184 RIVERS LAGUNES MINERAL SPRINGS — POPULATION. 



Guasacualco and the boundaries of Tabasco, on the south. Its 

 length is 166 leagues; its breadth, from 25 to 28; and it is estima- 

 ted to contain an area of 5,000 square leagues. It is bounded east- 

 wardly by the Gulf; south by Tabasco; north by Tamaulipas; and 

 west and south-west by Oajaca, Puebla, Mexico, Queretaro and San 

 Luis Potosi. The eastern part of the State is generally level, low 

 and sandy; but, further inland, it gradually rises as the traveller leaves 

 the arid and burning wastes of the coast, until the country is broken 

 into an uninterrupted series of lofty mountains and beautiful vallies. 



The coasts of this State are rich in rivers, streams, inlets, and 

 lagunes ; but, unfortunately, they are either not navigable for any 

 considerable distance, or are obstructed by bars at their mouths. 

 Among these streams the following are chiefly to be noticed as of 

 importance: The Rio Tampico, the Garzes, the Tuspan, the Ca- 

 zones, the Tenistepec, the Jajalapam or Tecolutla, the Nautla, the 

 Palmar, the Misantla, the Maguilmanapa, the Yeguascalco, the Ac- 

 topan, the Chuchalaca, the Antigua, the Jamapa, the Rio Blanco, 

 the San Juan or Alvarado, the Aquivilco, and the Guasacualco 

 which is a boundary stream between the States of Vera Cruz, Oajaca 

 and Tabasco. 



The principal lagunes in the State of Vera Cruz are: — The La- 

 guna de Tamiahua, the largest on this coast of Mexico, being ten 

 leagues long and eight leagues broad. It has two mouths in the 

 Gulf; — one at the bar of Tamiahua, and the other, further south 

 near the mouth of the small stream of Tuspan. Between these 

 mouths lies the island of Tuspan; while the two islands of Juan 

 Ramirez and El Toro are found in the lake or lagune itself. The 

 next lagune in importance is that of Tampico, four leagues long and 

 three broad ; and besides this, there are — the Lagunas de Mandin- 

 go, of Alvarado, (which is subdivided into eight smaller lagunes,) 

 of Catemaico, Alijoyuca, and Tenango. 



There are several mineral springs in this State, and at Atotonilco, 

 near Calcahualco, in the district of Cordova, there are warm baths 

 which are celebrated for their efficacy in nervous and rheumatic dis- 

 eases, There are mineral waters also near the hacienda of Alma- 

 gros, in the district of Acayucam, and other warm springs near 

 Alotengo in the district of Jalanzingo, whose qualities have not yet 

 been ascertained by chemical analysis. 



The population has been estimated by recent writers at near 

 251,000 ; which distributed over the 5,0.00 square leagues will give 

 about 50 inhabitants to the square league. According to our esti- 

 mate in the chapter on population, the number may be set down at 



