PRINCIPAL TOWNS 



ISLANDS 



HARBORS. 



169 



The principal towns of Yucatan, are, 1st : the capital, Merida, 

 in the northern part of the state, about ten leagues from the coast, 

 containing a population of near 15,000 individuals. Its port is 

 the small haven of Sisal, which is in reality nothing but a bleak 

 roadstead, protected by a fort and a sand bank. 



2nd : San Francisco de Campeche, with a population of 

 about 9,000; — a port which is considered by navigators one of 

 the best in the state, yet is by no means, a secure or comfortable 

 anchorage. 



3rd : Valladolid, the chief town of the district of that name, 

 with near 4,000 inhabitants. 



4th : San Felipe de Bacalar, or Salamanca ; a town and military 

 post *in the district of that name, containing a garrison and about 

 one hundred and twenty houses. 



Besides these, there are the villages of Xampolan, Jequetchacan, 

 Lerma, Champoton, between the rivers Campeche and Champoton 

 on the west coast, and Silan, Santa Clara, Vigia del rio and Cha- 

 boana, on the north coast. In the interior there are many Indian 

 villages. 



The Island of Cozumel on the east coast of Yucatan — which was 

 the first land discovered by the Spaniards in their voyage to Mexi- 

 co, — is now almost uninhabited, and contains some ancient re- 

 mains, which are probably the ruins of the splendid structures that 

 attracted the attention of the adventurers, and satisfied them they 

 had reached a land which was sufficiently civilized to be worthy 

 their exploration and plunder. 



It has generally been supposed that Yucatan affords no safe har- 

 bors or anchorages, which would either tempt commercial enterprise 

 to her shores, or afford vessels of war sufficient protection so as to 

 render the peninsula valuable in a military point of view. Yet it 

 seems from an official copy of a recent British survey of the coast of 

 Yucatan, which is to be found in the office of our Coast Survey in 

 Washington, that there is a fine harbor for vessels of any size un- 

 der the island of Mugeres, the easternmost point of Yucatan, where 

 they may ride at anchor in safety, protected from winds in every 

 direction. The harbors of Ascension and Espiritu Bay, are repre- 

 sented as good ; the latter being capable of holding a fleet of the 

 heaviest kind of English frigates and war steamers. There is 

 good anchorage, moreover, off the north-east point of the island of 

 Cozumel. 1 



1 See Senator Cass' speech, on the proposed occupation of Yucatan, in the Senate, 

 May 10th, 1348, p. 7. 

 V 



