The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 47, July 1943 - April, 1944 Page: 38
456 p. : ill., maps ; 24 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Southwestern Historical Quarterly
entire journey to and from Texas, and it is to his diary that
we are indebted for much information not included in the offi-
cial reports. These five men, with Mier y Teran, made up the
main personnel of the commission; there were added a number
of helpers for camp duty, and a small escort of soldiers.'4
As the appropriation act made no provision for salaries other
than those paid to Berlandier and Chovell, the army officers
depended upon their allowances from the regular army fund;
Mier y Teran received no further stipend beyond that which
he already had as inspector of artillery. Sanchez was designated
as draftsman, but it seems that most of the work of this kind
was done by Mier y Teran.
The equipment gathered for the work of the commission was
elaborate and complete. There is reason to suspect that the delay
of the commission in setting out upon its labors after the ap-
propriation act was passed may have been due to something
more than the treasury deficit which Poinsett mentioned in
his communication to Clay. A list of all the instruments pur-
chased for the commission is not available, but from the various
diaries kept by members of the expedition one is able to ascer-
tain pretty nearly what was taken along and used. References
are made to three types of thermometers, and observations are
recorded in the Centigrade, Fahrenheit, and R6aumur scales.
There was a complete supply of draftsman's tools; telescopes,
compasses, and a sextant and a chronometer were provided;
mention is made of two barometers. Besides several volumes on
the boundary question, many scientific books were taken along;
these were devoted to mineralogy, analytical zoology, astronomy,
animal physiology, surgery, physics, and chemistry. One wagon
was set aside for the books and instruments, and the poor roads
and rough country over which the expedition passed made this
vehicle, while necessary, a most cumbersome appendage.'"
1"Pablo Obregon to Clay, March 19, 1828, Ibid., 45; J. M. Tornel y
Mendivil, Breve Reseiia Historica de la Naci6n Mexicana, 171-172; El
Museo Mexicano, II, 128.
15For correspondence on the preparations for the expedition see Archivo
General de la Secretaria de Relaciones Exteriores, Mexico, Secci6n la,
Cuaderno 2, Limites, correspondence from February, 1826, to February,
1827. In a communication to the Minister of Relations, May 18, 1826, Mier
y Teran said, "To reduce the expenses, I have cut the list of instruments
to a minimum and will use my own tables and surveying equipment, and
will try to borrow some from others."
Separate diaries kept by various members of the commission enable one
to follow the expedition almost day by day. The University of Texas has
recently secured microfilm reproductions of a vast amount of manuscript38
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 47, July 1943 - April, 1944, periodical, 1944; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth146054/m1/42/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.