THE NORTH FRONTIER 



MINING INTERESTS. 



259 



sustain the settlements, in that quarter, in order to prevent the 

 southern progress of European adventurers who were eager to 

 seize the wild and debatable lands lying on both sides of the Rio 

 Grande. Accordingly he proposed to the Spanish court to carry on 

 a war of most inexorable character against the Apaches, Lipans 

 and Mesclaros. He characterized, in his despatches, all the In- 

 dian tribes dwelling or wandering between the Presidio of the Bay 

 of Espiritu Santo, in the province of Texas, to beyond Santa Ger- 

 trudis del Altar, in Sonora, — the two opposite points of the dan- 

 gerous frontier line, — as Apaches or their hostile colleagues ; and 

 he resolved to fight them, without quarter, truce, or mercy, until 

 they surrendered unconditionally to the power of Spain. 



The subsequent history of these provinces, and the experience 

 of our own government, have shown the wisdom of this advice in 

 regard to a band of savages whose habits are peculiarly warlike 

 and whose robber traits have made them equally dangerous to all 

 classes of settlers in the lonely districts of the Rio Grande or of 

 the Gila and Colorado of the west. His secretary, Bonilla, — who 

 had fought bravely in the northern provinces, and was practically 

 acquainted with warfare among these barbarians, — seconded the 

 mature opinion of the viceroy. The plan was successful for the 

 time, and the frontier enjoyed a degree of peace, whilst the military 

 power was sustained throughout the line of Presidios, which it has 

 not known since the revolution in Mexico attracted the attention 

 of all towards the central parts of the nation and left the north 

 comparatively exposed. Flores enforced his system rigidly, during 

 his viceroyalty. He equiped the expeditions liberally ; promoted 

 the officers who distinguished themselves ; rewarded the bravest 

 soldiers; and despatched a choice regiment of dragoons to Durango, 

 whose officers, formed, in that city, the nucleus of its future 

 civilization. 



Nor was this viceroy stinted in his efforts to improve the capi- 

 tal and protect the growing arts and sciences of the colony. He 

 labored to establish a botanical garden, under the auspices of 

 Don Martin Sese ; but the perfect realization of this beneficial and 

 useful project was reserved for his successor the Count Revilla- 

 Gigedo. 



The mining interests, too, were prospering, and improvements 

 on the ancient Spanish system were sought to be introduced, 

 through the instrumentality of eleven German miners whose services 

 had been engaged by the home government in Dresden, through 

 its envoy Don Luis Orcis. These personages presented themselves 



