Mexico weekly ledger., 1883-08-16
NOTES FROM AFFAIR.
INTERESTING LETTER FROM a
VISITING MEXICAN.
Incidents Pertaining to the Journey
Toward the Land Of the Setting
Sun..-NOtes of Travel.

Van SotNLhf W. tlt Ouy Sf.T-AuohoClt
hat friends at home may know something
If our trip to this far-away country, we !
.hoose the Ledger Eas the medium
through which to impart information
relative to the journey, which, bar
ing few incidents, was very pleasant |
md novel to our party. We started from
Kansas City the 9th of July, and nothing |
passed our observation, not even the |
splendid crops of growing wheat and |
corn. In the state of Kansas these cer- |
eals were No. |, the best by half we saw
since leaving old Audrain. Passing this
belt of $50 miles of fine country and
crops, west of the Missouri River, then
we encounter the lonely plains, seeming
ly counterpart of the. vast wastes of the
land of the Pharoas, where nothing is. to
be seen growing, and nothing visible to
the eye but great clouds of dust, with anrI
occasional glimpse of a wild animal, or
an Indian. Now we arrive at Denver.
This city is destined to be one of the
in the West, as many Of our
people know who have had occasion to
visit it. Leaving this magic city, we pro-
ceeded on our journey through one con-
tinueus array of lovely scenery, such as
canyons, valleys, hills, and even snow,
all the way to the Pacific slope. We
stopped at several large cities = Cheyenne, ]
Ogden, Salt Lake City, Sacramento and
San Francisco. In the latter, place we
remained four days. This city, in the
strictest sense of the term, isprogressive.l
One can scarcely form an idea Of the
grandeur of the place until they view the
entire city. Onthe morning of the Goth
we set sail for Portland, Oregon. All
on board declared they could stand the
voyage without getting sea-sick, but
their surmises all went for naught, as we
had scarcely lost view of land ere half
the passengers and portion of the crew
were taken that sick they could not bat
their eyes. The second day out was expe-
rfenced one of the toughest seas had for
years, old seamen averred. The entire
crew Of three hundred were down at one
time. The fury of the waters was sim
ply fearful-serglng, swelling and DASH
ing against the mighty vessel until, at
times, it would seem as If she must sue
comb to their angry beckonings. At
times she would ride the waves, fun thir-
ty feet high ). then, with a lurch, go down
again, trembling and screeching, until we
thought surely she could not weather the
STORM Those We're truly trying mo-
ments for all ON board. In twenty ty-f0uf
hours of this gale we had only gained
four miles, SO you see the wonder was
not great why we were all sick. After
the storm had subsided, we struck the
bar at the mouth of the Columbia River.
Being detained twenty -four hours we en-
countered it at low tide, and here we had
to lay at anchor in the ocean eight hours,
awaiting its rising. At last it came, and
we passed over the bar in safety, rejoic-
ing to get away. We halted at Astoria,
| (at the mouth of the Columbia River)
four hours, and three inspected the larg-
est salmon fishery and canning port in
the United States. Our route now lay
up the river, which is enclosed on either
side with bluffs of great heighth, COM
pletely covered with pine, spruce, fir and
cedar trees, which are constantly on fire
strange as it may seem, burning day and
night, until the heavens are SO lighted uI
that the scene isone OF awe, and at The
same time grandeur. We had not gon,
over two miles from Astoria until W.
again ran afoul of another sand-bar, and
to our discontinue, here we were, stucl
again. Three hours we were obliged t.
wait for the ever! welcome tide to help u.
tout Of the difficulty. Again we made !
start, now being twenty-four hours be-
hind time. After getting into the Co
lumbia River we were nearly all vel
enough recovered from our sea-sicknes
to leave the hunks and partake of ou
meals, which we did heartily. The fourtl
day GATH we arrived at Portland at
O'Clock in the evening. This city is on
of the fastest, and, and at the same time
most enterprising, of any we visited, an
was much larger and handsomer than W
, had anticipated seeing. Portland, In tn
near future, will rival San Francisco, an
when we arrived there it was with muc
difficulty that we could obtain lodgin:
SO densely was it packed with human be
ings. Business men keep their place
open day and night, as one half the trad
ing is done after dark. Next day W
steered up the Columbia River in tt
= Dallas Packet, to Van Couver, at whie
place we arrived at 10 O'Clock, A. {,
Now, here is one of the prettiest litt
towns Of 5000 Inhabitants 1 have ev'
seen, being located on one of as beaut
full slopes or plains as mortal eyes ev
rested upon. It gradually rises FROM Il
waters edge and extends back to the lie,
, el plains. Pine, spruce and cedar
which are ever fresh and green, form
tlotely and inviting shade, giving the ci
q cool appearances. Portland was at on
time the Government fort, and is yet +
: Washington Territory. Here is h
government works, barracks, a
J soldiery. We procured q livery ou
fit and were driven nine miles throu
4 the dense forests of FIR trees, some
!. them being $50 or 800 feet high, and frt
two to six feet in diameter, with We
: few limbs, and they only at the te
These forests surpass anything of I
, kind in existence-their underground
very, thick with evergreens of vario
9Akinds, flowers of all hues and colors;
trees never lose their foliage; the eal
7 is ever carpeted with verdant grasses;
snow or frost the year round to do q
= damage; all varieties of fruits in abur
: ance; wheat, oats and hay yield plen
fully, bat nights too cool for the grow
j LOT corn. No poisonous reptiles, but
one isn't continuously on the lookout
- is mcne than likely to run a-muck
bears, spanthers, kougers, catamour
= wolves, and the like. Leaving this de
forest few miles to leeward, you CO
upon smail plain, thiekly settled, "
= feverything looking fresh and gre
and that, too, without a drop
- ,-s;r - sn4arraIs of from eO tn so ds