A Popular Description, Geographical, Historical, and Topographical, of The

THE

MODERN TRAVELLER.

POPULAR DESCR1PTION,

GEOGRAPHICAL, HISTORICAL, AND TOPOGRAPHICAL,

OF THE

VARIOUS COUNTRIES OF THE GLOBE.

M E X IC O a n d GUATIMALA.

VOL. II.

LONDON: PRINTED FOR JAMES DUNCAN; OLIVER AND ROYD, EDINHURGH; M. OGLE, GLASGOW ¡ AND R. M. TIMS, DU11LIN.

1825. Loxnojr: PRIXTBJ) nY J, NOYES, BOfVUItlE STUKKT. CONTENTS

OF THE SECOND VOLUME,

MEXICO. PAÍ/T5 GUANAXUATO ...... 1 FROM GUANAXUATO TO ALTAMIRA ...... 17 SAN LU IS P O T O S I ...... 10 INTERIOR EASTERN PROVINCES ...... 23 SAN BLAS ...... 34 T E P IC ...... 42 G UA D ALAX A RA ...... 50 Z A C A TEC A S...... 54 D U R A N G O ...... 55 SONORA ...... Cí N E W M E X IC O ...... 71 NEW CALIFORNIA ...... II» OLD CALIFORNIA ...... »7 FROM SANTA FE TO NATCIIITOCIIES ...... 301 VALLADOLID ...... 11» VOLCANO OF JO R U L L O ...... 121 OAXACA ...... 127 RUINS AT MITLA ...... 13Ü TEIIUANTEPEC ...... 334 M ÉR ID A , OR Y U C A T A N ...... 147 CIIIA I’A ...... 152 R U IN S OF P A L E N Q U E ...... ¡57 CONCLUSION ...... 1(,Q iv CONTEXTS.

GUATIMALA. TAOB IlO U N D A R IE S ...... 177 STATE 01' THE COUNTRY PRIOR TO THE CON- Q U E S T ...... 178 TERRITORIAL LIMITS AND PROVINCIAL DIVI SION S ...... lili M OSQUITO S IIO R E ...... 104 PROVINCES ON THE COAST OF THE PACIFIC---- 1D7 V A L LEY O F G U A T IM A L A ...... 215 OLD G UA TIM A LA ...... 222 N E W GUATIM ALA ...... 238 VOLCANOES OF G U A T IM A L A ...... 247 PROV1NCE OF SOLOLA ...... 250 PROVINCES OF QUEZALTENANGO AND TOTONI- C A PA N ...... 261 PROVINCES ON THE ATLANTIC COAST ...... 273 IN T E N D A N C Y OP N ICARA G UA ...... 301 PROJECTED SHIP CANAL FOR UNITING THE TWO OCEANS ...... 303 P R O V IN C E OF COSTA R IC A ...... 312 CONCLUSION ...... 318

DIRECTIONS FOR PLACING THE PLATES.

Vol. I. M ap of M éxico ...... lo face the Tille. P yramid o/C holvla ...... 254 The G keat S quams at M éxico...... 2G8 B asaltic Iíocks at R e g ía ...... 356 Vol. II. S oüvkds of G vanaxvato-..toface Ihe Tille. I ndians of M ecroacan ...... 119

V O L C A N O f í f J o R V Í L O ...... 121 THE

M O I) E R N T R A Y E L L E R ,

ETC. ETC.

MEXICO.

GUANAXUATO.

T h e city oí' Santa Fe do Guanaxuato (or, as it is sometimos written and pronounced, Goiuiajoato) is tlio Villa Rica oí' México, being placed in tlie very lieart of its richest groupe oí' silver mines, ou tlio porphyritic range of tlie Sierra de Sania Rosa.* It is onc oí' tlie most singularly situated cities in tlic world. One might imagine tliat the jealous spirit oí' the mine liad chosen this labyrinth of mountain ravines as his capital, for the purpose at once of’security and concealment; and the extraordinary shapes assumed by the gigantie masses of porphyry, have frapiently the appearance of ruined walls and hastions. Tiiuse rocksgive to the envináis an extremely román tic appearance. The hills which surrouiiil the city are partly arid, partly covered with slmibs and evergreen oaks, which greatly heighten the picturesipie eífect. The city itself is entirely screened í'rom view by the windiiigs of the narrow deiile which lcads into the recesses of the mountain; and when the travellcr at

' Ihtm bnldt gives tlic htíilude 21° 0' [)" N .; long. JOU5 \V. j’Aicr m . 1! 2 MEXICO. length finds hímself introduced inco tlio city, be lias no idea of its extent, one part being so liiilden I'rom anolher, that, viewed from tho streets, it appears t<> be a small town. It is only by ascending the heights on the opposite sido, tliat a view is gained of the whole valloy, broken int-o ravines, along the sides of which the town is built. Suweyed from tliis point, the novelty of its situation strikes the stranger w ith astonishmcnt. In some places, it is seen spread- ing out into the form of an am phitheatre ; in otliers, stretcliing along a narrow ridge ; wliile the ranges of the habitations, aecommodatcd to the broken ground, present the most fautastic groupes. “ Nothing can he more ruinous and gloomy,” says the Author of Notes on México, “ than the approach to the city; but, on leaving the hed of the river, we ascended a steep projecting rock, and eutered a Street, skirling a ravine, supported by a lofty stone wall, having houses on only one side of it. We soon found ourselves in the heart of the town, winding along crooked, narrow streets, and aeross opea spaees, wliich cannot be called squares, for they are irregular and of indescribable forros, most of them filled with market-stalls. The houses present a very singular appearance. They are spacious and well huilt, of hewn stone, but the fronts liave beca newly painted, and of the gayest colours : light green is the favourite ; and some exhibit the colours of the Three Guarantees of the Plan of Iguala, — white, green, and red, which are now the national colours of México.* We were eonducted to the eustom-house, where we liad only to make a deciaration that we had not more than one thousaud dolluvs with us, and wero

Tliis was iu (he ycar 1 "¡22, during llic rcign of lUtvfoiilO. MEXICO. 3 suflbred lo proceed lo the mesón. A traveller i» alloivcd to earry with liiin a snm not exeeeding a thottsand dollars, without paying dnty. Our mesón is very comfortable. We have two roenns up stairs, that look on the Street, with a table and a bench in oacli. Our mattresses are on the floor, but then it is paved, and the whlte-washed walls are aimost alean.” The city of Guanaxuato ivas founded by the Spaniards in 1545. I t ivas constituted a town in ICIO, and invested with the privileges of a city in 1741. The first mine tliat was worhed-, that of San Baniabe, five leagues from the city, was begirn in 1540, twenty-cig'ht years after the death of Mon- tc/nma. In 1758, the mines of Moblado and Hayas wcre opened on the great vein (veta madre). But, for a considerable time, the mines of Guanaxuato attrncted little notiee, and thcy were aimost abandoned during the seventeenth and eighteentlx centuries. It is not above fifty years that they have become so famous. They are now esteemed richer than those of either Pachuca, Zacatecas, or Bolados ; and their produce has been aimost double that of Potosí. In thirty-eight years, namely, from 170G to 1803, tlie mines of Guanaxuato produced gold and silver to the valué of 105,000,000 of piastres, 01* 12,720,OG1 Ib. troy ; the annual average produce being 556,000 mares of silver, or 304,0111b. troy, and from 1,500 to 1,000 marcs of gold.* All the veins of Ilungary and Transylvania together yield only, on an average, 85,000 mares of silver.f The mother vein

