I 
2(^0 BOTANY OE THE VOYAGE OF H.M.S. IIERALD. 
can incrclumt, who, as weU as several other residents of the place, did everything in their 
power to further my object. The vicinity of Durango did not offer at this time of the year 
many specimens ; and hence I concluded that it would be useless to penetrate at this season 
further northwards to Chihuahua, where the destructive effect produced by the winter upon 
the vegetation of the highlands would be still more manifest. Another reason which induced 
me to alter my original plan was the great risk every one incurs who now ventures upon a 
journey to Chihuahua. The tide of civihzation, pressing hard from north and east, has 
driven the Indian tribes into the corner formed by the States of Chihuahua, Sonora, and 
Durango, made them strong and united, and dangerous to the white inhabitants of the 
country. The savages spare none ; every one who falls into their hands dies, often a cmel 
death. So great is the terror they inspire, and so daring their courage, that eighty Indians 
on one occasion ventured into Durango, a city of 22,000 inhabitants, robbing and kilhng 
in every direction. I now took a south-western direction, the lit tie -frequented road from 
Durango to Topic. Departing from Durango on the 2nd of January, 1850, I reached on 
the 5th of the same month San Franzisco de Mcsquital, a considerable village, the inhabi- 
tants of which, as the latter part of the name indicates, occupy themselves with the manufac- 
ture of mesquital from divers species of Agave. As far as Mesquital there are several large 
estates, but having passed that place one enters a desolate district; there are no honses, no 
people ; the road becomes mountainous and very badly marked, as it is only trodden by a 
few Indians, the principal communication between Dm-ango and Tepic being carried on by 
way of Guadalajara. I collected however a good many specimens, the vegetation not having 
suffered so much from drought and frost as in that part of the Sierra Madre which I crossed 
when coming from Mazatlan. On the 12th of January I reached the village of Santa 
Teresa, about two days' distance from Tepic, and inhabited by the Coras, a tribe of Indians 
whom the Jesuits converted to Christianity. There were three persons who understood 
Spanish; all the others could only converse in their own peculiar language. They seemed 
to be an honest and hospitable people. .1 remained five days with them, proceeded to 
within a day's distance of Tepic, and then returned to Durango, taking a different route,, 
which conducted me to a place termed Guajolote, also inhabited by Indians. I left Du- 
rango on the 1 3th of February for Mazatlan, after despatching from thence, by way of Tam- 
pico, two cases with OrcUdem, Caciea, Bromeliacece, and other living plants, which however 
never reached their destination. The road was in a terrible state, for the wild Comanche 
Indians, having come near and killed several of the rancheros, most of the places were 
deserted, the people having fled. We, thank God, arrived safe in Mazatlan on the 22nd of 
February, 1850, where I was hospitably received by the house of Lomer, Melcher, and Co. 
H.M.S. Herald had, contrary to my expectation, not yet returned, and did not make her 
appearance until the 22nd of March ; she had been surveying, in the Gulf of California, the 
coasts of Sinaloa and Sonora, a sterile and barren country. The vessel finally left Mazatlan 
on the 4th of April. 
