Notes on Books. The Chronicles of Milwaukee; being a Narrative History of the Town from its earliest period to the present. By A. C. Wheeler. Milwaukee: Jerman & Brightman, 1861. 12mo, 303 pp. THIS is a very gossipy sketchy volume, giving in a pleasing form the most material facts in the history of this western city, whose name has figured indeed on maps, and been known to civilized ears since the days of Marquette; but which can date back, even as a traders' post scarcely beyond 1818, and as a settlement not beyond 1835. Memoirs of Samuel Smith, a soldier of the Revolution, 1776-1786. Written by himself; with a Preface and Notes, by Charles I. Bushnell. New York: Privately printed, 1860. 41 pp. THIS simple record of a private soldier, who reached a very advanced age, is here presented in handsome form with notes, by Mr. Bushnell, who appends, as one of the illustrations, an engraving of a very rare Dutch medal, on the retreat of the American army from Rhode Island. Seventh Annual Report of the State Commissioner of Common Schools to the Governor of the State of Ohio. For the year ending August 31, 1860. Columbus: 1861. Flushing-Past and Present. An Historical Sketch. By Rev. G. H. Mandeville. Flushing, 1860. 24mo, 180 pp. THIS attractive little volume of Long Island local history begins sadly with the statement of the loss of early documents of the town. An immense number of the papers of the various towns on Long Island and in other old portions of the State have been lost and are going to destruction daily; and we trust that before it is too late some State action will provide for the removal of archives to some general county depository. As Flushing was incorporated as early as 1645, and has consequently passed its second centennial, its archives, had they remained, would be of great interest in our early history. Mr. Mandeville has used all the material that has escaped the ravages of time, and has produced a most interesting little volume. A few inaccuracies meet our eye; but the work, in general, bears marks of care and diligence, no less than well-ordered arrangement. Notes on the State of Sonora. By Charles P. Manual of the Corporation of the City of New York, 1861. D. T. Valentine. New York, 1861. 12mo, 700 pp. THAT some idea of what this manual has grown to, we may state in addition, that it contains some seventy steel and lithographic illustrations, four maps, and several fac-similes. THE great question of proper education is here discussed, and the evil tendency of crowding and cramming, shown. After all, is not the result expected of a common-school training this: that the pupil shall be able to read correctly and intelligently; to write a letter on business or mere civility without errors of grammar or orthography, in a neat hand; and to make such calcula- The matter at the end of the volume, purely tions as are required in every-day life? Certainly historical, amounts to nearly two hundred pages, the school that effects this satisfies parents; and and embraces an account of the Early Architecno school that fails to do it, no matter how much ture of the city; the General Laws of New Amscientific knowledge it has afforded in a smatter-sterdam; sketches of Mayors Duane, Varick, ing way, will do justice to the pupil. The evil is the greater, inasmuch as State schools have now to a great degree crushed private academies. The public schools are no longer schools for the children of the needy; the education they afford is no longer like the food doled out by the almshouse, a charity to the poor. The State has to a considerable extent monopolized teaching. If, then, a system of education is adopted and enforced, which does not produce the required result, that system becomes a curse, and not a blessing. Livingston, Clinton, Willett, Radcliff, with portraits; a sketch of the de Peyster family, with portraits and other illustrations; old Dutch Deeds; the Conquest from the Dutch; Trinity Churchyard, by Hon. F. R. Tillou; the Murder of Miss Sands; the Celebration of the Laying of the Atlantic Telegraph, with copious illustrations; Old Buildings in William-street; List of Marriages in the Dutch Church Records; Ordinances of the Director-General of New Netherland; the Great Fires of New York; a Certificate of Character, in 1660; and Slavery in New York. Few Histor ical Societies send out a volume containing more, or more important matter than this, and the volumes of the "Manual" contain more matter relative to the history of the city than the "Collections of the New York Historical Society" do for the whole State. Mr. Valentine is in himself one of our most valuable historical societies, and no one can pretend to write a history of the city without this collection. It is creditable to the city that she thus annually saves from destruction so much tending to illustrate our early history. Miscellany. HON. JOHN MOLEAN, the oldest of the nine justices of the Supreme Court of the United States, died at his residence in Cincinnati, Ohio, April 3. 