46 
favourable nature of the ground, and, as no doubt remained on 
his mind on the subject, Sr. Moro considered the exploration 
of these parts quite completed. 
In these expeditions, as well as those to the Coatzacoalcos 
and others'no less toilsome, Sr. Moro was accompanied by his 
friend and countryman, Don Estevan Maqueo, one of the 
present proprietors of the Haciendas Marquesanas, in whom 
the Commission found a most useful and willing assistant. 
Whiht Sr. Moro was engaged in these explorations, Cap- 
tains Robles and Gonzalez had returned from the Coatzacoal- 
cos after surveying its course from the confluence of the Sarabia 
to the sea. 
Captain Robles went to ascertain the latitude and fix the 
situation of Santa Maria Chimalapa, which had not yet been 
obtained, and afterwards to note the course of the river del 
Corte from the most elevated point he could reach, as far as its 
confluence with the Sarabia. 
At the same time Sr. Moro undertook to explore the coun- 
try between Tarifa and the confluence of the Malatengo and 
del Corte. This part of the country is the most fertile and 
pleasant that it is possible to imagine. Shortly after leaving 
Tarifa it is truly interesting to observe, mixed together, the 
spruce fir-tree of the cold climates, the oak of the more tem- 
perate, and the palm-tree of the warm regions. Further on, 
these trees as well as beautiful green meadows of vast extent 
occur alternately with woods of a luxurious tropical vegetation. 
Trees of precious woods, wild cocoa, vanilla, &c., are every- 
where seen. The plains near the rivers, cultivated by the in- 
habitants of Barrio, Santa Maria Pctapa, and San Juan Gui- 
chicovi, give an idea of the astonishing fertility of the soil, 
since the natives only come in time to burn down the brush- 
wood, and sow without cultivation, scarcely ever revisiting 
their corn-fields until the harvest time. 
These very circumstances made the exploration difficult. 
It being often impossible to examine the ground in any other 
way but on foot, Sr. Moro found himself bestt by the tall 
shrubs of a luxuriant vegetation, which did not allow him to 
see any of t]io surrounding surface. 
