The Northern Standard. (Clarksville, Tex.), Vol. 1, No. 31, Ed. 1, Thursday, April 13, 1843 Page: 1 of 4
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THE NORTHERN STANDARD.
CHAS. OE MORSE
LONG SHALL OUR BANNER BRAVE THE BREEZE THE STANDARD OF THE FREE.
EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR.
VOL. I.
CLARKSVILLE TEXAS APRIL 13 1843.
NO. 31.
x
m
PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY C. DE MORSE
TERMS:
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T . AGENTS FOR THE STANDARD.
TaXTls G. Whight; P. M. Pine Creek.
Samuel M. Fdltox P. M. Franklin Lamar Co.
JostX R. Cbaddocs Paris Lamar Co.
J. Wfej-W- Staxfield P. M. Hnrrin Ca
JuriBBELToir P. M. Fort Shelton Lamar Co.
R. W. Lie P. M.. Warren Fannin County.
Bailey English P. M Fort English Fannin Co:
D. Rowtxfr P. M Lexington Fannin Co.
3. G. Jouxrr P. M. Ralaigh Fannin Co.
J. J Williams' P. M. De Kalb Bowie Co.
Gen. E. H. Tarrant Bowie Co.
D. N. Alut Dainserfield Paschal county.
A. Sterne P. AL Nacogdoches.
Travis G. Brooks P. IVLf San Augustine.
Jndee Line Crockett Houston County.
T. M. Bacst Houston.
Col. Wit. L. Cazveau Austin Travis County.
A McDonald Hnntsville Montgomery County.
Col. G. T. Wood Liberty.
Jphm Wj Habbisok La-Grange.
B F. loHtsosr Washington.
f m'l B. Brioham Matasbrda.
Dr. James Richet Clarksrille Arkmsas.
CKarlcs Hood Esj. Washington Ark.
L. S. HnceB-roif vicksburg Miss.
James Harrisov Esq St. Louis Missouri.
C. C. Gooding. P. M.. ForToiroa.
Wm. Davenport Caddo Parish Louisiana.
From We New Orleans Picayune.
THAN SANTA F EXPEDITION.
BY OEOROE W. KENDALL.
(Continued.)
Pnpaiations for Ltaving Cerro Gorda-Susplclons
in Relation to Capt. Ochoa. -.General turn-out
at our Departure Our new guard Our opin-
ions of Capt. Ochoa changed Colonel Vclasco's
good conduct Scarcity of Wood in Mexico
Immense number of Horses.
As some little preparation was necessary in the
way of procuring bread studs and other requisites
for our journey it was not until near the middle of
the day on the 12th of December that we took up
the line of march. We had been led to suppose all
along that we were to be taken through Durango;
but as Col Cooke's party had gone by that route we
were crdered to proceed by a more easterly road.
Before our departure nearly ell the officers of our
guard who had accompanied us from Chihuahua
came to take their leave of us. and bade us a kind fare-
well. Ochoa was not among the number and
as he owed several small sums to the Texan officers
money mat he had borrowed along the road for
the first time susspicions of bis integrity were arous
d. These suspicions wre further increased when
thi trumpet sounded an advance and we it ere ordered
to proceed.
.As was invariably the case the entire population
men women and children turned out to take their
leave of us. In the crowd we observed many ofthe
girl we bad seen at the fandango on the previous
evening and they waved their hasds and murmercd
their "a it j caballeros" as we passed them in the
throng. Our new guard was composed of about one
hundred men belonging to Col. Velasro's regiment.
