264 



MEXICO, CENTEAL AMERICA, WEST INDIES. 



board on the Atlantic side, are Puerto Corics and Omoa, both of which lie to the 

 west of the Ulua and Chamelicon estuaries, Puerto Cortes owes its name to the 

 Mexican conqueror, who founded it at the time of his Honduras expedition ; but 

 it is now more commonly known as Puerto Cabnllos. The harbour is enclosed by 

 a tongue of land projecting westwards, and sheltering it from the winds and surf 

 of the high seas. This spacious and deep basin might easily be greatly enlarged 



Kg. 113.— PUEETO COETES AND LaKE AlVAEADO. 

 Scale 1 : 50,000. 



Uepths. 



Sands expnped 

 at low water. 



5 ta uiiiiis 

 and upwards. 



I,lf0 Yards. 



by the Alvarado lagoon, with which it already communicates through a channel 

 about six feet deep. 



But despite its manifold advantages, Puerto Caballos, being exposed to the attacks 

 of the buccaneers, was long abandoned for the more easily protected port of Omoa, 

 which is approached by a narrow passage six miles farther west. Now, however, 

 Puerto Caballos has resumed its former importance as the terminus of a railway run- 

 ning soutl.wards to San Pedro de Sula for Comayagua, and eventually for the Pacific 

 coast. Naco, famous at the time of the conquest, has disappeared, but it probably 

 stood at the mouth of the Chamelicon. 