'* Humboldt statcs, tl»at th e v e t a m a d r e of Guanaxuato lias yicldud more than a fourth part of the silver of México, and a sixth part of the produce of all America. 1 llut, allhough the t|uantity of silver amiually extractad from the mines of México* is ten times greater than what is fum ished 11 2 4 MEXICO. (vela madre) uf the Sierra do Santa Rosa cxtends, m a diroctiou from S.lí. to N.W., rather more thau five leagues; and withín tliis distancc, from Valenciana to San llruno, there are upwards of a hundred shafts ojxmed, which, beforc tlie Revolution, were yieUlirií»- .10,000 mule-loads of ore, of eleven arrobas (275 Ib.) each, every week. In 1803, thcve were employed on the works, 5000 workmen, 1,896 grinding milis, and 14,618 mules. “ ïh e V a len cia n a says Iíumljoldt, “ is almost the solé example of a mine which, for forty years, has never yielded less to its proprietors thau from two to three millions of francs aimual profit (from 80 to 120,000/.). It appeavs that the part of the vcin extending from Tepeyne to the north-west, had not been much wrought towards the eml of the sixteenth century. From that period, the whole tract remaincd forsaken till 1760, when a Spaniard \vl»o .went over to America very young, bogan to work tliis vein in one of the points which had till that time buen believed to be destitute of tire metáis. M. Obrcgoa (that was the ñame of this Spaniard) was without fortune; but, as he had the reputation of being a worthy man, he 1‘ound friends who from time to time advanccd him small suins to carry on his operations. In 1?C6, the works were already 2(50 feut in depth, and yet, the expenses greatly surpassed the valúe of the metallic produce. With a passion for jnining, «qual to what some display for gaming, M. Obregon preferred submittiug to every sort of privatíon, to by al! the mines of Europe, gold is not much more abundant ja New Spain tlum in Hungary and Transylvawía. The linter coimtrics, ílumboldt says, annunlly throw luto circulalion ncavlv 5,2(«) m ares; and Ihc ¡jold dcHvcred hilo the miut of México, amounts, iu ordinary years, oniy lo 7,IHNI mures. The annual pro duce of New .Spain is eslimalcd by MumboliUut á¡J»uft>,K'!> of piastras, vis. iwcnty-nvoof silver and one of gold. MEXICO. 5 aliiimloning liis ímdertaking. Iu 1707, lie entered into pai'tnei'.sliip wítli a petty merclumt of Rayas, iiamed Otero. Oould lie tlien liope that, in the space of a lew years, he and his íriend \vould become the richo.se individuals in México, perhaps in the whole world ? In 1708, they began to extract a very considerable rpiantity of silver from the mine of Valenciana. In proportion as the shafts went deeper, they approached the depository of the great metallie wealth of Guauaxuato. In 1771? they drewfrom the pei·lincncia de dolores enormous masses of sulphuret of silver, mixed with native and red silver. l ’rom that period till 1804, the mine of Valenciana has continually yiolded an annual produce of nearly 600,000/. sterling. There have been years so productive, that the net prolit of the two proprictors of the mine has amounted to the sum of 250,000/. sterling. M. Obregon, better known by his title of Count do la Valenciana, preserved, in the midst of immense wealth, the same simplieity of manners and the same frankness of character, liy whioh he was distinguished jireviously to his success.” AVlien lie began to \vork tlie vein of Ommaxnato, above the ravine of San Xavier, goats were feeding on the veryhül which, ten years aftcrwards, ivas eovered with a town of 7 or 8,000 inhabitauts.” '|- Tíiroughout México, the ore is poor, much more so *

* Duving the last twentv-five yoars of liis life, Jiis anmial revenuc from hits m ine, was never M o w froin Mí to [25,000?., and yet, tit his denth, lie left bcliiiul him only 40(1,(100/. in propcTty, exclusivo of liis m in e; a fací, which, JlinnboUlt says, u ill n o t sur- lirise persons who «are acnuainted wilh the interior maiiiigement of Hio grcat iloxlcan famílies, and (lie imbounded spiril of.mining spcculation. t l»ol. Essay, vol. ¡ii. pp, U'3—5. G MKXICO. tliíui in the mines of Kuropc*. The avcragc propor ción is not liiglier than tliree or four ounees of silver to 3 ,f»00 ounees of ore. Garcés, the author of a valu- uble treatise on Amalgamation, States, that u the grcat inass of lUexiean ore is so jioor, that the thrce millions of marcs of silver w/iicli tho kingdom yields in good years, are extractad from ten millions of quíntala of ove, partly by beat, and )>artly by amalga- ination.” The mine of Valenciana at Guanaxuato, yielded, from January 1, 17í>7, to June 11, 1791, tho sum of l, 7 .‘17 ,0ij2 marcs of silver, tvhich wcre extracted from 34,308 montones of ore. A montan is thirty-two quintáis, whích givcs Jive ounees and one- tentlL of silver ¡icr quintal. The ore extractad in 1791 yielded nine ounees and three-tenths of silver per quintal; vi-/., the (piintiil of rich ore {polvillos y •valones)-, 22 marcs 3 ounees; tiro secoml quality {apol villado), 9 marcs 3 ounees ; the third quality {blanco bueno), 3 marcs l ounce, and the poor ore and sift- ings, 3 ounees. The expenses of working the mines ave very considerable. Tliose of the mine of Valen ciana, at the time that the produce amounted to from 12 to 14 millions of dollars, were upwards of 900,000 dollavs, vi/. 000,000 in wages, and 220,000 for powder, tallow, wood, leather, Steel, and other mate rials.'" At that time, tlicro were 1000 men cmployed *

* In lüii·l. the mino of Valenciana producía! 27,000 dollars per weck i 3,100 individuals wcre cmployed; and the weekly expenses wcre 1/,(KKI dollars. In nínc years, tliis mine yielded 13,83.1,ftl·l) dollars, and the expenses of cxtrnction weve IMH!¡,iM¡3 dollars, Icaving a «ross profit of ó,/00,017 dollars, subjcct to the dnty, seignoiago., iVc. “ IVhcn we tnkc into càlcul,'ilio n ," says Lho A m e rican Tmvellev, “ the cosily works at thcsc mines, tlic exponsive procesa of sejiantinj' tho predous metáis from tlic ore, the high w.igcs o f all the rk-, froïn the admimstrtiiiiir to the common iahonrer, the tat; of lo /¡í,v pald to the govermnent, ami the MEXICO. r in tlic interior of tlie mine, besides 300 men, women, and chiidren, in different ways. Ahnost all the ore is brouglit up by porters. The state of tliese mines, indeed, says the Author of Notes on México, is deplorable. “ The expenses of working tliein have already been prodigimisly angmented by the depth of the shafís ¡md the prolongation of tiie galleries; and it will require a largo capital to estabíish forcing pumps to extraet tlu¡ water. In many instaures, it mili be impossible to cmploy steam as the moving powcr,from the great scareitg offue/.” According to Iluniboldt, the populatiou of Guanax- tiato in 1802 wus, M'itkin the city, 41,000; in tlie suburbs and mines surrounding it, 20,000: total, 70,000. But, from a censas taken in May 1822, the inhabitants of the city appcar to be now only 13,370, and the total populatiou only 33,733 ; * being a dimiuution of nearly ono half. The town or suburb of Valenciana alone formerly contained a populatiou oí 22,000 souls ; it is now in ruius, and there are not more than 4,000 inhabitants. The American Tra- veller gives the i'ollowing account of the works as thoy appeared at tlie period oí'liis visit. “ The excavations extend from south-east to novth- west, sixteen lnuulred yards, and eight hundred yards vcvy expensive works undcrtakcu on the slightest inilicatioii of silver ore, and which are frcquontly pursued with great ardour t

