Fc [26] 
mates, embraces an area of : about 940,000, or, including the old province 
of ‘Texas, already lost by Mexico, of about 1,200,000 English square 
miles.* : 
mit to, which never was very great, and dragged them as far as possible 
into the revolutionary vortex in which the South of Mexico was constantly 
whirling; but it never afforded them any protection against hostile Indians; 
never stopped their internal strifes, or ever promoted the spread of intellect 
or industry—in short, it heaped, instead of blessings, all the curses of the 
worst kind of government upon them. : 
Should the United States take possession of this country, the official 
tain chains are wanted as the best barriers between States, this line affords 
both these advantages by the Bolson de Mapimi in the east, and the ex- 
tensive Sierra Madre in the west. 
On the gulf of California, the important harbor of Guaymas would fall 
above that line. What sort of communication between Guaymas and the 
Rio Grande might be considered the best, ‘a closer exploration of the coun- 
try must decide; but a railroad would most likely in the course of years 
connect the Rio Grande with that harbor, and give a new thoroughfare 
m the Atlantic to the Pacific, for commerce as well as for the emigration 
to California and Oregon. The distance from Laredo to Guaymas, in a 
straight line, is about 770 miles. The plan of such a railroad, even if the 
height of the Sierra Madre in the west would not allow it to be carrie 
a straight line to the Pacific, but from Chihuahua in a northwestern direc- 
tion to the Gila, would therefore be less chimerical than the much talked of 
__*The territory of the whole republic of Mexico, including the old province of Texas, is 
variously estimated at from 1,650,000 to 1,700,000 English square miles. 