1830, and has performed the duties of that station for a period of thirty-one years. In his social relations he was beloved and esteemed, and was prominent in all the benevolent movements of the Methodist Church, to which he belonged. We invite attention to the very curious and interesting contributions in this number from Buckingham Smith, Esq., former secretary of legation of the United States in Spain, being no less than the will of the great Adelantado Don Hernando de Soto, giving all the possessions he might leave, in part to found a mortuary chapel and obits for himself, his wife, and parents, and in part to give marriage portions to poor girls of noble families, the de Sotos to the fifth degree of kindred to be preferred. He wished to lie in a chapel of "Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception," and strangely enough was deposited in the great river which more than a century afterwards received the name of Immaculate Conception, from Father Marquette. In this number we begin also the Diary of Dr. Waldo, begun just before the army went into winter-quarters at Valley Forge, and giving an account of the surprise intended by the English at Whitemarsh, but defeated by Lydia Darragh. This paper was read before the Rhode Island Historical Society, by Amos Perry, Esq., to whom we are indebted for it. He was the son of an Irish weaver, and was born in Morris county, New Jersey, March 11, 1785; and while yet a youth his father moved to the then almost unsettled backwoods of Ohio. After such education as the resources of that region afforded, he began life for himself in Cincinnati. Choosing the law for his profession, and obtaining employment in the office of the clerk of Hamilton county, he found time to pursue his THE Hakluyt Society of London, has just studies under the direction of Arthur St. Clair, a printed as its yearly volume, a work of considerprominent counsellor and son of the Revolution-able interest to all Americans, but of special ary general of the same name. In 1807, young interest to New Yorkers. The title of the volume McLean was admitted to the bar, and commenced is, "Henry Hudson, the Navigator. The origipractice at Lebanon, Ohio, having just previously nal manuscript in which his career is recorded, married Rebecca, daughter of Dr. Edwards, of corrected, partly translated, and annotated, with South Carolina. an introduction." THE History of Haverhill, Massachusetts, from its first settlement, in 1640, to the year 1860; the whole interspersed with numerous incidents, anecdotes, biographical and genealogical notes, and embellished with maps, portraits, views of ancient and modern residences, &c., by George Wingate Chase, is ready for the press, and will soon appear. In October, 1812, he became a candidate for Congress, and was elected by a large majority. In 1814 he was again elected to Congress by a nearly unanimous vote-a circumstance of rare occurrence; and remained a Member of the House of Representatives until 1816, when the Legislature of Ohio, having elected him judge of the Supreme Court of the State, he resigned his seat in Congress at the close of the session. He remained six years upon the bench of the Supreme Court, and attained an enviable position as a sound and able jurist. In 1822 he was appointed commissioner of the general land office by President Monroe; and in 1823 he became postmaster-general, both of which offices he filled with ability. In the year 1829 he was appointed by President Jackson, a justice of the United States Supreme ERRATA. In the number for April, 1861, page Court, after he had refused the offer of the war 119, column 1, line 6 from the bottom, for Perand navy departments. He entered upon the mits, read Pennies; and page 115, column 1 discharge of his duties at the January term of | line 16, for Brick, read Breck. CHARLES SCRIBNER announces a new revised edition of the "Cyclopædia of American Literature," by Messrs. Evert A., and Geo. L. Duyckinck, with a supplement bringing it down to the present year. VOL. V.] THE HISTORICAL MAGAZINE. General Department. NOTES ON THE STATE OF SONORA. BY CHARLES P. STONE. JUNE, 1861. [No. 6. hundreds of miles above its mouth. 