Chapter XXXIV

CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE REPUBLICS COMPOSING IT; A SKETCH OF
THEIR HISTORY; AREA AND POPULATION.--SNAKES, LIZARDS, AND
OTHER CREEPING THINGS.--COSTA RICA AND ITS REVOLUTIONS.--A
PRESIDENT WHO COULDN'T READ.--HONDURAS AND ITS RESOURCES.--
VISIT TO TEGUCIGALPA.--YUSCARAN AND ITS MINERAL WEALTH.--
UNFORTUNATE FINANCIERING.--INTERESTING SOCIAL CUSTOMS.--
INTEROCEANIC CANALS; THEIR PRESENT STATUS.--THE NICARAGUA
CANAL; SURVEYS, ESTIMATES, AND DESCRIPTION OF THE ROUTE;
PROBABLE ADVANTAGES TO THE WORLD'S COMMERCE; TERMS OF THE
CONCESSION; ESTIMATED COST, REVENUES, AND SAVING OF
DISTANCES.--FAREWELL TO MEXICO.--THE END. 530

ILLUSTRATIONS.

View of Popocatepetl _Frontispiece._
Map of Mexico with its Railways _Front Cover._
Route of the Boy Travellers in Mexico _Back Cover._
A Next-door Neighbor 1
The Mexican Frontier 3
Scene on the Pennsylvania Railroad 4
Street in El Paso 5
Bridge over the Mississippi at St. Louis 7
The Alamo Mission, San Antonio 8
General Sam Houston, Liberator of Texas 9
"G. T. T." 11
Mexico, showing Present and Old Frontier 12
A Group of Texan Hunters 13
View in San Antonio, Texas 14
On the Banks of the Rio Grande 15
Indian Water-carriers 17
An old Mexican Chapel by Moonlight 19
View in Nuevo Laredo 20
Watching the Frontier 21
Landscape near the Border 22
A Mexican Muleteer 23
A Solid Silver Spur 23
A Group of Adobe Houses 25
The Land of Mañana 26
The Threshing-floor 27
Saddle Mountain, Monterey 29
View of the Sierras 30
View of Monterey 31
The Plaza de Zaragoza 32
General Taylor's Attack on Monterey, September 21, 1846 33
The Bishop's Palace 35
Z. Taylor 36
Officers' Uniforms in 1860 39
Mountain Scene near Monterey 41
The Alameda, Monterey 42
Native Pottery 43
A Scene in the Market 44
A Court-yard in Monterey 45
A Window in Monterey 46
View of Sierras from Bishop's Palace 47
Santa Caterina, near Monterey 49
The Organ Cactus 50
Varieties of Cactus 51
In the San Juan Valley 52
A Solid Citizen 53
On the Road to Buena Vista 55
A Servant at the Hacienda 56
Near the Kitchen 57
Making Tortillas 58
A Primitive Kitchen 59
The Guide on the Battle-field 61
The Battle of Buena Vista 63
Boll of Mexican Cotton Plant 64
Picking Cotton 65
Departure of the Diligence 67
On the Road 68
Fight between Brigands and Soldiers 69
Encampment of Brigands 71
A King of the Road 72
Cavalry Pursuing a Band of Robbers 73
Hotel by the Way-side 75
Street Scene at Jaral 77
El Real de Santa Eulalia 78
The Ravine where the Outcasts Lived 79
On the Edge of the Cotton Field 80
"Cotton is King" 81
View in the Mining Region 83
Convent and Fountain 84
A Silver-producing Valley 86
Cactus Growths near Zacatecas 87
Field with Adobe Walls 88
A Mexican Arastra 89
Carrying Ore to the Reduction-works 90
A Mexican Crusher 91
Bringing Ore from the Mines 93
Mexican Bellows 94
Mexican Smelting-furnace 95
An Old-fashioned Plough 96
Farm-laborer in a Grass Cloak 97
Hacienda near the City 98
Prisoners at Work in the Jail 99
Of Spanish Blood 100
Indian Girls at a Spring 101
A Dry Barranca 103
Church of San Diego, Guanajuato 104
Court-yard of a Mexican Tenement-house 105
Superintendent's House at Silver Reduction-works 106
A Ton of Silver 107
A Mexican Beggar 108
Old Convent now used as Barracks 109
A Leading Citizen 110
Prisoners Breaking Ore 111
Sloping Ladders in a Silver-mine 112
Opening a New Mine 113
Entrance of a Mine Not in Operation 114
A Cotton Factory, Queretaro 115
Aqueduct of Queretaro 116
Queretaro 118
A Mexican Cavalry Soldier 120
A Mexican Infantry Soldier 121
Line of Defence held by Maximilian during the Siege of Queretaro 123
