The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1857-08-12
CORRESPONDENTS OF rnE RICHMOND rx,s,y,n,
PEDRO pINTo EtvKp Iuiw1 I 1ez-

alE
iniios west Of It, at place called IIowards Ranch
where we We're TO await the return of Iiept ReaIe
IIoin camp Verde, with the camels o5 in uun,b.,
idH'e mo advantage of little leisure eternlin-
.a 10 visit the city: and, accordingly one brigbt
morning, several OF u.s. EQUIPPED as We were In onr
hfo"I brimed sombreros, red flannel shirts bnck
skin bteeehes, top boots, and Colts six Shooter.
""iAsg INTO the city 1.-The observed Of all obsery-
We visited the "Alamo," 30 memorable AZ tbe
",'ho oi the massacre of rs gallant band as ever
9"ot<i up their liVos Oh the altar of liberty The
""'!4i''5 II now used az a storehouse by the gov
"FHheut' and instead of the grim rsage Of war and
sausginary hosts, 'by toTcha and trnnnet f.. ar
id}ci IL presents nothing to the view of the ira.
Ntof tut au old succeed building after the stvI
"i d.hu,ch' (which 1t was Onse) filled with forage
"Li iuthihs' and is now the scene of a uo more
deadly conflict than rages nightly between the rats
anu nee which, like those Of only two legs strive
Win each other for Uncle SANS substance
i stood on the irregular flooring, which il level
win tue ground, aud scaned each grated window
where perhaps. the deadly fire of the remor.eIes.
he4cdn had poured, and looked at each rafter and
every stone; all OF which, except the flooring are
just as they W"rc when Santa Anna stamped him
'oii with eternal lntamy. and earued the damniug
eplthdt Of "the butcher
NO man who hGs spark Of patriotic fire in hi.
breast can WHIT the Alamo and survey the scene
without kindling Of the eve, a swellino ,f H.
breast-silent but eloquent tributes to the r,cnn
who fell there Vi ''ii'''
i.it
ABOUT e,gOO inhabitants, and IL the crack CITY Of
Texas. There are some very respectable Ion in
buildings III the sace but az general thing thaS
are mean clay-built structures Of sickIy yellow
hue; many Of which thatched with straw II
- interesting to see the taste of those who live
about the suburbs, on the subject of dress Mad
anne uobare seems to govern the fashion. in rernrd
70 chhdren costume ana no one fail to he i'm.
pressed with its simplicity and perfect adantedness
to the climate, to say nothing of its trifino co.t
In the centre ot the city is open square called
the Plaza. on the eastern side of which il an old
church. Catholic of course. of no particular strI
OF architecture, and on the northern side a hof.l
called the plaza House.
The san Antonio river, small but rather urattv
stream runs through the town, and. where the
trees oVerhang il, be considered the rIv.i,Ir
| Of washer-women. Whiskey, gin and brsniv can
be had at trifng consideration but ICE ,ctfeg is
| five cents a glass
1t is not the elegance Of its buildings. or the
| beauty OF its natural scenery which makes San
Antonio desirable rs place of residence but its
charm il the quiet, orderly character of it's citi-
Zeus. there having been only seven violent deaths
while we were in the neighborhood The Vigil
ance Committee or mob law, hung one man on
! Thursday, the 18TH for horse stealing who proved
| to BE- the wrong one, and in order to make the
matter right, thy hung his brother the next Iay
to the infinite satisfaction OF the plaintiffs. but to
| the infinite disgust | may suppose of the defen.
ants. so much for San Antonio, the ,''crack city'
| of Texas
Monday. June the 22d. Lieut.. Beale returned from
/
| ramels. which We had left behind in San Antonio
in order that might prepare for their reception
We he'd been told that mules and horses would
be much frightened at their appearance and We
were not little Curious to the result of their
| meeting. our SUSPENSE was not of long duration.