PABT Til. C n MKXK'O. in a south-west directio». There are three paralieh, or plains, worketl on ramificacions of the principal vein. The vela madre, or motlier vein, vas ’iere j’onnd nut more than tventy-two feet vide, and vithout any ramificación, írom the surface of the soil to the depth of ó07 feet: at this depth, it divides into tliree branchos, the entire niass being from 165 to 1!)5 feet tliick. Of the se three branchos, not more than ona is in general very productive. They have all the same angle (40°), but vary in thickness from nine to forty yards. I'our shafts de sceñí! to these parallels. The iirsc, callee! San Antonio, is of 7-14 feet perpendicular depth: the eost of this shaft vas 336,000 dollars. The square shaft of Santo Christo, 4í)2 feet deep, cost 95,000 dollars. The hexàgon shaft of our Lady of Guadeloupe, 1,131 feet perpendicular depth, cost 766,000 dollars. San Josè, an octàgon shaft of more tlum 1,800 feet perpen dicular depth, and 300 feet in the directio» of the vela madre, wliieli is an angle of 45°, cost 1,200,000 dollars. “ To understand the neccssity of sinking so many shafts of different depths, it may be necessary to explain, that in folloving the dip of the vein, vliich is first discovered on the surface, aiul is almost invariably an angle of 45°, the work is impeded after a certain depth by vater. A shaft is fchen sunk, so as to intercept the vein at the terminatio» of the gallery, in order to free the mine from vater. The vork is then continued until it becomes necessary to sink anotber shaft still deeper, to cleur tlie lover galleries. At the terminatio» of eadi shaft, a great many par al·lel galleries brandi ont on rumiíicatlons of the motlier vein. vt From these parallels a vast nuínbor of smaller MKXICO. y galleries branch oitt, worked to a grcaier or less distance as the ore provecí lo be oí' good or bad quali ty ; and many of them were pierred with a view of discovering other veins. Besides the shafts, there aro two descents by steps, wiiuling cloivn to the last pavallel. Oh lcaving the liouse of the admini- strador, we were conducted to the first fliglit of steps : preceded by four raen carrying torehes, we de scended to tlie first parallel, and stopped whcre four gallerics brancli off. “ Our torch-benrers were sent off to tho extremity of these gallerics, that we miglit form somc idea of tlieir extent in a straight lino. They are both extensive and solid; the vaults are of porphyry, and the bottom of gray slate. In some ]>!aces where tho ore provecí very rich, it luis beca taheu froin the sales and vaults, and the voids lilled np with masonry and beams, worked in so as to form «i lirm support to the .lides and roof. These galleries llave heen blasted out, and nmst llave cost great labour, for the wholo monntain is ofporphyry to a great depth. “ The exterior is coveved with a crust of brescia, which extends not more thnn four or Uve feet from the surface. The ore is for the most part cxtraclcd by drilling and blastíng: sometimes, but very rarely, the wcilge can be uscd. On our return, we plodded painfully up diese stairs, which the caryadores (]>or- ters) ascend with ease, with a load of ten or fifteen arrobas on tlieir shcmklers. They are pnid according to tlie cpiantitv they hring u p ; and some of these raen will ascend, as we are tolcl, from the perpen dicular depth of 500 yards, carrying the enormous weiglit of twenty-four arrobas (GOOlbs.). In the court- vard ¡uto which we enterad from the gallcrv, and where the workmen ara searched, the re was a largo 10 MEXICO. lieap of «re, accumulated by each workman being «liliged to bring a .stone up iu lüs hand every tune he nscends, and throw ít on tliis lieap. There are about 1,000 workmen at present employed, and in the toarse of a week a large pile is formed. The product of tliis belongs to the mine, and forras a futid for con tingent expenses. The matrices of these ores, which ive liad liere a good opportunity of examíning, are principally iptartz, amefchyst, and rock-erystal, Iiorn. stone Itere and thero, and a small portion of calcareous spar of a dark brown and of pearl colour. The metáis ave, pyrites of ¡ron, arsenic, yellow copper, galena, grayand yellow hiende, virgin gold and silver, sulphate of silver, both brittle and ductile, and rosicler, a rich silver ore of a bright rosy colour, which ive díd not see. Thís ore is so rare, that I could not meet with a specimen during my residence in México. There are likeivise veins with copper, lead, tin, cinna bar, autimony, and manganese; and the crystals of the carbonate of lime tliat are found in tliis mine, are very large and perfect. “ We next visited the principal shaft, San José, an octagon, tbe diameter eleven yarda, and the perpendi cular depth 600. TJiis great wovk, which cost upivards of a milliou of dollars, ís in some places hlasted through solid rock, and in otliers walled up with hewn stone : the masonry is admirahly ivell executcd. The workmen threiv bundles of lighted hay doivn the shaft, whidi blazed as tliey descended, and ivliich ive saiv fall into the water, now not more than 250 yards from tlic summit, and rising every day. After failing in his attack on the city of Guanaxuato, Mina caused the machinery of the mine of Valenciana to be burnt, and the owners huve not funds to renew it. “ From these mines we went to a shaft called Guade- MEXICO. 11 loupe whcrc we found two malacates in operation, These machines are used to free mines f'rom water, and to draw up the ore. A malacate is a drum of about ten feet in diameter, attached to a vertical spindle, a shaft of fifteen feet long, which is shod with Steel, and turns in Steel sockets. Poles project at riglit angles from the shaft, to which the liorses are harnessed. Two ropes are passed round the drum, and over ptdleys supported by poles twelve feet high and about ten feet apart, lcading to the well. As the drum turns, one rope descends, and the other is wound up, and raises a large skin full of ore, or buckets of water, by what the French cali a chapelet. At the principal or octagonal shaft, eight malacates were kept constantly at work, night and day. Each malacate was moved by twelve horses, and drew up, by a succession of buckets, seventy-eight arrobas (975 quarts) every nine or ten minutes: 95,000 arrobas, or 31,800 cu- bic feet of water, miglit be raised by this means every twenty-four hours. It happened to be a sale day, and in the same court where the malacates were at work, we saw thrce or four lnmdrecl j>cople eol- Iected; some exposing the ore to the best advantage, and others examining its quality. This mine is now worked by halves, the workmen receiving one half of the profits, and the owners of the mine the other. The workmen were busily employed in arranging the pieces of ore in paralielograms, composed of small circular heaps of ore. They were very careful to place the richest pieces at top, and the íairest side in sight. W’iien all was prepared, the saiesman placed himself at the liead of the first parallelogram; and the buyers, after examining the quality of the ore, whispered in bis car the price they were willing to give for it. When all had made their 12 MEXICO. offers, he declared altnid the highest bid and tlie name of che purcliaser. A note vas macle of the sale, and the whole party moved to the next parecí of ore, and so on, untíl the whole was dísposed of. “ There are two sale days in the week, Wednesday and Saturday; and the weekly sales amount to between 5 and 6,000 dollars.” On the following day, our Tmvellcr set out to visit a hacienda de plata, belonging to the Conde (le Valen ciana, in the Cañada de Marfil. “ It is a spacious buildíng, divided into three large conrts; one for pre- paring the ores {patio pa. beneficiar), and the others for liorses and mules. The front is two stories liigh, very neatly built, and fonns an excellent dwelling- house. From the house, we walked through the first court, where nien and mules were treading out masses of mud^and entered a long range of huildings, where there wcre thirty-five milis at work grinding the ore. “ This hacienda, in prosperous times, works seveuty milis. They resemble bark-mills. A circle of about eleven feet in diameter, is paved with stones set up edgeways, and rubbed down to a smooth suvface; in the centre of the circle an upright shaft moves iu sockets. From this an axlcprojects, and passes through the centre of a millstnne that rolls on its periphery: to the end of this axle the traces of the mules that turn it are attached. The first process is, separating the ore from the stones and refnse. Women are em- jiloyed in this work. They throw aside the stones thkt liave no ore, and with a hammer chip off small pieces of ore from those that llave a little only on tlie surfiice. They peribnn this opevation with great skill and great despatch. The ore is the» placed on a thick i ron plato, and is ponnded hy wooden pcstles shod with i ron, and moved by a horizontal shaft furnished with MEXICO. 1 3 r.rais, like the ínovemeut of tlie pestlcs in our rice- milis. Two men, stationed one on each side, draw the. oro from uncler the pestlcs upon platos tliat slopo down frota t!u! top, and aro perfovated witli lióles so as to siít tlie ore as ¡t íalls on thcm. Tlie large pieces ait tlirown baok under tlie pestles. “ After tlie ore ¡s brokcn into very small pieces, it is put into the mili, mixed with water, and ground to :m impalpable powder. A small quantity of quicksilver is sometimes mixed with this mass wliile in the mili. From the milis, the ore, ground to ¡i powder and moistened, is conveyed to the patio jm. he/tejiciar, the open pared court-vard; sale is then added in the j)roj>ortion of ahont two pounds to every hundred Wüight of ore. If the mass, which is left untouched for several days, heats too rapidly, lime is added, which, the superintendant told us, oools it: if, on the oontrarv, it continúes coid, magistral is mixed with it, in order to gire it the proper temperature. The magistral is n copper ore, or more properly a mixture of pyrites of copper and snlphuretted iron, which is roasted in a furnace, cooled gradually, and then re- dnced to a powder; a small quantity of saít is after- v.-ards mixed with it. A small quantity of the pow- dered magistral was put into my liand, and water poured upon it. The heat evolved was so great, that 1 was obligad to thrnw it away instantly ; probably owing to the sulplmrio acid acting upon the metáis and disengaging heat. “ The noxt operation is, to add qnícksilver to the mass, commonly six times the quantity wlúch it is sup- jiosed the mass contains of silver. This mixture of ore, ground to a Ime powder and moistened, of quieksilver, muriato of soda, nnd the sulphatcs of iron and copper, is made into ;m amnlgam hv heing trodden by mulos, l· I M J iX i C O . which are ilriveu round for liours together; or Ity men, who tread the mass with naked feet. We saw both in one mass; twelve nuiles were trotting round up to their fotlocks in the mixture; and in another, ten men were following eack other, and treading up to their anklcs in it. The superintendant examines the appearanee of the amalgam from time to time, by taking up a little of it in a wooden bowl, and adds either salt, qnicksilver, or magistral, ns he iinds necessary to complete the amalgamation. “ This process is repeated every other day until a perfect nmalgnm is made, when it is conveyed into large vats filled with water. In the centre of the vat tliere is an xipright shaft, farnished xvith arms and turned by mules, so as to stir up the ore and mix it xvell with the water. It is left to subside, and the water is let off geut-ly, carrying with it a portion of eavtli, andleaving the nmalgam, whieli is prccipitated: this processis repeated until the amalgamation is freed from all extraueous matter. It is then moulded into triangles, wliicli are placed under stout iron recipients of a bell shape, and the mercury is scparatecl by heat, leaving the silver with a smal! portio» of eopper, not e.ncmgh for the usual alloy. “ One of the grinding-mills, in wliich quicksilver had i»een added to the mass, was emptied and cleaned in my presencie, in order to get ont the amalgam, which is precipitated, and lodges in the interstites of the stones with which these milis are paved. After the íloating mass was removed, the stones were scraped, and the crevices emptied. Tlio contents were put into a wooden howl and washed. This amalgam, besides silver, contains a large jiortion of gold. The ore of the mine of Valenciana contains some gold, wliich unitos with the quicksilver, and this amalgam, MEXICO. lò being so imich heavier, is more quickly prccipitated. The bars oí' silver made from tírese eleanings, contain always the largest portion of gold, and are kept apart.” Tlie Sierra of Santa Rosa is the most Southern district of that metalliferous tract of countiy whicli is by far the richcst in México, and ahounds more in silver than any other on the face of the globe. This central groupe, extending from lat. 21° 0' to 2-1° 10' N., and from long. 102° 30' to 105° 15' W., is situated imder the same pavallel as Bengal, hut in a cli mate partaking more of the character of the temperate, than of the tropical zone. The mines of Guanaxuato are only 30 leagues distant in a straight line írom thosc of San Luis Potosí: from the latter to Zacatecas, the distance is 34 leagues ; from Zacatecas to Catorce 31 ; and from Catorce to Durango 74 leagues. The mean produce of the mines of New Spain, annuallyex- ported from Vera Cruz, is stated to liave been two mil- lioiis and a lialf of mares of silver, being two thirds of the silver annually extracted from the whole globe. Of this 2,500,000, not less than 1,300,000 was yicldcd by Guanaxuato, Catorce, and Zacatecas, or the u central” groupe. Guanaxuato, however, is not only a mining, but an agricultural district. “ The lands are fertile, and are cultivated to the base of the mountains ; and the morals of the inhabitants of the country, who are frugal and industrious, form a strong-contrast to those of the miners, who, when the mines were in successful operation, were all wealthy, and lived extrava- gantly, and many of whom are now in abject poverty.” The inhabitants of the city appeared to this Tra- vellcr lively, intelligent, and well-mformed: he found tliem extremely hospitable and friendly. In common, c2 16 M iS X lC O . liowever, with the inhabitante ol'most mining districts, thcy are passionately fond of gambling. The com mandant «f tinc city was, moreover, a great amateur of’ cock-fighting; and our Travoller was not a little nnnoyed, early in the morning, by the continua! Cfov. ing of more than a hundred eocks, the property of this worthy person, which, tied by one leg, nvero arninged along tiie pavemcnt ou both sides of the Street: tliey were to 1*e cxhibited at the ensuing Christmas. “ In all the towns andvillages of Mex- ieo,” he says, “ cock-iighting is thefavourite diversión of the peoplc. Ilioh and poor, meu and women, fre qüent the pits, and stake sometimos all they are worth ou the issue of a battle bctweon two cocks armed with slashcrs.” Guanaxiiato is lialiJc to two serious inconveniencos from its peculiarity of situation. During the rainy season, it is exposed to injury l'rom the violent tor rents that rush from the mounlains down the barranca, or ravinc, in whicli the city stands, in their passage to the plain of Celava. Large sums have been ex pended on works to restraiu tlicse torrents within a cluumel, notwithstancling which, accidents Iiappen alinost evcry year. On the otlier hand, the onlv water in the city, is that which is contained in the cisterns helonging to the wealthy inhabitants. About two miles from the town, liowever, there are deep rnvines, which, by means of clams, are made to serve as reservoirs: the water is brought into the city on tbe backs of asses, and sold at six cents a load. \Ve musí now aocompany the American Citizen 011 his route .M K X 1C 0. 1 7

