Statistical So
ciey of the City of Mexico which has prepared map,
and are now having it engraved on steel in London.
This the speaker regretted as 1t was very incorrect in
many particulars, (some Of which he descrbed) and
would therefore be difficult to remedy lithograph
would have answered the purpose better, and might
sAI
Mr. Ramsay made map with the view of correcting
existing errors and found that rivers had been
laid down wrcng-and the plate of the map now being
made viii be erroneous iu many respects Still this
Society had done great deal which recommended it
to this Society Che American Geographically and he
sreseeted that they correspond with each other,-
which suggestion received with appreciation by the
audience. In describing the Valley OF Pueblo, the
speaker stated that embraced nearly the whole of an
ancient Kingdom, in the time of the Montezumas The
country north and west of Mexico was inhabited by
savage tibes Situated under the torrd zone the val
lev possesses fine climate-the winters unusual
II mild and In summer the mercury stood usually at
about 10 degrees In the shade. Toward the sea II
gradually became more temperate and extremes
Of heat and cold were equally unknown. In
the valley In which Matamorss Is situated
perpetual hot summer exists--the month Of May be
ing usually the most oppressive and the coast Is very
hos, moist and unhealthy. On the plains of Pueblo,
however the climate is uniformly genial 50 that the
same clothing is worn in summer aud winter without
Inconvenience The common horse lily does not exist
there and other troublesome insects are scarce 1t
seldom rains from December to June; from March TO
June the heat Is greatest. During the dry season,
opscsl Illusions are Of frequen. occurrence, and our
Army were often deceived by the appearance of clouds
In In hoyix them of
The article Of ice Is here very abundant although not
much used-the moist atmosphere obvistng the desire
Of In USE Agriculture produces its highest limits Of
vcxess,ion, and everything grown In the Northern
States Of our country prOspers here In the hos coan
s, The only rsmsrka.ie p'ois'''aa MAZE Indian
corn. which 10 cultivated 20 crest extent Tue Amer