covers this city and its environs with a dense fog.

We stopped at a small village to change horses (for on leaving Jalapa, our
mules were exchanged for eight strong white horses), and here Don Miguel
made us enter a very pretty house belonging to some female friends of his,
one of whom was very handsome, with a tasteful white turban. The curiosity
of this place is a rock behind the house, covered with roses,
clove-carnations, and every variety of bright flower-tree, together with
oranges, lemons, limes, and cedrats, all growing out of the rock. The
ladies were very civil, though I dare say surprised at our admiration of
their December flowers, and gave us orangeade and cake, with large cedrats
and oranges from the trees; but above all, the most delicious bouquet of
roses and carnations; so that, together with the unknown scarlet and purple
blossoms which the captain of the escort had gathered for me, the diligence
inside looked like an arbour.

We continued our journey, the road ascending towards the tableland, and at
one striking point of view we got out and looked back upon Jalapa, and
round upon a panorama of mountains. Gradually the vegetation changed: fine,
fresh-looking European herbage and trees succeeded the less hardy though
more brilliant trees and flowers of the tropics; the banana and chirimoya
gave place to the strong oak, and higher still, these were interspersed
with the dark green of the pine.

At San Miguel de los Soldados we stopped to take some refreshment. The
country became gradually more bleak, and before arriving at the village of
Las Vigas, nearly all trees had disappeared but the hardy fir, which
flourishes amongst the rocks. The ground for about two leagues was covered
with lava, and great masses of black calcined rock, so that we seemed to be
passing over the crater of a volcano. This part of the country is