t'ROM GüAN.YXUATO TO SAN LUIS l’OTOSl AND ALTAMIRA.

A t Guanaxnato our Truveller dismíssed his car. riago, ami procura! nuiles for the passage over the monntains. The steep track which winds along the ravines irom Valenciana, is so hroken and precipitous, that goats, nuiles, ami asses only can travel it with safety. The sidos of the monntains and ravines are covered with a thick growth of small oaks, ami the eity is supplied with luel front the.se woods; but the wíint of good muls remlers it an expunsivu article, notwithstaitding tiie extensive forests in the neighbourhood. The have summits of the hills are washeil into fantastic simpes, and the character of the seenery is very wild ami picturesipie. The road íbr three limirs leads over tliis rugged solitudo, till, having reached the crest of the sierm , the travcllcr looks dowu on the fertile valley of San Felipe, enclosed on every side, like the basin of Analmac, hy a wall of monntains. At its fnrlher extremity is seen the town of San Felipe. “ With this prospect constantly in view,” says the Writcr, “ we rode for nearly five hours along the summit of the ridge, and tlien de scended by a tvinding and steep paih, to the village of Hincón, tvhero we nrrived ijnitc Overeóme with fatigue. W e obtahnnl lodgíngs, with soino diílicnlty, in n rooin attached to a cottage. The inhahitants of Hincón are gnatherds amlswincherds; and at sunset, the village was alive with the Jlocks and droves coming in front the ínmmttuns.” Second day— From Hincón to Xaral. The Authov set out at l«’o o’clock in the morning, hy a bright moonlight: the cold was piening. At sunrise, the 18 MEXICO. honses and duirchcs of San Felipa appeared as if rising

SAN LUIS POTOSI.

“ T iie whole country from La Pila to San Lilis, is cultivated like a garden; hut itsheauty is destroycd hy mud-cabins and enclosures of cactus. The town itself presents a fine appearance 2 the churches are lofty, and some of them very handsomn, and the houses are of stone and neatly Imilt. Thegovcrnmcnt-

See voh i. p. J21. MEXICO. 19 liouse in tlie square is not yet completed; but thc front, wliidi is of liewu stone, and ornamentad with Tonic pilasters, would do credit to any city in Europe.” Tlie Carmelite convent is spacious and commodious, uith an extensive garden, which is cultivated wítli great care, and kept in excellent order: the walks are shaded with vines, and the cloisters are ornamented witli orange and lcraon-trees. The Windows of thc convent command a bcautiful prospect of thc fertile plain, terminated by a bold outline of rnountains. The church belonging to it is all tinsel and gilding, and in wretched tasto. The people of San Luis appeared “ bcttcr drcssed and hettor looking ” tliau in any town ivhich the Autlior liad yet passed through, and títere were fewer bcggars in its streets. Hmn- boldt States the resident population at 12,000. The American Traveller ostimatos it at 15,000, and adds. that, including all thc viUages in its immediate vicinity, it amounts to tlirec times tliat nuraher. It stand» in lat. 22° N., long. 108° TF.* I’or three hours after leaving thc city of San Luis, the road lies eastivard throngh a country but partially cultivated, and overgrown ivith caeíws and yucca arho- rcsecns, which g'ive a gloomy appearance to the scc- nery. The fruit of the cactus (tuna) is here considered as a great delicacy; cattle are fed opon the leaves, and the stem, which is ahout ten feet high, is usecl for fneh The soil of this tract is a “ whitish day;”-f- and whon pulverised hy the passnge of mules, the dnst is intolerable. To the sonth of the road is the mountain of San Pedro, from which, in the rainy seasons, the torrents bring down gold-dust. There ivas a mine

