THE HACIENDA. 



49 



Up to the close of this day, when, after passing over 

 another tract of country covered with palm forest, we 

 halted at a large and rich hacienda, about four leagues 

 from the foot of the branch of the Sierra Madra in whose 

 recesses we were to seek the bed of the Rio de la Cana- 

 da, as our future guide — we had seemingly surmounted 

 no very considerable elevation, but had continually as- 

 cended and descended the abrupt hills which appear to 

 be heaped in picturesque confusion over a large tract of 

 country between the coast and the foot of the main 

 ranges. Occasionally, higher summits of evident volcanic 

 origin are seen to rise from their bosom, but these are 

 mostly isolated ; and though we had certainly been 

 gradually rising ever since we left Tampico, it was not 

 till we had advanced full fifty leagues from the coast 

 that we gained the foot of the foremost spur of the Cor- 

 dillera. Of course the whole of the country passed 

 through belongs to the tierras calientes. 



The hacienda where we lodged on the evening of the 

 fourth daj's march from Tampico Alta, was situated on 

 a plain very near the foot of the mountain. It has prin- 

 cipally notched itself upon my memory, from the mag- 

 nificent, free-standing banian trees in its vicinity, several 

 of which measured upward of thirty feet in circum- 

 ference. Here we were, as usual, well treated, paying 

 moderately for whatever necessaries we were furnished 

 with. 



Deep clouds resting on all the ridges in advance boded 

 no good for the continuation of our journey the following 

 morning. Indeed, it began to drizzle before our train 

 could be set in motion ; nevertheless, we flattered our- 

 selves that we might at least reach Chicontepec, the 

 City on Seven Hills, which lay on the mountains rising 

 before us at four leagues' distance. 



After two hours' ride, our mule path sank from the 

 open hilly country into a deep glen strewed with rounded 

 blocks of stone, which indicated that in the rainy sea- 

 son it formed the bed of one of those torrents which, 

 fed by the waters filtering through the porous structure 

 of the mountains and table land above them, spring into 



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