First Protestant Church in Mexico 125
Pueblo at Taos, New Mexico 126
Garden of a Mexican Convent 127
Interior of the First Methodist Episcopal Church, City of Mexico 128
Rev. John L. Stephens, a Martyr Missionary 129
In the Cathedral 130
Mexican Priests 131
Comparative Level of Lakes 132
The Great Spanish Drainage-cut 133
Young Girls of Tula 135
Environs of Mexico 137
A Member of the Church Party 139
Transcontinental Profile of Mexico 140
Interior Court-yard of a Mexican Hotel 141
Street View in the Capital 142
On the Way to Morning Mass 143
A Modern Street Front 144
Mexican Lottery Ticket 145
Flower-girl 146
The Cathedral, City of Mexico 148
Moonlight View of Plaza and Cathedral 149
Augustin de Iturbide, Grandson of the Liberator 151
Granting Absolution in the Cathedral 153
Ready for Mass 154
Old Spanish Palace in the Calle de Jesus 154
Church built by Cortez 155
The Aztec Calendar-stone 156
Indian Picture-writing 157
Tenochtitlan, A.D. 1517 158
First Cavalry Charge by Cortez 158
A Flower-show in the Zocalo 159
How the Mantilla is Worn 160
The Trogon 161
Near the Plaza 162
Wax Model of Water-carrier 163
Ancient Indian Pottery 164
Mexican House-maid and Children 165
The Sacrificial Stone 166
One Form of Sacrificial Stone 167
Sacrificial Collar 167
The Form of Sacrifice 168
Sculptures from Tizoc's Stone 169
Gladiatorial Stone--from an Aztec Drawing 170
Huitzilopochtli, the God of War 171
The National Palace 173
Gen. Manuel Gonzales, former President of Mexico 174
Collateral in the Monte de Piedad 175
To the Pawn-shop 176
Occasional Patrons of the Monte de Piedad 177
A Gift to Fred 179
"My house and all it contains are yours" 181
Seeing and Being Seen 182
The Market-place, City of Mexico 184
Interior of a House near the Market-place 185
Mexican Bird-sellers 186
View on the Canal 187
Residence on the Banks of the Canal 188
Sunday Diversions at Santa Anita 189
Crew of a Cargo-boat 190
Chinampas, or Floating Gardens 191
Peon's House on a Chinampa 192
Cactus Growths near the Hill of Estrella 193
Rock Inscriptions made by Ancient Aztecs 194
Home Scene near the Lake 195
A Dead Fly 196
Ruins of a Toltec House 197
A Fortunate Bear 198
Mexican Courtship 199
Code-signalling with the Fan 200
"There he is" 201
A Student of "El Secretario" 202
Mexican Wedding in the Country 203
Flowers for a Lady 204
Funeral of General Doblado, Guanajuato 205
Soldiers' Monument in the American Cemetery 207
Taking Things Easy 209
A Charcoal Peddler 210
A Mexican Wash-house 211
The Landing of Columbus 212
Mexican Sculpture--Door-way of Church of San José 213
Las Casas Protecting the Aztecs 215
The Death of Atala 217
A Successful Artist at Work 218
Maguey Plant 219
The Tlachiquero 220
Extracting Aguamiel 222
A Glass of Aguardiente 223
"Not caught yet" 224
A Magistrate 225
An Old Offender 226
Scene of the Capture 228
A Corner of Chapultepec 229
Montezuma's Tree 230
Statue of Columbus on the Paseo de la Reforma 231
San Cosme Aqueduct 233
Montezuma's Bath 234
Chapultepec and its Gardens 235
El Salto del Agua 236
An Aztec Relic 237
The Valley of Mexico, from the American Official Map 239
View of the Fort of San Juan de Ulloa from Vera Cruz 240
Battle of Cerro Gordo 241
General Santa Anna 242
Battle of Churubusco--Charge of the "Palmettos" 243
Storming of Molino del Rey 244
General Scott's Entrance into Mexico 245
Captured at Chapultepec 246
A Scene of Peace 247
The Noche Triste Tree 248
Departure of Cortez from Cuba 249
The First Mass in the Temples of Yucatan 250
Battle with the Indians 251
First View of the Mexican Capital 252
The Meeting of Cortez and Montezuma 253
