Cerro De Pasco
the capital of the Peruvian department of Junin, stands at an elevation of 14,276 feet, 138 miles N. E. of Lima. Near it are some of the richest silver mines on the continent.
There are also very valuable copper and coal mines. The climate is cheerless and inclement. Pop. about 14,000, mostly Indians and half-breeds.
CERRO GORDO (ther'ō-gor'dō) [Sp. "Big Mountain"], a mountain-pass in Mexico, through which passes the National road from Vera Cruz to Jalapa and Mexico. It is celebrated as the scene of a victory by General Scott with 9,000 United States troops over an army of 13,000 Mexicans under Santa Ana, April 17-18, 1847. To intercept Scott on his march from Vera Cruz, the Mexicans took up a strong position in the pass and on the heights commanding it, but after two days' skirmishing, Scott succeeded in dislodging and utterly routing them, with a total loss to himself of only 431 killed and wounded. This victory enabled Scott to take the town of Jalapa the following day.