Comitan is the last town of consequence in Mexico, and has wide fame on account of its spirits, known at _comiteco_.

This drink, of enormous strength, distilled from coarse, brown sugar (_panela,_) is a favorite in Guatemala, and its smuggling across the border, though risky, is a lucrative business.

There are scores of little distilleries in the town, many of them belonging to and conducted by women.
Mexican paper money is useless between Tuxtla Gutierrez and Comitan.

At the latter city it may be exchanged for silver, but with difficulty.
From here on we found no copper in circulation, and before reaching Comitan we had begun to receive Guatemalan silver in our change.

Fully thirty leagues from the border we ceased to receive Mexican silver from anyone.