45 
descending along the craggy side of the Cerro Atravesado 
which lay opposite. 
Meanwhile it appeared evident to him that both the Chicapa 
and the Ostuta proceed from that portion of these territories 
where the Sierra Madre is highest, which explains why these 
rivers increase and diminish simultaneously, without its being 
at all necessary to suppose that they owe their origin to a lake. 
On his return from this expedition up the Ostuta he went 
to Niltepec, and ascended the Atravesado. The bad weather 
overtook him on its summit during the night, and the follow- 
ing day, finding it impossible to withstand its inclemency with- 
out a shelter, he was about to abandon the undertaking, when 
an interval of hope encouraged him to persist, and the weather, 
becoming more genial, rewarded his perseverance. 
On arriving at the north-eastern extremity of the table-land 
the party found it necessary to alight from their horses and 
undertake the descent of the hill on foot, as they did when ex- 
ploring the course of the Ostuta. 
The Cerro Atravesado stands completely isolated on every 
side, except here where it ends in a kind of ridge, and which 
descending to the valley is joined by another, proceeding from 
tlie summit of the Sierra Madre. 
Resolving to follow the first of these ridges, in order to ex- 
plore the ground which divides the two rivers, Sr. Moro was 
not long in reaching the point where it is most depressed, and 
from which the relative position of both rivers was perfectly 
clear and obvious. 
Near to the west, was the deep ravine through which the 
Chicapa rims, and to the east the elevated grounds of the bed 
of the Ostuta, which had just been visited, and which he re- 
cognised perfectly at a distance of less than a league. The 
difference of level between these two points is so considerable, 
that there cannot be a doubt of the facility of effecting the 
junction of the two rivers ; and it is no less evident that, in 
the short space which intervenes, there is no obstacle what- 
ever to prevent it. The weather clearing up he was enabled 
to make several observations from points still more elevated, 
by means of which he ascertained beyond all question the 