They were tolerably well mounted it being a caval-
ry regiment and is known by the name of the "Fron-
tier Guard of Durango." Their uniform is a blue
jacket and trowserslrimed with red and instead of a
common dragoon cap they all wear a coarse wide-
brimmed wool hat with a plate of tin some two inch-
es in width entirely circling the crown. They rode
n either side of us in regular order and evinced a
degree of discipline far superior to that of the raw
militia who had heretofore accompanied us; but they
ware old soldiers and we argued very favorably as
to oar future treatment; from their politeness and the
many little acts of deference which none but the old-
er soldier shows towards those whom chance may
throw in his power. Throughout our long and tcdi-
cot march we were almost invariably well treated
by thb regular troops while the young and undiscip-
lined recruit and raw militia were overbearing and
unascomodating in their general deportment
We had reached the confines ot the town and
were about striking out into the open country when
errant of Capt Ochoa came riding up in haste
tad delivered a note and small parcel to Mr. Navar-
re. The note was written in Spanish and very
courteously worded and the purport of it was that
Capt Ochoa dared hardly trust bis feelings in bid-
ding us farewell in person. Ho however sent his
best wishes for our health and happiness while upon
theroae.'and bis hopes that we might be speedily
liberated oa reaching the city of Mexico. In the
same note he stated that in the parcel which accom-
panied it would be found the different sums of money
be had borrowed of our officers on the road with a
jrrgret that he had been unable to repay them sooner.
Nothing could have been more delicate or more gen-
(t!emasly than the tenor of this note. The clouds
.which bad been rising over his fair fame were at
.once banished and Capt Ochoa now stood out in the
;kroad clear light of an honorable man and one pos-
jetting the finest feelings of our nature. I know not
whether these remarks may ever meet his eye but if
tney oo ne win see mat ne nas not been lorgot-
ten. .Then being no settlement within some fifteen
league f Cerro Gordo we encamped the first night
in a little mnsqueet valley near a spring of water.
Here the true character nf Col. Velasco began to de-
velope itself. He asked the nmount of beef which
had been given to each ofthe men upon the march
apologised for the quality of that he ordered to be
killed on the occasion said it was the best he could
procure at Cerro Gordo and wound up by assuring
us that so long as we were under his charge we
should have the fattest meat and the best bread that
could be obtained on the route and as much as we
wished tor. Generally sppaktnjr the character -and
disposition ot a man may be read from his counten
ance; but in this instance we were all mistaken. It
may have been however that the large whiskers
and mustaehios of Col Vrlasco completely hid. all
tho better qualities of his mind as reflected in his face
for unprepossessing as was his countenance we ever
found him a kind-hearted gentlemanly officer and
disposed to grant us every indulgence in his'pow-
er. On our first day's journey from Cerro Gordo we
passed a large number of horses and mules herded
on either side of the road in very small droves
not exceeding forty or fifty in each trans. The pas
turage as far as the eye could reach was excellent;
with no other trees than an occasional "musqueet not
much higher than a common thorn bush. And here
I might mention a fact which may not generally be
known to the mass of my readers. Those at all con
versant with Mexico know that it is far from being a
wooded country:' but few are aware of the extreme
sparsily of trees to be seen while traveling through
it. "I have seen more trees in one day's travel in the
TT:..J u.. .1 j. r.i .L-i
uuucu oiaic3 man during ajouTiey oi wree mo mm
through Mexico. In fact every tree met. with on the
route between Srn'a Fe and the city of Mexico
with the exception of those whi -h have been planted
by the inhabitants could be set upon twenty square
miles in the United States and find a sufficiency of
room to grow. The tops'of some of the mountains
are partially covereJ with slanted oaks cedars and
pines and from these the pobrer classes and Indians
make charcoal which ever finds a ready sale in the
Marge towns and cities. They have no othrr use for
it than to cook their food fire-places being nearly
unknown after getting as far south as Zacatecas I
do not recollect seeing such a thing'as a chimney in
the city of Mexico and iu fact the climate is such
there is no necessity for them.
We ivere told by some of "our guard that thofpoke of the watch to her fjth?r who very delicately
horses we met during the day all belonged to a sin
pie hacienda we should reach on the ensuing night.
The Mexicans told stories that appeared almost in-
i:li- : .! ... .t. ... . j t
Qicuiuie iu relation to ine iormer prosperity ana ricn-
ness of'this hacienda and? the immense number of
horses and mules owned at onetime by its proprietor.