Just rs the gray of evening was coming on. the
ci,j5g cing, c!oug of bells in tho distance announced
their approach, and in few moments the long,
| wished for caravan hove i'll sight, and We for the
first time, suppose in the life of every man of US
saw many twenty-five Camei5 advancing in
single file tho whole undcr the management of ak
orlsntals-four Turks and two Greeks, not modern
but ancient Greeks; We had enough OF the other sort
before) Perhaps there may have been nothing
which many persons mil ght regard as particularly Y
moving III the sight but the effect on me WAS rat
er peculiar. The dim twilight, which made them
oeem like 50 many spectral shaiOws-thc measured
tone of the bells, like "dTuwsy tinkliugs"-th,,
shouting of the drivers in their incomprehensible
jargOn, they sat high above us on their drome-
dariCs-the groteSquc form of the creatures whose
heights were greatly increased by their immeDse
fancy colored packsaddles. and whose long neck :
were stretched out like huge serpents, pcering
about for prey, combined to make a scene impress
siye, and ridiculous withai. Had ii been i'm the
streets Of a city. should have fancied myself in
some Eastern land, where the turbaned Turk or
the swarthy Arab, with his patient plodding camel
meet the eye at every turn.
As | stood thus, in silent contemplation, the
spell was broken by loud laugh from almost the
entire party, who such matter-of-fact persons
a. t. see nothing worthy of any emotion than that
of mirth. Heavens thought |, what Il lack of sen
tlmcnt. and halt tancled myself An injured man:
but the next moment, with sudden transition OF
feeling joined in the general gufaw.
A. a safeguard against a stampede, we had taken
the prcCaution to drive all our stock into the cur
ral lis that the oTthography lit is Spanish word
am not sure,) and it proved to be wise one: for
a more frghtese herd of animals l never saw
Every head was tossed high in the air. and fornn.
into solid phalanX led on by two splendid grays
with a wild neigh, they came like an avalanche t.
the side of the pen, and would undoubtedly have
cleared it at bound but for the guard which had
been stationed to prevent their exit.
Even now, after a Companionship OF several days
our mules very shy of them.
One of the Greeks, having charge of the camels
is an interesting youth of some sixteen years with
fine intelligent face and 1.-THE, active form
lie came up to me l standing near the
curra and something like the following dialogue
ensucd:
lyon aragoclifon. 7" iuterrogated he in a soft, wo
manly voice.
YES said |, Il am going to California, l hope
You ossiter, you capitaine?"
II am high private" was MY rather ambigu
reply.
me. evidently impressed with the Importance OF
my position.
The camcls used by us are said to be very supe-
rior ones and certainly present far more slightly
appearance than the miserable creatures which have
been exhibited to crowds in the strOling menagerieS
that sometimes visit your city. They pur-
chased for the government a choice lot, and may
doubtless be regarded fully capable of testing
the utility of their species i'll crossing the wide eX-
tended plains lying between the Mississippi Valley
and the Pacific Ocean.
With their pack saddles on, which are not often
removed, they stand about feet in height. Their
general formation does not indicate great strength,
in which, perhaps, they do not much, If at ALL eX-
ceed the horse but their fitness for the travel vest
ward. if the result proves their fitness at an s0n-
ssts in their capacity to endure the want of food
and water. They said to be very hardy, man.
| ifestng but little choice in their food, seeming In
fact 10 prefer that in which other quadrupeds find
but lit a utriment such as twies. the leaves of
trees and even sticks, when pressed by hunger.
They are very docile, and are easily managed
Their gait is slow but their stride IL greater than
| that of a horse being about feet in length, and
with steady travelling they will average SO miles
per hour.
| They do not kneel to receive their load, as has
been stated at the word of command but with a
Kir-rr, Kir-r-r, and a gentle pressure upon the
neck, pull upon their halters, they assume the
recumbent position.
1t has also been stated that when too heavily Ia
den they refuse to rise, and utter piteOus cry.
have not seen one overloaded, but their cries are
uttered TO express their distress or dissatisfaction
at all times. When half suppressed they are the
same the lazy grunt of hog whose repose Is
| rudcly disturbed; but when enraged it IS much
more wild, and greatly like that of Bengal I'll
ger when his Keeper ''stirs him up with long
| pole"
We had abeut COO lbs. corn on each of them, for
the first day OF two after leaving fowards Ranch,
but each day reduces it by feeding. until we lay in
another supply They have worked admirably well
80 far, and promise to fulfil our most sanguine e1-
| pectations in regard to the experiment.
| Mr. "A y Breckipridee Of Staunton, Va, has
charge of the caravan assisted by j. A. Worley, OF
| Abingdon and myself If care and attention will
promote the enterprise, feel confident of its entire
| success
ON Thursday the oath of june, we left the Ranch
and resumed our journey. The camels brought up
the rear and created no little excitement in every
settlement through which We passed. Men, wo-
and children rushed out with almost frantic ener-
| gy from every hut to see them Peil nell, haInm
scartns they besiege rs on all sides V.