y distance
from the large and populous centres, but the amazing fertility of the
soil insures good and remunerative returns to the farmer or planter even
under these unfavorable circumstances. Water is the great, we may say
the only, fertilizer--none other is ever used, and irrigating facilities
are excellent. The city is elevated more than four thousand feet above
Vera Cruz, but is also as much below the altitude of the national
capital. As to the climate, one is prepared to agree with its
inhabitants, who declare it to be "perfection." The city is
overshadowed, as it were, by the crystal peak of Orizaba, though it is
some miles away, rising to nearly eighteen thousand feet above the sea.
It is probably the second loftiest mountain in North America south of
the Territory of Alaska, and exceeds the highest point in Europe.
Violent eruptions took place from its crater in 1545 and 1546.

About two miles east of Orizaba, near the hamlet of Jalapilla, is a fine
waterfall, known as the Cascade Rincon Grande; this body of water makes
a daring plunge of fifty feet over precipitous rocks, amid a glorious
growth of tropical vegetation. From here parties are made up to ascend
Orizaba (Mountain of the Star). It has stopped business as a volcano
since the last date named, and is the highest mountain in Mexico with
the exception of Popocatepetl. Until about forty years ago, the summit
was considered to be inaccessible to human feet, but a party of
energetic Americans planted our national flag on the summit at that
time, the tattered remains of which were found to be still there in
1851, by Alexander Doignon, an adventurous Frenchman. We were told by a
resident of the city of the experience of an English party, who came up
from Vera Cruz not long since on their way to the city of Mexico, and
who made a stop at Orizaba, intending to ascend the famous mountain.
There is said to be no very great difficulty to overcome in climbing to
the top if one has experience in such work and is at the same time
strong and well, but the party referred to had just arrived from the
level of the sea. The summit of Orizaba is, as we have stated,
considerably over seventeen thousand feet above the port of Vera Cruz.
This party of confident climbers had to give it up after reaching what
is known as the timber line, simply for want of the necessary breathing
power. One's lungs must become in a degree accustomed to the rarefied
atmosphere of the table-land b