53 [26] 
that, they are afilicted with two diseases, very common among them, and 
not apt to promote propagation, syphilis and lepra. In Cosihuiriachi itself 
they cultivate only a few gardens, but in the neighborhood are some -vil- 
lages and settlements, with cornfields and orchards; and if it were not for 
the scourge of the country, the hostile Indians, all the plains: might be 
cultivated, and the people might get richer by the raising of stock than “4 
re 
the mines. But the Mexicans are at present so under fear from those sa 
age highway robbers, that they dare not even pursue ¢ them. During ~n : 
stay in pina a party of Apaches stole away a drove of mules 
ds 
and killed six persons in ‘a Asighboring village, but nobody — of pur- — 
suing them ‘till they saw us determined to do so, A few badly armed 
Mexicans joined us i em we followed all day the trail of om “indies 
who were ahead of-us. for six hours, till we convinced ourselves’ t 
they had already Misated into the deepest recesses of thé mountains, where’ 
it would have been more than temerity to have followed:them in. the night. 
One company of American fiat roaming about like the Indians them- * 
selves, would soon sweep these enemies of all cultivated life out of the 
country; but the Mexicans, with the rie Anh es fatalism, it: su — 
than take up arms and fight to the last 
elevation of Cosihuiriachi above the sea is, according to-my-own 
The 
observations, 6,275 feet, and the height of the “ Buia,” the highest mouh- ~ 
tain in» the: chain, 7,918 feet above the sea, or 1,643 feet above Cosihuiria- 
chi. The climate is, notwithstanding the high: ig more temperate 
than cold; during the winter we had sometimesiice, but no snow 
n the pane of the year 1847 our p Bien bogan ¢ to brighten. 
ould be expected. Of the Americam troops we had no re- 
liable veel but on the part of the Mexicans we witnessed all the 
strenuous exertions which they made for a vigorous resistance They 
had procured a-goodly number of cannon and small arms, with ammuni-! 
tion; new taxes had been gathered by a forced loan; about 4,000 men were 
pressed i into the service; in the public press and frou: the pulpit, the a 
were excited against the “ perfidious Yankees; heroic deeds, and death 
for the fatherland, became every-day phrases. But to what, after all, could’ 
such theatrical display avail against the cool, —_—,, bravery ‘of the: 
Missouri volunteers, which sought no vent in words, but in actions !. Near 
the time of the expected battle, our suspense was of course on the highest» 
point; but only vague rumors. penetrated into our distant, isolated moun-: 
tains, till, two days after the battle, some fugitives of the Mexican” 
army returned as the first indication of a lost battle; and soon after, an ex- 
hi 
press, sent out by our friends in Chibuahua , informed us “positively of the 
glorious victory at Sacramento. Th . 
would have tried to retain us under such osprnongear A aaa 
quite 
the Mexican population, whose conscience was not clear from self. 
ecech, fearing seen fled even to the mountains, while we Patil 
while n all sy our baggage and animals, for 0 ture 
t@ Chihuabia.| po adhesin 5 On + ebm. 
r as 184i; see iheine of rele es en ren 
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