Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1866-05-04
LErrEn Fnom ooRDoyA.

W W. ~ ~
until now for more than n
reason, but principally because 1 was de-
slrous Of fulfilling it to the tterinevery
particular, that is, 70 write the truth and
nothing but the truth, and to do this, I
found it necessary to collect my informa-
ton from sources entirely reliable, and,
as fsr as possible, from actual ohseTva-
ton. / have now spent more than two
Weeks ia exploring the country around
Cordova and Hdatusco, a town some
what less than this, and situated about
thirty miles north, on what is here
known as the Jalapa road, but in the
states would be termed a mountain
trail.
But, to begin at tho Est. Our party,
twenty-six in number, left New Orleans
on the 4th of March, on board the
schooner z. Snow, and arrived at Vera
Cruz on the 18th, having experienced
but one slight gale to disturb the quie-
tude Of our entire passage. AT Vera
Cruz our appearance was abundantly
sufficient to pass Us through the custom
house without being questioned. At the
colonization Office we procured emigra-
ton papers from the agent, Mr.. OFipasa,
which pass us freely anywhere in the
imperial dominions. After remaining
in Vera Cruz a few days and conforming
to the Mexican custom of taking coffee
at six O'Clock in the morning, breakfast
at eleven and dinner at five in the even
ing, we proceeded by railroad to Paso
del Maeho. There we secured a train of
burras Gackasses), at the rates Of three
dollars per head, to take us to Cordova.
1 soon got tired Of mine and turned him
over to the rest Of the party, fully deter
mined to walk the rest Of the way,
rather than conform to the necessity Of
holding my feet up to prevent them
dragging ON the ground. 1t was quite
amusing to see our party, composed of
old men and old ladies, young men and
young ladies, all riding upon these little
animals in single file along the noun
tains.
Upon leaving Paso del Macho we
passed through a very rough, rocky, and
broken country until within a few miles
Of Cordova, when the country became
more level and very rich. The creeks
are passable only where they are bridged,
owing to the great depth of their beds.
The bridges are constructed Of stone en-
tirely, the timber being very scarce and
inaccessible. The scenery would doubt
less be very good il it could only be seen,
but when 1 came to look for those beau
tiful fields and enchanting landscapes of
which I had read so much, / found my
vision hedgedi in by the boundaries of the
road that l was travelling, by a forest so
dense that no eye could penetrate it. I
have never, in all my life, seen sucha
mat of vines, bushes and brambles,
forming a thieket through which even
the rabbit or the monkey would fail to
pass in many places. Crittenden bottom
is no comparison to it for density of un-
dergrowth, while the larger trees are
scarce. The surveyors usually en-
ploy from four TO ten men in
clearing away the brush and
seldom go farther than two-thirds of
a mile per day, and then only clear away
what is absolutely necessary for the pas
sage of the compass and chain. This ac-
counts for the hardness with which the
lands here have been brought into the
market, and consequently many of those
who have succeeded in getting them en-
tered, know but little of their qualities or
localities. I know of some here who
have had their lands entered fol. several
months, and have, as yet, made no steps
toward preparing them for cultivation,
nor is it probable that they will. Such
lands must in a short while revert to the
government, and may then be taken up
by other parties desiring to cultivate
them. But 1 do not wish to be under
stood as saying that there is any great
quantity of such lands, for. as a general
thing, the ~coIonists are hard at work pre-
pairing to plant their crops as soon as the
rainy season sets in, which win be about
the last of May or first of June, and it
usually continues to rain every day for
about three months. The mornings are
said to oe clear and delightful,
but in the latter part Of the evening
the sky is overcast and the rains fall.
As to the general appearance of the
country about Cordova, II any one desir-
ing to get a good comparative view can
just imagine themselves in Wills Valley,
in northern Georgia, with Sand noun
tain on one side and Lookout on the
other, they will see just such a sight as I
now behold, with this exception there
is there no peak like Orizaba, whichhere
stands the snow-erowned monarch of all
the mountains of the district, and pos
sesses far more of the sublime than any
thing 1 have seen in Mexico.
The bed Of the valley, or what might
be termed the farming land of this sec
ton, is in places somewhat broken, and
in some places very much so, while por-
lions of it are susceptible of sill the i'm
provements of American agriculture.
Even the reaper might be introduced
with success.
Rock is found in abundance, On the
mountains it is mostly a very beautiful
white lime; while in the valleys it con-
sists of boulders from the size of an apple
to that of a salt barrel, always oval
shaped, and is used for paving roads,
making fence, and building houses and
bridges. Some spots have no rock. So
you can judge the face of the entire
country TO be very much diversified
The stony land is considered by the ma
tives best for coffee, and they are doubt
less correct, as il requires but little or no
work when once bearing and properly
shaded. The farming utensils are but
few and primitive. The mochete, or
briar hook, and axe, are all the nipple
ments used in clearing the lands. The
former is used in cutting down the vines
and brush, and with the latter the larger
trees are all cut down so as to press upon
the brush. When dry the torch is APP
piled and the whole consumed. After
this the farmer takes his staff, pointed
with iron, makes holes in the ground at
proper distances, puts in his corn and
leaves it 10 its fate-ald even in this rude
way good crops are made. I have seen
but few plows, and they were made Of
wood with iron points, and are not fit for
use on rocky lands. Clearing is almost as
difficult here as in the states. It is con-
sidered a weeks work for one man to
prepare one acre for the torch. In clear
ing for coffee plantations the larger trees
are left to shade the plants, though the
plantain or banana Is considered the best
shade.
me Gov. Harris here the Sabbath
after my arrival, He was much reloiced
to receive 3 copy Of the APPEAL, and
gave us a cordial invitation to his man
60 tree at Carlotta. Next morning we
procured q ponies and went out to the
village, finding Gov. Harris, Gen. Price
and others, sure enough, under their
clusteFo manages. We were offered, and
.ooap4ad ,kaire If Dan pr;ooJs