The plains of Panamá, very little raised above the sea, and in some parts studded with hills, follow the direction of the isthmus for 280 miles, and end at the Bay of Parita. From thence the forest-covered Cordillera of Veragua, supposed to be 9000 feet high, extends to the small but elevated table-land of Costarica, surrounded by volcanos, and terminates at the plain of Nicaragua, which, together with its lake, occupies an area of 30,000 square miles, and forms the second break in the great Andean chain. The lake is only 128 feet above the Pacific, from which it is separated by a line of active volcanos. The river San Juan de Nicaragua flows from its eastern end into the Caribbean Sea, and at its northern extremity it is connected with the smaller lake of Managua or Leon by the river Penaloya. By this water-line it has been projected to unite the two seas. The high land begins again, after an interval of 170 miles, with the Mosquito country and Honduras, which mostly consist of table-lands and high mountains, some of which are volcanos. Guatemala is a table-land intersected by deep valleys, which lies between the plain of Comayagua and the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. It spreads to the east in the peninsula of Yucatan, which terminates at Cape Catoche, and encompasses the Bay of Honduras with terraces of high mountains. The table-land of Guatemala consists of undulating verdant plains of great extent, of the absolute height of 5000 feet, fragrant with flowers. In the southern part of the table-land the cities of Old and New Guatemala are situate, 12 miles apart. The portion of the plain on which the new city stands is bounded on the west by the three volcanos of Pacayo, del Fuego, and de Agua; these, rising from 7000 to 10,000 feet above the plain, lie close to the new city on the west, and form a scene of wonderful boldness and beauty. The Volcano de Agua, at the foot of which Old Guatemala stands, is a perfect cone, verdant to its summit, which occasionally pours forth torrents of boiling water and stones. The old city has been twice destroyed by it, and is now nearly deserted on account of earthquakes. The Volcano del Fuego generally emits smoke from one of its peaks; and the Volcano de Pacayo is only occasionally active. The wide grassy plains are cut by deep valleys to the north, where the high land of Guatemala ends in parallel ridges of mountains, called the Cerro Pelado, which run from east to west along the 94th meridian, filling half the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, which is 140 miles broad, and unites the table-land of Guatemala with that of Mexico.