, 1866-06-18
A Journey from Vera Cruz to
Merida-

been seen, but dare not venture 30 neal
known dangers, and accordingly has pu
about and stood CT land. The Castle OF IA,
.1nan da I11loa with ,ta to.ra,Ins+ 1t.ft .,.at
s..+ 49, , ~. "sss .'.ss.s M e"n.," suu'
CUT tnete' nae e1aots' ngn1ing me storm
bravery beating back The waves aud spray a
they dash against them, And, wqe to th,
nnhapny mariner who tgnorantir mr. de{,ant1,
ott.,s-ets ~ .4..- -
~ sutes poft NJ euea sune-n'
COON 70 nxeo, aud IN feW hours his bark il
stranded upon the reefs, from which no hu
man agency car, remove 1t, cxcept ia takf
oshore fhe n;eces of xrcc1r wh,cb the nortbe,
h.s snorod Ernnnnntlv staama-s 1io ~ snsj
laa ". ~, ~ ~. 5a1a IT, ~ ~
~ snhsiife that thrv NAV e1,ter in safet ~
snc1, g. was fha ease ~ the Enr1fsh .taams,
srtia,, - ~ acH~ar ra,,r eorSa:ranSant J..
v,.o4.r 90 :" ~eN's '~1' "
1ss 49,. \. ,,
~ sida 1oM ~ 5 se[n Gsuz ~ 10 sisat, the poTt
Hon1s hr the - staan,e, III s;sss III ;nan
nn.s a",,,, y, uusa. ~ aau!aIks. lat
lanulne u eanesrous, as = tne case N nearly
every Eoaasleao npon sne gnI-focAs and
SHOALS extending from the shore three OF foul
miles. Our steamer, after signalling two OF
Three hours for 2 pilot, vas at length hon
ored oy one o. those useful personages-a
gentleman e.;n "n9se atllfe would claim The I'D.
T.,
consisting ot VIDE hat, dirty shirt, and
remnants OF par o. cotton breaches, the
fragments reaching 10 within an Inch OF two
Of his knees. lie brought the ship to anchor
three miles lfon sn9re where Te were further
uM6aayeo msng ~ allng Ias @ al1ssai q tne health
ma Tc st .oass ,a1,5 z. ins oat a ano MAJ, agent.
lnese aust tha;o .sdataas h.t m1say maae tnell
1!1a III ao,,,,1, ooat ahsu pE H. e.om!y aonE,
ns,t ~, - :. LIE ha c"ur is,d,oJ {,an h;s e.,
[EFk ~ 0O 4A04 429AAQ4A A4hE4 A44 FAft VI kAt
~ ~ ~ ~ Wy cneS ~. % sne stases
- IesG ears,p ~ ~ coedi,11a ~, Az oss
ore,,,,1as - a th .,tirs ~, ,or,itZ ~ vnaa
1A*AoP'ee W LIZ eo'ao eoeonA"oisf u Aaea'
III af,s- u. h.s,,h of,o.- h.s ...,.a., ~,
sa1f tha+ .1 .Ienaa T si. nao III fn's91u LII
e. tha t1a' anSe me snu aa ~ q! 1ea!th,
~ er.rv Iii ~ is5i,o nnd Patma naa H. ao9heu
oroq,Inad ~ aS;e .5ro, sa slunA. ana
fo,d,n~ fhe;r e nI1ht csna ~ ~. Jaen 70 nu.
III sssent =, ~ ,-'i4rs a.ba.a "H oes.5 Sase
Wh,rh xe rs,e a. MT Eiowo srott P1.sneee at
Trmf,inr onroaires and hacnan ~ g. ',. ~
rn,,s erSnoncrsrigoad i,1hfer ,f 4n.u
NJ len tona hnrdan a air. hrsava "uu snns III
~ r. 1and ''''' 0S>-o 0'ou 1ooA'
There is nothing attractive abont s1sa1 tn
ken a STRANGER t}'erc 1onrrr thar vii s1,;t,co
IN btre = conTrvance fnto fhc ;n1a-1or Eia..
fisl, hones dGgs dfIiV c1tidr.n sa,d sni
.hr;,lsvaIced v,rr,iss xoInar ,no..isa H"I, ans
T., via .,IscsN Nsr,;afas whieh nussiy LIS aooana
not frr,ftv ad,u tre cen,ennrnt1r ~ .a9n ua a.
