CHAPTER XIII. 



May 28th we left Veracruz for Jalapa. From Vera- 

 cruz to San Juan, sixteen miles, we passed through a most 

 delightful tropical country, the road running thrpugh an 

 almost impenetrable jungle. Birds here were numerous, 

 but I was not able to identify them. 



We reached San Juan by train, "where we changed to 

 mule traction. The road was very tortuous, winding up 

 long hills and down steep gulches. Our route was through 

 the old national road by way of Cerro Gordo. It was at 

 this hamlet, consisting of a few mud huts, that General 

 Scott, in 1847, outflanked and defeated the Mexican army 

 under Santa Ana. Jalapa, — pronounced Halapa, — is sit- 

 uated about sixty miles northwest of Veracruz, and is used 

 by the people of the latter city as a sanitarium to escape 

 from the ravages of yellow fever. Its situation is very 

 salubrious, as it is located some four thousand feet above 

 the sea coast. 



Jalapa has a population (permanent) of some fourteen 

 thousand. It contains a large cathedral and numerous 

 churches, once handsome structures, but now fallen into 

 decay. The town^is situated on the hill of Macuiltepec, 

 and many of the streets are therefore very steep, and the 

 scenery really beautiful. The low stone houses are perched 

 on the hillsides, and the streets are irregular. Among the 

 many attractions of Jalapa, those of its beautiful women 

 and lovely flowers are probably the widest known. In its 

 gardens may be gathered the fruits of almost every zone. 

 Here grows the aromatic vanilla plant, which is indiginous 

 and grows wild in abundance in the forest; it is a great 

 source of income to the inhabitants. The plant requires 



