, 1866-06-16


deripg the climate temperate and equable,
the thermometer seldom rising above ninety
or falling below sixty-dve deerees. In conse-
quence, this portion Of the country is condi-
cred to be the healthiest In Eastern Mexico,
and formerly Thousands Of people resorted to
this ueighborhood to enjoy the baths which
then we're found here. Since the revolution
In 1877 these baths have fallen TO ruins, ind
Cordova Is no longer known as watching
place, but bids fair to become quite as Gle
brated and more widely noted rs the resort Of
"uncopstructed rcbels,n who having fNled
in their attempt TO destroy the freest and oest
Government in existence, sought an asylum in
Mexico, when they might vend their hateaud
spleen OF their native country 1n safely.
The rebel leaders, Price, Maury. Perkins,
and others. exhibited great wisdom in select.
ing the spot ior their colony. This valley Is
one OF the most fertile bodies Of land In the
world, and produces all kinds OF tropical
fruits, corn, wheat. barley, tobacco, cotton,
coffee sugar. &C., In the greatest profusionn,
and with little or no labor or expense. Ii
makes & Northern mans mouth water 10
pass through tho market Of Cordova and see
the piles OF pine apples, bananas, oranges,
and an endless variety Of luscious fruits, to
him before unknown, and 10 learn the astoa-
ishlnely low prices at which they are sold.
~
their attention wholly 10 raising pine apples.
Their plantations are models Of neatness and
order, md the quantity Of fruit which they
produce is marvellous. Good alzed pine up
pies can be bought for two or three cents
each. and thousands OF them decay upon the
ground Tor want Of purchasers. Some Amer
leans intend to 90 Into the manufacture Of
pine apple brandy, q speculation which can-
not full 10 prove profitable.
COFFEE.
Coffee aud sugar are the great products of
this valley. Collects found everywhere grow
ing wilu In the woods. A coffee plantation
comes into full bearing In four OF Eve years,
and will last century. The profits Of this
business are enormous. three men being able
to look after and to- keep In order one hun
dred acres Of coffee trees, and women End
children can do the work OF picking and dry
ing the berries Tbs coffee Of this region Is
almost world renowned, bein. superior to
that Of Rio or Java hut little of It IL ex-
ported to the United States or Europe. a
IN Northern and Western Mexico, which dis
tEicts are entirely supplied from Cordova
Valley. -.
Sugar cane gTows almost spontaneously,
Is never killed BY frost, and requires TO be re-
\ grows to an immense size, and contains a
Teate1 quantity Of Aaccharlne matter than Is
hund N Louistana cane. The mode Of manu-
1Ature Is extremely rude, the mills, hoIl-
exAavaporators, and other machinery, belug
o. Y most primitive order. With the aid
0f H. skill and improved machinery Of the
states, fortunes could be realized IL an In
eredabl:: short time In Mexico by the manu-
1ac1afe q Eugar.
EARTHQUAKES.
laakss, Which oite'. d great Injury to per
soPs and PtsPsy; Ins Of Jan
down many buildings: through the valley
| The towers and dome Of the cathedral weFe
cracked, and the main tower rendered 60 IN
safe as TO compel the authorities to tear a
portion of 1t down. Persons who Lived here
at The time describe The earthquake as some
what different from those experienced else.
where. The first inttnation they had
Of any convu1sion of nature WAS sud
denly the earth appeared to sink be-
meath their feet, then It rose and sunk
and rose aRnfn, when the earth began te
shake and the buildings TO reel to aud fro
No sound accompanied the sinking and up
hcavipg, but heavy rumbling was painfully
distinct during the Vibrations. The shock1
lasted several minutes
raxscz. TROOPS.
Cordora Is occupied BY anite large body
by far the larger portion being Mc1i-ans
The streets arc barricaded, iu order to Pre-
vent the approach Of Liberal forces, which
formerly aboundcd In The ueighborhood, but
have now become decidedly scarce.
THE AMERICAN SETTLEMENT.