our bacra9e conld he stnwed awsF IN 80. ~ c.rt
and onr ial,o; seated In the diligence We =
,,s";aa NnoFess H. n'ieu 1fs nosses ana started 1or
s;as axtoa. ths oistanee 1s out t~enty-elg6t
annes, a, nAica ~ eaa!sy maze On horseback IN
nrc nou1s; 1ue Soo4ly, !or pltcen miles out
oI ssa', anll ane uhm1etesting, bciog
san11 anu unRfoaucnve, out as ron near
merida eser5th1hE chanees most wonderfully
Tie trees, o"ers: fruits and verdure ali
show that yon src within the tropics, and the
lu1uf1ance OF ne Vegetation attest tho rich
ness oi the soil. Ihe climate here, though
about a. Warm, IL far healthier than It Vera
Cruz. and improves In saln6rity as 5ou ad-
vance into the Interior: Sill 1t Is NOT such as
suits Northern constitutions By any means
Merida, the capital Of fucatan, contains
as the capital and raaideuce Of the Goyernor
and State officials, 1t Is the ceotrc Of trade
for all this portion Of tha country. The en-
ergy aud enterprise Of uatlTa merchants are
not much to brng about, but q few Foreigners,
principally French and Germana, have givct,
quite an impetus to business. aud they frans-
good port at sisal, and safe lInd1nr, the
commerce Of Merida would soon increase Jour
fold, for the products Of the country. already
suffering for foreign market. can be multf-
piled Indefinitely, even under the loose uaeth.
ods Of cultivation practiced By the natives,
Everything is transported In the cumbrous
carts If The country, or upon the backs Of
and expensive. and calls Tor reform. The cn-
izens o. Merida appreciate this fact, aud the
project Of railway from this city to SIsol
Is on foot. With prospect Of speedy SUCCESS.
French, Spanish. English, American and
Me1lcan steamers, besides numerous foreign
and domestic barks. briggs and schooners
make slaal thelr regular port. OF course its
commerce must be large, to induce 60 many
crait to stop monthly, and II fully developed
there is hardly limit to the shipments that
might be had In lew years. The projected
road can be easily and cheaply built, and
could not fail to become profitable invest
ment, as well as 10 add Immensely to the
wealth OF the conntrr.
Iucatan exports hides, mahogany, ebony,
IogTood, fruits and cotton. Under firm
administered BY enlightened
ru!ers-not Me1icans, for 1t will take two or
Three generations to improve that "breed" "
to make them sufficiently honest and large-
minded enough Tor that purpose-this conn-
Try would become developed to such degree
Than ten years. For cotton growing 1t has
The advantages Of the most favored southern
statcs and this staple alone could make
Yncatan one Of the richest portions Of tho
Continent. The forests OF valuable timber,
mahogany, rosewood, ebony, and other wooda
lsed for furniture. as wcll IS the India rubber
rec, are immense, aud cannot be exhausted
n centuries, md Of themGelyes Constitute
wealth. Coffee, sugar and cocoa
TOW here as we'll as in apy other part Of the
World, and fortunes are now being made In
he eugar trade, eren under the disadvantages
' Ehich The planter necessarily labors, for want |
II proper machinery and knowledge Of any
process Of manufacture. Once
Germans and Irish-snd how
luick1Y viii the country change, It viii be
. blessing to humanity to plant tIe Saxon
ace upon this soil, and regeperatc the people, |
rho a1e now sunk into the lowest depths OF |
llIeness, want and superstition.
Merida is hut type Of other Spanish cities.
quare buildings and Moorish arcbitecture
Terywhc1o absunds--tha came markets. The |
ama officials, the same noaunets. customs |
nd fashions prevail In every ctr, and they |
re the same manpers. fashions, &C., Of the
rst settlers. No new buildings are obsery-
bic, and stranger is impressed BY the ruins
e sees, and the fields gone TO Waste. with |
be idea that not onlr have Tie people deeeu.
rated, but the number of inhabitants mate
ia1Iy diminished. know not whether such
E the case, but appearances certainly lntll-
ate 1t. This Is owing to the civil wars which
ave laid the country waste, although In this
espect Yucatan has suffered less than auy
ther part of Mexico.
The other principal towns In this State are
'allAdolia, II, 500 inhabitants, near the Bay
I Honduras; Salamanca, G,0b0; Peteo and
ecaichan, each 5000, in the southeast Fic-
!, 5000, In the Interior, near the mountains,
nd Campecbe, $4,000, on Campeche Bay, In
he Gulf Of Mexico. The population Is small,
nd confined mostly to towns and cities. Yu-