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THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



its underground ducts, feed a large num- 

 ber of the streams at the base and sides 

 of the mountain. Aside from this rip- 

 pHng lake, there is no sign whatever of 

 life in this immense crater of Toluca. 



Photo No. 13. ''El Aguila." The 

 highest point on Toluca's volcano, 15,055 

 feet above sea-level. After a leisurely 

 ride from the plains below, the ascent to 

 this peak is accomplished after a rough 

 scramble of about two hours, its altitude 

 above the level of the lake shown in 

 photo No. 12 being only about 700 to 

 800 feet. 



Photo No. 14. The author and guides 

 at the crater's edge. The ground in front 

 of the group is made of limy material as 

 white as the snow in the background. 

 Here is where the sulphur is picked, the 

 entire surface being covered with layers 

 of sulphur crystals. 



Photo No. 15. Citlaltepetl, "Shining 

 Star," or Peak of Orizaba, about 60 

 miles northwest of V^era Cruz, on the 

 Gulf coast, 18,24.0 feet above sea-level. 

 Located at the edge of the plateau, it 

 rises 10,500 feet above the plains on the 

 west, its eastern slope, extremely rugged 

 and broken, running all the way to sea- 

 level. All the big ranges being below 

 the plateau, it stands alone with impos- 

 ing majesty. Its shining cone is visible 

 80 miles out at sea, long before the land 

 has come into view. 



Its crater has the most irregular shape, 

 very broken and jagged, and is smaller 

 in diameter than Popocatepetl's, but 

 about as deep as the latter's. Sulphur 

 appears in crystallized form in layers at 

 the crater's edges mixed with impurities 

 of all sorts. Aside from some small 

 steam vents, the crater shows no signs 

 of life. However, from the fact that the 

 cone is so well preserved and its prox- 

 imity to the sea, it is not regarded as a 

 dead volcano, but rather as a young one 

 which may yet become active. 



This photo was taken from the town 

 of Chalchicomula. 



Photos 16 and 20 show the general 

 character of Orizaba on the side where 

 the ascent is made. This being the south- 

 west side, it is exposed to the sun's rays 

 and to the warm south winds, which. 



melting the snows quickly, cause the run- 

 ning water to undermine the loose rocks, 

 and, due to the great inclination of the 

 mountain sides, these fall continually in 

 avalanches, hewing the mountain. The 

 north side presents the opposite appear- 

 ance — that of a hump eternally covered 

 with snow, as, due to the geographical 

 position of the mountain, the sun seldom 

 shines on that side. The ascent over 

 these loose rocks is greatly fatiguing and 

 slow. 



Photo No. 16, where the arrow ap- 

 pears, on the left, shows Popocatepetl 

 and Iztaccihuatl in the distance, 90 miles 

 away, and to the right, in the center of 

 the picture, Malintzi, about 55 miles dis- 

 tant. The latter is another extinct vol- 

 cano, 13,510 feet high. 



Photo No. 17. "The Pulpit." To at- 

 tain the crater it is necessary to climb 

 over the rocks seen on the left. These 

 rocks offer a true alpine sport to the 

 ones that conquer the summit. 



Photo No. 18. This photograph offers 

 a good idea of the uneven sides of the 

 crater. Beyond the rim, on the opposite 

 side, are seen the hills, the plains, and 

 the sea, the latter being the dark strip 

 beyond the white line marked by the 

 cross on the right. This photograph is 

 unique, showing as it does the height of 

 the mountain above the level of the sea. 



Photo No. 19. The Peak of Orizaba. 

 The summit of the mountain and the 

 walls of the crater are plainly seen. No- 

 tice the size of a human being, marked 

 by the two arrows on top and to the left, 

 in comparison with the surroundings. 



Photo No. 22. The summit. Mr Won- 

 son to the left, Mr Melgarejo to the 

 right, and guides. A large cross, made 

 of iron piping, was erected here by a 

 pious German, but, undoubtedly struck 

 by lightning, it has fallen to the ground 

 in greatly distorted shape. The view 

 obtained from this high point commands 

 a hundred or more miles in every direc- 

 tion. The formation of the high Mexi- 

 can plateau, the Gulf watershed, and the 

 coast is here plainly seen. As .shown by 

 the photograph, the actual ''top" of the 

 mountain is about two or three feet 

 square. 



