FROM VERA CRUZ INTO THE INTERIOR. 33 



Other steam-lines centring here from foreign countries are : the German Line to 

 Havre and Hamburg, monthly; the Royal Mail, monthly, to Plymouth and South- 

 ampton ; Spanish Line, monthly, to Spain ; French Line, monthly, to St. Nazaire, 

 etc. ; a Mexican Line to home ports on the Gulf. 



From Vera Cruz to the city of Mexico, distant 263 miles, and 14 hours, runs the 

 great line known as the Mexican Railway.' 



A branch line also runs to Jalapa, seventy miles, a most delightful town in the 

 mountains, passing over the ancient royal road, and through the pass of Cerro 

 Gordo. This trip should not be omitted. 



The entire journey, from the coast to the valley of Mexico, is through grand and 

 picturesque scenery, giving every variety of vegetation as the mountains are as- 

 cended, crossing numerous bridges, spanning ravines and barrancas, and with snow- 

 covered Orizaba ever in sight, even over the fields of sugarcane and coffee, and 

 banana-gardens. 



Cordova, sixty-five miles from Vera Cruz, presents a charming blending of tropi- 

 cal and temperate scenery and climate, and is in the centre of the coffee region. Its 

 hotels are poor. 



Orizaba, eighty-two miles, has better hotels and many attractions, including fine 

 streams, mountain-views, and an interesting architecture and people. 



Maltrata is in a beautiful mountain valley, above which the track climbs to the 

 crest of the table-land at Boca del Monte. 



At Esperanza, 1 1 r miles, a narrow-gauge railway connects for Tehuacan, a town 

 worth visiting, whence a diligence runs a day's journey southward, towards Oaxaca, 

 the birthplace of Diaz and Juarez, a city of 27,000, extremely interesting, and with 

 fascinating ruins lying about it. To reach it requires three days' travel on horse- 

 back, besides one day in the diligence. Horses must be ordered in advance. No 

 hotels on the route, but fair ones in Oaxaca. 



At Apizaco, 176 miles, a branch leads off to the beautiful city of Puebla, with 

 70,000, with a host of attractions, —a grand cathedral with maguificeiU interior, libra- 

 ries, baths, bull-ring, fair hotels, and fine buildings. Six niiles distant by tramway 

 is the famous Pyramid of Cholula, with its ancient town, containing many buildings 

 of early date. All about is spread a mountainous country, enveloping fertile plains. 

 Three great mountains, including Popocatepetl, are near to Puebla and Cholula. 



At Irolo, 215 mUes, another line runs northward to Pachuca, a mining centre 

 worked from the years of the Conquest, where are the famous Real del Monte 

 mines, and others of note. There are good hotels here. It is a delightful day's jour- 

 ney from Vera Cruz to Mexico City, — one so filled with varied scenes, that its like 

 may not be found elsewhere in America. Trains enter the suburb of Buena Vista, 

 whence conveyances (as described on p. 18 ) take passengers to the city. 



' Vera Cruz and the ascent to Mexico fully described in Travels in Mexico, Chap. XXII. 



