outh. The region partakes much of the character of
that to the north, already described, and of that of its parent state
Jalisco, which follows. The most important agricultural product is
sugar, followed by rice, maize, and coffee respectively. Mining--gold
and silver--is an important industry, and numerous small native plants
exist for ore-treatment. The lack of any railway communication,
however, prevents the development of the resources of what is a
promising territory. Various railway projects are under consideration,
having as their terminus the port of San Blas, and connecting this and
Tepic, the capital town, with the railway system of Mexico beyond the
Sierras.

Jalisco, with its beautiful capital of Guadalajara, is the next Pacific
littoral state. It is 290 miles in length, and with its extreme breadth
of 268 miles it stretches across the Sierra Madre and occupies a
portion of the Great Plateau. Its area is 53,800 square miles, and its
population 1,200,000.

The state is exceedingly hilly, being crossed by four Cordilleras and
other lesser ranges, and as we traverse it we pass from tableland to
valley, desert plain to rugged spur and peak amid scenery often of a
varied and picturesque character. The beautiful lake of Chapala, eighty
miles long, is the equal of many of the world's pleasure resorts. Into
this lake flows the Santiago river, near its headwaters, and emerging
thence, crosses the state and flows through the Sierra, emptying into
the Pacific at San Blas in Tepic. Various other streams flow to the
ocean, crossing the coast zone and affording the means of irrigation to
its arid plains. The configuration of these rivers gives rise to
ravines of great depth which form remarkable topographical features.
The Santiago river in a part of its course, near the state capital,
forms the beautiful falls of Juanacatlan, nearly 500 feet wide, justly
described as the Niagara of Mexico: elsewhere depicted.

The climate varies greatly, from the cold of the mountains to the heat
of the plains, and a consequent variety in the _flora_ and agricultural
products is encountered, ranging from those of the tropical to the cold
zone, from rubber and cocoa to wheat; whilst numerous kinds of timber
grow in the forest areas, including those most useful to commerce. The
prosperity of the state is based on its agriculture. There are more
than fifty sugar mills in the state, with their corresponding area
under cane cultivation, an