2d. The river Yaqui, which, rising in the northeastern part of the State, flows nearly the whole length of it from north to south, receives, among others, the waters of the river Mulatos, and empties into the sea some twenty-five miles south of Guaymas. 3d. The Fuerte, forming the southern boundary. 4th. The Mayo, the course of which lies between those of the Fuerte and the Yaqui, where it turns west. 5th. The river Sonora, which rises in the north of the State, east of the middle meridian, flows southerly as far as Ures, the capital, and then turns westerly past Hermosillo, towards the sea (receiving in its course the little river San Miguel), which, however, it never reaches, its waters being appropriated for irrigation along its whole course, and those which escape this use being lost in the sand-plains near the coast. 6th. The river San Ignacio, which rises near the northern boundary and the middle meridian, flows south to La Magdalena, and thence westerly past Altar, to sink in the sand-plains of the coast, having first received the waters of the river of Altar, an intermittent stream. The river Santa Cruz, which rises in American territory, flows south, west, and northwest, reentering our territory after a course of some fifty miles in Sonora. The northern boundary line commences on the west, at the point of the Colorado river, twenty miles below the mouth of the Gila river, lat. 32° 29' 44.45" N., long. 114° 48′ 44.53" W., and runs on a great circle of the earth, southeasterly to the intersection of 31 deg. 20 min. north, and the 111th meridian of longitude west of Greenwich; thence it follows the parallel 31 deg. 30 min., east, to near meridian 108 deg. west; thence the boundary line runs north to parallel 31 deg. 47 min., when it again turns east, following that course to the summit of the great chain which is the The face of the country presents every possible limit between Sonora and Chihuahua. The east-diversity of appearance and formation. Along ern boundary line, has never been exactly determined on the ground by the Mexican government; but it is to be marked along the crest of the Cordillera, which runs nearly south, with occasional deflections from a right line. The uncertainty which exists as to the exact course of the eastern boundary, makes it extremely difficult to make a calculation of the area of the State. But as nearly as I can at present estimate, it seems to be about eighty thousand square miles, all included between the parallels 26 degrees and 32 degrees north latitude. The State is washed, along its western boundary for more than 500 miles, by the waters of the Sea of Cortes; and has the advantage of many large and many small rivers: 1st. The Colorado of the West, which forms a portion of the western boundary, and is navigable for small steamers the coast, from the Colorado to the island of Tiburon, are found vast plains of barren sand, broken only by the isolated short ranges of volcanic hills. Proceeding along the coast to the south, spurs from the interior ranges of mountains jut out into the sea, and make a rock-bound coast until you pass below Guaymas, when the eye rests with pleasure on the broad and fertile valleys of the Yaqui and the Mayo rivers, backed by the great mountain mass of the Cordillera in the distance. In traversing the interior, one is surprised in passing through long tracts of desert, that there can be a country so sterile and utterly unproductive; and the next hour, is astonished at the wonderful beauty and fertility of some broad and wellwatered valley, which is entered. The foreigner will find himself wondering at the luxuriant crops produced by the imperfect cultivation in use there, and at the broad leagues of excellent lands left uncultivated for want of a little outlay of labor in clearing them and supplying them with the necessary irrigation. It would be hard to find, in any quarter of the globe, more worthless or barren and unreclaimable land than some along the northwestern coast, and it would be impossible to find more productive and beautiful agricultural lands than those along the rivers of the south, centre, and east of the State, or richer pasturage, for millions of cattle, than is afforded by the foot-hills of the sierras, and the rolling hills and plains of the centre and northeast of Sonora. Notwithstanding the great extent of sea-coast, the State has but one good port, capable of receiving shipping of all classes, in any important number. This is the port of Guaymas, situated in lat. 27 deg. 55 min. 34.46 sec. N., lon. 110 deg. 56 min. 4 sec. W. of Greenwich. This port is perfectly landlocked, has a safe and deep entrance, affording at low tide five fathoms of water, and is sufficiently spacious to