OF Gen: Price, Cor Harris, OF Tennessee, and
Judge Perkins, Of Louisiana, came down Into
this country. from the City Of Mexico, ia
order to select location Tor q colony oI
Southern Immigrants. They selected lands
about nine miles from this city, and laid ont
town, which they named ''Carlotta," after
the Empress. The lands arc among the richest
ciously chosen. Al present there isnot much
town-only come seven OF eight bamboo
huts, cigD[ncd with the name Of houses, com.
pose the place. Here, General. or Pap Price,
Us everybody calls him, and Gov Harris lord
it over Jew admirers who have followed
Is. about the best In town, and Is a
mere hut Of bamboo, covered With
q thatch, and contains two rooms. The old
fellow spends most Of his time under beau.
tnul grove Of mango trees, where lie enter.
taius his rfsitorB With wonderful tales Of the
war, what be did tn times past, and what he
intends TO do IN the future, washing down
his narrative With oopious 1lbations Of fiery
dquaidiense-a lfqurr distilled from The sugar
cane, and which throws an ordinary topper IN
10 c0nvulsions instanter, but seems to agree
wondrously with Pap's throat aud consfitu-
tfon.. Harris has less to say, and drinks less
brandy-not because he likes It less, but be.
cause be is too eontounded stiuey to bu, it.
Judge Perkins lives In Cordova, bnt oil course
owns large share Of the village lots In Car
lotta4
These men, with Maury, managed to get
Into their hands goodly portion oi the lands
set apart for settlers, and when Immigrants
came on here, they found no public lands were
to be had, but they could buy ''clafns :" to
which Perkins and othefa could give no good
title, BY paying e1horbitaut prices for them.
Hundreds hare been ruined By the promises
and Inducements to come here held ont by
Maury, aud I fear hundreds more will be be-
fore the public finds out tho error. These
men have become objects Of hate by coufed-
crates who have been ruined by them. They
are certainly mean enough TO do anything II
Not more than forty, Of all the immigrants
who came here, obtained lands Of the govern
ment, and Of this number Price, Maury Il Co.
and friends, compose the greatest portion.
Scores of Americans nre hanging around Cor
dora, too lazy, or too broken in spirit to
work others have gone to work upon farms
or the railroad, In order to earn money enough
to return home.
cannot say much for the loyalty generally
Of the Routhcrners IN this country. Price
and his crew are still rebels to the backbone,
as are also most Of the fellows who came
from Texas and Louisiana. They ara still In
teusely bitter in their feelings against - Yam
from Northern State, my visit did not prove
very agreeable. Those who return to the
States talk quite diaerently-they have seen
the elephant, felt bis tusks. aud are perfectly
atistled. They will make good citizens, aud
ali hate Price, Maury 4 Co. most cordially.
am told, Is Gen. Joe Shelby, Of Missouri.
All speak Of him in tho highest terms, and
say he Is the right kind Of man. being will.
ing to help his countrymen In distress, and
has not tt7ed to make fortune ont OF their
mlsfortuues. He Il said to stand up for his
native land against thf abuse Of Price and
otheEg, and Is favorable to the old Onion. now
1isall the Confcderates here were such men as
Shelby is sa1d 10 be, different state Of affairs
would prevail, and amfcable feelings would
soon prevail between the people Of 10th sec.
tipns.
THE INDIANS.
There are good many Indians in aud
around Cordova, aud they appear to be about
the most quiet, orderly and most Industrious
portion OF the native population. Unlike the
Indians in. our Territories, these work and
earn their living. They, years ago, sqnatted
upon the large hacfendas, or leased few
aorea from the owners, aud settled down rs
tllle5s OF the soil. 1t requires but little to
answer their wants-a clean shirt, white cot
ton pants, sandals, q big hat, and a few reals
in, his pocket, and be Ia q happy man, more
especially so II he has wife aud tour dogs.
He hates war Just as lad as reconstrncted
rebct does; and all he wants Is to be let
alone. Ii former days, whenever men
were wanted for the nrmy, force
would be sent to an Indian yillage
to eobble up au the, men who could ride a
horse or ahoulder nusket-nuch the same
as negroes were :" enlIsted' during our war,
They received little pay, but plenty OF abuse {;
consequently did moi care which side whip
ped and when taken prisoners they would at
once take up arms tor their captors. Under
the rule Of Maxjmjlian they haye been al
lowed to remain at home In quiet, which Is
something uuheard of before in the history
Of the last three or four generations. This