88 



ESTEKN 



about 



Tom Toplobampo- B&y, It must not be confused with San Bias, Nayarit 

 [Tepic), which is a seaport, which was explored long ago and the flora 

 eported by Hooker and Amot in Bot, Beechy. This San Bias is at the 



the 



Tofplobamp 



But at that time wa 



completed only 60 miles east of San Bias. I spent a littel over a week 

 at San Bias, and then took the stage for Los Mochis. 30 miles off. This 



town 

 mild 



prod 



January, February and March, before 



i^v pruuuccrs gei on uie market. 1 was escorted around by the superin- 

 U'lident o{ one of the great concerns, and collected some plants on the wav. 

 Then I returned to San Bias and took the next train for Mazatlan. 



I reached Mazatlan Saturday night, and had to stay there three 

 days till the next train came along. This time I put in on strenuous 



botanizing. 



The train pulled out in the morning and we spent the day draggint,' 

 along to Tepic, following up a river leading into the mountains and ^awaV 

 from the sea. From Mazatlan southeast there are several low ranges of 

 mountains more or less parallel with the main Sierra Madres, whfch as 

 iLsual form the crest of the drainage from Arizona to the volcano of 

 Colima. Between the ranges are valleys affording some arable land, here 

 and thf-re, where there are cities and settlments of smaller size. Tepic is 

 one of these. It is a quaint old city, with typical Mexican architecture, 

 a great cathedral, central plaza, and paved streets, paved with cobble- 

 stones All around the plaza are staUs or booths, where the natives sell 

 't J'''^\u P'"^^."^^, *"^ manufactures, and gossip all day. The central 

 fart of the city is full of fine Mexican stores, and swell hotels, after the 



JnZlT r!^''''ir "^^'^^ r^ ^^y ^ P^^°^ ^ day for room and board. I 

 Z?.i %'^'.}^^''\^o\o de Oro, or Golden Bowl. Just before I pot 

 «icre the President of the republic had sent some soldiers to arrest the 

 nT^T- -.f^^ defalcation. So he was promptly deposed and a new 



do th^ n'r )T T>^^ r^ particular rufflling of the surface. So easy 

 do the natives take this modem despotism called a republic. 



Inllc \TX '"^ ""^^ '^^"^ ^'^^ ^ ^°"^<i valley hemmed in by volcanic 

 Sstfor.riT *M^° «^«"^^«d feet high, and toward their tops have 



thlt i? IS .tllfc /''"'f ^ ''''' °^ ^^' °^^ ^^^ P^«^- I should judse 

 from h. lltT.T'^"' ^'^''^ *^ ^^"^y- The Tepic river comes in 

 comole^elvTwr!, ^ V^""*^"''. ^^°^^' ^^^^ "^^^^ ^"^ half river, often 

 Cr.1^/ tV^'^ ^^ ^''P'' ^^ ^^^°™ if ^ver over 4 feet deep. In it 

 waths ^roulh 1 rf '' *^t "^^^^ ^^^ ^^^^^ °- *- Trapl eatin, 



h Z; uL. ° ^^ *^T^^' ^^^ con^e fields of cane, and on the 



SSwest ctnfrTf 2? 'n^ "'^?^J^^- ^' "^^^ -^-^^^-^ ^^ ^^ ^^^ 



