Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-08-14
ANCIENT ACAPULCO.
IT'S FAMOUS BUCCANEERS AND
SPANISH GALLB0NS.
Tho Climate aud Com nerco-Fine
nery-Population, Etc
The state of Guerrero.

Special Correspondence of the RECORD UNioN.l
AcAPuLco lMexico), July l, 1886.
From Jorullo to Acapulco IS a distance,
due southwark, OF only 235 miles-but in
this case at least the longest way around
is the surest.p Remembering that what
man has done man may do again, and be
Heying that women can do most things as
well, We disregarded the advice of those
wiser and pushed on 10 the Pacific coast
in as near a Decline as possible. But
would not recommend anyBsdy else 10 imi-
tate orr example. If the traveller feels an
especial cali " to visit this ancient town
where every name recalls visions Of bloody
buccaneers and Spanish galleOns laden
with riches Of gold, silver, tea and silks
his best way is to stick to the old routes.
sailing wesiwardiy from San Franciscc,
or San Bias. and going sputhwestwai dly
bv the old stage road from Vera Cruz. The
distance frOn4 Acapulco to San Francisco IS
exactly 836 miles, and the cabin fare is
500; while Panama is 800 miles nearer,
bu; the price per steamer IS the same
The first glimpse Of the historic harbor
makes one feel Ike second Balboa on a
Voyage Of discovery. So well sheltered is
Il. beiug surrounded on three sides by lofty
mountains, that the largest vessels may ride
safely at anchor close TO the granite rocks.
The town oecupies belt. less than halt
milo wide, between the nights and the sea.
whose powders are 50 scandly covered
with soil that littie vegetation finds root.
The population is estimated at about 5000
and is chiefly composed Of foreign traders
sailors, divers, pearl-ishers and others who
Lave
DEALINGS WITH THE DEEP,
Giving the place an odd character. The
climate is exceedingly unhealthy and Is
especially fatal to unacchmated new-com-
ers for vomitO. cholera, yellow fever ana
cdJeatur0s are constant visitors of all the
coast region. Yhe Hotel del Paciiico is per
haps the best of the half dozen inferior hos
telries in the village. After establishing
himself therein, the first thing for the
tourist to do is to climb the hills to the old
Spanish fortress of San Diego, which sJilt
proudly crowns an eminence overlooking
the harbor This once famous fort-built
more than two centuries ago, after the order
of MORO Castle-thOugh commanding the
entrance, is itself commanded by the sur
rounding nights, and has been so often
taken by assault rs to be now untenable.
When Maximilian's legions abandoned this
Yestige of antiquity they took care to dis
mantle il 50 thoroughly that their briet but
destructive sway wrought more havoc than
ali the earthquakes which from time imne-
mortal have had habit Of shaking up the
place about every tenth year.
Viewed from the castle ramparts the
harbor-scooped out of the mountains
looks ike the nest of some huge amphib-
ious bird Into and out of 1t the restless
tides ebb and flow through double chan
mel. which was riven in the solid rock by
some CONFUSION of nature. Tradition says
that there was once another entrance to the
bay. but that an earthquake shut 1t up one
summers night and opened the present
channel, swallowing all the shipping at
one greedy mouthful. and making kind
ling-wOod Of the fraii houses along shore.
Looking toward the sierras, across the
sierra colorado (" red lands, so called from
the peculiar color OF the soii) in the purple
haze beyond the Alta, the celebrated Per-
esrino Pass is plainly visible for several
miles, winding ZigZag fashion between the
nights Ii is difficult to believe that over
this slight mule-path all the commerce of
Snain with India passed for many years
that during little more than three centuries
the cargoes of silver dollars alone which
came this way amounted TO thousands of
millions Over that narrow path
UNHUmBEEED ARMIfs
Have advanced and retreatcd-and always
with the same result, viz: If the army was
large it was soon starved out of the coun-
try, and if small it was destroyed, for hun
ger invariably devoured the greater bodies,
and the Pintos tnarives) the lesser ones.
To-day all is IS quiet and solitary as the
grave, and there is nothing to indicate that
The spot has ever been the scene of SO much
contention.
When Cortez buiit-in the neighboTing
State, Colima-thOse vessels that went in
search of northwest passage, Acapulco
had not yet been discovered; but when the
expedition returned from its truitless quest
1t anchored in the mountain-girt harbor. |
The discoveries Of the intrepid navigator,
Magellan, fixed the commercial character
and importance of this seaport. He had
sailed through the straits that now bear his
name, and had coasted enthusiastically as
fsT as the border; then from this port he
bore away to the spice islands, discovering
the Philippine group, where the city OF
Manila was founded. By this voyage he
demonstrated that the advantages of a
route across the Pacific were SO greatly SUI
perior TO voyage around Cape Horn as to
Justify the expense of land transit from
Acapulco to Vera Cruz, and reshipment at
the latter port for Spain. After the Panama
Railroad was constructed this demonstra-
ton became valuable for other nations.
The most practical advantage of the dis
eovery was the establishment of the annual
Manila galleon, in which
MILLION silver DOLLARS
Were regularly sent out every year, with
which TO purchase Oriental products for
tho consumption of Spain and her Ameri
can colonies. In this galleon sailed those
holy Friars who went forth. with the cross
in one hand and the sword in the other, to
the spiritual conquest of India; and by
the same route Spanish soldiers followed
hard after the priests, to add the temporal
10 the spiritual sublugation of the Oriental
empire. To this harbor the galleon re-
turned, freighted with the rich merchan-
disc of China, Japan and the Spice Islands.
When its coming was announced, traders
fastened hither from every corner of New
Spain to attend the annual fair; and
then this now deserted village was q scene
of extraordinary activity. The harbor was
crowded with small vessels from up and
down The coast, which came 10 receive
its share of the mammoth cargo. Then
came the Kings officers, in surprising state,
TO look after the royal revenue; and in
their train followed a multitude of proud
but speculative Castilian Dons, in much
DJITOWeO tcT sVOieti pVulp anu sp4SuuUl.
Caravans of mules were summoned to
transport the Spanish portion of the freight
10 Vera Cruz for reshipment; multitudes of
thieves, robbers ana ssiscddorcs knights of
the road)' swarmed all along the way; and
in short, the population of Acapulco and
lis vicinage was enormously increased dur
ing few weeks time.
But as soon as the galleons had put off to
sea again everything relapsed into the usual
semi-comatose condition, and remained
more dead than alive till next years return
of the fleet. Such was the condition of the
town when Mexico at last achieved her in
dependence, after which epoch-there be-
ing then, as q matter of course, no farther
use here for Spanish ships, Kings officers
or Castilian traders-the place appeared to
die natural death. At any rate, Acapulco
was lost to commerce for many years, until,
at q comparatively recent period, it was
Tnado q sort nj halfway housa on vovogaS