Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1866-03-08

Report of Gov. Harris, General Price Judge
Peskins.
| To the H,n. ~ +. Mn1y Imperial Commissioner,
Of Colonization.
SIR: The undersigned have the honor to submit
the following report
| Immediately after our appointment we proceed
ed to the District of Cordova, in the State of
Vera Cruz, for the purpose of examining the lands
in that district owned by the government. We
have visited and examined the haciendas and
lands said district mentioned in the decree of
9Th September, 1865.
| They situated upon the nineteenth parallel
of North latitude, upon plain which descendS
from the region of perpetual SHOWS, and within
twenty-five or thirty miles of the snOw-capped peak
of Orizaba. The altitude of this plain is about
$50 feet above the level of the sea, giving eli
mate whlchris positively delightful, where it is
never too warm to wear cloth clothes and to sleep
| under blanket with comfort, and rarely cold
enough to wear an overcoat. We informed
by intelligent persons who have lived in the coun-
try for many years, that the extreme variations OF
the thermometer will not exceed twentg degrees
The soil is extremely fertile and highly produc-
tive Astounding in every variety of tropical fruit
and of the finest quality. Yielding under the
present imperfect system of cultivation large crops
OF corn, barley, rice, tobacco, sugar cane and cot
fee, with almost every variety of vegetable while
that portion of the lands nearest the coast produ-
ces heavy crops OF cotton of an excellent quality.
| Under proper system of cultivation, we are sa-
tlshed that these lands may be made to produce
equal to any that we have ever seen. Wefind ma
hOgany, cedar, oak and other valuable timber il,
| the forest, while the orange, lemon, lime fig
guayava and vanilla grow luxuriantly in the woods
These lands are in our opinion, admirably adapt
ed to the purposes Of colonization. Considering
soil, climate, location and variety of crops we
| know of no better, if, indeed, We have ever seen
so desirable a country for agricultural pursuits
| Some OF them lie upon and all III reach of the
railroad from Vera Cruz to the city of Mexico the
most distant being within twelve miles of the road
and about seventy from the city of Vera Cruz and
from fifteen to twenty miles from Passo del MaehiO
to which point the road is now in operation.
we are assured by the people of the country
that two crops of corn can be raised upon the
same lands each year, and from what we have seen
we are satisfied that the custom of the country is
to raise crop Of corn and crop of tobacco Oh
the same land, the corn ripening before the usual
time for tobacco planting.
Cohee Is extensively and profitably cultivated in
the immediate vicinity of these lands The ex-
cellent quality of the coffee grown here in times
past gives 1t high rank in the coffee markets of the
world The cultivation of the coffee crop is sim
ple easy and cheap, producing annually from
thousand to fifteen hundred pounds per acre
The absence OF any local cause of disease and
the healthy and robust appearance of the people
lvlng upon this plain, give ample assurances as
| to the health of the country The SURVEYORS are
now engaged in surveying the lands referred to-
1t Is believed they will complete the survey within
week or ten days, when their settlement will
commence by about thirty American immigrants
VINO arc now here awaiting the completion of the
survey.
Immediately upon seeing these Immigrants fur
nished with lands, we will proceed to the exami-
nation OF Zougolica and Jalappa lands upon which
we hope to be able to report very soon
Respectfully submitted,
! T. G.. HARRIS,
STERLING PRICE,
| c JOHN PERKINS.
| CORDOVA, November IA. 1865