138 



Notes of a Visit to Mexico, 



of freight, and then by way of diversion they commence fighting ; 

 this done, they resume their journey with sorrowful countenances, 

 and contrive by forced marches to arrive within the stipulated 

 time. The load for an Indian weighs from 80 to 150 lbs., and with 

 this they will walk ten and fifteen days in succession, performing 

 each day a journey of from twenty to twenty-five miles. The remu- 

 neration they receive is half of that of a mule load, which is always 

 composed of two parcels, or about one shilling for every ten miles. 



Once more I resumed my journey to Guatemala. After leaving 

 Quezaltenango, and travelling about two miles along the swampy 

 plain, which is considered to be the source of the river Motagua, the 

 road gradually rises towards the village of Totonicapan ; the 

 ascent becomes then more steep, and the sides of the mountain 

 become covered with large evergreen Oaks, with scarcely any 

 under shrubs except a few bushes of Viburnum discolor. Passing 

 gradually from the region of Oaks to that of the Pinuses, I once 

 more found some remarkably fine trees of Abies religiosa, to- 

 gether with Pinus Hartwegii. I may here observe, that this is the 

 most southern station of Abies religiosa, with which I am ac- 

 quainted, it having now been found at various places between 

 15° and 22° S.L. ; its chief range however, is about 19°. 



Passing over a slightly undulated surface I reached the high 

 table land, which is thinly wooded with stunted trees of Ainu* 

 mexicana, on which I found in great luxuriance, the pretty little Ar- 

 pophyllum alpinum, with short spikes of dark purple flowers. The 

 elevation of this plain above the sea is at least 10,000 feet, and the 

 black volcanic soil of which it is composed is chiefly occupied by 

 a long coarse grass, which grows in large tufts, giving not the 

 slightest chance to other plants. Cattle will not eat this grass. 



Having crossed the plain T arrived at the descent to the farm 

 of Argueta, which is known by the name of Cuesta de la Al- 

 ii a ja; here my attention was arrested by the showy Oxylepis 

 tonata, resembling in habit the dwarfer kinds of Helenium, and 