They even went so far as to say. that al a period but
a short time prior to the revolution no less than" A cc
hundred thousand horses were in the possession ot
the lady who at that date owned the hacienda.
Whether their story was true -or false lam unable
to say; but however incredible it may appear the
story is robbed of much of its extravagance when it is
stated that her possessions extend for some fifty miles
on either side of the road.
More Horses Immense Wealth of the Propri-
etress of the Hacienda An Anecdote Cheap-
ness of Horses in Mexico More of Col. Velas-
cos good conduct The Palo Chino El Gallo
A Fandango Guadaloupe Arrived at Cuen-
came A Watch Trade. Sec:
On our second day's journey from Cerro Gordo
although we travelled somo twenty-five miles we
were constantlyin eight of droves of horses. They
were generally in droves of about fifty each gang
herdt-d by a single Mexican whose only business it
was to see that none of them strayed away. To
wards nightfall wc reached a large hacienda by the
roadside an estateowned by the mistress of the im
mense tract upon which the horses were pastured.
She is avidow lady; and although comparatively
poor when the immense wealth of some of the form
er proprietors is taken into consideration is still the
owner of fifty thousand horses and mules large
herds of cattle and sheep immense fields of corn and
wheat end has several thousand peons at her different
haciendas
To show the immense wealth of one of the form-
er proprietors of this estatp who like the present
was a widow lady I will relate one little anecdote
told at the time we were there. At a period but a
short time provious to that revolution which resulted
in the separation of Mexico from Spain and while
the estate I have just alluded to was at the zenith of
its prosperity a regiment of dragoons arrived from
Spain and landed at Tarapico. This regiment was
one thousand strong and or course did not bring their
horses with them. The colonel of the regiment
happening to be a friend of the family of the wealthy
proprietress and well known to her deceased litis
band she immediately sent bim one thousand white
horses as a present for the use of his regiment
There was hardly a month's diflerence in the nge of
these horses and every one of them had been raised
upon her eatate. While we were there a number of
horses were brought to our encampment to sell and
two or three were disposed of at prices ranging from
seven to ten dollars horses that would readily com
mand from sixty to eighty dollars In the United
States. A very well made and showy bay of fine
action and not mote than five years old was oftvred
for twenty five dollars. I am confident he would
sell for two hundred dollars here hard as the times
are.
While at this hacienda we had still farther reason
to admire the conduct of Col. Vtlaseo Calling the
officers and merchants together amounting to some
eighteen or twenty he told us that lie bad every con-
fidence in our words and that while we were" irfhis
charge we should be permitted to go where we pleas-
ed on our parole of honor. No guard wa to ac-
company us the only exaction he made and even
that was in the shape of a request was that we thould
all be in attendance every morning when the trum-
pet sounded an advance. From this time we en-
joyed the greatest liberty could stop t aayfonde
or tavern we might select upon the road and our
time really passed pleasantly enough while in the
hands of Col. Velasco.
On the 14th of December we passed the Palo Chi-
no and encamped within a few miles of it and en the
ensuing evening we racbed the small village of El
Gallo. At this place a fandango was given at the
house of the alcalde which we attended; and had a
spectapor been present and seen the Texan officers
dancing and waltzing with the Mexican .senoras he
never could have suspected that we were prisoners.
At this place is a deep and clear natural well of warm
f L ? L -1 - . IT I T i1.
water uoiu wmen lucenureirmn issuppncu. lihc
our negroes the Mexicans can carry immense load-
upon their heads and streams of girls were seen pas
sing to and from the well ot El Gallo at all times
carrying large jars upon their heads with tha great
est steadiness not spilling a drop even though the
jars were filled to the brim.
