St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1886-05-06

shining illustration of faith by works
on the part of the Spaniards who came
over here to conquer and Christianize
it.
Thursday, April 8, was looked for
ward to as the crowning day of the en-
a run down into the tropics; for it
should be remembered that Mexico
represents the climate of three zones
the frigid mountains being covered
with perpetual snow, the high table
lands being temperate and the low
lands, nearer the coast, torrid. We
were to leave Esperanza at 2 a. M, but
wrecked freight train delayed the
departure till 8, when the train start
ed on its descent of over $500 feet
towards Vera Cruz. Mr.. Luther L..
Holden of Boston, an extensive as
well as very observing and intelli-
gent traveller, last year SO well de-
scribed this ride and what is seen
along the route, that his impressions
will be largely transcribed in what
here follows, with some alterations and
omissions:
The steep descent begins inst below
Boca del Monte (mouth of the noun
tain,) the next station beyond La Es-
peranza. The elevation at that point
is 1924 feet above the level of the
Gulf of Mexico. At Maltrata, in the
valley Just below, or IL miles distant
by the winding railway, it is $3.50 feet !;
and at Orizaba, IL miles farther on,
1883 feet. From Boca del Monte to
BOta, nearly 10 miles, the railway is
built along the rugged mountain side
on bed of terraced rock. In places a
shoulder of the mountain or a deep ra-
vine had to be overcome, and both
tunnels and lofty bridges were resOrted
to. Most of these are curved like the
rest of the road, and the grade over
this entire section is very steep-fre-
quently attaining upwards of a per
cent. Powerful Fairlie engines "dOub-
lie enders" are employed to pull the
trains up these steep slopes.
The scenery is grand to degree
that defies adequate description.
Looking to the right from the elevated
perch, the beautiful valley is seen, a
revelation of the rarest beauty, it's
smiling gardens and rich fields of corn
and wheat stretching away to an OPP
posite range of mountains. The plains
are nearly half mile beneath the be-
holder, and its squares of cultivated
fields are reduced to pigmy dimen-
sions. Some spreading ravine opens
up a new vista of wonderful lowell
ness and gradually the town of NAL
trata, with its yellow domes and tow
ers, comes into full view. We course
down the mountain on two sides of
the town, and then approach its sub
urbs on another side. There are sew
eral little water-cOurses on the noun
tain-side and, in looking back soon
after beginning the descent, lovely
cascade is seen. Everywhere the face
of nature is covered with vegetation,
and herein the view differs essentially
from the mountain and valley scenery
in the Rocky mountains. 1t resembles
more nearly the views in the Alps,
where green fields are seen stretching
their fertile expanse up to the very
snow peaks. From the lower slopes
and the plain, the suow-capped peak
of Orizaba is seen, seeming much high
er than when last we viewed its shape
ly mass, on account of it's nearness and
our lower point of view.
Between Maltra and the city of ORR
zaba the scenery is almost as grand as
it is above. The railway runs in and
out among the mountains, now pass
ing through a narrow defile beside the
swift Rio Blanco, which leaps down
from rock to rock in succession of
pretty cascades, and anon across some
amphitheatre formed amid the reced-
ing mountains. Just before reaching
the ancient town of Orizaba, which,
with it's roofs of red tiles and its yell
low church towers, is very picturesque
ly situated among the hills, the train
rounds an abrupt mountain, where a
small force of French soldiers station
ed themselves and repealed an attack
of much larger number of native
troops on the 18th and 18th of June,
1862.
Below OriZaba we descend for time
between fields of banana trees, sugar
cane and other tropical vegetation, and
soon approach great ravine nearly a
thousand feet deep and several miles
in length. The bottom is a tangle of
luxuriant vegetable life, with here and
there fields of corn and sugar-cane.
Down on one side of this great ravine
to the lofty bridge of Metlac, which
crosses near the head of the gorge, and
at the hight of ninety feet, the river
of the same name and up the other,
the train pursues its way, passing
through a number of tunnels and
doubling upon it's track for long dis
lance. At one place, in tunnel near
Sumidero, is side passage leading
out to where a beautiful cataract is
dashing down the mountain side from
subterranean stream. We are soon
at Cordoba, Is miles beyond Orizaba
and 1 ,375 feet nearer the level of the
Gulf.
We have descended in a few hours