i::::::::C TWO BIRD- LOVERS IN MEXICO B-""-:: 



most unhealthy cities in the world. Not a ripple stirred 

 the expanse of green slime which stretched away and 

 away. Here was stationed a motionless Great Blue 

 Heron or a Wood Ibis, there a Cormorant perched 

 upon a dead snag. It must indeed be terrible to the 

 poor people, who are forced to live at Manzanillo, to 

 watch the annual cutting off of the outlet of this 

 great ocean-fed lake, to see it become more green and 

 slimy day by day. Finally the myriads of fish strug- 

 gle and leap ashore in windrows, fighting for oxygen, 

 and then the terrible stench carries death on every 

 breeze. We passed the great cut through the hills 

 to the sea, which, it is hoped, will put an end to this 

 peril. 



A few minutes after passing the sinister expanse of 

 the lagoon we reached the harbour of Manzanillo, 

 and there lay the Pacific — so deep and blue and pure. 



" Then felt I like some watcher of the skies 

 When a new planet swims into his ken ; 



Oi' like stout Cortez when with eagle eyes 

 He stared at the Pacific, and all his men 



Looked at each othei- with a wild surmise, 

 Silent ujjon a peak in Darien." 



We had but two hours before the train made its 

 return trip — only long enough to walk to the beach, 

 over the intervening hill, eat our lunch beside its 

 booming waves, and return. On the way we were in- 

 terested to see large cotton-trees, the new source of 



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