, 1879-07-24
MEXICO.

The railroad from Vern Cruz to the City Of
Mexico ia probably the Gnest In the world IN ita
general construction masonry In the cuts
and tunnels being The wonder md admiration Of
tho travelling public. Wo leave tho acabonrd,
al!d for the tarst thirty or forty miles westward
the road runs over grnduallylnc!iuing slonc,
the elevation Of the road-bcd being only eutll-
cfent 10 keep the track drained.
Beyond Ascension tho ascent becomes much
moro abrupt md The surfaee broken; and, Nifty
miles out, ne reach the first range OF tho Cor
lllcsas, and, after i1lteou miles In tho mount
atns, NC enter upon tht far-famed tablc.lands
Or plains OF Cordoba {pronounccd CordovhI
THIS plain Il about 3, 600 feet lbovo the levol OF
tho sea, from twelve to twonty mics In Width,
and extending north and south for several hun
drcd miles, covered With eycry Bpcrics Of trop.
ical plnuts and trees, the acacia being the
most abundant The oak hnd birch also -FOUR
ishluxurtantly, With foliage far richer in color
than wo arc accustomed to ut home. i;cet1cs
these thero sro tho mahogany, rosewood, and
palm, and seemingly intertninablo prin1cval
forests Of orange, lomon. lime, anl mango,
though thousands upon thousands of these
trees, 80 raro and SO valuable with us, haye been
cut down, mud either burned or allowed to rot
where they fell, to convert tho space they occu-
pied into -aolds,-the cultivation OF this
berry and the tobacco plant being, should
jndEo from appearances. thu only branch Of
husbandrv to which the natives can DO induced
to devote themselves.
C0rdobn has q population Of about COCO, and
Is delightfully."- located In a beautiful open plain,
almost entirely surrounded BY mountains, which
protect it FROM tho dreaded 'uorthcrs,n and tho
climate ia the Moat delightful have ever
tie old CasttIun adventures, owners OF tho
cotfec- and tobacco-1cls aud " tho hords uuon
thousand hills, make thls charming spot tsclr
homes; and thclF bcautfful-frc1ucntiy ole
dtateiy surrounding the city proper IN air OF
elegant and lnnguid Refinement sinEulnrly ut
traettve to Il man OF acttye nnd energetic tom
peraulont. 1t strikcs him as the very. homo Of
tho lotus.enters a,ltl HeeMs to WOO him to ut,-
broken cuec anu resttuluess. 100.
Hcrc Is tho grand aud historical mountain,
Orlzaba, towering II, 600 feet abovs you. This
fs probably the erAndcst and most celebrated
caption Of Mt. Blanc, ID switzcrlanl, has
| probably been oftener described By travellers
| thnn anr other mountain In the world. l nm
told that It IL more easy of ascent thon Mt.
just how eas. it Is TO SCALE Orizaba. l have
hren guilty OF great many foolish things In my
life, anu afn afflicted With Is much curiosity As
the average man, but climbing mountains for
Following the basa Of the mountntn-curvos
for apout !vo miles, you finally reach Orzaba
City-the Mexican Saratoga, as my ucghbor was
inclined to call 1t, because 1t MAS tl.e favorto
population. The population OF tAc city Is said
to bo about 2000o Hero aro located tl,o shops
Ut tho Mexican Railway Company, which lin
part to tho place an nlE Of bslstlo and activity
| llarc not discovered elsewhere Among tue larg-
CT cities OF Mexico. Quo reflection must lot
down llcre: No proplo whom haya ever seen
can make 90 much uoiso and nccomplist so IT.
tie rs the Mexican Every trivial effort Is either
! F+f {r11 ATnfS In
amount Ut fuss and jabber, intcrsnercd with
All carneet aud voluhle profanity which would
put stca1nooat-nata or boss-steycdoro to tho
blush. hfoxicAua can cxpsnd more breath in
oxclannttons. hbjurEatlons, ulsd lsnpTccatlonB In
the slight pllyslcal effort necessary to lnovo
fifty Or 10D pounds than Chicago wor!smcn
would TO in raising btocsof bniluings: 10 sco
these people Ioye car, one can readily under
tempted erection Of that famous towor Of,
the Plains Of 6hinar, tho confusion OF
tongues would hayo bech an utterly supcrduous
nterpositIon Of Divine Power; for tl'cy would
Instructions Of tho naasteE-builder totally H.
/ comprchens!be.
Leaving Orizata City, for shout 100 miles the
road runs continuously through saat folds OF
palgue u,agua, OF maguey,-whlch latter Is u
species Of cactus, yialdtnEa vegetable fluid, or
sop, highly prizcd, md almost universally Used
as a substitute for, vino by the natives. The
|
cgncrs generally; but asn told that onc ba-
comes accustomed to It very speedily, and In a
very short tiuo prctrrs 1t to ans other drink.
WIeu trcsh,-ttatis, prior to Its ferintntat!on,-
1t has sickly;sweottsl, favor, aud Is haE,nosa
enough; but, after fermentation, It becomes =
very actiVu intoxtcant OF tlls most ylllalnous
charactcr,-both as to taste and It's effects.
Fully one-halt Of tho entro VALLEY. Of Mezleo
Is loyoted to tlla culture OF pagua
a,agMa md twcnty CARLOADS et the wrstc(letl
stuir aro brought Into tho City Of Mexico
every morning by rail, Nud ~ mitch moro by
pacls-mues, als.i tho whole Of IL consumed bs
the inhabitants every day. The retail prsce o
this are.water Of NATURES owp preparing I,
about TWO cents per gtaas. VIM. boon II
would be to the deulzcna Of htler aYcnua, ant
what eodsend to the whisky-ril,gsteTs!
II was d o'clock p. u. when arrived 10 thl
Csty Of Mexico, aud WAS driven tu very com
lorta0to carrlnGe-EnoFo sngEcstty0 Of hume
comforts than nuyt hug else ilaya yet scan ip .h
glorious country, "whero uycry prospect p.ea.cs
aud onty man Ii vile ito the Graud Hotel ltnr
bile, situated on Gallo ban Franrfsco, or Bat
Francisco street, ubuut the ceJtru OF tho city
ant, there pussca my first night In the Ate
Capltal iu unexpected, II not luxurious, com
fort.
More auon. c. W. 3.