Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-01-09
EN- ROUTE TO MICHoACAN.
A BOTTOaLESS LAKEIN THE CRA.
TER OF A VOLCANO.
Picnicking in Mexico-Pachuca and
Its ns-Pleasure-Seek-
in the Tropics.

Especial Correspondence of the REcoRD-USIoN. ]
MEXICO December 81, 1885.
The most favorable time for making a
can is during the season of midwinter at
the north-a delightful portion of the year
here, with no appearance of cold or de-
cadence of fruit and flowers, but with COM
parative immunity from yellow fever in
the infected districts. In days time one
may go from the City of Mexico to Michoa-
cans capital, Morelia, leaving early in the
morning, via the Mexican Railway. and
reaching the latter city late in the evening.
But we will take the journey leisurely.
spending week or two en- transit, tarrying
at the various points of interest along the
way as fancy dictates.
AS an engineering feat, and for beauty OF
scenery, this trip is second only to that eel
ebrated sixty miles on the Mexican road
leading TO Vera Cruz. Throughout all its
course this American railway, called the
Mexican National, can hardly be surpassed
for grand and beautiful scenery, not only
at this end of the line, but also that portion
of it lying between Saltillo and Monterey,
at the north. and the extreme southern end
leading from Manzanillo. on the Pacific
coast, up through Colima
On this Morelia branch, passing through
the fertile valley of Mexico, the heavy
grade begins at Rio Hondo, and thence for
many miles we are among the foothills,
crossing stupendous gulches, with noun
tain torrents at the bottom, far above the
housetops of picturesque villages, obtain
ing views that would drive an artist wild
with enthusiasm. The little ranches of
the natives are divided by tall hedges of
century plants, cottage roofs are weighted
with stones, as in the Swiss villages, to
prevent mountain winds from blowing them
away, and adjoining all the houses peculiar
towers are seen, about ten feet high-the
cincolotes, or adobe cribs, for storing corn.
Now, following the Rio Lerma, and
crossing the old stage road-which has wit
messed many robbery and murder in
former days; as numerous black crosses
strewn all along the wayside attest-we
approach the great handicapped volcano,
known as Nevada de Toluca NOW extinct)
and find ourselves in the Toluca valley,
where much maguey is cultivated from
which pulque and mexcal are made.
THE CITY OF ToLUcA,
Which lies just 70 kilometers from the
national capital Ia kilometer is French
measurement, in univeral use here, equal
to .62l35 of an American mile), and has a
population of about 1900, having grown
rapidly since the opening of the railroad.
1t has four tolerable hotels-as good as any
10 be found in Mexico which, however are
all below the average of American third
class Observation-Disclosures several cafes and
restaurants theater, casino, scientific
College, public baths, paseo or ia shionable
nrQmnnaHp and ca-ara1 Oh,
worth visiting. In the quaint old plaza
where one may sit among roses and palm
trees under the shadow of the snowy vol
cano-lS tall, white monument remind
ing one of the ancient obelisks of the Nile
erected to the memory of the patriot priest
Hidalgo.
1t is possible to ascend to the top of the
volcano, and indeed the jaurt is not very
difficult to one accustomed to mountain
climbing. Though in a land of eternal
summer. it is always winter at the summit
OF the mountain, and during several
months OF the year snow extends
down two-thirds of its sides. Just below
the Underline is a rancho located on a
projecting ridge, where the traveller NAV
pass the night. On clear day the Pacific
ocean is distinctly visible 100 miles awav .
and by the aid of a powerful field-glass and
some imagination even the distant Gulf of
Mexico may be discerned Baron Alex
ander Won Humboldt, who assembled this
hight in 1903 states that its highest point.
called I'll Plco del Fraile is extremely DIFF
hcult OF ascent and scarcely ten feet wide
at the top. This is whiting off mount
ain to an extremely fine point I" and there
Is no reason on earth for sealing the latter
peak except for an insane ambition to
place every obstacle beneath ones feet
winch sometimes runs away with the bet
ter judgment of travellers.
The volcano is scooped out into natural
basin, containing in the midst of its once
merry crater two lakes of the purest, coolest
and most transparent water Moored on
the margin of the largest lake are two or
three canoes in which adventurous travel
ers have sometimes embarked-but none
have ever crossed the mysterious water he
cause OF tradition that it is unfathomabIe
and has
WHIRLPOOL IN THE CENTER.
Even the most fool-hardy Quixoie would
hesitate TO risk being engulfed in bottom
less grave in the bowels of volcano.
Humboldt's barometer gave the mountain
q hight of To- 200 feet-not so grand by four
thousand feet as Popocatipetl but nun de
sceate every respectable for country
hight, as the natives will assure YOU Two
days at least of hard climbing will DE re-
quired to go from the city of Toluca to the
summit of the mountain and back again
No crevices nor avalanches are to be appre-
hended, but the ascent is rendered doubly
laborious by the softness OF the snow-fields.
into which one perpetually sinks ankle
deep through sharp, thin crust of ice, and
the wilderness of Jagged rocks beloW-a
combination of oligoclase and hornbIerde
{dioritel hurled about in wildst confusion,
as if Titans had battled here Of course.
guides, horses, blankets and provisions
must be provided in the town-not forget
ting spiked sandals, quantity of cloth
with which to bandage the ankles. stout
alpen-stock. with long nail driven into
the point, blue wells or goggles to protect
ones eyes in the snow-ields, and q small
stock of brandy and other simple remedies
in case of vertigo, hemorrhage or other acci-
dents that are liable to assail persons in
these lofty attitudes
Toluca is really the capital of the State of
Mexico, which embraces an area of nearly
%, 900 square Kilometres and includes the
Federal District (like our District of Co
iumbia), which contains the national capt.
tai. The State is as mountainous as any
section of Switzerland, being crossed and
recrossed by various branches of the Sierra
Madre, while its browning glory is the Vale
of Anahuac, the historic hollow in the
great OF whose
successive inhabitants date back nearly fif-
teen hundred years. The annual mining
product of the State of Mexico is valued az
four hundred and sixty thousand dollars ;
gold, silver, iron, lead, coal, copper, tin, an
timony, cinnabar, marble and mercury be-
ing exported, besides much corn, cheese
(made from goats milk, soap, wool, cattle
anise. sesam seed and castor beans. There
are several cotton and wooden factories in
the State, three gas works, salt works to-
bacco factories, two glass works, twenty
four distileries, iron foundries, breweries.
thirty-four sugar mills, fifty-seven -four
mills, and number of mills for making
oil from castor beans. The State supports
1,02S primary schools, besides various in
situations of higher learning. and
though in the midst of most primi-
tive picturesqueness. we are bv
no means beyond the pale of civil
ization. One loves to linger in the