Sketches of the campaign in northern Mexico : in eighteen hundred forty-six and seven / by an officer of the First Regiment of Ohio volunteers.

THE DEBARKAT'ION. 27
tierrac fiac To conquer the descendants of the Spanish
conquerors, and to plant the flag of our young republic
upon the capital reared centuries ago above the ruins of
Montezuma's palaces! What prospect more captivating to
the youthful imagination?
Our first glimpse, however, of the hostile coast, was not
particularly fascinating. The country before us, faintly revealed in the glimmering light of the morning, seemed to
be but ";a dreary waste, expanding to the sky.": A narrow
belt of sand, stretching northward as far as the eye could
reach, lay between us and the main land. This was intersected by shallow channels, which formed los brazos de Sazn
lago, the arms of St. James. On.one of the Islands thus
formed, was located our principal army dep6t; and on the
opposite side of the broad lagoon, which was spread out between the Island and the main, was Point Isabel.
A number of large transports lay around us, all fuill of
troops, anxiously awaiting their turn to be disembarked. It
was five miles from the anchorage to the Brazos, and though
a busy fleet of little steamers and schooners was constantly
plying between the ships and the landing, the business
seemed to progress but slowly. Many hours elapsed before a
lighter approached the Alabama, during which time we sat
impatiently gazing upon the desolate picture of water and
sand, for not a tree could be seen in the distant perspective.
A strong breeze had sprung up with the morning, and when
the lighter came alongside, there was such a heavy sea on,
that it was no easy matter to transfer our troops and baggage
to her deck. While all hands were engaged in the work,