LETTER FROM CHIHUAHUA. 109 
ance; to the southwest as far as the eye can reach, heavy timber fringes the 
banks of the Carmen. From this point on to Chihuahua there is no marked 
change in the landscape; the country over which the track passes appears as if 
it had once been the bed of a series of lakes, and the soil is very fertile. The 
soil is a peculiar chocolate colored loam. Everywhere immense herds of cattle 
are seen, and herds of deer are frequent. 
Chihuahua is the Capital of the State of the same name and its principal 
town, situated 4,640 feet above the level of the sea, in 28° 38' N. Lat,, and 10° 
30' W. Long, from Greenwich, and containing a population at the present time 
of about 16,000. It was settled toward the close of the 17th century by some 
adventurers for the purpose of working the rich silver mines discovered about 
that time in its vicinity. Among these the most prominent mine was the " Santa 
Eulalia." When this mine was in its most prosperous state the city contained 
more than 170,000 inhabitants. But the general expulsion of the Spaniards, and 
the revolutions which followed, caused the partial abandonment of the mine and 
a great decrease in the population of the city. 
Chihuahua, as approached by the railroad, presents a picturesque appearance 
To the south are the conical hills in bold relief against the clear blue sky; to the 
east and west are short ranges of mountains, while the city itself, surrounded by 
massive cottonwoods, with its towers and domes and peculiar adobe architecture 
makes quite an oriental picture. The city of Chihuahua was founded in 1604 
and is the Capital of the State of Chihuahua. It is 225 miles from El Paso. It 
lies on the bank of the Conchos River, a stream of pure, clear water that winds 
around the foot of a picturesque range of mountains just below the 29th par- 
allel of N. Lat., and has an altitude of 4,600 feet. The city is laid off regularly, 
with paved streets and sidewalks which are kept clean by being swept every few 
mornings and the dust carried away. Nearly all the houses are of adobe — 
although the public buildings and some of the dwellings are of stone — and one 
story high, and are built in the usual Mexican style, around a square or court 
called a "placita." The city is supplied with water from the river Churiscar, 
ten miles distant, by means of an aqueduct built by the Spanish between 17 17 
and 1720. It is built of stone and cement, a large part being built upon great 
arches of masonry, and is in a perfect state of preservation. 
The chief attractions are the celebrated cathedral, the mint, and the square 
called "Plaza Major." The cathedral is situated on the west side of the plaza 
and is a beautiful and imposing brown-stone structure. It was commenced in 
the year 1738 and finished in 1849, costing about $750,000. It is a fine specimen 
of architectural skill, is surmounted with a dome and two towers, and is in the 
Moorish style of architecture. A clock illuminated at night ornaments its dome, 
and its facade is embellished with life-sized statues of the Saviour and Twelve 
Apostles. In one of its towers is a bell which was pierced by a cannon-ball at 
the time of Maximilian's invasion in 1866, and in which the renowned patriot 
Hidalgo was at one time confined and afterward executed. The plaza is a beauti- 
ful place occupying the space of a block; it is paved and contains an elegant 
