436 CHIHUAHUA, 
quiring months for the journey. Latterly, a much 
shorter route has been opened by way of San An- 
tonio and the Presidio del Norte, lessening the dis- 
tance of land carriage more than one half. Formerly 
traders left Missouri with large trains of merchandise, 
and, on arriving here, opened their stores and sold 
their goods themselves. This was a very irregular 
business, leading sometimes to the accumulation of 
large stocks, and proving ruinous to some of the par- 
ties concerned. The trade is now more confined to 
the resident merchants of the city. Governor Cordero 
is one of the largest merchants; and next to him are 
. several American houses of high respectability. There 
are now some fine stores in the town, in which every 
variety of merchandise can be procured.* 
* If a merchant here desires to make his purchases himself in New 
York or our other great markets, he must leave here in the fall, when it 
will require from forty to fifty days to reach his destination, by way of 
New Orleans. His goods must then be purchased and shipped either 
to Indianola, on the Gulf of Mexico, to be sent by San Antonio, or to 
St. Louis, Missouri, and thence by water to Independence. Now comes 
the most difficult part of the transportation (say, for example, from the 
latter place). Wagons, mules, harness, and the various trappings must 
be purchased, and teamsters procured ; all of which requires much time 
and a large outlay. The large Missouri wagons, which carry from five 
thousand to five thousand five hundred pounds, cost about two hundred 
dollars each; the best Kentucky mules, ninety to one hundred dollars ; 
harness, one hundred dollars; water kegs, extra chains, ropes, oe 
twenty-five dollars for each wagon. These large wagons require ten 
mules each; so that a complete team ready for the plains would cost 
from twelve hundred to thirteen hundred dollars ; and twenty of these, 
which is not a large train, twenty-six thousand dollars. Then each team 
must have its teamster at from twenty to twenty-five dollars a month ; 
and a wagon-master or director of the train at from eighty to one hun- 
PE ee om 
