gaged in this remunerative
branch of agriculture. Active irrigation work is required in this
state, from the numerous streams which cross it, as agriculture must be
largely dependent upon this, and there is no doubt that this will be
accomplished as more attention is drawn to the resources of the region
and capital attracted thereto. Mining is carried on to some extent,
especially in copper, whilst the petroleum and asphalt deposits are a
source of wealth to their owners. But, so far, mining is little
developed and, although the possibilities for the production of
minerals are generally little known, there is no doubt that they are
extensive. The capital of the state is Victoria, with a population of
some 10,000 inhabitants. It is connected with the seaport of Tampico,
on the Gulf of Mexico--the main seaport of the state and, indeed, the
second in importance upon the coast--by the Monterrey and Mexican Gulf
Railway. Another of the principal gateways of the Republic exists in
this state--that of the frontier town of Laredo, at which point the
Mexican National Railway crosses the Rio Grande into Texas. With its
little-known regions and considerable possibilities, the State of
Tamaulipas, although somewhat off the main routes of travel, is a
region of much interest. It offers some attraction to tourists in its
sea-bathing and Tarpon fishing upon the coast.

Vera Cruz, the famous and historical state of the Gulf of Mexico, the
gateway of the _Conquistadores_ and the principal route of entry of the
European traveller of to-day, lies along the shore of Mexico for a
length of 435 miles. It extends from the Panuco river at Tampico,
curving round the Gulf shore to the south and east, past the Isthmus of
Tehuantepec, to the border of Chiapas and Tabasco. Its area is 29,000
square miles, and its population falls somewhat short of a million
inhabitants.

The topography of the state is that remarkable one typical of the
physical structure of Mexico--of hot coast plains, temperate higher
regions, and the cold uplands of the Sierra Madre mountains and the
great tableland of the interior. The rugged character for which this
region is famous lies beyond the coast plains, which, except in a few
places, are sandy and undulating, but, as elevation is gained, these
give place to a region of tropical vegetation so exuberant as is
encountered in few other regions.

[Illustration: STATE OF VERA CRUZ: THE BARRANCA OR RAVINE OF MITLAC;
VIEW