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CALIFORNIA ILLUSTRATED. 
spring up along the shore of the Gulf of California, and at the 
mouth of the Gila will be one of the marts of the Pacific. 
Our next point is Acapulco, distant about six hundred miles; 
this part of the route presents some of the finest scenery on the 
Pacific coast, and perhaps the most imposing in the world. It 
is a succession of volcanos, including Popocatapetl, the most 
elevated volcano in Mexico; this towers up through masses of 
clouds, appearing shrouded in gloom at its base, but rears its 
head in majestic triumph, offering its light to the stars. 
Each of these volcanos presents some different features; from 
the craters of some the smoke issues with as much regularity as 
from a chimney; others are enveloped in smoke; some seem to 
have almost subdued the internal fires; the emission of smoke 
being almost imperceptible. The most striking phenomenon 
was exhibited by one of great elevation, rearing its head above 
the surrounding mountains, at some distance from the coast; 
it would belch forth a cloud of srnoke, which for a moment 
would seem a huge ball suspended over the crater; this would 
soon commence to assume a different form, the lighter parts of 
the smoke ascending and expanding, while the more weighty 
would settle—elongating the cloud—giving it the appearance 
of a huge pine tree. This would float away on the atmosphere, 
and after an interval of half an hour, would be followed by its 
successor. The regularity of these manifestations was most 
astonishing; the volcano seemed to have entered into a contract 
with the atmosphere to furnish it with a cloud every half-hour. 
The mountains, in the background tower up, one above 
another, until the last loses itself in the blue of heaven. These 
seemed undergoing a constant change; now a cloud throws a 
deep cavern-like shade here, and now the sun chases it away, 
and shows us a vale watered by a mountain stream and teeming 
with the choicest plants of nature; now we see in the distant 
blue what appears a gigantic marble column; we look through 
a glass and it proves a cascade breaking from the crest of a 
mountain; now we see a mountain rearing its head into the 
very clouds, and shrouded in eternal snow, this reflecting the 
rays of the sun, appears the dome of some vast structure. Al¬ 
though volcanos are grand and impressive by day, nothing 
