OCR Text |
Show APPENDIX TO PART IlL reasonable r ate. To this p!.tcc all the citizens of the town rcpai1·to put·ch.lsc. Jl!o rals, llfaunt'rs, t!tc.-Thcrc is nothing peculiar in the manners or mot-..\ls of the people of thi proYince, but a much ~rcatct· clegrcc of luxury among the rich, misery among the poor, and a col'l'uptiou of morals more general than in N cw Mexico. As to military spirit they have none. At a m uste r or a r egiment of miJi. tia at Chihuahua one of my men attcnclcd , and infon ucd me that thc t·c were about 25 who had fire·at·ms and lances, 50 with bows and UJ'l'OWS and lances, and the balance with lances or bows :md arrows only. J1filitm·y Force.--The regu lat· military force of lliscay consists of 1100 dra~oons, distributed as follows: On the frontiers of the d e serts of New Mexico and Senora, at the forts of .Eii!:>iaira, Carra. cal, and San Buenaventnra, Presidio del Norte, Janos, Tulcnos, and San Jnan Baptist. Farth et• south arc Chihuahua, Jeronirr.c, Cay· one, San Paubb, Guaxcquillo, and Conchas, witl1 sc\'eral other places which arc appenclu~cs of t hose positions. The complement of each of those posts is ISO men, but may be avet·agcd at 1100 in all, say 100 at ach post. The militia arc not worthy of particular notice. R cgi!ion.-lliscay is in the diocese of Durango, the bishop's salary bcin ~ estimated at I 00,000 dollat·s pet· annum. The catholic religion is here in jt<> full fo rcr, but the in ferio1· clergy arc vcr·y much dissatisfied. The people's sup e r stition is so great that they arc nmning a fter the holy father in the streets, and endeavoring to kiss the hem of his g·arment, and should the bishop be passing the street, the rich and poot· ;;til kneel. lli8tory.-1 shall not presume to say any thing on this subjccl except that I believe this proviucc has bC'en populated about 270 years. Geograftlzy.-SF..NOH.A. lies between the 33° and 27° N. latitude and 110° and 117° vV. lon gi t~l(l e. Its ~~rcatest length from north to south is about 420 miles, and its width from cast to west 380 miles. It is bounded nonh by New Mexico, west by Califomia, south by Si· naloa and the gulf, east by Biscay and New M exico. .llir and Climate.-Dt·y, pure, and h ealthy generally, but near the gulf the ground is marshy, and it is, in some of the districts, unhealthy . .ft1incs, Minerals, and Fossils.-On this subject I can only speak in general. Senora abounds in rich gold and silver mines, but m~re espeei~lly the fo~mer, inasmuch as the gold docs not preserve lt: usual exchange with silver in this province. General Salcedo tol .\P P L:~DIX TO PAitT IlL me th,ll in this PI'!)\ incc the l:tl'f;Cst piece of j>lli'C rrold had been fou nd ever yet discov<: t·cd in New Sp~in, and that it had been sent to the kin~ to be put in hi~ cabinet of cu riosities, &c Rivers.- Hio de l'J\ sccncil;n is a short rivet· which entct·s the gulf of Calif'orllia abo11 t the 31 ° ~.latitude. Hio Yarpti heads on the hor clcl's of' lli'lcay and Scnot·a ancl di schal'gcs it:-~e ll' into the gulf of CalitiJrnia at Guy~unas at the 28~ N. latitude. 'J'imbcr, Plains, and Soil.-Thi s province is, like Biscay, destitute of timbet·, but has some rich soil ncar the gulf. Animals.- T here arc deer, c;,d>t·i~,.;, aucl bear; there arc also rcm~ u·kably lat·ge li~arch;, which arc ~ai d to wei ~ h ten pounds, and arc perfectly harmless, tamed by the inhabitants and trained to catch mice. Pojw/ation and C/Ji(:f To'Wns.-Thc population of Senora may be estimated at 200,000 souls, of which three-twentieths probably at·c ::)paniards, four- twenticth!:i Ct·colcs, six-twentieths Mctifs, and llCvcn-twcnticths Indians. Arispea, the capital of Senora, ancl until 20 years past the seat of government of the in tcmal pl'oviuccs, is situated in 3 1° N. latitude and lll0 \V. longitude, neat· the hcud of the river Yaqui. It is celebrated throughout the kingdom fo1· the urbanity and hospitality of its inh abi tant~ and the vast quantity of gold table utensils made use of in theit· houses. Its population is 3,400 souls. Sonol'U and Tercnate arc the next cities in magnitude in the province, the latter to the north and the former t0 the south of the capital. Trade and Commerce.--Senora trades with New Mexico nnd Biscay for the productions of those differ·cnt pmvinces, and with Old Mexico both by land and sea, throu~;h the gulf of California. It is celebrated lor its c heese, horses;, and sheep. Agricultur e.--They cultivate the same as in lliscay. Aborigine,Y.--There are a number of savage nations bordet·ing on Senora, which oblige the king to keep up a number of military posts on the nm·th and western frontiers ; but the names of the tr!bes, or any of theit· distinguished characters, I am unacquainted wuh; however, it may not be impropet• to observe that they are armed with bows, <m·ows, shield and lance, like their· ~avage neighbors. The ci vilizcd Indians arc in the sumc situations as in the other provinces. Government and Laws.-Similar to Discay, the governor be" 19 |