OJO DE AGUA. 



211 



of road over the wide undulating surface of the sandy 

 plains brought us towards evening at our halting place, 

 Ojo de Agua ; a posada built at a spot where a clear 

 and abundant stream issues forth from the foot of a 

 mass of volcanic matter, and forms a green oasis in the 

 middle of the desert. Till the afternoon of this day, 

 we had been unable to catch a glimpse of the great 

 cone of Orizava, towards the northern extremity of 

 whose chain we were gradually approaching. The 

 weather had been dull and hazy ever since we reached 

 Cholula, whence we should otherwise have been able 

 to descry it. Now, as we trotted slowly over the plains, 

 our eyes were busily engaged in searching among the 

 shifting layers of light cloud which rose above the dis- 

 tant horizon, for some indication of his presence. One 

 bright spot after another was the production of much 

 speculation and ultimate disappointment; at length, 

 about two hours before we reached our resting place, 

 we became unanimous in believing that a certain in- 

 distinct whitish mass, high up in the smoky atmosphere, 

 formless and vague as it was, could be no other than 

 the object of which we were in search ; and true 

 enough, as the sun went down behind us, and the air 

 cleared, we saw it become brighter and brighter ; and, 

 in fine, shaking aside its veil, the colossal cone stood, 

 before us in majesty, at the limit of the table land over 

 which it soared to the perpendicular height of ten 

 thousand feet. 



As we proceeded over the almost interminable plains 

 the following day to Perote, it stood revealed in all its 

 sublimity, as well as the whole of the chain with which 

 it is connected. This range is terminated to the north 

 by the extinct volcano called the Coffre de Perote. A 

 sudden change in the air about noon, which we were 

 all sensible of, was immediately recognised as indi- 

 cating a norte on the coast. At Perote we arrived to- 

 wards evening, after halting for two hours in the vi- 

 cinity of an isolated volcanic mass, called the Cerro de 

 Pizarro. 



Perote is a small decayed town, with a fort, or rather 

 a depot, in the vicinity, situated at the height of 7691 