meet the requirements of a first-class commercial town. The port is divided into what are called the inner and the outer harbor, the first being used by all vessels drawing less than seventeen feet of water, the latter affording good and safe anchorage for ships drawing from four to five fathoms. A good supply of back-water is furnished by the large but shallow bay of Old Guaymas, which discharges, at each ebb-tide, a strong current through the outer harbor. Near the mouth of the river Mayo, is the port of Santa Cruz, an open roadstead, where vessels sometimes discharge cargo. It is not a harbor. Between the Mayo and Fuerte rivers, there is a small harbor, in what is called the Bay of Ajiobampo; it is perfectly landlocked, and has deep water and good holding-ground; but the entrance is crooked, and on the bar, it has, at low tide, only 2 fathoms of water. A few miles northwest of Guaymas, there is an excellent harbor, perfectly landlocked, and affording entrance and protection to vessels of the largest class; but it is very small, and cannot shelter more than three or four large ships at a time, if swinging at their anchors. What is called the harbor of Lobos, north of the island of Tiburon, affords shelter in one part from northerly, and in another from southerly winds; but in no part of the so-called harbor, is a vessel safe from all winds. The same remark applies to the "Bay of Pinicate," called on the English charts "Adair Bay," near the mouth of the Colorado river; but the anchorage is bad, the bottom being rocky in many places, and there is no protection from westerly winds. This bay has the additional disadvantage of the want of a bold shore; and as tides sometimes rise twenty odd feet above low-water mark, vessels are obliged to anchor at a great distance from the dry landing. Guaymas must therefore always remain the port of Sonora, for all foreign commerce: and through it must pass all imports destined for that State, and the territory of Arizona on the north. The principal towns and cities in Sonora, are Hermosillo, Ures, Alamos, Guaymas, Altar, La Magdalena, and Arispe. Hermosillo, The first in population and present commercial importance, was originally established as a military station, under the name of the "Presidio of Pitic." Afterwards it became a pueblo, under the same name, and then was declared a ciudad, or city, under the present name. The population was estimated to be 5000 at the time of Iturbide's government (1822), and in 1840 it was estimated at 13,000, including domesticated Indians. In 1850, Velasco estimated it at 15,000; but from the best sources of information within my reach, while there in 1858-'9, I am inclined to think he overestimated it; for, although the population has undoubtedly diminished, it has not done so with such rapidity as to reduce it to its present number, which I think does not exceed 11,000 souls, including the resident Indians. The city is pleasantly situated on the north bank of the Sonora river, at a point nearly north of Guaymas harbor, and about one hundred miles distant from it. It contains but few public buildings, and these are not large or handsome; but many of the dwelling-houses are spacious, handsomely built, and richly furnished. Many of the private dwellings of the richer class have gardens and vineyards of several acres in extent attached to them, producing, in their season, abundance of figs, pomegranates, oranges, lemons, melons, and grapes. The surplus water of the river is skilfully turned through the town in small canals, furnishing an abundant supply of water for domestic purposes, and for irrigating the gardens, orchards, and vineyards, as well as the numerous grain-fields on the outskirts of the city. The climate is healthful; and agreeable, excepting during the months of July and August, when, during the day, the heat is excessive; the thermometer sometimes ranging as high as 95 or 100 deg. Farh.; but even in those months, the nights are cool and agreeable, as the sea-breeze from the gulf invariably sets in when the sun goes down. Hermosillo receives annually from abroad, through the port of Guaymas, about two millions of dollars' worth of foreign goods, which are sold thence to the mer Tobacco yields there an abundant crop, and its quality is excellent. Alamos Alamos represents a large amount of wealth, drawn from the mines of silver, which abound in the district, and have been successfully worked since about 1690. chants of the interior towns. These goods consist of cloths, cotton goods (especially the coarse brown sheetings), lawns and other goods for dress, hardware of every description, iron and steel