Page:Pictures of life in Mexico Vol 2.djvu/80

58 the city together with several villages in the suburbs amounts to about 6,000.

Caneles is a mining town in the direction of the Pacific. Its mountains abound in silver ore, but it is of so poor a quality that the shafts have never been extensively worked. An English mercury-mining company, however, have carried on their operations there. The streets of the town are poor and narrow, but the neighbourhood is beautifully verdant with all manner of fruit trees; and the climate is most delightful.

Tamazula is a small town on the same river as Caneles. Culiacan and Cosala are towns of some little importance in the same vicinity. Guadaloupe de Calvo, also, is a city containing about 10,000 people. It was partially built by the English, who established and formerly conducted extensive silver-mines in its neighbourhood. The sash-windows made by the English, may still be seen in the walls of certain habitations in this town.

Cuernavoca is built in the valley of that name, in the tierra caliente; notable for the beauty of the tropical scenery around it, and for the wretchedness of the Indian habitations composing its suburbs. Several stages nearer