Personal Narrative Of Travels To The Equinoctial Regions Of America During The Years 1799-1804 - Volume 3 - By Alexander Von Humboldt And Aime Bonpland.
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No Mountain Of Guatimala Having Been Hitherto Measured,
It Is The More Important To Fix Approximately The Height Of The Volcan
De Agua, Or The Volcano Of Pacaya, And The Volcan De Fuego, Called
Also Volcano Of Guatimala.
Mr. Juarros expressly says that this
volcano which, by torrents of water and stones, destroyed, on the 11th
September,
1541, the Ciudad Vieja, or Almolonga (the ancient capital
of the country, which must not be confounded with the ancient
Guatimala), is covered with snow, during several months of the year.
This phenomenon would seem to indicate a height of more than 1750
toises.) Passing the isthmus of Tehuantepecor Huasacualco, on the
Mexican territory, the Cordillera of central America extends on toward
the intendancia of Oaxaca, at an equal distance from the two oceans;
then from 18 1/2 to 21 degrees latitude, from Misteca to the mines of
Zimapan, it approximates to the eastern coast. Nearly in the parallel
of the city of Mexico, between Toluca, Xalapa and Cordoba, it attains
its maximum height; several colossal summits rising to 2400 and 2770
toises. Farther north the chain called Sierra Madre runs north 40
degrees west towards San Miguel el Grande and Guanaxuato. Near the
latter town (latitude 21 degrees 0 minutes 15 seconds) where the
richest silver mines of the known world are situated, it widens in an
extraordinary degree and separates into three branches. The most
eastern branch advances towards Charcas and the Real de Catorce, and
lowers progressively (turning to north-east) in the ancient kingdom of
Leon, in the province of Cohahuila and Texas.
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