48 
ENGINEERING EEPOETS. 
ber of points which I think would be important to examine, 
with a view of obtaining a better location than at present. 
It will be borne in mind, that the time in which we were ac- 
tually engaged on this survey was extremely short, considering 
the complicated nature of the country and the limited knowl- 
edge we had of it previous to commencing operations ; conse- 
quently we were obliged to confine our instrumental surveys 
mainly to one route, even where others seemed to offer equal 
facilities for the location of the road. 
Between the Jumuapa and Jaltepec rivers, we have accu- 
rately traced with a compass, the courses of many of the principal 
streams, together with the summits of the main ridges ; making 
a total of more than fifty miles of compass-lines through this part 
of the country, in addition to our transit-lines. In this way we 
ran out the main dividing ridge from Suchil to a point four 
and a quarter miles west of our line of location, accurately 
noting its principal features for the entire distance. The result 
was, that we found but one point to the west of our present line, 
at which it was possible to obtain a better location across these 
highlands ; and this at the extreme limit of our examinations to 
the west. "We here find a considerable depression in the sum- 
mit of the ridge, from which a broad valley extends to the south, 
being drained by a branch of the Tortugas Creek. This val- 
ley widens as it approaches the Jumuapa ; and at the junction 
of the creek with this river, we find a large interval of level 
i bottom-land, extending three or four miles westerly. The prac- 
ticability of this route can easily be determined by an examina- 
tion of the ground for a short distance on either side of the 
Jaltepec summit. It will be more circuitous than our present 
line, but may possess advantages that will more than compensate 
for the loss in distance. 
To the east of the line of survey the dividing ridge is consid- 
erably broken, and varies in height from 200 to 500 feet above 
the level of the Jaltepec Kiver. There are three or four depres- 
sions of the summit in this direction, which seem to offer facili- 
ties for obtaining as good, or a better location. 
In case the road is located to the plains of Xochiapa, via the 
valley of the Malatengo, it is not improbable a better route may 