The night of the 16th of Decembe we spent at a
poor ranchc the name of which I haveforgotton
the next afternoon we reached the very wealthy ha-
cienda of Dolores where we found every comfort
The night of the IStb we passed at the hacienda of
uuiuaioupc witnoutany inciaeni wonny oi note oc-
curring. On the 20th we reached Cuencame the
largest town we had yet seen with the exception of
1 r.ifo and Chihuahua- Here three or lour ot us
uere invited to spend the lime we were to remain at
the house of a Spanish merchant'of the place "by
whom we were treated with the greatest kindness
and respect Some of our .officers not liking the
quarters provided for tbem hired rooms in the town
for the two nights we were to spend there and during
the day wc roamed about the place visiting the
churches cock-pits and iic.das or stores with which
it abounds.
While hf.TP. wi Ipnrned with rfrret that Col. Vp.
Masco was to leave ut the jurisdiction of tho State of
uurango cxirnaing no iariner ana nis men Dcing re-
quired upon the northern frontier. We knew how-
ever that his influence would have considerable et-
feci upon the officer who was to take us on as far as
Zacatecas and this fact partially consoled us far" the
loss of one who had ever acted toward us with kind-
ness and condescension.
The gentleman with whom 1 was quartered had
two or three daughters one cf whom saw my gold
watch which I had lett exposed upon a table in our
sleeping apartment the next morning after reaching
Cuencame. It was a pretty watch enough to look
atallhougha horseblock would have kept jns't ns
good time I having injured it by my fall before leav
ing Texas. Tho girl took a fancy to it however
hinted to Mr. Van Ness ihnt he would like to pur
chase it for her sake. This 1 knew nothing about at
the time the Spaniard only asking ass through a
third person if I would have the goodness to dispose
of the-article. I informed him that I did not wish to
sell it; but that he might have it for one hundred dol
lars it he was extremelyd-sirous to purchas. I had
carried it for years and only made this proposition to
accommodate tuy host He appeared to jump at the
offer and b-fore I had time even to think of it he
was counting the money over to me. Considering
the injury the watch had sustained the price was far
above its intrinsic worth; still I was extremely loth to
part with it. It had betn my companion as I have
above stated fur several years; I had carried it thou-
sands and thousands of miles and had succeeded in
saving it from the hands of the rascal Silezir.
Had I supposed for one moment that the man woulJ
have paid the nmount asked him I never :hould
have set a price for it As it was I could not retract;
and the next morning I saw the watch gracing- the
girdle or ia benonu Juana
Our neic Commanlanle R:asnntfor his Dislike of
me lexans Lrucncamc breid Uur 1eparlure
from thai place Long and Tiresome Marches
Capt Roblando and the Alcalde Chislmas at
San Sebastian An Adccnlure there.
The rrorning alter we reached Cuencame Col
Velasco called us together and took his leave at the
same time introducing the commandanle of our new
gtnrd Capt Roblando. The latter had a face even
more sinister in its expression than that of Col. V.
and in this instance the actious of the man did not be-
lie his looks. He had been many years in the Mex-
ican service possessed naturally a sour and morose
disposition and what rendered him more particular
ly illiberal towards the Texins was the fact of his
having received a severe wound from one of Col
Jordan's men in the celebrated retreat of the latter
from Saltillo after having been treacherously betray-
.ed into the hands of the Centralists by the Federal
Gene'al Canales. In the retreat of Jordan Robla-
do commanded a company of dragoons out to
cut him off. At a sing'e fire from the men ofthe
former amounting to but little over one hundred
some fifty or sixty Mexicans were tumbled dead from
their horses Rub lad o at the same time receiving a
wound m the leg which crippled him for life. Al-
though Col. Velasco his superior in rank and stand-
ing had ordered him to treat us with every civility
which order he obeyed to a certain extent it was in
variably with a spirit of reluctance.
The bread of Cuencame is noted throughout Mex-
ico for its whiteness and sweetness and probably a
belter article is not made in the wide world. Of this
Col. Velasco ordered n large quantity for our use
nn the road and he also o'de-ei the fattest oxen to be
purchas'-d and killed on the journey. This was the
man we bad supposed a tiger in disposition until his
action proved him a liberal mild and courteous of-
ficer. Every preparation having at length been com pie
ted we left Cuencame en the morning of the 22nd
December. We spent the first night at a poorranche
by the roadside anil the next evening reached the
hacirr.da of Juan Perez. An American physician
a resident of Durango had accompanied us the first
day's march from Cuencame. He could give us no
other information in relation to Col. Cooke's party
than that they had been tolerably well treated on the
route they had taken.