* Pikc, p. 1)2.0. This TravdJer slaies thc population as high as

i Probably limestonc. 20 a iE X ie o . here íbrmeriy, whicli was íilliícl up about íorty years ago through the caving-in of the galleries. At three hours’ distante from San Luis js the hacienda of Laguna Seca, wherc the travellcrs halted for the night. The same elaycy soil and bare conntry conti nucd the whole of the next ilay’s journey. In siuniner, however, this àrid plaiu is covered with verdant pastures; but the inhabi tants suffer inconveniente fromwant ofwood. At this season, (November,) the pools and tanks are oi'ten covered with ice hcfore day-light; but, aboutnoon, .the heat is insuflbrable, and the clninge from the cold of the morning renders it injurious to travel after that hour. The third day,onr Travellcr reached tlio village of Son Isidro, having passed, early in the morning, the hacienda of Peotillas, where Mina encamped tlie night before he fought the most hrilhant action of the wJiole oampaign. The chain of jnouníains whieh contain the rieli mines of Catorce, are dístinguíshablu far on the traveller’s left. San Isidro stands in a narrow valley on the eastern side of u limostone momi- tain eoveçetl with oaks. A t six hours’ distante from this village is Quelitan, vhere tlie í'ourth dny’s journey termmat«d,bccaüse tliere wus no water within sevcral lengues of the place. There aro no running strrams, and the only water is supplied by tanks and wclis, which are ofteu distant from caeli other. The whole titiet, at this season of the vear, is tvaiisibrmcd into an arid desert of driftiug saiui, and the south-wosteni wind is as pavehing as tlie sirocco. Nothing can be more wretclied tlian the liabitations. Thcy arc huts built of stoin-s and mud, not moro than live feut from the grouud, and thatclied with yueea leaves, the carth- floors rovcved with fililí, and the walls black with smokc, as tlicrc is no chimnpy. “ I certainlv,” savs MKXÍCO. 21 the American, “ never saw a negro liouse in Carolina so comfortless.” The people are very swartliy; tliey appear liealthy and robust, and might enjoy every comfort of Kfe. The valley produces good crops of ínai/.c ; and a species of agave wliich grows vild in the mountains, yields them pulque and brandy, hemp, and soap. In the ovening, the village-well presentcd a primitive suene: all the giris vepnired thither, each vith a small jar or pitclier on her shoulder, while two men vere scen draving vater for the cattle. The fifth day, the Auther halted at the village of JLríi Viga, a counterpart to Quelitan ; and on the uext day, tifter passing ovor the mountains of Noria, reachcd the town of Tula,—“ the fit capital of such a countiy, badly bnilt, an

T h e intendaney of San Luis Potosí, under the vice- regal govemment, comprehcnded the wliole of the north-castern part of the kingdom, including a surface of 27,800 square leagncs, (larger than that of all Spain,) iiut with a population not exceeding 381,000, or twelve inhabitant» to a square league. It luul upwards of 230 leagncs of coast, an exteut equal to the wliole lino of coast from Genoa to Reggio iu Calabria; liut the whole of this coast remained witliout commerce and without activity. The inten dant had under his administration, 1 . the province of San Luis, extending 1'rom tlio river Panuco to the river Santander; 2. the new kingdoin of Leon and the colony of New Santander, in the vice-royalty of México; and 3. the provinces of Cohahuila and Texas, wliich belonged to the captain-generalship of the east. “ Bnt this immense country,” savs 24 MEXICO. Iliimlioldt, “ gifted liv nature with the most precious pnxhtctions, and situated. tmder a serene sky, in the temperate zone towards the borders of tlie tropic, is, for the most part, a wiltl desert, stili more thinly peopled than tlio governments of Asiatic llussia.” Tile northern limits of the intendancy are indeter minate. On the north-west, the mountainous traet c'alled the Bolson de Muphni, including inore than ;i000 square leagues, is in the possession of wandering and independent Indians, called Apaches, who oeca- sionally make incursions to attack the colonists of Cohahuilíi and Durango. On the north-east, the jirovinces of New Santander and Texas bordar on (the latter, in fact, chiefly consists of) disputet! territovy. That parí of the coast whicli extends along the Gulf of. México, from the moutli of tlie great Kio del Norte to the Rio Sabina, is still alraost unknow»,havingnever heen explored by navigtuors. According to Ilumboldt, the eastern coast of México presents evory vvhcro similar obstacles,—** a want of depth for vessels drawing more than twelve feet and a half, bars at the mouths of the rivcrs, neoks ofland, and long islets .stretching in a direotion parallel to the continent, which prevent all access to the interior basin. * The shores of Santander and Texas, from the twenty-tírst to the tweuty-nintli parallel, are singularly festooucil, and present a suc cessiori of interior basins (or salt-water lakes) from four to five leagues in breadth, and from forty to iifty in lengtli. Some of them (the laguna de T a m t a g u a ,

* T h e harbour a t th e m outli o f th e liio del Xorte, however, ssid to bo th e best on the coast, has nevo? lcss than thirteen fect water at its entrarme, and as the tide haré sometíales riscs thvee l'eet» it might advnit vessels of 4it() toas. It is defended from the prcvnilhig stomis by tlio islanil M o M n tU a x . The ti ver is navigahlc forty leagues up, and might lie inade so, witli verv littlc exertion, tbirty ¡cagues higher. Such was the stateincnt made by D. Miguel llam as de Arispe to tHc Cortes at Cádiz. ■m e x i c o . 25 for example) are coinpletely slmt ia. Othcrs (as the laguna Madre and the laguna de Sun Bernardo) communicate by several chanuds with the oceaia The latter are ni' preat ndvantage for a eoasting trade, as eoasting vesseis are there securo from the great swells of the ocean.” There can be little doubt that these long and narrow islets are, as the learned Traveller conjectures, hars or slioals, which have graduallv risen above the mean level of the water; and that the Mexiean coast resembles, in this respect, the shores of Ilio Grande do Sui, in Brazil. The port of Tampico, howevor, althongh tho bar prevenís the entry of vesseis drawing more tlian twenty feet water,* would stili be preferable, Iluinboldt thinks, to the dangerous anchorage among the shallows of Vera Cruz; and the climate, though unhealthy, has not hitherto provecí so prejudicial to the healtli of Euro- peuns, or of the inhabitauts of tice tablc-land, as the moro Southern port. A project was at one time entei'tained for cutting a'navigable canal from the capital to Tampico. This would not toc impracticable, notwithstanding that the wàters of the lake of Tez- cuco are upwards of 7^00 feet above the sea 5 hut, as it would require at least 200 locks, it would not, in the opiuion of this Author, be advisable, laud carriage under such circumstantes being preferable. It has alrcady beeu meutioned, that Tampico was one of the four places tliought of as a port for the commerce of the capital, instead of Vera Cruz. IVere the road rendered more practicable, it might, perhaps, attract

♦ Tlie Author of Notes 0 1 1 México suya, that ihe narvow channel atináis only vesseis of cígM feet draught. T he bar, in blowing weather, lie saya, is very dangermis; a heavy sea rolla 0 1 1 it- The road-slcad is ope», and during tlie provalcucc of north-western gales, no ship can approach the laud. 26 M é x i c o . a portiou of the tradc. At present, it is visited chíefly by small vessels from the West Indies, vhich come here to lay in provisions. Sotto la Marina, ncar the bar of the rirer Santan der, in lat. 23® 45' N., would seem to be by far too distant from the capital to answer the purpose of a port for its commerce; and indeod, aceording to Mr. Itobinson’s description of it, it is less accessible than Tampico. “ The mouth of the river Santander,” lie says, “ is very narrow, and has a bar across it, over wliich vessels drawing more than six feet water cannot be carried. Ncar tlie beach, the country is intevsceted by shalhnv ponds, extending a lo..g way to the northward. After passi hg the bar, the rivor suddenty widens, hnt afterwards gradnally contracta itself towards the town of Sotto la Marina. It is navigable for such vessels as can pass the bar, to wi tilín a very short distance of the town, beyond which it is too shallow even for bonts. The village (puebla) of Sotto la Marina stands upon an elevated situation, on the left bank of the river, eighteen leagues from its mouth. The oíd settlement ís but a short distance up the river, on the road to the present village.” * Could the port be remedied, however, this place would rise iuto importancc, and would soon attract a Iavge portion of the commerce of San Luis Potosí, Zacatecas, and Durango. It was here that Mina disembarked bis troops ; here too, Iturbidé, by a striking coincidence, landed, to meot a similar fate. *(• At present, Humboldt says, the province of New Santander is so desert, that fertile districta of ten or twelve square leagues were sold there in 1802

* Robiitson’s Mcmoirs, voí. i. p. HO. i S e a vol. i. pp. 119,157- MEXICO. 27 for ten or twelve francs. Major Pike estimates the population of tliis province, which extends 500 miles from north to south, and is about 150 in breadth, ;it 30,000 souls. The wliole of the northern part of the internlancy oí' San Luis, tliat is to say, San tander, New Leon, Cohahnila, and Texas, are vcry 3ow regions, with little undulation of surface. The soil is covered with secondarv and alluvial fonnations. The climate is unequul, extremely hot in summer, and e(pially cold in winter, when the north winds prevail. Tliat which bears the pompous title of the new kingdom of Leon, is not above 250 miles in length; its popnlation is estimated at 30,000 sonis. Its capi tal, Montelrey, situated on the head wàters of the Bio Tigre, in lat. 20° N. and long. 102° W., is the seat of a bishop, whose diocese extends over Santander, Leon, Cohakuila, and Texas.* The popnlation of the city is said to amount to 11,000, or more than a third of the wliole province. Major Pike says: “ There are many and ricli mines near this city, whcnce, I am informed, are taken one lmndred mules’ loads of bullion montlily, which tnay be presumed to be not more than tliree-iifths of what is drawn from the mines, there being many persons who prefer never getting their metal coined.” The only otlier towns are Linares, between the Rio Tigre and the great Rio Bravo del Norte; and Sáltelo, where there is held an annual fair, at which an immense quantity of merchandise is disposed of. Tlie province of Coliahuila (written by Major Pike, Cogquilla), lies between lat. 23° and 31° 30' N. and

