carried off: the water is fresh, and so cold, that it benumbs and swells the limbs of those who attempt to swim in it.

What fish are caught in it?

The only fish caught in it are crabs; and a small fish, about the size of the little finger, is caught in such abundance that the inhabitants of the ten surrounding villages carry on a considerable fishery for them.

What is the climate of Guatemala ?

The eastern coasts are said to be most healthy: on the shores of the Pacific the heat is often extreme, and Europeans are frequently attacked with intermittent fevers.

What is the character of the soil?

On the coast we frequently meet with a considerable extent of marshy ground, in the interior a volcanic soil abounds, which like all soils of this description, is remarkably fertile.

What are the chief productions?

The succession of the fruits and produce of all kinds, is uninterrupted throughout the year.

In what province was the cocoa for the especial use of the court of Madrid formerly gathered?

In the province of Soconusco.

What are the two productions of this province best known to commerce?

Indigo and cochineal.

What two animals are peculiar to this part of the American continent?

A small species of fox called the zorillo, and the quetzal, a large bird of a beautiful green plumage, whose tail feathers are favourite ornaments, with the natives.

What other animals are known in Guatemala?

The raxon is a very beautiful party-coloured bird. The rivers and lakes swarm with fish, and the coasts also afford a variety of pursuit to the fishermen, including green turtle and manatees.

What are manatees?

This singular creature has been considered the connecting link between quadrupeds and fishes; it retains

the fore feet, or rather hands of the former, with the tail of the latter, spreading out in a horizontal direction like a large fan; beneath the skin there is a deep layer of very sweet fat; the meat is streaked throughout with alternate layers of fat and lean, being most excellent food.

It feeds on large shoots of tender grass growing on the banks of rivers, and will rise nearly two thirds of its length out of the water to reach its food, and immerges itself in the water on the slightest noise; the male and female are generally together; their common length is from eight to twelve feet, and they weigh from 500 to 800 lbs.-some of them are however larger, weighing from 12 even to 15 cwt.

What are the chief noxious animals and reptiles?

To

Not the least formidable are the warrior ants (hormigas guerreras) who are double the size of the common ant, and always move in regular array, like an army. Wherever they enter a house they spread all over it, and clear it so as not to leave a single worm, reptile, or vermin of any sort behind them when they depart. the larger creatures such as snakes, scorpions, toads, rats, &c., they are formidable from their numbers; and in attacking them, they adhere so closely to their bodies, that they soon kill them, and devour them to the bones. What is the distance from the city of New Guatemala to Mexico?

680 miles.

What are the other principal ports in the Pacific? Realego, Desolada, San Juan del Sur, and Brito.

CHAPTER XXI.

MEXICO.

What is the condition of Mexico?

Mexico was originally a native empire, afterwards the principal of the Spanish vice-royalties, and is now a great independent republic.

Describe the outline and extent of Mexico.

The Republic of Mexico extends from the 16th to the 40th parallel of northern latitude; its boundary on the

north-east is understood to commence at the mouth of the Sabine river. Savannahs, resembling the deserts of Tartary, separate the back settlements from the territory of the United States, and on the north the boundary was the Platte River to Cape Mendocino, but the cession of the California territory to the United States has reduced the limits on that side. On the west and south the boundaries are the Pacific and a line drawn from the port of Tehuantepec to the Bay of Honduras. What is the breadth of Mexico?

It is very irregular, the greatest inland breadth is in 33° north lat., extending from 94° east long. to 118° west, or 1400 British miles.

Has the interior of Mexico been thoroughly explored? No, it is but imperfectly known.

What is the extent of the high table land?

It is known from the 16th to the 26th degree of north latitude, but how far to the north of 26° north latitude this table-land extends is not yet known.

What is the breadth of this table land in 19° north latitude, the parallel of the city of Mexico?

The breadth of this high level is sixty leagues, or 210 miles, between the opposite points of Guichilaque and Las Vigas.

What is the height of these points above the sea? The former is 8,000-the latter 7,814 feet above the sea level.

What is the lowest place in the intervening tract? The city of Puebla de los Angeles, which is 7,198 feet above the ocean level.

What is the breadth of the Mexican table-land in the parallel of 26° ?

Four hundred miles.

What obstructs the communication between that fine interior country and the sea coasts on the east and west? The great declivity and bad roads.

What are the most elevated summits of the tableland of Mexico?

The Popoca-tepetl (or "mountain of smoke") a volcano covered with perpetual snow-its elevation being

17,735 feet above the level of the sea-and the Citlaltepetl or "star mountain," on the eastern declivity of the table-land rises to a height of 17,876 feet.

What name is given to the great mountain chain where it traverses Mexico?

The Rocky Mountains.

What is remarkable in these, as compared with the South American Andes?

That they recede much further from the shore of the Pacific.

Name the territory where these summits are most distant from the coast of the Pacific.

New California.

What range occurs there between the main range or Sierra Madre and the coast?

The Sea Alps or Californian mountains, which commence near the south-east point of the Peninsula of that name, and run north-west through the middle of the Peninsula, and along the coast of the Pacific as far as the mouth of the Colombia; an extent of more than 1500 miles.

What is the elevation of this chain?

Its highest part, the Cerro de Gigante, or "Hill of the Giant," does not exceed 4920 feet in perpendicular height.

What is the prevailing geological feature of this mountain system?

Porphyritic Rock.

What distinguishes the porphyry of the central platean from the European porphyry?

The constant presence of hornblende and the absense of quartz.

Where does granite appear?

At Acapulca and in Oaxaca.

Name the capes along the Pacific coast.

Cape St. Lucas, the south-east point of the peninsula of California. Cape Corrientes the most western point of the Isthmus of Mexico, and Cape Mendocino already mentioned.

Name the chief bays or gulfs.

Tehuantepec, and the large inland gulf of California.

What is the extent of the gulf of California?

It extends 880 miles from south-east to north-west, or from the mouth of El Rosario river to that of the Rio Colorado. The entrance is 200 miles across, the breadth from 120 to 150 miles.

average

What are the other bays on the Southern Ocean? Those of San Blas, San Francisco, and Acapulco. What are the principal rivers in the Mexican territory?

The largest river in the isthmus is the Rio Grande de Santiago, called in its proper course the Rio de Lerma. This river issues from a small lake thirteen miles southwest from the city of Mexico. Rising north-west, it enters the lake of Chipala, and issuing from thence it finally falls into the bay of San Blas. Its course is estimated at 600 miles. The Rio Colorado or "red river" falls into the ocean at the head of the Gulf of California, being red from flowing over a soil of red clay. It is capable of being navigated upwards of 300 miles by square rigged vessels. Throughout the whole length of its course, its banks are said to be entirely destitute of timber. The Rio Buenaventura flows from its source south-west till it enters a large salt lake, from whence it is supposed to issue, and to hold a western course until it enters the Gulf of San Francisco in 38° 30' north latitude, after a course of 600 miles.

Name the lakes in the valley of Mexico.

These are five in number, Chalco, Xochimilco, Tezcuco, San Christobal, and Zampango.

What is their extent?

The largest is Tezcuco, in the lowest part of the valley, and the whole surface of them together comprise one tenth of the valley, that is to say, 22 square leagues, or 168 square miles of water.

Are these waters fresh?

No, they are all more or less salt, Tezcuco the lowest being most so.

What is the climate of Mexico?

The variety of its climate is very great, from the extraordinary nature of its formation, embracing the extremes of equatorial heat and polar cold. Does the climate accord with the latitudes?