The Battle upon the Causeway 255
The Capture of Guatemozin 256
Ponce de Leon 257
The Church of Guadalupe 258
Statuette of the Virgin Mary 259
Making a Pilgrimage Comfortably 261
The Penitentes Walking on Cactus-leaves 262
San Franciscan Mission 263
Indian of Northern Mexico 264
A Mestizo Woman 265
Indian Girl Spinning Cotton 267
Peddler of Wooden Trays 268
Charcoal Vender 269
Of the Old Aristocracy 270
A Creole Residence 271
Group of Mexican Horsemen 272
A Society Belle 273
A Mexican Grandee 274
A Sermon in the Church 275
Church of San Domingo 276
Torture Chamber 277
Prisoners of the Inquisition 278
A Residence in the Foot-hills 279
The Valley of Amecameca 280
Iztaccihuatl, the White Woman 282
Along the Trail 284
Dwarf Pines at a High Elevation 285
The Dome of Popocatepetl from Tlamacas 286
Mexican Saw-mill 287
Hacienda of Tomacoco 288
Volcaneros (Miners) 289
In the Pine Region 291
El Pico del Fraile 292
Not a Good Climber 294
"No mountain for me!" 295
"Hurrah for the top!" 296
The Crater of Popocatepetl 297
Bringing Ice from the Mountain 299
Pack-train from Tlamacas 301
An Improved Refinery 303
Looking from the Top of Popocatepetl 304
A Dangerous Place 305
Ruins of Tlalmanalco 307
Burial-ground of Tenenepanco 308
Vases Found at Tenenepanco 309
Caricature of an Aztec Warrior 310
Ancient Aztec Vases 311
Wants a Souvenir 312
Ruins of San Lazero 313
On the Way to Church 314
Monks at their Musical Exercise 315
A Belle of the Opera 316
A Stage Brigand 317
Tivoli Garden, San Cosme 319
Teasing the Bull 320
Picadores 320
The Matador's Triumph 320
The Final Blow 321
Scenes at a Bull-fight 322
A Bull-ring of the Highest Class 323
A School on the Old Model 324
Figure of Joseph (Procession of the Posada) 325
The Railway Judas 327
Warrior's Profile, found at Tula 329
Church and Part of Plaza at Tula 330
Toltec King and his Throne 331
Ruins of a Toltec Palace 332
The Pyramid of the Sun at Tula 333
Parts of a Column, Tula 335
Toltec Caryatid, Tula 336
Native Hut on a Sugar Estate 337
Henequin Plant 338
Fight between Regulars and Insurgents 339
Railway Crossing a Barranca 340
A Product of Cuautla 341
Travellers Resting 342
Over the Hills 343
A Scorpion of Cuernavaca 343
A Church Going to Decay 344
Mexican House with Tiled Roof 345
Climbing the Heights 347
A Way-side Shrine 348
On the Road to Acapulco 349
A Country Hotel 350
Galleon of the Sixteenth Century 351
Town and Castle of Acapulco 353
A Scene on the Diligence Road 354
An Interior Town 355
At the Hacienda 356
A Corner of the Market-place 357
Court-yard of a Private House 359
In the Poor Quarters 360
Mexicans Planting Corn 361
A Rodeo 362
Driving a Herd 363
President Porfirio Diaz 365
View in Oajaca 366
Saved from the Sea 367
House with Tile Front 369
American Residents of Mexico 371
A Military Post 372
A Country Post-office 373
Compositor for _The Two Republics_ 374
Surveying under Difficulties 376
Ruins of the Covered Way to the Inquisition 377
Cathedral of Puebla 378
Street Scene in Puebla 379
Part of Puebla 380
Pyramid of Cholula 382
View from the Top of the Pyramid 383
Sport at Cholula 384
Local Freight Train 385
A Relic of the Past 386
Indian Farm Laborers 387
An Aztec Relic 388
Interior of an Old Church 389
First Christian Pulpit in America 390
Old Baptismal Font, Tlascala 391
Ancient Bells 392
A Native Ploughman 393
The "Portales," or Covered Walks 394
Map of Railway between City of Mexico and Vera Cruz 395
Double-ender Locomotive on Mexican Railway 397
View of Orizaba 398
The River at Orizaba 399
Hill of El Barrago 401
Orange Grove in Cordoba 402
Coffee-drying 403
Bridge of Attoyac 405