for all purposes of mining and agriculture, a Is a mining town situated between the rivers little machinery, and lumber from California and Mayo and Fuerte, and is (1859) the second place the southern coast. She boasts of two steam-in Sonora in respect to population, which amounts power flouring mills, several mills worked by to about six thousand souls. horse-power, a manufactory of wagons, producing excellent work, and numerous small mechanical branches of art. Her vineyards produce, annually, for home consumption, from 1000 to 1500 barrels of brandy, and some wine. Above and below Hermosillo, along the river, the lands are exceedingly productive, and yield unrivalled crops of wheat and corn, and some little sugar. Long trains of wagons are constantly plying between Hermosillo and Guaymas, carrying down hides, wheat, and flour for exportation, and bringing The mines being abundant and productive, but back foreign goods. The wheat of this region is little attention, comparatively, is paid to other the finest I have ever seen; and it is so highly branches of industry; but there are some extenesteemed in that great wheat-growing country, sive and well-conducted ranchos and haciendas, California, that it is to be sent there to be used which supply grains, coarse sugar, beans, beef, for seed; commanding, in the market of San and working animals, for the purposes of the disFrancisco, a price 50 per cent. above that of trict. In times of quiet, and absence of revolunative wheat. The crops are put in in No-tion (which during the past few years have been vember, and harvested in May; they rarely few and short), this district has supplied large suffer from rust or smut, but do some years numbers of mules and horses for the markets of from late frosts in the spring, after the berry has | California. formed. Ures, From its situation, far removed from the country of the Apaches, it is free from the attacks of those savages, and industrial pursuits can be carried on in its neighborhood with much more safety than about the towns of the north and centre. Guaymas, Or San Fernando de Guaymas, is built close to the waters of the inner harbor of Guaymas, already mentioned, and contained, in 1859, a population estimated at from 2500 to 3000 souls, supported principally by the foreign commerce. The town is surrounded, on the land side, by high hills, nearly destitute of vegetation; and from the north, these hills crowd down so abruptly upon the town, as to leave but little room for extension in that direction; but to the east, west, and southwest, there is abundance of space for a large commercial town. The climate is op Which has been the capital of the State most of the time since 1838, is situated in a beautiful portion of the Sonora river valley, forty-seven miles, by the post-road from Hermosillo. It was founded very early, by the Jesuit fathers, as a missionary station; and in the Jesuit records of Father Alegre, I find the pueblo of Ures, mentioned in the notes of the year 1646. It seems to have been first occupied as a mission, about the year 1635, by the apostolic priest Father Pedro Mendez, who labored forty years in those regions, and subjected tribe after tribe to the rules of civ-pressively hot during the months of June, July, ilized life. It derives its name from that of the tribe of Indians found there when the missionaries entered. The town is but poorly built, and, for a capital city, is singularly destitute of public buildings. The population was estimated at 7000 in 1850. At present it hardly rises to half that number. The country along the river, above and below Ures, is picturesque and very productive. The principal crops are wheat and corn. Some little sugar and tobacco are also produced. Cotton has been successfully grown here, and yielded remarkably well; but in consequence of the loss of one or two crops by some peculiarity of the season, its culture has been entirely abandoned. August, and September. For many days in succession, the thermometer ranges, throughout the day, at 95 to 98 degrees Fahrenheit; and, being closed in by dark rocky hills, which absorb the heat of the sun during the day and evolve it after sunset, the nights of this season are almost as oppressive as the days. To add to the discomfort during the summer, there sometimes blow, from the north, strong winds; which, gathering heat and fine dust from the parched plains of the interior, serve almost to suffocate every living thing exposed to them. These simoons, which fortunately are not very frequent, drive the inhabitants within doors, where with windows, doors, and shutters closed-they suffer intensely from |