EXPLORATION OF MEXICO. 



19 



of Covarrubias, whicli formed the starting-point for accurate geographical work. 

 Men of learning, such as Orozco y Berra and Pinientel, also made extensive 

 researches on the distribution of the aboriginal tribes of Mexico, on the history 

 of their migrations, the origin, affinities, and structure of their languages. 



The American officers who penetrated into North Mexico during the war of 

 184G, and agaiu in connection with the delimitation of the frontiers, also took 

 part in the topographical researches ; the maps prepared by them for Sonora, 

 Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo-Leon, and Tamaulipas still remain the best docu- 

 ments for the study of those provinces. The chief marine charts, especialh- 

 those of lower California, are also the work of United States surveyors. 



But works are now in progress with a view to the preparation of a topo- 



Fig. 9.— Regions studied by the Officers of the French Expedition. 

 Scale 1 : 620 Miles. 



West oF Greenwich 9:)* 



620 Miles. 



graphical map on the scale of --ôô-Vô-ô-' which will be worthy of comparison with 

 those of the most advanced states, and which takes as starting-points on one 

 hand the Mexican Valley and environs of Puebla, on the other the northern 

 regions studied by the American and INIexican Boundary Commissions. The 

 cartographic service in the array of the republic comprises as many as 120 jjersons 

 trained for the work. 



The period of preliminary explorations is now all but closed, except perhaps 

 for some parts of the border-lands towards Guatemala, where so recently as 1882 

 a " dead city " was discovered by Mr. Maudslay and explored by M. Charnay. 



