[26] — — 
We soon-reached. the harbor, where many * vessels were anchored; 
aay a number of fraine houses, with commissaries’, stores, groceries, etc., 
formed a villagé around it. "This was the last place we saw on this side 
of the gulf,and no doubt the meanest which I have seen during the 
whole trip. 'The whole island is but one wide sheet of sand; never a tree 
or blade of grass has grown here; no other water is found but a brackish, 
half fresh, half salty liquid, from holes dug into the sand; no other faces 
are seen but those of stern officials, or of sly speculatorg, a would as 
soon go to Kamtschatka if.they could make money there. In short, it is 
an awful place, where nobody would Jive, but from necessity or for 
_ money. Fortunately, our-stay was notlong. We slept but one night on 
the sand of the island, and went next day 
June 10, on board of our ships, a ‘Republic and the Morillo, both 
sailing vessels, , for New Orleans embarked with He Ree on bo ag 
the latter, and we cleared in the afternoon 
of the same day. After 
voyage of seven days x not, interrupted by any anual accident, we carat 
’ ‘safely in New Orxlea 
he noise and Baste of a large city confused me, as it were, for a short 
time; but those impressions from the lonesome prairie and. desolate chapat- 
rals were soon overpow. ered by the enjoyments and luxuries of cultivated 
life. 
Our regiment was discharged and paid in New titans and from .a 
Leet set of boys, they turned at once into “gentlemen.” Having aby 
ished my own business in New Orleans, I started for St. Louis, my hom 
and arrived there early in July, to rest. awhile from the hardships of the 
expedition. 
After an absence of 14 months, I had travelled from fndependengs to 
Reynosa, on the Rio Grande, about 2,200 miles by. land, and about 
3,100 by water, and had been exposed to many privations, hadi s, and 
dangers; but all of them I underwent, for the scientific purpose of my ex- 
pedition, with pleasure, except the unjust and arbitrary Beataeht from the 
government of the State of Chihuahua, which deprived me for six months 
of what I always valued the highest, my individual liberty, and prevented 
Re in this way from extending my arg eae: as aya as I at first intended, 
of making its results More general and u 
__At the conclusion of my journal, it may not be amiss to oid some gen- 
eral remarks i. At relation. to Northern Merico. 
New. o and Chihuahua, which I consider here incipally, be- 
cause they fal fell eae my immediate Sbaersatign: are nel et the aches 
nor the poorest States of Mexico; but both of them have resources that 
never have been fully developed. 
A, ture, as we ha is seen, is the least promising branch of industry. 
The want of more water-courses, and the necessity of i irrigation, are the 
principal causes; but on ertheless, they raise’ every, year more shan suffi- 
cient for their own consumption; and failure 
people, is less common here than in many other coun ne 
ular system of irrigation itself prevents it. Besi ere are 
of land in the country fit for agriculture, but allowing no Teolitel settle 
account of the Indians. Another reason, 100, why farming s 