After ajong and extremely fatiguing march over
a ntavelly anil stony road we reached a poor village
late on tbp afternoon of the 21th December Many
of our men were very footsore and completely tired
out with the long march so much so that they de-
dared themselves really unable to pursue the journey
en foot oa the ensuing day. To allow them a day's
rest was deemed utterly impossible by Roblado and
he immediately sent an order for the alcalde W ap-
pear befotehim and state what number of jscKasses
he could procure for the men to ride The alcalde
told the captain the place was extremely poor and
ihat he could not furnish more than ten of the anim-
als required.
"I am a man of few words" replied Captain Rob-
lado. "I want one hundred jackasses for the men io
ride to-morrow. If they are not here by six o'clock
in the morning I'll raakea iackass of vou.'Scnor-Al-
calde pack you with the heaviest man in the crowd
ana make you carry him to San Sebastian."
"Si Scnor." said tho crin?in?r and frightened al
calde and the next morning the requisite number of
aoimais were on tne spot in readiness. Here' was
another instance of the supremecy the military pow-
er exerts over the civil in Mexico. Not a cent was
paid the poor owners ofthe animals for services thus
pressed and "Roblado manifested as. little compunc
tion on the occasion as a bear would while 'robbing a
bee-hive. I will not give the man credit for having
thus mounted our men from feelings of humanity
believing him to have bem actuated by no other mo-
tive than that of bringing us along as fast as possible.
He very well knew the nrioner; ennld not m.il-p
n long day's march in the condition they were then
in and therefore forced.the alcalde to help them
along.
A tourney of some thirty-five miles brought us to
c e-L .- j- . i- . . a . .
au ocudnian a amy. miserable lime town contain
ing not more than five hundred inhabitants. The
place is located in a sterile vallev. amid barren hills.
the only vegetation appearing upon their sides being
a few stuntrd prickly" pears and thornhushes. How
toe inhabitants obtain a living is a perfect mystery; in
fact they do not more than half live. Their little ho-
velsare built of small stones and mud without doors
or windows they have neither chairs nor beds nor
in fact furniture of any kind and to sum up are in-
finitely worss off" than Chocktaw or Cherokee Indi-
ans not only as regards clothing and food but habita-
tions and the absolute necessaries of life.
It was on Christinas day that we reached San Se-
bastian and any thing but "a merry Christmas" did
we spend in the miserable hole. Many of us had in-
tended to "keep" the day and night something after
the manner of our country but wc could not procure
tggs and milk enough in the town to manufacture ev-
en a tumbler of egg-nog. We were therefore com
pelled to make our Christmas dinner off" a piece of
oeei .roasted on a stick with no other than bread and
water accompaniments.
While roaming about the town after nightfall in
company with one of our officers and enquiring for
iiiiik ana eggs. ot every man wovan and child we
met we at length encountered a rouple of half dress-
ed girls standing within a few steps of one of the
housrs. We stopped and were about to ask them if
they had the article we were in search of for sale.
when they st up a terrible scream and scampered in-
to the hovel as though frightened to death. Some
half dozen starved curs issued from the door and com-
menced yelping at us and this appeared to be the sig-
nal for every dog in town to join inthe choru..
There was no laikof sizeable "throwing" stones in
the icinity and I am induced to believe that several
of the barking whelps had strong reasons or regret-
ting that they hal attacked us before we had entirely
done with them.
On returning to our quarters.some half hourafier-
wards wc found that a portentous complaint had al-
ready been entered against us by some relative or
friend of the frightened girls. We explained the
whole affair to Cnpt Roblado told him our errand
and that we had given the girls no cause for the terri-
ble fright and stampede they bad taken and here the
matter rested. We soon after retired to our blankets
upon the hard earth floor and thus ended our Christ-
mas frolic in Sin Sebastian.