* It is aftenvards statecl, however, by Major Pike, that Coha- Juiila U in the diocese of Durango. long-. 101a mul IOS® W. $ its greatest length being 500 miles, and its greatest widtli 200 miles. Monte- lovez (or Monclova), the residente of the governor, is the principal military depót for Cohahuila and Texas. It is situated on a small stream of water, in lat. 20° 33' N., long. 103° 30' W . ; it is about a mile in length; has two públic srpiares, sevcn cliurclies, powder mngazines, mills, barracks, and an hospital; and contains between 3 and 4000 iuhabitants. “ This city,” says Major Pike, “ being the statcd residence of his excelleney Governor Cordero, has bren ornamented by him with públic walks, cohnnns, and fbuntains, and made one of the handsomest cities in the internal provinees.” * There are somc mines in the neighbourhood. but they are inconsiderable. At Santa Jlosa, however, about thirty-eight miles to the N.W. of Montelovez, there are silvcr-mines, said to be as riclt as any in the kingdoin. This town is situated on somc of the head wàters of the river Millada, in a very healthy situation ; its population is estimated at 4,000 souls. Parras, in the same provincc, situated on a small stream, is supposed to contain, witli its sulmrhs, 7,000 souls, and San Lorenzo, a village three miles to the north, contains ahout 500. The district of Parras is the vineyard of Cohalmila ; the name signi ties vines or vine-branches; and the wliole population are employed in the cultivation of the grape. “ At the hacienda of San Lorenzo, where we halted,” savs the American Major, “ weve fifteeu large stilis, and larger cellars, and a greater number of easks tlian I ever saw in any brewery in the United States. Its gardens were delightfully interspersed with íigs, vines, apricots, and a varicty of

Pike’s Expiar. Travt-ls, p. X > -2 . MKXÍOO. 2 9 fVuiïs wliich are produced in the tòrrid zone ; witíi lino suiuracr-houses, where were wine, refreshments, and couches to repose on, and where the siiiging of tho birds was delightful. There were here, likewise, mills, and a lino water.iall.” * The jiresidio of Rio Grande, situatod on the river of that nanic, (tho only one of maguitude in tlie province,) contaius about 2,508 inhabitants ; and the total population of Coha- lmila is estimated at 79)900 souls, not more than 10,000 of whom are Spaniards. The elimate is de- seribed as pure and lioalthy, exeept about tlie middle of May, vheii tlie beat "is intense ; “ and sonietimes à seorching wiiul is feit, like tlie dame issuing from mi oven or furnace, which froquently skins the face, and aiFects the eyas. This phenomenon is 'more sensihly felt about svinsot, than at any other period of the twenty-íimr hours.” Tliis province roceives all its meruhítndise from México by land, and, in retuni, gives horses, mules, wines, gold, and silvor. The large ammal fair held at Sáltelo, in New Leon, is attended by the truders of Coliahuila. The vine is the ehief article of cultivation, together witli grain and corn sufficient for home eonsnmption and for the sup- plv of tlie greater part of Texas. The capital of Texas, Si. Antonio de Bejar, is situated on the head wàters of the river of tliat name, (Humboldt savs, hetwcen the Rio de San Antonio and the Rio de los Nogales,) in lat. 29° 59' N., and long. 101° W. “ It perhaps contaius,” Major Fiko States, “ 2,090 souls, most of whom reside in miserable mud- wall lumses covered wlth thatch-grass roofs. Tlie town is laid out ou a vory grand plan : to the east of it, on the otlier sido of tlie river, is the station of the

* l’iko's Explor. Trovéis p. .'¡.1 2 . 3 0 MKXICO. troops. About two, three, and í'our miles l'roin St. Antonio, are threc missions, formerly flourlshing and prosperous. Tiiese buildings, for soliclity, aixom- mothition, and oven majesty, were surpassed by fuw that I met with in” (the internal province» of) “ New Spatn." jSracofjdoches is inerely a station for troops, and contains ncarly 500 sonls s it is sitnated on a small brancli of the river Toyac. Tlie populatio» of Texas niav be «stimated at 7000 : tiiese are principally Spanisli Creóles, some Freneh, some Americans, and a few civilísed Indians and lialf-breeds. This province trades wíth México by Montelrey and Mon- teloveK for merohandise, and with New Orleans by Natchitoches; but the latter, heing contrabund, is liable to great damage and risks. They give in rotura, specie, horses, and mules.” Being on the frontiors, where buffaloes, deer, elle, and wild horses abonad in great mimbers, the inhabitants of Texas lead, for the most part, the life of hunters, and ugri- eulture is but littlc attended to, excupt by a few emigrants from tlie United States. Tlte only mine known and worked, is one of lead. This province is

* " T h e resident pricst treated us with the greatest hospitality: he is respected and beloved by all who know liitn. Uc inade a singular obserration relative to the aborigine*, who had fonncrly composed the population of these establishincttts, under the diarge of themonks. 1 askcdliim what had bccomeof the natives; he rcplicd, that it appeared to him tliat they cottld not exist under Uir. nhndow ofthe whitex, as the nations who formed tiiese missions had becn mirturcd and taken all tlie cure of that was possible, and put on tito same footing as the Spaniards; yet, they had notwith- standíng dwindled away, until the other two had tícenme entirely dcpopulated, and the one where he resided, liad not more tlian sulüdent to perforin liis household labour. From this he had formed an idea, tliat God never intended them to form one p copie, but that they should alwayi remain distinet and separate!!" — Pikk, p. 308. U K x i e o . 31 '■ well limbercd” for one humlreil miles iVom the coast, wlth sniall prairies intersporsed throughout tho woodv cotmtry. “ Taken gcnerally,” sayx this Tra- veller, 14 it is one of the richest, most proliftc, and best wateredcoimtries in Korth America.” It is also one of the most dclightful cliraatcs in the world, arní» where the gromid has heen sufficientlv cleared, not unhealthy. It possesses au extensive internal navigatio» ; and, in fact, it is so desirable a countiy, that it is not likely mnch longer to belong to México. Aecnnling to the reprcsentatious of the congress of Washington, the vholc of Texas properly helongs to Louisiana. In the distribudon of México into federal States, the internal provinces of the east arc alreadv separated from San Iniis Potosí. Othef changos must follow. Humholdt, speuking of this vast tract of countrv, remarks, that “ its positiou on the eastcnt limita cf New Spaitt, the proximitv of the United States, the frequeney cf communicatum ivith the eolonists of Louisiana, and other circumstances, will probably soon favour the progress of eivilization and prosperity in these vast and fertile regions.” The ouly part of the intendancy of Sim Luis which is inonntainous, is that wliich horders on the proviuce of Zacatecas. Here are situated the rich mines of*

* Tho principal rivovs are, the Tiver Guadalupe, wiih iis confluents, tho ttio San Antonio and St. Marii, which discharges iuolf into the N.W. end of tho bay of St. Bermtrd ¡ the Red River { ll> o CWui/frfn), which vises in CoUnhuila, in lat. 30° N. i long. 10iu 30' W., and, afier a wintling conree of WNI miles, discharges itself in tlie hay of St. Bcntnrd; the river Brassos, which also riscs in Cohahuita, in lat. 34“, long. Kttu, and falis into the Guif of México, afler a coui-se of 7

* This» ít wiü he sceu presciuly, lias proved lo be ¡ncorrect. MJ5X1C0. 3 3 the Pichaco de la Variga de Piale. Thoy bogan to work thosc veins, which were poor and inconstant in their produce. In 1778, Don Barnabé Antonio de Zepeda, a miner of the Ojo del Agua de Malchuala, investígated, during threc months, this groupe of arid and calcareous mountains. After attentively examining the ravinos, he was fortunate enough to íind thc crcst or surface of the vela grande, on which he immediately dug the pit of Guadalupe. He drew from it an immense qnantity of muríate of silver, and colorados mixed with native gold, and gained in a short time more than 100,000/. sterliug. From that period, the mines of Catorce were wrought with the greatest activity. That of Padre Flores alone prorluced, in the first year, upwards of 350,000/. ster- Jing; bnt the vein displavcd great riches only from ICO to 320 fect of perpondiculav depth. The fainous mine of P urissim a, belonging to Colonei Obregon, has scarcely ever ceased since 1788 toyield animally, a net profit of 40,000/. sterling; and its produce in 1706, amounted to 1,200,000 piastres, while the working did not amount to more than 80,000. The vein of P urissim a, which is not the same with tliàt of Padre Flores, sometimos reaclies the extraordinary extent of 130 í'eet; and it was workod in 1802 to tlie depth of nearly 1,000 feet. Since 1798, the valué of thc minerals of Catorce has singularly dimimshcd : thc native silver is now ravely to he secn ; and the metales colorados, which ¡ire an intimate mixturo of muríate of silver, eavthy carbonate of lead, and red ochre, hegin to give place to pyritous and coppery minerals. The actual produce of these mines is nearly 2(50,000 lb. troy of silver ommally.” * Since the period oí' Humboldt's visit, howcver, * Po). Essay, voi. iii. pp. 500—12. >34 MEXICO. tiles»; ricli mines have becomc filled with water; “ Iji ordcr to rendes them once more productive,” \ve are told, “ the owners, the fainilv of Obrcgon, have made »tn ammgemeiit with an English coirnnemai house, by whitfi they agree to gívc up one-half of their riglit and títle, on condition of liaving them freed from water. For this purposo, a steam-engme of one hun. dred horse power has been brouglit from England; the greater pavt of which, after sevcral months’ labour, is still at the foot of the mountains. It is said, thatcw/l has been discovered nolfurfrom litis «une.” *

SAN BI.AS.

