62 



A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 



a body upon the American Consul. This gentleman was 

 very cordial, and gave us much information. Here we 

 obtained statistics concerning yellow fever, which were very 

 interesting, They showed that for the last three years pre- 

 ceding 1890, there had been but nine deaths from the "^ever. 

 The following table I copied ^rom the official record, and 

 shows a gradual decrease since 1885, 



Yellow Fever in Veracruz. 



The highest month was June, 1883, when 261 deaths 

 occurred. The total number of deaths in twenty years was 

 5493. 



From the lighthouse, situated near the quay, we 

 secured an excellent view of the city and surrounding 

 country. Looking seaward, we saw the harbor with its 

 numerous shipping lying at anchor, the grim old fortress on 

 the Island of San Juan de la Ulua, the coral reefs stretching 

 away in the distance, with the waves beating over them, 

 throwing up a line of white foam. Inland, the view pre- 

 sented a very interesting scene. Just back of the city rose 

 a series of sand dunes, which extended several miles into 

 the country; and back of these rose a chain of mountains, 

 looking faint and misty in the distance. From our high 

 position the city appeared about a mile square, built upon, 

 and surrounded by, sand. The houses were flat roofed and 

 nearly square, built of stone, and two or three stories in 

 height. The only vegetation about the city was low scrubby 

 bushes and cacti. The domes were, in some places, black 

 with buzzards. In the afternoon we visited the south end 

 of the town, and walked a little way into the country, but 

 all we could find were a few dead and bleached shells, and 

 an occasional lizard of small size. 



