EXPLORATIONS IN CAPE REGION. 753 



years ago broke through and emptied into the creek, 

 which carried off its surplus waters to the Gulf. To-day 

 the lagoon is dry, and forms an oblong somewhat irregular 

 flat, on account of its dryness not worthy of the name 

 of meadow. Through its center courses a tiny spring or 

 two in the deeper channel which at the rainy season, or 

 after heavy storms, undoubtedly has the appearance of a? 

 brook, but which at the dry season becomes almost en- 

 tirely dry, most of the water which comes from the upper 

 end sinking before it reaches the center of the flat. The 

 flat contains probably about a hundred acres. About one 

 mile or so northwest of the flat is situated one of the most 

 prominent landmarks in the Cape Region, the Picacho or 

 La Aguja. This is a high needle-like peak, almost per- 

 pendicular on all sides, but especially so on the west side, 

 where it falls about a thousand feet down in the canons 

 and slopes below. The top is bare and narrow, like a 

 sugar loaf. A few hundred feet back of it, to the east, 

 is another but less perpendicular cone, partly covered 

 with trees and vegetation, and about fifty feet less high. 

 My aneroid indicated the height to be 6200 feet. But two 

 or three miles further east, on the southeast side of the 

 former lagoon, is situated the highest mountain in this 

 particular sierra. It being unnamed and not especially 

 designated by any of the inhabitants on either the Todos 

 Santos or the Miraflores side, we named it Mt. Porfirio 

 Diaz. Its wanting previously a name may be accounted 

 for because its top is partly covered by vegetation, and it 

 is thus not as prominently visible as the Picacho, but it is 

 almost a thousand feet higher, or about 7050 feet. Right 

 opposite, on the north side of the Laguna, the sierra 

 crest is a succession of bold and rough tops, the highest 

 one reaches about 6000 feet. Unhappily the aneroid was 

 left behind at the ascent, but I estimated the height at fully 

 6000 feet. We named this Mt. Limantour. 



