Places of Interest.—1. The Parroquia and other churches. 2. The Paseo. 3. The Cerro (hill) del Borrego. 4. Jalapilla (sugar-mill). 5. The cascade of Rincon Grande. 6. The cascade of Barrio Nuevo.
The Paseo is one of the most beautiful parks in Mexico. It is about a half-mile from the principal hotels.
The Cerro del Borrego should be ascended. Its summit commands a magnificent view. During the invasion, the French defeated the Mexicans here on June 13, 1862, and the remains of the fortifications are seen to this day. There is a limestone-quarry at the base of the mountain.
Jalapilla is a hamlet about a mile and a half south of the city. It lies in the midst of rich fields of sugar-cane. There is a large sugar-mill here, belonging to Señor Bringos, and the tourist will have an excellent opportunity of seeing how sugar is manufactured. We may add that a much larger quantity of sugar could be produced in the valley of Orizaba than is now yielded, because only a small part of it is occupied by the sugar-cane. This remark would also apply to the greater part of the arable land in the State of Vera Cruz in regard to crops of other articles.
This State ranks second in the annual production of sugar, Morelos being the first. The Emperor Maximilian resided a short time at Jalapilla after the French army had evacuated the capital. Here he held the famous council to determine whether he should abdicate or not.
The cascade of Rincon Grande is about a mile east of Jalapilla. There are several waterfalls about forty feet in height, which are surrounded by very luxuriant vegetation. There is another cascade (Barrio Nuevo) of smaller dimensions on the north side of the valley of Orizaba.
Owing to the scarcity of rain in Mexico, waterfalls are very highly regarded. They are found chiefly in the tierra templada and in the "foot-hills " of the Sierra Madre. The
