h the City of Mexico by the famous old Mexican
Railway, whose construction was begun half a century ago, and by the
Interoceanic. In sight of the traveller as he ascends from the coast is
Orizaba, one of Mexico's highest snow-crowned peaks, visible indeed
from among the waves of the stormy Gulf. This was the way the Spaniards
came, and is described elsewhere in these pages. The new port works of
Vera Cruz is a solid engineering structure, built at a cost of
4,000,000 pounds sterling, and renders the harbour safe for shipping.

[Illustration: VERA CRUZ: SHIPPING IN THE NEW HARBOUR.]

Still following the littoral of the Mexican Gulf, or rather the Gulf of
Campeche, are the small States of Tabasco and Campeche, forming part of
the frontier with the neighbouring Republic of Guatemala. The area of
the first is 10,100 square miles, and population of about 175,000
inhabitants. This state possesses two of the principal navigable rivers
of Mexico, the Grijalva, named after the first European to set foot in
Mexico, and the Usumacinta, navigable for 180 and 77 miles,
respectively. The flat topographical character of the state gives rise
to various lakes and coast lagoons, but the anchoring grounds for ships
are not generally in the nature of good harbours. The climate is hot,
but often tempered by the winds blowing from the Gulf. Malaria is
prevalent in places, but yellow fever has diminished or disappeared.
The principal articles of export are the dye woods and timber, hides,
coffee, tobacco, and rubber. Cocoa and sugar-cane are among its leading
agricultural products. There is but one railway in this somewhat
isolated state, its means of communication being principally by water
and road. The capital, San Juan Bautista, is situated upon the Grijalva
river.

Campeche has an area of 18,000 square miles and a population of some
87,000 inhabitants, and its capital city of the same name, lying upon
the coast, 18,000. This is also the principal port, and it is united by
a railway to Merida and Progreso, in Yucatan. The principal rivers are
navigable in the rainy season and for small boats generally. The soil
is fertile and agriculture is the main industry, but is kept backward
from lack of sufficient labour and means of communication. Attention is
being turned to the cultivation of _henequen_, which has given
favourable results in the neighbouring state of Yucatan. Irrigation is
necessary for the crops in this region. The principal p