78 
tortoise, and very similar to those of the hen, both in appear¬ 
ance and flavour. 
The coasts of the Atlantic belonging to the Isthmus are 
celebrated for the abundance of tortoise-shell they afford, 
the fishery of which gives employment to the industry of the 
inhabitants of Campeachy. 
The iguanas, the flesh of which is a delicious morsel to the 
natives of the Isthmus, differ in the southern and northern 
divisions. In the former they inhabit the dry and barren 
spots, and are of a dusky-brown colour, whilst those of the 
Coatzacoalcos are of a light green, variegated in the males 
with beautiful red spots. 
In the oak forests of this district there are vast quantities 
of bags of wild silk, and everywhere wax and honey in abun¬ 
dance. 
INDUSTRY. 
Agriculture, however, which in 1831 might be considered 
almost nugatory, has made some progress of late years, and 
several of the inhabitants have applied themselves to the cul¬ 
tivation of cotton and tobacco, although I am unacquainted 
with the respective amount of these products. 
The cotton grown here appears to be of excellent quality, 
and also the tobacco, which is especially cultivated in the ter¬ 
ritory of Jaltipan, where the natives understand well its 
management. The grains more generally sown are maize, 
beans, and rice, but only in sufficient quantity for home con¬ 
sumption. 
The soil is so fruitful that both Don Tadeo de Ortiz and Don 
Jose Maria Inglesias assert, that the efforts of the cultivator 
are in some places rewarded with five annual crops of maize; 
each of these crops is distinguished by a different name, being 
respectively called tornamil, tepachole, temporal, tepeta, and 
etopil. Senor Ortiz, speaking with enthusisam of this fer¬ 
tility, says : “ that which most particularly characterizes this 
<e privileged region, however, is the singular fact that one 
<e single sowing of rice, will yield successively two large crops 
ee without the slightest additional labour, as I had an oppor- 
