VOLCANOES. 239 



In 1693 another lofty volcano fell, with a tremendous crash. 

 Proceeding farther north, we find tl ree active volcanoes in the 

 province of Pasto, and three likewise in that of Popayan. Pass- 

 ing on, across the isthmus of Darien into Guatemala, and Nicar- 

 agua, no less than twenty-ono active /olcanoes are found between 

 the tenth and fifteenth degrees of noi th latitude. Among these 

 is an enormous mountain called the volcano of water (de Agua), 

 at the base of which in 1527, the old city of Guatemala was built 

 A few years afterward, a most formidable aqueous eruption burst 

 forth, which overwhelmed the whole city, and buried in the ruins 

 most of the inhabitants. Appalled by this disaster, the Spaniards 

 built another city, New Guatemala, in another situation, farther 

 from the mountain. Among other splendid buildings it contained 

 a Cathedral more than 300 feet long, and one of its nunneries had 

 more than 1000 persons in it. After a series of dreadful shocks, 

 and volcanic eruptions, this beautiful city shared the fate of the 

 former, and was reduced to a heap of luins in 1775. We have 

 now traced this volcanic chain for a distance of nearly 5000 miles 

 from south to north, arriving at the high (able land of Mexico, 

 which is the middle part of the great chain of mountains called 

 the Andes or Cordilleras in the south, and the Rocky Mountains 

 in the north. This table land is from 6000 to 8000 feet in height, 

 thus rivalling Mount St. Bernard and other remarkable summits 

 in the eastern continent. This table land is not an interval be- 

 tween opposite ridges, but is the highest part of the ridge itself. In 

 the course of it, isolated peaks occur, the summits of which reach 

 the elevation of perpetual snow. It is somewhat remarkable, 

 that a chain of volcanic mountains traverses this table land at right 

 angles, which, with few interruptions, seems almost as smooth as 

 the ocean, to a distance of 1500 miles north. Hence while com- 

 munication with the City of Mexico is very difficult from either 

 sea coast, there is nothing to prevent wheel carriages from run- 

 ning along the top of this mountain chain to Santa Fe. The 

 volcanic mountains, are five in number, and run at right angles; 

 commencing with the most eastern, we have Tuxtla, a few miles 

 west of Vera Cruz ; Orizava, the height of which is 17,370 feet,- 

 Popocatepetl 500 feet higher, and shown in the engraving below. 



