The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 18, July 1914 - April, 1915 Page: 85

British Correspondence Concerning Texas

ports on either Shore. Neither do I believe there would be much
-difficulty in pushing a flotilla so far either by the Tabasco Stream,
(or by another to the Westward of it, also accessible by vessels of
draught), that a land force might be transported to within a very
Jew Marches of Mexico.
Tampico is another point of importance on account of it's contig-
uity to the Mining Districts, and with that and Matamoros in the
possession of I-er Majesty's forces, and declared to be free ports
during the continuance of hostilities, I am disposed to think that
a much more extensive trade would be carried on with Mexico,
than we have ever had in a state of peace;-And further that the
North Eastern Province would very readily second this scheme,
and be equally unwilling to return to General Santa Afia's pro-
hibitive system, for the better maintenance of his authority in the
Central part of the Country. The eagerness with which the people
of those parts of Mexico, have returned to the illicit traffic between
this country and their own, satisfies me that it might very easily be
thrown open upon the most extensive scale.
Blockade, Your Lordship will perhaps permit me to remark, is a
mode of Warfare less likely to be stringent upon these people than
inconvenient to ourselves, for they have no Merchant Marine to
distress, and they are generally independent of foreign Commerce.
Indeed it would seem that a blockade would be seconding General
Santa Afia's purposes of foreign exclusion, and I am afraid of
dishonesty. The supply of any force operating on the Coast be-
tween the Rio Grande and Vera Cruz (if there should be difficulties
in that particular in the Country itself) could always be depended
upon from Texas. Cattle are abundant here at extremely moderate
rates, and depots of every kind of provision de bouche could al--
ways be kept up here from New Orleans to any extent, and also. at
moderate prices. Depots of Coal might also. be formed here if it
were not considered preferable to establish them at the Brassos del
N6rte, Tampico, and on the Keys off Vera Cruz, as well as at
Loguna and Tabasco.
In the sending of stores of any kind to the Brassos del N6rte,
or Tampico it would be necessary that they should be transported in
vessels of very light draught; not more than 7 feet for Tampico
or 9 for the Brassos del N6rte. If iron Steamers of the smaller
class should be considered necessary for any purposes of Her