278 SPORTING ADVENTURES 



brigands, murders, robberies, and wholesale 

 smuggling. No wonder that the unfortunate 

 country does not advance. The natural re- 

 sources of Mexico are immense, her gold, silver, 

 and copper mines are among the richest in the 

 world, and the soil will produce the finest crops 

 of sugar, coffee, tobacco, maize, rice, cotton, 

 &c. Emigration is wanted to open up the vast 

 resources of the country. The present popula- 

 tion is about eight millions, of whom six 

 millions are Indians, who are useless, and won't 

 work. There is abundant field for the emi- 

 grant, in thousands of acres uncultivated, 

 hundreds of mines unworked ; but before emi- 

 grating, people naturally expect some guarantee 

 for the safety of themselves and their property, 

 and that cannot be said to be the case at 

 present. 



Without railways, or even good roads, it is 

 impossible for any country to progress ; the 

 first step in the right direction is the comple- 

 tion of the Vera Cruz Railway, which is pro- 

 nounced financially a success. It is intended 



