ble deeds. Among the Indians, there is still preserved a tradition that her remains are buried beneath it, and that she promised to return from the captivity of death, to sweep from their thresholds the blight which she had involuntarily aided to bring. Who, then, can say that the traditionary dream of the Indian, as he veils the pangs of his heart under the deceitful guises of indifference and stupidity, is not already on the eve of realization, and that the ancient province of Goatzacoalcos, which through an humble captive slave exerted so powerful an influence over the commercial destinies of the world, may not again break forth from its sleep to effect changes far more lasting and glorious?

The Mijes, once a powerful tribe, inhabit the mountains to the west, in the central division of the Isthmus, and are now confined to the town of San Juan Guichicovi.

The Zoques inhabit the mountainous region to the east, from the valley of the Chicapa on the south, to the Rio del Corte on the north. At present they are confined to the villages of San Miguel and Santa Maria Chimalapa. In some of their characteristics they are similar to the Mijes, but more athletic, and easily distinguished by the prominence of their features and the singular custom they have of shaving the crown of the head. Like the Guichicovi Indians, their knowledge of Spanish is limited.,

The Zapotecos constitute the greater part of the population of the southern division of the Isthmus, and are incomparably superior to those of any other portion. The salubrity of the climate, the surpassing fertility of the soil, and the variety and richness of its productions, all minister to the prosperity of the inhabitants, who have from the most remote periods of their history been distinguished for their advances in civilization.

Intellectually, the aborigines of Tehuantepec ex

hibit qualities of no mean order, and they are found intelligent, docile, and lively. In personal appearance, they are noted for the symmetry of their forms, the singularity of their features, and the vigor and sprightliness of their character. The women are delicately made, mercurial, voluptuous, and full of vivacity. They are particularly remarkable for the exquisite grace of their carriage, the winning softness of their manner of expression, and their love of gay costumes. In morals, they are full of intrigue; but in habits, they are temperate and industrious.

The Indians of Juchitan, though numerically less than those of Tehuantepec, form an important part of the inhabitants of the Isthmus, as being superior in every respect. They are bold, independent, industrious, and temperate, possessing great muscular strength and a high degree of mental capacity. Of the value of their services, either as laborers in the construction of works, or as cultivators in the field, there can be no question.

The Huaves, who, according to their traditions, came originally from Peru, and once a powerful race, have, from their successive struggles for supremacy with the Zapotecos and Mijes, dwindled down to a little more than three thousand, scattered over the sandy peninsulas formed by the lakes and the Pacific. At present they occupy the four villages of San Mateo, Santa Maria, San Dionisio, and San Francisco.

The few Mulattoes who are scattered over the Isthmus, are the descendants of the native whites and the liberated slaves of the estates of the Marquesanas. They are generally robust and industrious, applying themselves to the cultivation of indigo and cochineal.

The Zambos, a half-caste between the Indian and the Negro, are found principally at El Barrio, Tarifa, and Niltepce. They inherit few good qualities, and are neither intelligent, industrious, or sober.

The Negro population is so insignificant that they

scarcely claim attention. In some few instances, however, they are hard-working and deserving people.

In a retrospective view of the character and condition of the inhabitants of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, there is little to excite our admiration, but much to pity and deplore; yet amid the atmosphere of degradation, ignorance, and depravity which overshadows the land, there are refreshing hopes that promise, under careful culture, to yield an abundant harvest. They scem to need only the example of activity to rekindle their dormant energies, and the neigh of the "iron horse" to awaken them from their indolent dream.

IV.

CLIMATE.

As a regular mountain chain the Andes may be said to descend suddenly at Panama, and are merely continued northward to join the Rocky Mountains by a mass of elevated ground, with an irregular mixture of mountains and table land. This table land commences at the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, and passes northwest to latitude 42°, an extent of 1600 miles.

The result of this conformation is to give to the Isthmus the full benefit of the coast winds and rains from the north, which play over three-fourths of the breadth of land, and are only retarded from passing across its whole extent by the mountain land. There is thus a free circulation of air across the whole Isthmus, sweeping through the valley of Chicapa, and carrying the cool air of the north across to the Pacific shore.

"On the Isthmus there are but two seasons, winter and summer. In winter the north wind materially diminishes the intertropical heat on the southern coast. The average temperature in October and March, at

six o'clock in the morning, is 74° Fahrenheit, and at twelve, in the shade, 81°, and never falls lower than 78°. The average temperature is 75° between eight P. M. and two A. M., and 71° from three to five in the morning.

"The influence of the rainy season also tends to lessen the great heat of the summer. The temperature during the hottest part of the day when it rains does not exceed 81°. At eight o'clock in the morning it maintains itself at 75°, and at three o'clock in the morning it seldom falls as low as 73°. Usually the nights are of almost uniform temperature.

"In summer, when the sky is clear and the sun shines with all its brightness, the thermometer varies between 87° and 90° from eleven in the morning to four in the afternoon. At eight o'clock in the evening it falls to 79°, and at four in the morning to 75°.

"The month of November is the coldest month of the year, and those of May and June the warmest. Towards the close of April, the thermometer, at twelve, in the shade, occasionally ascends to 90°, and rarely descends to 85°. The forepart of the night, on such occasions, maintained itself at 79°, and in the second part the temperature descended to 74°.

"In November the thermometer never falls below 70° from nine to five o'clock in the day; at eight in the evening it never stood at less than 59°, nor less than 55° from four to six in the morning."

The rainy season commences on the Gulf coast about the first of July and ends about the first of November. On that portion of the Isthmus included. between the Jaltepec and Sarabia rivers, the rainy season commences about the first of June and ends in December; and at El Barrio it commences about the first of July and ends in October.

These rains are not, however, of sufficient consequence to prevent out-door work for the whole of any one day. The annual fall of rain at Vera Cruz is 66

inches, just one-half the amount which falls in St. Domingo or Jamaica, and even less than that on the northern shores of the Gulf, as at New Orleans or in Florida. It is also considerably less than falls at the Isthmus of Panama.

The altitude of the table lands of Guatimala and Mexico has a more powerful effect in determining the climate of the Isthmus, than what the mere latitude, or its own elevation, could lead to believe. This table land has an average elevation of from 6,500 to 8,200 feet above the sea, which would give a mean temperature of 20° throughout the year less than that of the seaboard: thus, if the temperature of the coast be 85°, that of the table land would be 65°, which is a temperate climate, although within tropical latitudes. This is proved by the growth of oak, cypress, pine, and fern trees, which are inhabitants of a temperate clime; and most of the cerealia of northern latitudes grow in luxuriance. Now, it must be recollected that the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, though in itself possessing only an elevation calculated to lessen the temperature at the sea-board by a few degrees, is subject to the influences of the land in its neighborhood, and its own warmth is very much reduced by the cool air descending from the high table lands and from the Sierra Madre.

At Tehuantepec the rains are of trifling character, and confined to the months of July, August, and September.

The central division of the Isthmus is perhaps the healthiest a circumstance due to its elevation and better drainage.

Yellow fever has never been known to occur on the Isthmus.

Since the establishment of the Mexican Republic the official returns of the population seem to indicate a sensible decrease-which is at variance with facts. The cause is, that the Indians find it to their advantage