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26 thicket with no life but that of the panther, the serpent, the parrot, and all the other animal and bird life of the jungle.

From this point the National Railways of Mexico are furnished their fuel oil. With the railroads working at their capacity in a settled country they would be consuming twelve thousand barrels a day, but at present less than six thousand barrels is taken and the proceeds are credited on the company's tax bill. The tax is about five cents per barrel for exported oil.

Until Mexico has settled down, it is not worth while to dwell upon the oil or agricultural wealth or the few millions here first invested, for the wells farther south are abundantly sufficient to fill four times the present pipe lines and four times the available ocean tonnage.