Page:Mexico in 1827 Vol 1.djvu/591

Rh From Rosario to Mazatlan, the distance is twenty-five leagues: there is nothing worthy of attention upon the road, except the Presidio of Mazatlan, which is a large square, surrounded by merchants' houses, and about thirty or forty Indian dwellings. It is the residence of the Collector of the Customs, and his attendant officers, as well as of the Commandant of Cinaloa. The climate and water are very good, the Presidio being considerably elevated above the port, from which it is distant nine leagues. There were several English residents in 1826, the principal of whom were a Mr. Hoskins and a Mr, Short.

The port of Mazatlan is by no means a safe one, having many dangerous shoals and islands at the entrance. There were, however, two East India merchantmen in it when we arrived, with several small schooners, which trade along the coast, and a brig bound to the Sandwich Islands. One of the India ships was the Merope, Captain Parkins, who treated us with much politeness; the other belonged to Fletes and Co., commanded by Captain Wyley. The town, which is a miserable place, consists of about one hundred houses, or huts; built of poles, and sticks, plaited and tied together, and covered with plantain leaves and dried grass: it forms a half circle round a small bay, about one mile above where the vessels lie. It has no fortifications or defence, except the shoals and rocks, with which nature has provided it. The morning that we went on board the schooner to go to sea, one of the boat's crew put his hand down on a shoal and brought up an oyster, out of which we took five small pearls of a very good colour and shape.

We sailed from Mazatlan on the morning of the 22d January, and arrived at Guaymas on the evening of the 6th February, after a very tedious passage, with continued head-winds, and calms. This voyage is generally performed in eight days. While sailing up the Gulf, we had to cross continually in beating from one side to the other; and had a fine opportunity of seeing nearly the whole of the California coast, and its islands, which are very bold and romantic. Mr. Hardy had the best charts he could procure, but we made some very considerable corrections in the situation of many of the islands, which, however, would be of little importance to the navigator on account