Page:Vol 6 History of Mexico by H H Bancroft.djvu/701

Rh With a clear day before us, we moved slowly up stream, meeting many mahogany and cedar rafts. At 8 we landed at Almagres, a dilapidated town containing 98 voters, and situated thirty-seven miles south of the bar.

This is the highest point of the river that could be utilized for a ship-canal, on account of its small depth and frequent bars. It will be more economical and expedient to commence the canal at the town opposite the Rancho del Mariscal, cutting through the island of Tacamichapa, in the direction of Absalotitlan, and by clearing the entrance of the Mistan Fork avoid the sand deposits which come from this river. Although the Jumuapa River has a fine sand bottom, either the configuration of its outlet, its internal bars, or the shape of its shores prevent its sands from drifting into the Coatzacoalcos, because the general character of the bottom of the latter river consists of plastic clay, with a remarkably small amount of gravel and sand.

For a description of the Coatzacoalcos below Almagres, see extracts of Captain Farquhar's report.

The river banks below Almagres are very low, frequently flooded, and the country is crossed by many creeks, which complicate the regimen of the river, not only with regard to the tides, but also in connection with the floods.

It will be seen in the meteorological report that the river rises and falls, often without apparent cause, and independently of the tides and wind.

The most important of these creeks drain the country west of Minatitlan, and are the Menzapa, Apepecbe, Ocosapa, and Jacoteno, on the left bank; and the Coatajapa, which drains the country north of the San Antonio River. All river depths referred to in this report relate to the dry season, unless otherwise stated.

Two and a half miles south of Minatitlan, a haven exists, made by the confluence of the Ojosapa and Tacojalpa, where the Spanish government water-cured pine masts that were afterward taken to the Havana and Carraca arsenals.

The breadth of the river from the Coachapa to Almagres varies from 400 to 500 feet, while at the confluence of the Uspanapa in the south extremity of Guerrero Island, near Tierra Nueva, and near its month, this majestic river is nearly half a mile wide.

These and other important facts devoloped by the accurate surveys of this river by the hydrographic party shows that a secure harbor can be obtained on the gulf side of the isthmus, and safe navigation for any sized ships, as. far as the island of Tacamichapa.

The improvements required can be easily and cheaply effected. The description of this river given by Señor Moro is very accurate, from the Milagro River in the Chimalapa region, down to its mouth in the gulf.

I differ from his opinion that the Coatzacoalcos could be utilized as far as its confluence with the Malatengo. To straighten a large watercourse is extremely expensive, and above Almagres this river is abruptly tortuous, and shallow in very long stretches. Also Señor Moro never went north and east of Santa Maria Chimalapa; and Senor Robles, who surveyed the Upper Coatzacoalcos very hastily, was often deceived by the native Indians.

We left Almagres on November 29th, and proceeded up the river. Two