From the New Orleans Tropic.
COTTON CULTURE IN INDIA.
No. IV.
In the last number I confined my remarks to the
experiment as tried on a large and practical scale.
the results of which arc the only satisfactory data
from which may bo drawn rational conclusions as to
the practicability of making India an extensive cot-
ton growing country. The trial has never before
been made under circumstances to sr.nsly the minds
ofthe curious and interested. Hasty deductions
have been drawn f om partial results and these have
been given publicity as well as established facts
which have led those who really desire information
on the subject into error and a general misappiehen-
sion of the whole matter. The opinions that have
gained currency on this subject have been based up
on the information published at dinerent times by
roe of the Americans who has had the superinten
dence of the experiment in Bengal. Upon what
grounds this information rets I confess I ant wholly
unacquainted; all that I have seen appearstobean
extravagant description of n hat the writer anticipates
and not the results of actual experiment These
statements. from this source appearstill more extraor
dinary to me because I have been in correspondence
with the person in question ana nis co-operators ana
all the information 1 hjte ever received from this
quarter and I believe I have had the results of the
experiments tried in Bengal contradicts most une-
quivocally the statements that have been published.
One thing is certain the success so mucn spoKen ot
and hoped for has never as yet transpired and there-
suits have never been shown. The only Results of
the trial in Bengal I have ever seen published was
an account of I think fourteen bales of cotton rais
ed by Mr. Finme. Those who exatnined-it thought
it was a good staple of native cotloii but were much
astonished u hen informed that it was the product of
the American seed and culture so much in one year
had it degenerated. These representations then
since they have no foundation in fact I take for grant-
ed are the offspring of some other cause than the
conviction that any foreign cotton can never be intro-
duced and grown to advantage in India.
Anothei source of error on this questton has been
the nature and partial success of the experiments that
have been tried at different times; but even the most
complete success under the circumstances that mark-
ed the conduct of these experiments would be nocri-
terion bv which to judge ofthe practicability of grow
ing the same article on a largt scale. The force of
this remark will be more clearly seen when the re
sultsjof the experiment spoken of in the last num
bfrire placed in contrast -vith thc of a grander ev
periraent tried at the same time an account of which
I will give in this number. All the experiments
that have been heretofore tried hv th r:t .
have been little else than tests of the possibility of
bringing to maturity underthe ntMr..nnii.;.
mostiavorah! rir.
curaetances certain exolic cottons. The attention
given to the culture of thenlnnr mnM t.
sedby the fosteriog care of nnr.r w. i.-!Z
that by artificial means and the most careful attention.
exotic plants may be introduced and brought to ma-
turity in the most ungenkl and forbidding climates:
but no one possessed of reason would for a moment
suppose that because a plant may be reared in a hot-
house it can be introduced into the country as a
growth of general use or that it can be made the sta-
pie production of the countrv. AnH ttnn;.:n.
. fli n...:...i. .i .- ' . -. J " "'" "i"""""
- . a...i.u1ajroX:ngiana relative to the culture
of cotton in India appear to be still more extravagant
and absurd than the case I have supposed forwith
all the care and atuation that can be bestowed upon
the foreign cottons it has-been attempted to introduce
into the country they have never been produced in
the same perfection that they are in tkeir native or
more genial climates.
In addition to the experiments a full account of
which I hare already given another attempt was
made to grow the American serd. undpr mnr c.--
able circumstances and on a smaller scale. In a gar-
den attached to the residence occupied by the Amer-
icans was placed a small quantity of American and
Sea Island seed. The results here were decidedly
more flattering. This garden was planted simultan-
eously with tbe fields the soil however was in a"
much better condition having been cultivated durinjj
the dry season as a garden and constantly irrigated
it yielded most beautifully to the operation of the
plough. Much attention had been giren. as is usual
with garden spots to secure it againthe influence
of the rains by filling up the low places and by dig-
ging ditches to carry off the superabundance of rain
water. With these advantages the plant was well
guardVJ against the prejudicial effects of the violent
rains the cultivation was most complete and the
growth of the cotton was rich and luxuriant so
much so as to be a disadvantage for the expansion of
the plant was so rapid that it consumed an undue pro-
portion of the substance a goodly share of which
was necessary to the proper development of thebolls.
