CHIAPAS, 143 



Eut in 1840 an insurrection was caused by the numerous abuses of the central 

 government. The Mexican garrisons were expelled and the officials deposed ; so 

 unanimous was the public sentiment of the Yucatan people that the change was 

 effected without bloodshe;!. Two years afterwards a Mexican force of 11,000 

 men besieged the town of Campeachy, but the besiegers themselves, reduced by 

 battle and fever to a fourth of their original strength, had to capitulate, and the 

 Mexican Government recognised the complete autonomy of Yucatan, which on its 

 part gave a nominal adhesion to the federal union. But after the national victory, 

 discord broke out between the two rival cities of Campeachy and Merida, both 

 of which aspired to the title of capital. 



Then the Indians themselves, trained to warfare during these incessant struggles 

 in which they had been compelled to take part, seized the opportunity to proclaim 

 their own independence against their white masters. Thus it happened that in. 

 order to maintain their exi^teace and privileges, the white populations had first to 

 settle their own differences, and then come to terms with the Mexican republic. 

 The social war lasted many years, and ended in the triumph of the Indians, who 

 succeeded in maintaining their independence in the southern part of the peninsula. 

 From this district the Mexicans are now excluded, and even European travellers 

 are not allowed to penetrate into the country except under the protection of a 

 native chief. In this direction Yucatan is thus separated from Guatemala by a 

 broad zone of unreduced populations, just as it is separated from Mexico proper by 

 still uninhabited wastes. 



Physical Features. 



The mountain range which begins east of the Tehuantepec isthmus and is 

 continued through Guatemala and Central America is more entitled, by it3 

 regularity and relative altitude, to the name of Sierra Madre, which is of such 

 frequent occurrence in Hispano-American lands. The first summits rise abruptly 

 above the forests of the isthmus, where the Atravesado ridge is already 5,000 feet 

 high, and is followed eastwards by several other summits exceeding 6,500 feet. 

 The formation is mainly porphyritic, with volcanic cones appearing at intervals, 

 amongst others the famous Soconusco (7,900 feet), the ancient Xoconochco, which 

 gives its name to the surrounding plains and to the whole southern slope of the 

 State of Chiapas. According to the natives, Soconusco still emits vapours, but 

 no mention is made of eruptions which would appear to have occurred in within 

 comparatively recent times. On the other hand tlie Indians greatly fear the 

 Tacana volcano, which has been chosen as the common frontier between Mexico 

 and Guatemala. Tacana is a regular cone which, according to Dollfus and De 

 Mont-Serrat, must certainly exceed 11,500 feet. It is nearly always wrapj)ed in 

 smoke, and frequently in a state of eruption. 



Towards the Pacific the Sierra Madre falls very abruptly, the crest of the 

 range here running at a mean distance of 25 to 30 miles from the shore. On the 

 other hand the Atlantic slope is comparatively gentle, though the declivity is 

 not regular like that of an inclined plane. It is broken by deep valleys and 