In Tierra Caliente 406
Vera Cruz, looking seaward 407
After the Vomito 409
A Coffee-carrier 410
Fountain at Vera Cruz 412
The Governor's Palace 413
On the Way to the Fort 414
The National Bridge.--Robbing a Coach 416
Sketched at Rinconada 417
Part of Jalapa 418
A Narrow Street 419
Exterior of a Church 421
A Tourist 422
On the River's Bank 423
A Steamship on a Platform Car 424
Plane and Elevation of Terminus 425
Tank Carriage 426
Section of Part of Cradle Carriage 427
Map of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec 429
Mahogany Hunters 430
Travelling in Tabasco 431
Plan of Part of the Palace at Palenque 433
Medallion Bass-relief 434
Idol in Temple at Lorillard City 435
The Cross of Palenque 436
Grand Hall at Mitla 437
Exterior of Temple at Mitla 438
In the Forest 439
John L. Stephens 440
Seeking the Mysterious City 441
Campeachy Tobacco 443
The Quezal 444
Difficulties of Travel in Campeachy 445
Map of Yucatan 447
Tropical Railway Train and Station 448
Flock of Pelicans 449
Sisal-hemp 450
Indians of Yucatan 451
Retreating from Hostile Indians 453
In the Outskirts 454
The Calesa.--Entrance of a Merida House 455
House built by Montejo 457
Musical Instruments 458
Municipal Palace and Square, Merida 459
Dancing Scene 460
Native Village in the Interior 461
Fruit-sellers in the Market-place 463
Sitting for her Portrait 464
In the Market-place 465
No more "Loteria" 467
Hammock Lodgings in the Country 468
View on a Back Street 469
Scene in a Ball-room 471
Indians Dancing 473
Preparing for the Ball 475
A Volan Coché 476
A Street in Merida 477
A Primitive Sugar-mill 479
Railway-station in the Henequin District 480
Storehouse at the Hacienda 481
A Morning Run 482
A Corner of the Hacienda 483
An Underground Walk 484
Formation of Stalactites 485
At a Noria 487
At Home in Merida 489
Scene of the Heetzmek 490
Garden of the Hacienda 491
Native Village near Uxmal 493
Hunting the Iguana 494
What Perfumes the Honey 495
The Sierra from the Garden of the Hacienda 496
Side of Ancient Altar 497
Archway of Las Monjas, Uxmal 498
Hacienda of Uxmal 499
Dwarf's House and East Wing of the Casa de las Monjas 501
Façade of West Wing of Casa de las Monjas 503
Ground-plan of Las Monjas 504
Casa del Gobernador 505
Ground-plan of Casa del Gobernador 506
Statue of Double-headed Dog, Uxmal 507
Decorations over Door-way of Casa del Gobernador 509
An Unwelcome Visitor 510
Statue of Chac-Mool 511
Maya Arches 512
Yucateo Sculpture 513
Great Mound at Mayapan 514
Circular Edifice at Mayapan 515
Sculptured Head of Yucatan 517
Pillars of Great Gallery, Aké 519
Head of Incense-burner 520
Maya Sculpture (Profile) 520
Ruined Arch at Kabah 521
Façade of El Castillo 522
Bass-relief, Chichen-Itza 523
Door-posts in Tennis-court 524
Casa Colorada 525
Head of War-god, from Copan 526
Idol of Copan (from Stephens) 527
Decoration over Door-way 528
Map of Central America 529
In a Central American Forest 530
Government Palace, San José 531
Central American Lodgings 533
Banana Plantation in Costa Rica 534
Don Bernardo de Soto, President of Costa Rica 535
Gen. Luis Bogran, President of Honduras 536
Tegucigalpa, Capital of Honduras 537
Street in Yuscaran 538
Old Bridge at Tegucigalpa 539
Statue of Morazan, Tegucigalpa 540
Bird's-eye View of the Nicaragua Canal 541
Profile of Nicaragua Canal 542
A Section of the Canal 543
River San Juan at Toro Rapids 544
Street in Greytown 545
El Castillo, San Juan River 546
View of Lake Nicaragua 547
Mozo in Full Dress 548
Fort San Carlos 549
Native Boats, Lake Nicaragua 550
Central American Hacienda 551
Birds of Nicaragua 552

THE BOY TRAVELLERS IN MEXICO.