THE MONTE PENULCO. 61 



skating beams glistened upon the pretty white Oenothera 

 which spotted the turf, congratulate each other upon our 

 escape from the persecutions of garapatoes and their in- 

 sect allies. 



The view on all sides was fine, but chiefly so towards 

 the deep defiles of the Canada at our feet. The Monte 

 Penulco occupies the angle between the forks. Across 

 the opening which marked the great defile above Tlaco- 

 lula, an even line of blue, melting into the mist of the ut- 

 most visible horizon, marked the open country of the 

 Huastec, through which we had passed many days previ- 

 ous. Many little solitary Indian huts, and patches of 

 sugarcane, and numerous herds of cattle, were scattered 

 over the precipitous slopes far and wide, and altogether, 

 we agreed, that nowhere in America had we seen moun- 

 tain scenery whose general features and colouring bore 

 so great a resemblance to the lower green Alps of Swit- 

 zerland, with their wide pastures, transparent atmo- 

 sphere and glistening chalets. 



The Monte Penulco lies probably at the height of be- 

 tween four and five thousand feet above the gulf. The 

 limit at which the sugarcane and banana come to per- 

 fection, has been given as the boundary between tierras 

 calientes and tierras templadas ; but I am doubtful 

 whether that is a just criterion, as so much depends up- 

 on the geological formation of a locality, and its position 

 with regard to the surrounding country, and in some 

 parts of Mexico sugar is cultivated at a much greater 

 height than that which otherwise would exhibit the phe- 

 nomena of the tierras templadas. 



We supped in our den, during the brief twilight of the 

 tropics, and welcomed the temperate zone of New Spain 

 in a horn of its own vintage, which I here introduce to 

 your notice under the name of pulque — a liquor drawn 

 from the great Mexican aloe, or maguey. 



I forgot to mention that, on arrival here, we yielded 

 to the desire of Espindola, that we should dispense with 

 his services for the night and following morning, and al- 



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