The continued wet weather had the efTectto make the
plant shed its forms and so thick and umbrageous
was its foliage that many of the juicy pods rolled be-
fore coming to maturity. With these advantages
the plants grew fa-rly throughout the whole monsoon
and w hen the rain3 ceased the branches were sufri-
ciently extended to shield the earth's surface against
the scorching heat thereby preserving its moisture
and obviating the blighting'efiects experienced by the
cottons in the fields from the same cause. Another
advantage this cotton had wasa timely resort toirri;
gation which fiora the nature of the country can
never be practised on a large scale. This spot hav-
ing received great attention from those who had tilled
it as a garden was found more cultivable than the
fields and received every advantage of .the most ap-
proved cultivation. Notwithstanding all the advan-
tages under which this experiment had been conduct-
ed and the apparent success of the trial the cotton
yielded was found to have degenerated and was in-
ferior in quality to the same article produced in Amer-
ica. As this plant advanced to maturity a hidden
and unlooked for enemy was discovered. In almost
every boll with scarcely a solitary exception had
generated a small worm which destroyed; generally
from a third to a half and sometimes the wholo
boll.
At the same time and under the same cireuraslan-
ccs were planted a few rows of Sea Island seed the
results were precisely the same except that the Sea
lsianu was mucn inter coining to maturity.
From the partial success of this gardtn experi-
ment have originated some of the accounts favorable
to the opinion that cotton will at some time be pro-
duced in abundance in India. Any comment on an
opinion resting on such grounds is unnecessary the
factsspeak for themselves and produce the most satis-
factory refutation.
All that I have said of the cotton experiment tried
in the year 1841 under the superintendance of the
American planters lias been relative to thai tried in
the Bombay Presidency. At the same time and un-
derthe same auspices the attempt was made to intro-
duce the American seed and mode of cultivation into
Madras and Bengal. Tbe trial in Madras was made
in thedistrictof Coimbatoon. The result? as I have
seen described in a letterfrom one of the party who
superintended the conduct of the experiment w era
precisely the same as those that happened in Bombay.
The information that we have from Bengal is more
equivocal and less sttisfaclory. But irom all tha' I
have seen from the most credible sources by private
correspondence I am induced to believe that the ex-
periment in Bengal has not been more successful than
in the other Presidencies. The plan of operations
was more extensive and the circumstances more fa-
vorable having warmly received the approbation and
favor of Lord Aukland then Governor General of
India. These experiments were tried in the upper
provinces principally on the banks of the Jumna
and contiguous districts.
I have now given a statement of the important
and leading facts in connection with this coUon
scheme thai has excited so much interest in different
parts of the world. This paper has grown to too
great a length to enter into a separate discussion of
any of these points to which I have alluded which
do not satisfactorily appear in this naralive but
which have a most important bearing in the issue of
this question.
From what has already been said it will appear
that thechief causes of the failure of this experiment
have been the exhausted condition ofthe soil and the
violence of the climate. Some parts of India are as-
tonishingly fertile when we consider the length of
time and the manner in which it has been cultivated.
None are more so than the plains of Guzeratbut this
soil as has been shown by repeated experiments is
not only unfavorable but inimical to all exotic cotton.
By far however the larger portion of the peninsula
is completely exhausted and unproductive scarcely
yielding a subsistence to the cultivator. Were ibis
the only obstacle time and industry might remove it
But it scarcely merits considerntion rrh'n e ccntcm
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De Morse, Charles. The Northern Standard. (Clarksville, Tex.), Vol. 1, No. 31, Ed. 1, Thursday, April 13, 1843, newspaper, April 13, 1843; Clarksville, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth80481/m1/1/: accessed May 2, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History.