The Trinity journal., 1857-01-31
Country along the Tehauntepeo Route.

Delta, writing from Suchell, Tehauntepec,
furnishes an interesting description of the
country on the proposed route across that
portion of the Isthmus. We extract the
following
This site for a city, situated at the head
Of navigation on the Coatzacoalcos river, on
n cluster of bluffs, overlooking valley of
the river for many miles, is at present COW
cred with a forest of perpetually green trees,
and foliage so densely interviewer with vines
that the rays of the sun rarely reach the
earth. 1t has been ordained by Nature to
be the end Of the water travel and the COM
mencement of the land travel, as you pass
the Isthmus Of Tehauntepec from the Allan
tic 10 the Pacific Ocean. Within few
days portion of the site has been shorn Of
its foliage by the Railroad Company, who
have commenced active operations at this
place by the construction of q wheelroad
along the end of the proposed route For
several miles the wheel-road has been cut
out and graded, and is opened to the dis
tance of about twenty miles, SO as to pre-.
sent to the casual observer the general char.
acter of the country in the direction to the
Pacific
From one of the high bluffs or small
mountains, in the rear of the proposed city,
you are at once presented with the whole
valley of the Coatzacoalcos, bringing out in
bold relief the mountain Of st. Martin
which is Immediately on the Gulf Of Mexico,
between Vera Cruz and the mouth of the
river-and the whole length and width of
the great valley of the Coatzacoalcos 1t is
about twenty miles in width and sixty in
length. The distance along the noble river,
which courses the centre of the valley, and
which is now for the first time nayigated by
steamboat, is about ninety-Gve miles,
From this point, thousands upon thousands
of mahogany trees may be designated by
their tops jutting above the rich foliage
which surrounds them This valley, in
many respects other than the fertility of the
soil. resembles the Mississippi below the
mouth Of the Ohio for ascending the river,
after passing Minatitlan the first object that
attracts your attention is an Indian village,
called Almegres, situated on the projecting
bluffs of the left bank, from which flows
number Of beautiful springs of delightful
water, around which the Indians are located
in small thatched roof hutS, TO the number
of several hundred.
.* x X x
The natives are remarkably cleanly, in
dulging in wash at the springs eyery dav,
by pouring water upon one another, anG up
on their children, from gourds or the shells
of large nut borne on the wild trees. The
indians are the most inoffensiye, ignorant,
indolent creatures that have ever seen.-
A few Of the men have what they call mil
fraus,' where they cultivate corn and tobac-
co, which are manufactured into bread and
cigars They have q number Of hogs, which
support themselves on the rich and abund-
ant fruits of the forest. The village is sit
uated in the midst of the most productive
lands to be found in any country. Corn
will grow and make fine crops at any season
of the year. and as often as it is planted
All kinds of vegetables grow as we'll as in
any portion of louisiana. Cabbages pro-
duce several white heads from the same stalk.
Sugar cane, bananas, plaintains, coca nuts,
pne-apples, oranges, peppers, tomatoes and
ginger all continue to grow after the first
planting, and produce prolilically without
culture.
There is no such thing as a pIow, or a
hoe, or an axe among these Indians A
kind Of rough sword, or case-knife, called
machitto,' is their only weapon or tool.
AT many intervals along the river the bluffs
project to the river, and run back for many
miles, as they do at this place, bearing un.
mistakable evidences of fertility equal to
any portion Of Louisiana The forest is
more easily reduced to culture than any
have ever witnessed. In the forest, at every
point, we find wild oranges, pepper, plan
tains, and in many places, lemons and many
other nutritious fruits. Wild game is very
abundant. One of our party killed five fine,
fat pheasants, as large as turkeys, one day
before breakfast A day or two afterwards
he killed three large wild hens without the
trouble to hunt them The country tow
ards the Pacific, from this place, may be
considered hilly, but it is very rich and high
Both towards the Atlantic and Pacific for
thirty miles, with a width of twenty miles,
the lands are all public domain, and, un-
derstand, open to settlers. There is not in
North America district of country so pro-
ductiye, with climate so healthy and
agreeable, and so easy of access, when the
great road shall be opened in January next
THAT BLESSED BADY-This phrase has
been applied to SO many specimens Of infan-
cy that it has come to be generic phrase.
We'll may it SO be considered for every
baby-the exceptions proving the rule-is
blessed baby to papa and mamma, and
al, 4u II f,io J~ Of l,o