53 
the Jumuapa, 17; from the Jumuapa to the Chalchijapa, 22\ ; 
and to the Horqueta 40 J more, being a distance of 102 miles } 
between the Malatengo and the Horqueta. 
The banks of the river, after quitting the hills, are gene¬ 
rally from 10 to 17 feet high, without being steep; yet they 
are sometimes so low as to be covered in times of flood. At 
some few spots called cerritos or hillocks, the banks are from 
40 to 66 feet high, and are composed of beds of clay. Among 
them, only the Oajaqueha, Tecolotepec, Churriagao, Penas 
Blancas, and Cuapinoloya, are worth mentioning. Below 
those of Tecolotepec, at the bend of the Cascajal, the river 
overflows its right bank, and the waters that escape, join the 
river Coahuapa, which unites with the Coachapa of which men¬ 
tion will be made hereafter. 
In consequence of the low and sloping banks which here 
suffer the river to spread out laterally, and the slowness of the 
current, which after the confluence of the Jaltepec is scarcely 
apparent, the depth of the stream does not increase so much 
as might be expected; and during the dry season, shoals are 
even to be met with covered only by 20 inches of water. 
These shoals are formed of sand and gravel, and almost all of 
them are small. Those of any extent are, one commencing 
below Tecolotepec, which occupies the greater part of the 
bend of Cascajal; another between the river Naranjo and the 
brook Churriagao; another that of Cuapinoloya between the 
island of this same name and one a little lower down ; and lastly, 
that of Horqueta obstructing the entrance of the two branches 
of the river which is divided at this point. 
These two branches again unite after having formed the is¬ 
land of Tacamichapa. The one to the west called Mistan is 
longer and narrower than that to the east called Apotzongo; 
the length of the first is 34 miles, its width between 100 and 
110 yards, or about 20 to 30 yards less than the river was be¬ 
fore it became divided : and the depth is about 13| feet. 
Several streams fall into it, and near the extremity is the creek 
of Monzapa which has from 10 to 13J feet of water at its en¬ 
trance, and reaches nearly to the village of Tesistepec. In 
this creek is found the Paso de la Cienaga which is only two 
