Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XI.djvu/484

 4:06 MEXICO MOUNTAINS. STATES. Elevation in fe.t. Popocatepetl Orizaba Mexico Vera Cruz and Puebla. . 17,540 17,176 Mexico 16,610 Iztaccihuatl Mexico and Puebla 15,705 Colima Jalisco 12,000 Jalisco 9,298 San Martin or Tuxtla. . . . Vera Cruz 9,703 Michoacan 9,596 Jorullo Michoacan. 7436 Guarda Mexico 16,748 Ajusco Mexico 15,682 Mexico 14,858 Cofre de Perote Vera Cruz 14,809 Oajaca 10,542 La Brea ^ Guerrero 11,789 Michoacan. . 10,608 Veta Grande Zacatecas 9,041 Of the volcanoes, Orizaba, Iztaccihuatl, Popo- catepetl, Toluca, Jorullo, and Colima form an E. and W. line nearly across the republic, and will be found described under their own names. The first four rise far above the limit of per- petual snow. San Martin or Tuxtla, in the mountains and near the town of the latter name, in the state of Vera Cruz, emits day and night a column of flame visible far to seaward in the gulf. Its last eruption occurred shortly after the conquest. Mexico is very imperfectly watered, having comparatively few rivers, and but a small number of these, owing to the pe- culiar topography of the country, are naviga- ble. The largest is the Rio Bravo del Norte or Rio Grande, which forms part of the boun- dary with the United States, collecting the waters of the Mexican rivers Conchos (itself of considerable magnitude), Salada, and Sabinas, and of several minor streams. The Panuco, with its numerous tributaries, drains a portion of Guanajuato, Mexico, San Luis Potosi, and Tamaulipas, and empties into the gulf 5 m. be- low Tampico. It is navigable by small vessels for about 30 m. from its mouth, which is ob- structed by a bar with but 9 ft. of water. The Alvarado and Coatzacoalcos descend from the Oajaca mountains, traverse that state and Vera Cruz, and fall into the gulf 50 and 140 m., re- spectively, S. E. of the city of Vera Cruz. But for the bar at its mouth and numerous shoals, the Coatzacoalcos might be navigated for a con- siderable distance by large vessels. The Gri- jalva or Tabasco takes its rise in Guatemala, enters Mexico by the southern frontier of Chia- pas, which state and that of Tabasco it traverses, and empties into the gulf at the K E. corner of Tabasco by two mouths. This river passes the capitals of the two states just named, be- tween which it flows under a high mountain ; it is deep and often rapid, and in the lower half of its course, which lies through a thickly wooded country,.is navigable by schooners. The impetuous Usumasinta also rises in Guatemala, flows through Chiapas and Tabasco, and dis- embogues in the Laguna de T6rminos in Yuca- tan, h.-ing linked to the Tabasco by a number of caftos or transversal canals. The Chimalnpa rises in the same watershed as the Coatzacoalcos and holds a hurried course to Tehuantcpec bay. The chief river of Oajaca is the Verde, de- scending in the same watershed as the two preceding, and falling into the Pacific about Ion. 97 30' W., after a generally S. W. course of 200 m., passing the city of Oajaca, From the state of Mexico descend two largo rivers to the Pacific : the Mescala or Balsas, which rises near Huastepec on the W. slope of the Sierra Madre, and after a winding course S., S. W., and S. through Mexico, Michoacan, and Guerrero, falls into the sea at the small but commodious port of Zacatula, which name is often given to the lower portion of the river ; and the Santiago or Lerma, rising in the lake of the latter name, and flowing N. W. 325 m. into Lake Chapala, from which it issues at the opposite end, to pursue its course 275 m. further to the port of San Bias. Shortly after leaving the lake it forms a magnificent cas- cade. Principal among the rivers flowing into the gulf of California are the Culiacan, Fuerte, Mayo, Yaqui, and Colorado ; the last is navi- gable by the largest vessels from the frontier to its mouth. Mexico has 59 lakes and lagoons, the most important of which are those of the valley of Mexico, viz.: Tezcuco, with an area of 99 sq. m. ; Chalco, 54 sq. m. ; Xochimil- co and Xaltocan, 27 sq. m. each ; Zumpango, 9 sq. m. ; and San Cristobal, 6 sq. m. Some of them overflow during the rainy season, jeoparding the city of Mexico, which has often narrowly escaped destruction by inundations. Of the very imperfect system of drainage that exists, a portion was established by the ancient Aztecs, who likewise constructed the canal connecting Tezcuco, Xochimilco, and Chalco. The first of these is navigated by flat-bottomed steamers; but it is the exclusive depository of the city sewage, and to the consequent mias- matic exhalations the insalubrity of the capital is mainly due. Another large and important lake is Chapala, in Michoacan and Jalisco, also navigated by steam. Of the remaining 52 lakes none deserve special mention, although some are of considerable extent. The geolo- gy of Mexico has been but imperfectly stud- ied. The mountains in the extreme south- east are mainly composed of porphyry, with -some limestone and clay slate, in which last veins of silver, copper, and lead frequently occur. The Oajaca system is chiefly of granite, especially in the loftiest peaks; and granite forms the rocky foundation of the central ta- ble land, where however the upper strata ex- hibit an extensive superstructure of porphy- ries rich in precious metals, together with basaltic lavas, trachyte, clay slate, amygdaloid, syenite, serpentine, dolorite, and limestone and sandstone. The Cerro del Mercado in Durango is said to be one vast mass of iron. The min- eral products of Mexico, so far as hitherto known, are richer than those of any other country, not excepting Peru ; and it is sup- posed upon good authority that still richer mines of silver and gold are likely to be discov-