New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-11-26
MIR. SEWARD IN MEXICO.
Will.

BARRANOASl OF COLIMA AND JALIoCV
PARTING WITH GOV. CUEVA-THE GhhAA
VOLCANO OF C0LIMA.
ZAPoTLAN, State OF JaliscO, Mex, Oct. 10
On the evening Of the 18th made final preparations
TOR departing from Collma and at o'clock next noIs
all hustle and excitement In the grand mouse " .lO
Huarte and in tho streets and Plaza In front LAG %
roll OF the drum and the shrill notes OF tho uu"P
announced the assembling Of tho military ku"
before dsybreak, and whom the dawn came eu0
scene as viewed from the balcony was magnincoh" H
squadron Of the Guard OF JallscO. 100 srohG' heu ~
aide Of the Plaza with their horses sadded anu Iapa
rsoned for the road front Of our house long 'A Vi
mules WINS being loaded the journey by swarm
Of seryants two coaches, each with SIX -FOUR III LUG
lead and two at the wheel stood ready Tor the anu
the nolIce of Cola finely mounted with Senior Canesto
Don Luis Rendon. Gov. CueVs, our worthy Con-
,nl DR. Augustus Morrill,, and other officials
and private Q citizens, were ganoping about on
horseback all handsomely mounted, and each with
servants spare horses and camp eQupage, ready TOT
tho road At last all was ready the trumpets OF the
advance guard sounded to the saddle aud they filed
away at q galop down the streets The crowd il front
was forced back by police, and Mr. Seward entered
his coach with the members Of his party the other
coach filed by friends, and the people barred
their heads and bowed respectfully az last
.salutation as the coaches ratified away over
tho cobble-paved streets. The rear guard and
the lazy pack train fell In behind and the police and
Sdher officials and fIiends galoped alongside. Fofnas!
ShGhd haha hdhG-d q! yelled the coeheros; the pos
VGOns cracked their whips and So with clatter and
u, woar. and strange music indesCribable, we dashed
ma the Plaza NuevO, with its trlumphal arches, It's
ora lge and for summerevening ouOgers
ont through long, straight streets, into the
sarde uIlned roads OF the suburbs. and Collma the
Beauti. t1 was behind us ..
SOMETHING NOT so PLEASANT.
In my bat letter but one mentioned seeing prisoner
In irons in Sic State Prison awaiting death for brutal
murder Tie Orer Ter hrs execution had been signed by
Gov Cusva day previous to our departure Gad he
wac be sAOt ~ daybroak on that morning While
standing Consul MerriRs Oifcs on the evening
before deparnlrc, I heard q terrible outeFy
In the corridor. and saw the poor Old
mother Of the condemned criminal on her knees befor5
the Consul, begging him in tie name Of God and
all the saints to interfere Ia he's sens behalf you
represent the great BstudaS U,sidOs del 6oTte,
and are alpOwertu Save him. SefOr, and oil the saints
OF heaven Will bless you'll" He told her mildly as
possible that he had to interfere and that the
young mana bad youth who had committed murder
before and this occasion butehered, In cold blood
merchants clerk who had, under orders from HIS en-
ployer, refused him credit for S4-deseryed his Tate
Then she fell hisensible to the pavement When the
eympathizng women had restored her to CONSCIOUSNESS
she the house Of Senior Huarte ana fell on her
knees before OF our party, mstaklnR him Tor mr.
Seward. She taken away by the police before she
could seo him. and he was saved the useless
pain of meeting her. Gov. Cuevs. being told that the
prisoner was apparently insane sent two physicians to
examine him. but they reported him thoroughly sound In
mind aud he had power to pardon hin that being
reserved to the Legislature and tho President
while q repreve would be no mercy, ordered, as mark
of respect to Seward that the execution be delayed
until we OF the city Our coaches had hardly
rolled on the pavement Of Calma before there was
sharp rattle mskets from the rivers bank. and the
wretch passed in an instant from time ~ eternity
A CHANGE THE SCENE.
few miles out Of Colma the character Of the country
begins to change from utraropcal to semltropcal We
drove over execrable roads, between wide fields OF
rice now half grown and richly green beautiful castor
beans and Indian The cocoa palms decreased in
number, and finally. st 20 miles northeast
of Colima. entirely disappeared while the ba-
nanas grew less thrlftily aud abundant The land
where not cultivated was everywhere covered with
ch nutritious grasses aud cattle and sheep abounded
We have grass properly speaking, IN California the
weed out there taking place. aud these green grassy
heds appear more beautiful from the fact that
have not looked upon their like for years. The
country is we'll populated though the peOple-mosty
Of Indian descent-ve poor huts OF cane with rice
srawhatched roofs all around the sides TO wind
and ram aud are m,serably clad they appear to have
abundance to eat and are quite well behaved, and ap-
parently conteuted with their lot.
THE HEART or THE sIERRA-THE BARRASCAs.
Twenty-Five miles from COlima We reached the first
"barranoa." branch Of the great Barranca de Bel
TRAM the nsurnountabe obstacle to the construction
Of passabe wagon road from the coast to GuadaaJara
These barraneas Eve six In number, three very
IN large minor YOsemes in appearance and having
been formed by the action Of water in strata of sand
powders and loose gravel. They many miles In
length uniting length like the various branches Of
great river they approach the coast, and arc
from 500 to 1900 feet ia depth, with steep
preepitOus sides. The amount Of labor required TO
construct passabe mue roads up and down their
sides incredible. The road has been laid out
It was done century ago-wh great engineering skill,
and the zigzags with acute angles are beautifully con-
structed The road bed is from to 30 feet In width, the
sides incllnng TO the center, and neatly paved with
eobbestones the large and small stones being arranged
lines regular order Each the water cuts the bed
deeper and deeper and the work must be
extended while the heavy rains the pavement
mako constant repairs necessary The lower side OF the
road is usually fenced In. lined with substantial
stone wall neatly pastered and in the smaller barraneas
solid bridge with single arch evidently Of great
age spans the The Government had provided
large palanQuin TO Mr. Seward through the bar
ranca country as hs Injuries received years ago
rendered it impossible for him to guide horse hold
saddle for long time. The palanqun, or Inter-
consisted Of two stout poles, three feet apart boed
together with cross beams, supporting In the center
platform which fastened large cushioned arm
CHAIR above which canopy Of brilliant green me.
rino stuff with curtains OF the same material When
going up and down the barrancas and In particularly
dangerous places the paanquin borne the shout
ders of four stalwart in white cotton panaloons,
broad pameaf hats and rough sandals on their feet
When the procession TO good place on the road
the paanaun transferred to the backs OF two mules
who carried 1t along at swinging troL The
men were relieved at intervals OF a few min
utes and despite the heat and bad roads they would
get along nearly fast man on horseback
riding at an ordinary gait At the first barranca left
Senior Huarte's excellent coaches and took to mule and
horseback. Descending the nfst Dhrfahea aud cmOlnR
and came 10 the first arm OF the great Barranca do
Bltran. probably $40 feet deep. Locking up tins bar