142 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 



still a prosperous city. A brief glance at its past his- 

 tory shows us that in 1568 it was in the hands of pirates, 

 that in 1683 it was sacked by buccaneers, and was de- 

 vastated by a conflagration in 1618. In 1822-23 it was 

 bombarded by the Spaniards, who still held the castle of 

 San Juan de la Ulua. In 1838 it was attacked by a French 

 fleet, and in 1847 was bombarded by the American forces. 

 In 1856 it was nearly destroyed by a hurricane, and in 1859 

 civil war decimated the town and fortress. From 1861 to 

 1867 it was in the hands of the French and Imperialists. 

 From that time, however, it has enjoyed a period of quiet 

 and a large share of commercial prosperity. 



Veracruz, though at present the principal seaport of 

 the Republic, is without a harbor worthy of the name, 

 being situated on an open roadstead and offering no safe 

 anchorage among its shoals, coral reefs, and surfs. It is 

 not safe for vessels to anchor within half a mile of the 

 shore. A cluster of dangerous reefs, including the Island 

 of San Juan, form a slight protection from the open Gulf, 

 although this, is sometimes more dangerous than an open 

 roadstead. A sea-wall shelters the street facing upon the 

 water. A good breakwater would make Veracruz one of 

 the safest harbors along the Gulf, but such an improvement 

 necessitates a large outlay, and is not likely to be under- 

 taken yet a while in the land of " manana. " 



The greater portion of our time was spent in the har- 

 bor studying the reefs. As we passed over the clear 

 water a perfect treasure-house of nature's wonders could 

 be seen beneath the surface. Corals were growing in rich 

 profusion, and animal life of all kinds was very abundant. 

 Here, over a sandy spot, was crawling a large Triton, a 

 trumpet shell; there, just beneath the surface, were several 

 beautifully colored fishes swimming lazily along; the corals 

 looked very beautiful growing; the Madreporas, with their 



