344 EAST PRUSSIA TO THE GOLDEN GATE 



the beach to the foot of the mountain-chain. Here, too, 

 is plenty of vegetation, though one notices already the 

 reddish mountain tops which I have spoken of as char- 

 acteristic of Northern Mexico and California. Nature 

 all along this coast is in her virgin-state, which lends con- 

 siderable variety to the otherwise monotonous scenery. 

 Toward night we noticed a beautiful display of lightning 

 in the East. 



Tuesday, at three o 'clock in the morning, I am aroused 

 by the saluting of our ship's-cannon, which announces 

 the welcome fact that we are at anchor at Acapulco, after 

 sailing fourteen hundred and forty miles in six days and 

 nine hours. Having; taken a look at the town we were 

 glad to enjoy the coolness of our tents on deck of the 

 steamer, as the heat was intensely oppressive. Notwith- 

 standing this one disagreeable feature, we gained a good 

 view of this romantic sea-port town, which is so com- 

 pletely hidden by picturesque mountains that one cannot 

 see the ocean; and as the entrance into the beautiful bay 

 is likewise hidden, the latter has the appearance of an 

 inland lake rather than of a harbor, though it is quite 

 large and deep enough to admit sea-vessels of all sizes. 

 Alongside of us there ride at anchor two of the largest 

 American clippers and the big screw steamer "Califor- 

 nia." All around were high mountains covered with 

 heavy growth of cocoa palms and gigantic ferns, from 

 which the adobe huts of the natives loomed up like mush- 

 rooms. Acapulco is a typical Mexican city with huts of 

 wood, reeds or adobe; few may be called houses of one 

 story, but all are without window panes and have wooden 

 or iron grates instead, a few have shutters. The streets 

 are badly paved except where nature provided the rocks. 

 I was surprised to see street lanterns, which showed a 

 certain degree of progress. We then went to the fortress, 

 built of stone and not without skill and practical pur- 

 pose; it has really been baptized by the blood of French- 

 men, who occupied the city but vainly tried to drive the 

 natives out of the Fortress San Carlos, where sixty good 

 sized guns prevented the capture. A splendid and well 