M e n t io x has alreadyheen made, in tlie description of the Baxio, of the Bay of San Blas, in which the river Santiago has its outlet. That povt, hitherto bnt little known, yet, next to Acapulco, the most im portant on the western coast, bids fair to hocome of considerable conscqucnce. The rich producís of Gna- naxnato and üuadtilaxara can, by means of the San tiago, be most easily transponed to the coast ,* and those provinces can be supplied with Asiatic mercium - dise at a eheapcr rato by the same route. The Comvay, commanded by Captnin Basil Hall, was the first English man-of-war that liad o ver an-

* "VVhen Mr. Bullock was in México, tlie whole liad safeiy arrived, and holicard in connexion with it the following anccdote. T h e engine for draitiiiig tho mine being drawn One evening to the mouth of the sliaft, the mine was plumbed, to nscertain the depth of water. T he same procoss was repeated the next m oniüig, wlien, from some unknown cause, the water liad sunk several feet. The natives, whowere attracted invast miiTibcrs.exclaímert inastonish- mont, that now they wcre convhired tile EngUsh wore god.s, and h:ul jiower to control the metáis, since miwely dvawing tho engine lo the mouth of ‘lie mine liad caused tile water to sink so inany feet! The EnglUh house alluded to is that of M i'ssrs. (lovdoti i:ut Mui'phy. MEXICO. ■¿5 chorcd in thc port of San Blas. Although the distante from Acapulco is not more tlum 500 miles, it took sixteen days to make the passage. * The town is perched, like an eagle’s nest, on the top of a rock lf)0 feet high, absolntely precipitous on three sides, and very steep on the fourth ; rising out of a low, swampy plain, which, in the rainy season, is laid completely under water, and is overilowed to a considerable extent by the sea at spring-tides. The fine season lasts from December to May inclusive. “ During that in terval,” says Capt. Hall, “ the sky is always clear; no rain falls; land and sea-breezes prcvail; and, as thcre is then no sickness, the town is crowded wíth inhabitants. From June to November, a very dif ferent order of things takes place. The heat is greatly increased ; the sky becomes overcast; the sea and land-breezes no longer blow; but, in their stead, hard storms sweep along the coast, and excessive rains de- lnge the country; wíth occasional violent squalis of wind, accompanied bythunder and lightning. During this period, San Blas is rendered uninhabitable, in consequence of the sickness, and of the violente of the rain; which not only drenches the whole town, but, by flooding the snrronnding country, renders the rock on which the town is built, literally an island. The whole rainy season, indeed, is sickly, but more

* This was reckoned a good passage for the rnonth of M arch. In the iatter days of December, it lias been made in ten days. Capt. Ilall m eiuions a case In which a m erchant hrig was a fortnight ín reachitig Cape Corrientes from the tim e of passing Aca pulco at the distance of 150 m iles, and nearly three weeks afterwards in gctting to San Blas, a distance of only 70 miles. The coast between Cape Corrientes, and San Blas is full of deep and dangerous rocky bights, is little known, and ought not to be approached. Cape Corrientes is in lat. 20° 24' 32" N .; long. 105° 42' 2(1" W . .San Blas is in lat. 21° 32' 24"; long. 105° 18' 27" W . 3 6 MEXICO. especially so towards the end, wlien tlie rain» becomc less violent and less freqüent; wlrile the intense lieat acta with mischievous eifect on the satnrated soil, and raises an atmosphere of malaria, such as the most seasoned native cannot breathe with impnnity. “ This being invariably the state of the elimate, nearjy all the inhabitants abandon the tówn as soon as tiie raiiiy season approaches. As we liad often heard this migration desciibecl, ve waited, with sonte eim'osity, for the arrival of the appointed time ; and, accordingly, towards the end of Alay, liad the satisfaction of seeing the great fiiglit commence. I shall never forgut the singular nature of the scene which was presentad to us. All tlie worhl began to more nearlv at the same time ; the rich and the poor streamed olí indiscriminatoly together. The liigh road to Tepic was eovored with borses, loaded mules, and foot passengers, winding along the plain on their way to the interior. On passing through the streets, we saw people everywhere fastening up tlieir Windows, locking their dooi's, and marching oíf with the keys, leaving the greater part of tlieir property behind them, unguavded by any thing but the pestilente of the climate. The better classes rode away on horse- back, leaving their baggage to folloiv on inules; but tlie finances of the greater part of the inhabitants did not admit of this; and we sawmany interesting fiunily groupes, where the very aged and the very young people Sverc Iniddled on mules, already loaded with goods and with furniture, wliile the men and the women, and the stouter children, walked by tlieir sides; — a scene from whioli a painter might have collected in numerable subjeets of interest. “ A citv without people is at any time a strange and anomalous circumstance; but it seemed pcculiarly M K X 1C 0. 3 7 so to us, by our fricnds leuving us tluy by dav ; tiïl, at longtli, we found ourselves comparatively alone in tlie dcscrted tov.-n. The govemor and his family, nntl one. or two othev officers of government, with a few shopkeepers, remained till one departure ; Imt, with thpse oxeeptions, the inhr.bmints Intel nearly all gone iiefore we sailed. 'Diere are, it is true, ahvays a few people, who, for high pay, agree to watch valuable property, and soma famílies so miscmbly destitute, that tliey absolutely llave not the menas of removing. The population of tbe town, ín the fine season, is about 3,000, but the number which remanís to brave the elimate, seldom cxceeds 100.” The commencement of the rains, as witnessed hy this Traveller, is described with graphic forcé aml spirit in the following pnragraphs. “ Thís day (June 1, 1022) hroke with un uuwonted gloom overslmdowing everything: a dense, black liaza rested like a high wall round the horizon; wliile the upper sky, so long without a single speck, was stuiued all over with patches of shapeless clouds fiving in dif ferent diroctions. As the sun rose, he was attended hv vaponrs aml clouds, whieh concealed him from our sight. Tlte sea-wind, which nsed to begin gently, :ind then graduully increase to a pleasaut brecze, carne on suddenly and with great violcnce ; so that the través citvled and broke into a white sheet of foam as fav as the eye couhl rendí. The sea looked bleak and stormy under the portentons inilnence of an immense mass of darle clouds, rising slowly in the western quarter, till thcy rc&ched ucarly to tlie zenich, where th«v continned suspended like a mantle during the whole day. The ships wliich heretofore had laiu mn. tionless on the surface of the hay, were now rolling and pitching with their cables stretched out.to sea- 3 8 M JiX fC O . varii; while the boats tliat uscd to skim alung íi'om the shorc to tlie vessels at anchor, vere seen splashing tlirough the vaves under a reefed sail, or struggling hard with their oars to evade the surf, breaking and roaring along the coast. The fiags that were wont to lie idly asleep hy the sides of the mast, now stood stiffly out in the storm. Innumerable sea-hirds con- tímied during all the day, whceling round the rock on whieh the town stood, aiul sereaming as if in terror at this sudden change. The dust of six months’ hot weather, raised into high pyrainids, vas forced by fnrious gusts of wínd into the innermost còrners of the houses. Long before sunset, it seemed as íf the day had closed, owing to tlie darkncss cansed by the dust in the atr, and to the sky being overcast in every part hy unbroken masses of watery clouds. Presently lightning vas ohserved amongst the hills, folloved shortly aftervards by a storm exceeding in violence anything I ovor mct vith. During eight hours, dc- lugesof rain nevcv ceased pouring dovnfor a moment: the steep streets of the town soon became the channels of continuad streams of sucli magnitude, as to sweep aivay large stones; rendering it everywhere dangerous, and in some places quite impossible to pass. The rain fouiul its way tlirough the roofs, and drenched every part of the houses; the deep rumbling noise of the torrents in the streets never ceased; the deafening loudness of the thunder, which seemed to cling round the rock, became distracting; while the continucd flashes of the forked lightning, vhich played in the most brilliant manner from the zenith to the horizon on all sides, vere at once beauti ful and terrific. I never witnessed such a night. “ As the ncxt day broke, tlic rain ceased ; and «luring al! the morning there vas a dead calin; the -MEXICO. ;jq ¡iii' was so suJtry tha't it was paínful tu breathe it; and though the skv remaiued overcast, the suu liad power to raise np clouds of steam, which covered the whole plain as far as tlie base of tlio niountairis. “ No vety violent rain fell after this furious burst, tíll thc evcning of tbc 4th of June, when the periodical avet season set in. During the momings, it wasgene- rallv clear and fair; but about half ]>ast tliree or finir o’clock, the sky bccame rapidly overcast, and at five the rain began : though it was seldom before eight, tiiat it fell in tlie torrents I hsivc described, or that the tlumder and lightiiing commenced with great violente.” San Illas wonld be scarcely habitable during wliat ¡s tenned the fine season, were it not for the regular alternation of the sea and land-breezes which prevail at tliat time.* “ Betwcen ten and eleven o’clock in tlie morning,” says Capt. II., “ ilie sea-breozebegins to set in. Nono but those \vh<» have felt the bodily and mental exhaustion caused hy the hot nights and sultry morn- ings oflow latitudes, can form a just conceptum of the delicious refreshment of this aviad. Fm- sonie time be» foro it actually maches thc spot, its appniaclt is felt tuid joyfully hailed hy people vho, a few minutes belbre, appeared quite snbdned hy the hcat, but who now acquire a sudden animation and revival of theír facul táis ; a circumstanto wliicli strangers, who have not learneil to discovcr the ap]»roadi of tlie sea-breeze, are often at a loss to account i'or. When it has fairly set in, the climate in tlie shade is delightful; but, in tiie sun, it is scarcely ever supportabit at San Blas, Be- tween tliree and finir o’clock, the sea-broeze gcuernlly

