Page:Campbell's new revised complete guide and descriptive book of Mexico (IA campbellsnewrevi00camp).pdf/15

9 son become raging torrents. The Lerma is the longest river in. Mexico, running its whole length within that country, being nearly 700 miles long. The Rio Grande, which rises in the United States, is over 1,500 miles long. The Panuco, at Tampico, is a beautiful stream, navigable some 200 miles or more through a tropical country, the banks fringed with that verdure so often described by travelers in the tropics. The navigation of these few miles of deep water in Mexico is to be one of the attractions for tourists in that section. The jetties at the mouth of the Panuco make the harbor at Tampico one of deep water.

The Rio Lerma rises on the west slope of the Sierra Madre, not far from Toluca, and runs in a northwesterly course till it empties into Lake Chapala, and, curiously enough, leaves the lake again, only a few miles from _ its mouth, and becomes another river, the Santiago, flowing on to the Pacific Ocean, The Mexican National Railroad erosses the Lerma near its source, east of Toluca, and at Acambaro, running along its course be- tween the two points. The Central crosses the Lerma three times; near La Piedad, again at La Barca and a third time ai Ocotlan, where it becomes the Santiago, after passing through Lake Chapala. Humboldt said that the Lerma could be made a navigable river, as he also said he could drive a carriage on the table-lands from the capital to El Paso; in either case there would be many ups and downs to be encountered, The Santiago, or Lerma, empties into the Pacific near San Blas. The river at Morelia, along which the National Railroad runs near that city, is called the Morelia River, though there are other names. The Grijalva River, named for the commander of the Spanish fleet, who was the first white man who ever saw it, rises in Guatemala, and empties into the Gulf at Frontera. The Rio Usumacinta also has its source in Guatemala, and empties into the Gulf near Frontera. The Rio Balsas, also called Mescala and Zacatula, rises in the State of Tlaxcala and flows westward, and empties into the Pacific at Zacatula. Vhe Papaloapan rises in the mountains and empties into the Gulf at Alvarado, The Rio Coatzacoaleos rises in Oaxaca and empties into the Gulf at the town of the same name. Atoyac is a favorite name for rivers; there are several of them in the States of Puebla and Vera Cruz, Nearly all of the rivers in the south of Mexico, as the Papafoapan, San José and others, are navigable for light draught boats for some miles—but withal of interest to the more venturesome traveler. «

The Rio Nazas is one of the rivers that loses its waters in the marshes of the great Bolson de Mapimi. The Sonora, Yaqui and Mayo rise in the mountains of western Mexico and empty into the Gulf of California.

Lakes—The lakes of Mexico are of exceeding great beauty. Than those of Chapala and Patzcuaro no prettier waters are anywhere in the world— not even the romantic Como, the tales of whose beauties are so eloquently told, can surpass their islands and wooded shores, ‘and only the villas are lacking to make them as picturesque as Como or Maggiore. Lake Patzcuaro is the highest navigable water in Mexico, and next highest on the continent, Yellowstone Lake only having a higher altitude. The islands look like the peaks of submerged mountains with only the tops above the water; on their rugged sides, seeming to cling to them, arc some huts of the fishermen of the lake, and up near the top of one the square white tower of a church rises above the trees, the sonorous sounds of whose bells float over the beautiful waters.

There are canoes for freight and passengers, and a few rude sail boats making voyages between Patzcuaro and the islands and mainland ports up