180 SIX MONTHS IN MEXICO. 



ravines and places said to be dangerous from 

 being the resort of robbers, we arrived at Na- 

 paluca. Here we spent the night, and start- 

 ing early the next morning, took some refresh- 

 ment at Ocho de Agua. Journeying over the 

 arid plain mentioned in page 73, of Vol. I. 

 we again witnessed the extraordinary effects of 

 a whirlwind, though not to so great a degree 

 as before, owing probably to the rainy season, 

 in consequence of which much of the ground, 

 before parched up, was now covered with ver- 

 dant turf ; among this we observed a species 

 of ground-squirrel, very numerous, but so shy 

 that we could not procure one with the gun; 

 we however killed two vultures and several 

 hawks from the coach window. We halted 

 half an hour at Perote : it appeared to greater 

 advantage than the last time we passed it. 

 Here I procured the skin of a lynx, recently 

 killed in the neighbourhood, where I was told 

 it is not uncommon. We reached the volcanic 



