VERA CRUZ, a fortified town and seaport of Mexico, formerly capital of the state of Vera Cruz, is situated in 19° 11' 50" N. lat. and 96° 20' W. long., at the south-west corner of the Gulf of Mexico, on a low and exposed seaboard, partly sandy partly marshy, where the true yellow fever is endemic, prevailing throughout the summer and occasionally breaking out even in winter. The town, which in 1884 had a population of 16,840, is distant 263 miles by rail from Mexico and 60 from Jalapa, the summer residence of the upper classes. It has few buildings of interest, except a superb cathedral decorated in the Moorish style. Most of the streets, which are laid out at right angles, are paved with cobble-stones and have a kennel or open gutter in the middle. A characteristic feature of the place are the turkey-buzzards, who do the scavangering, and are consequently protected by law. The open roadstead, although partly protected by the neighbouring islets of Los Sacrificios and San Juan de Ulloa, is greatly exposed to the fierce “nortes” (northers), which sweep over the Gulf at intervals from October to March. A French company, which contracted with the Mexican Government to form a harbour by constructing a breakwater between the islands, has lately suspended operations. Vera Cruz is, however, the largest seaport in the republic. In 1886 over one-half of the exports of Mexico (£3,002,000 altogether) were shipped from this place (£1,625,000 to Great Britain). Of these exports £2,180,000 represented the precious metals, the other chief items being coflee (£207,000), hides and skins (£99,000), mineral ores (£84,000), tobacco (£68,000), broom root (£25,000), and sugar (£12,000). In the same year the imports amounted to £1,941,000 (£498,000 from Great Britain), and ...