192 



THE MALPAIS. 



of the scenes which we now saw unfolded to us, hour 

 after hour, for the following three days, while approach- 

 ing and rounding the base of Popocatepetl. 



Though, according to the information we had re- 

 ceived, the town of Yautepec was but six leagues distant, 

 and our pace was this morning fir from slow, six hours 5 

 hard riding scarcely sufficed to bring us within sight of it. 



This was partly owing, it is true, to the character of 

 the soil, and certain detours which we unfortunately 

 made, in bending too much to the eastward. After pass- 

 ing a large Indian village, about six miles from Cuerna- 

 vaca, we came upon a malpai's, or a thick bedof hard black 

 basaltic lava, covering a large extent of country towards 

 the base of the mountains in advance. The faint mule 

 track wandered to and fro over the iron surface in a 

 most provoking manner ; now to the south, then to the 

 north, till we were perfectly bewildered : the more so, 

 as the whole was covered, in spite of its sterility, with 

 trees and gigantic cacti of divers species. 



This obstacle overcome, we entered a valley in the 

 hills — ascended a ravine, and, from the summit of the 

 pass, looked down upon the broad plains of Yautepec and 

 Cuautla, stretching far to the eastward along the foot of 

 the great chain ; with numberless towns, villages, and 

 haciendas, situated in the midst of tracts of fertile and 

 highly cultivated land ; while broad bands of steril coun- 

 try, at intervals, marked the path of the ancient lavas. 



In Yautepec, we found a town of considerable size, 

 situated upon a stream of pure water, enjoying a very 

 salubrious climate. It is imbosomed in groves of lemon 

 and orange, and has claims to great picturesque beauty, 

 both in general situation and details. It was a fair-day, 

 and the principal plaza was crowded to suffocation with 

 one of the most entertaining assemblages you can con- 

 ceive — chaffering with might and main under the glow- 

 ing beams of the noonday sun. 



By the arriero's faithfulness and Garcia's good man- 

 agement—for though a knave, he was not a fool — we 

 found our mules and their cargoes safe, and our quarters 



