Report of the Naval committee to the House of representatives, August, 1850, in favor of the establishment of a line of mail steamships to the western coast of Africa, and thence via the Mediterranean to London; . Looking seaward, we saw the harbor with itsnumerous shipping lying at anchor, the grim old fortress onthe Island of San Juan de la Uiua, the coral reefs stretchingaway in the distance, with the waves beating over them,throwing up a line of white foam. Inland, the view pre-sented a very interesting scene. Just back of the city rosea series of sand dunes, which extended several miles i
Report of the Naval committee to the House of representatives, August, 1850, in favor of the establishment of a line of mail steamships to the western coast of Africa, and thence via the Mediterranean to London; . Looking seaward, we saw the harbor with itsnumerous shipping lying at anchor, the grim old fortress onthe Island of San Juan de la Uiua, the coral reefs stretchingaway in the distance, with the waves beating over them,throwing up a line of white foam. Inland, the view pre-sented a very interesting scene. Just back of the city rosea series of sand dunes, which extended several miles intothe country; and back of these rose a chain of mountains,looking faint and misty in the distance. From our highposition the city appeared about a mile square, built upon,and surrounded by, sand. The houses were flat roofed andnearly square, built of stone, and two or three stories inheight. The only vegetation about the city was low scrubbybushes and cacti. The domes were, in some places, blackwith buzzards. In the afternoon we visited the south endof the town, and walked a little way into the country, butall we could find were a few dead and bleached shells, andan occasional lizard of small size. «^^. ATOYAC RIVER. 63 From Veracruz we sent home our long-neglected let-ters. The postal regulations of the country are somewhatpeculiar; a letter may be sent to the United States for fivecents, but to any state in Mexico, the charge is fifteen cents. The following day, at 5:45 A. M., we left Veracruz by theMexican Central Railroad for Orizaba. After leaving thecity, the line passed in sight of the Alameda, the cemeteryof Mata, and then crossed the Laguna de Cocos. For thefirst few miles we passed over the sandy, chaparral regionwhich bordered the coast. Near Soledad, twenty-six milesfrom Veracruz, we crossed the Rio Jamapa, on a bridgeover four hundred feet long. From this point, the grandand impressive wonders of the mountains began. FromSoledad to Paso del Macho, we passed thro
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