e of the
shore. A cluster of dangerous, merciless-looking reefs, together with
the island of San Juan d'Ulloa, form a slight protection from the open
Gulf. A sea-wall shelters the street facing upon the water, and there is
a serviceable mole where boats land from the shipping when a "norther"
is not blowing; but when that prevails no one attempts to land from
vessels in the roadstead. No wonder that underwriters charge double to
insure vessels bound to so inhospitable a shore. Even in ordinary
weather a surf-drenching has sometimes to be endured in landing at the
mole. This is a serious objection to the port where every ton of freight
must be transferred between ship and shore by lighters. Nevertheless,
this difficulty might be easily overcome by the construction of a
substantial breakwater, such as has lately been successfully built at
Colombo, Ceylon, or that which has robbed the roadstead of Madras,
India, of its former terrors. To be sure, such a plan requires
enterprise and the liberal expenditure of money. Unless the citizens
open their purses and pay for the needed improvement, which would
promptly turn their exposed shore into a safe harbor, they will have to
submit to seeing the present commerce of the port diverted to Tampico,
where suitable engineering is about to secure an excellent harbor.
Improvements are of slow growth in this country. The railway between
this city and the national capital was over thirty years in building,
and cost fully forty million dollars.

The captain of a freighting steamer sailing out of New York told the
writer that he had more than once been obliged, at certain seasons of
the year, to sail from Vera Cruz carrying back to his port of departure
a portion of his cargo, as there was no time while the ship remained
here that he dared to risk the landing of valuable goods liable to be
spoiled by exposure to a high-running sea.

When a norther comes on to blow at Vera Cruz, all the vessels remaining
near the city let go an extra anchor and batten down the hatches; or,
wiser still, they let go their ground tackle and hasten to make an
offing. The natives promptly haul their light boats well on shore; the
citizens securely close their doors and windows; while the sky becomes
darkened by clouds of sand driven by fierce gusts of wind. It is a fact
that passengers have been obliged to remain for a whole week upon a
European steamer, unable to land during a protracted norther. These
storms