. The earth and its inhabitants ... Geography. 226 MEXICO, CENTRAL AMERICA, WEST INDIES. About 30 miles south-east of San Marcos, Quezalteiunigo, second capital of the republic and chief town of the Altos, occupies an extensive space, 7,740 feet above the sea, on a hilly plateau south of which rises the still smoking Cerro Quemado. In 1838 this place was the capital of a state which corapi^ised the three eastern provinces of Totonicapam, Quezaltenango, and Solola. The houses are built of lava blocks quarried at the foot of the volcano. The small industries are repre- sented by woollen and cott
. The earth and its inhabitants ... Geography. 226 MEXICO, CENTRAL AMERICA, WEST INDIES. About 30 miles south-east of San Marcos, Quezalteiunigo, second capital of the republic and chief town of the Altos, occupies an extensive space, 7,740 feet above the sea, on a hilly plateau south of which rises the still smoking Cerro Quemado. In 1838 this place was the capital of a state which corapi^ised the three eastern provinces of Totonicapam, Quezaltenango, and Solola. The houses are built of lava blocks quarried at the foot of the volcano. The small industries are repre- sented by woollen and cotton weavers, dyers and leather-dressers. A speciality of the Quiche artisans is the preparation of gold-embroidered mantles, feather hats and the masks used b" the natives in their dances, processions, and scenic per- Fig. 95.—The Altos Region, Scale 1 : 1,100, 92° 91° 30' formances Probably from this feather industry the city took its Mexican name of Quezaltenango, which means " Green-Feather Town," not, as is often asserted, " Town of the Quezal Birds," a species which is not found in the district. In the capital of the Altos region reside most of the great landowners, whose estates covei- the Costa Cuca slopes facing the Pacific ; here also dwell the traders and the moneylenders, who are the real masters of the land. They prefer this salubrious place to Retalhuleu, which, although lying much nearer to the zone of plantations, is one of the most unhealthy towns in Guatemala. Retalhuleu, that is, the " Signal," stands at an elevation of not more than 1,360 feet, that is, in the very heart of the hot lands under a climate with a mean tem- perature of 82° to 84*^ Fahr. It is a very ancient market, probably founded by the Quiche kings to procure a sufficient supply of cacao and cotton. Cacao, which. Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and
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