320 CORDILLERA OF CENTRAL AMERICA. 



of central America extends on toward the intendancia oi 

 Oaxaca, at an equal distance from the two oceans ; then from 

 18| to 21 lat. from Mistecato the mines of Zimapan, it 

 approximates to the eastern coast. Nearly in the parallel oi 

 the city of Mexico, between Toluca, Xalapa, and Cordoba, it 

 attains its maximum height ; several colossal summits rising 

 to 2400 and 2770 toises. Farther north, the chain called 

 Sierra Madre runs N. 40 W. towards San Miguel el 

 Grande and Guanaxuato. Near the latter town (lat. 

 21 0' 15"), where the richest silver mines of the known 

 world are situated, it widens in an extraordinary degree, 

 and separates into three branches. The most eastern branch 

 advances towards Charcas and the Real de Catorce, and 

 lowers progressively (turning to N.E.) in the ancient king- 

 dom of Leon, in the province of Cohahuila and Texas. That 

 branch is prolonged from the Bio Colorado de Texas, crossing 

 the Arkansas near the confluence of the Mississippi and the 

 Missouri (lat. 38 51'). In those countries it bears the 

 name of the Mountains of Ozark,* and attains 300 toises of 

 height. It has been supposed that on the east of the Mis- 

 sissippi (lat. 44 46), the Wisconsin Hills, which stretch 

 out to N.N.E. in the direction of Lake Superior, may be a 

 continuation of the mountains of Ozark. Their metallic 

 wealth seems to denote that they are a prolongation of 

 the eastern Cordillera of Mexico. The western branch 

 or Cordillera occupies a part of the province of Guada- 

 lajara, and stretches by Culiacan, Aripe, and the aurifer- 

 ous lands of the Pirn em Alta and La Sonora, as far as the 

 banks of the Rio Gila (lat. 33 34), one of the most 

 ancient dwellings of the Aztek nations. "We shall soon see 

 that this western chain appears to be linked by the spurs 

 that advance to the west, with the maritime Alps of Cali- 

 fornia. Finally, the central Cordillera of Anahuac, which is 



stones, destroyed, on the llth September, 1541, the Ciudad Vieja, or 

 Almolonga (the ancient capital of the country, which must not be con- 

 founded with the ancient Guatemala), is covered with snow, during several 

 months of the year. This phenomenon would seem to indicate a height 

 of more than 1750 toises. 



* Ozark is at once the ancient name of Arkansas, and of the tribe of 

 Quawpaw Indians, who inhabit the banks of that great river. The 

 culminant point of the Mountains of Ozark is in latitude 3Ti*, be- 

 tween the sources of the White and Osage rivers. 