* The buruing sliores of Asia Miuor are in like mamicr pro- jcvval i'rovn dcpopulation bya similar pheiiomcnon— Scc M ootnx TltAVi·l.Uill, .S’j/ r i r i , vol. ii. ['• A’ ;- 40 AJÜXJUJO. dius away; it rarely lasts till fi ve. The oppression during tliu interval of calm wliiih succeeds betwoen this period andthe coming of the land-wind, baffles all description. The flat-roofed houses, from having been all dav cxposed to the sun, resomble ovcns; and as it is many hours before they part with tlieir heat, the inhubitants are sadly baked before the land-wind comes to their relief. “ During the morning, the thorongh draft of air, even when the stm is blazing fiercely in the sky, keeps the rooms tolerably cool; but, when thebreeze is gone, they become quite suffocating. The evil is heightened most seríously bv clouds of mosquitoes, and, what are stili more tormenting, of sand-flies, an animal so diminutive, as scarcely to be distinguished till the eyo is directed to the spot they settle upon, by the pain of their formidabie puncture. San lilas, as mendoned before, is builton the top of a rock, standing in a level, swampy plain. During ordinary tides in the dry season, this plain is kept merely in a half-dried, steaming state ; Init at spring-tides, a considerable portion of it is ov-erflowed. The eifect of this iminda- lion is to dislodge from the swamp, myriads of jnos- quitoes, sand-flies, and other insects, which had been increasing and mnltiplying on the suvface of the mud during the low tides. These animals, on being dís- turbed, fly to the first resting-place they can find; and the unhappy town of San Blas, being the only conspicuous objeet in tlie neighbuurhoüd, is fairly enveloped, at the full and change of the moon, in a doud of insects, producing a plague, the extent of which, if properly descríbed, would searcely be cvedited by the inlüibitants of a cold climate. Tlie most seasoned native fared in this instance no better tlian oursdves ; and we sometimos derived a perverse surt of satisfao MEXICO. 41 tion from this companionship in misory, and laughed ut seeing tliem rolling about from chair to chair, panting under tlie beat, and irrítated into a fever, by tlie severe and unintermitted attacks of tlieir inde- fatigable tormentors. I cannot say ivhich was ivorst, the unceasing buzz and lierce sting of the mosquito, or the silent but multiplied assaults of the sand-flies, which came agninst the face, as I lieard a miserable man exclaim one evening, like liandfuls of saud. Mosquito curtains offered no defence against these in visible focs, so that there was nothing for it but to submit. It is perhaps worthy of remark, tbat tbose persons invariably suffered most, who vvere least tem perate in tlieir dict; and that the water-drinkers (that rare species) ivere especially exenipted from tlie feverisli discipline of these attacks. It was perfcetly out of tlie question to try to get any «leep before tbe land-wind sOt ? but this often deceived us, and at best seldom came before midniglit, and tlien it bleiv over the hot plain, and reached us Ioaded with offensive vaponrs from tlie marsh; but tliis was nothing, as it served to disperse the sand-flies, and gradually acquired a degree of coolness, wliich allowed us to drop asleep towards morning—worn out witli heat, vexa- tion, and impotent rage.” San Blas was, under the vice-rega! administration, the residence of the Departimienio de Marina (marine department), and the chief dock-yards and magazines being here, it might be regarded as the Portsmouth of México. The official people, however, Humboldt says, rosided at Tepic, a small town in a more salubrious climate. Captain Hali, on finding that the mer- cbants, both English and Spanish, lived, some at Tepic, and others at the provincial capital, Guada- laxara, determined on proceeding to the former place, 4 2 MliXlCO. in oi'iler to ascertaiu how far he miglit he able to con tribute to adrante the intereses of tho British trade in Chat quarter. The lirst part of the joumey lay across low swamps, covered with brushvcood, and envéloped (in March) in creeping mists. In the course of “ a few hours,” the road begins to ascend the hills, which are richly wooded s festoons of innumerable parasitical plañís, extending from tree to tree, wave graeefully above the impervions undenvoocl, which totally con- eenls the ground, giving the forest the nppearance of an Indian jungle. The traveller passes sftveral villages of lints hnilt of canes» with peaked roofs rising to twiee the height of the avalis» thatched with the large, leafy branches of the cocoa-palm, fastened dowu with rat- tans. About half way to Tepic is the village of Fonsequa. The rest of the joumey lies fhrougli a thick forest, alongwild mountaiu paths, thò road continually on the ascent; and to the European, the sensible chango in the temperature beeowes most in- spiriting. The mountain. scenery is described as highly magnificent. Capt. Hall passed the night in a hut, and hy day-hreak next morning, after travelling orer some hills, he carne in sight of Tepic, beautifully situated in the midst of a cultivated plain.

TEPIC. T m s town, the second in importance in chis iu- tondaney, is sitnated nearly in the centre of a basin, or valley, formed hy an irregular chaiii of volcànic momitains. Its appearanee is.rendered very lively l>y rows of trees, gardens, and terraced walks intermixed with the houses, all kept groen and fresh bv tho wàters of the river which washes the town on three sidos. A brond, públic walk, noai·lv half a niile.in MEXICO. 43 lengtli, shaded by fonr or five rows of clicsimt-trees, leads to the chnrch of La Sania. Crux, which stands in a little hollow behind a srrmll grassy knoll, in a sedudcd and picturesque situation. It belongs to a convent- Hither, about an hour befóte sunset, apparently the whole femóle population repaír, in famíly groupes, to attend the eveni ng service. “ The ladies of Tepic,” Capt. Hall says, “ llave already Iearned to dress in the Enropean style ; of course some years be- liind in the fashion, but without any tliing peculiar to describe. The womcu of the lower class wore lively coloured gowns, and scarfs eallcd rebozos, generally of a blue and white pattern, not printed, but woven. The dress of the lowest class vas of cotton only 5 tliat of the others was a mixture of cotton and silk, and that of the viohest pcople entirely of silk ; the whole hcing of the manufacture of the country. The gen- tlcmen wear low-brimmed, brown hats, enoircled by a thick gold or silver band, twisted up like a rope. When mouuted, every gentleman carrics a svord, not belted round him, as witli us, but thrust, in a slanting direction, into a case made for the purpose in the left flap of the saddle, so that the sword lies nnder, not over the thigh, whíle the hilt rises nearly as high as the pommel of the saddle, where it is more readily grasped, in case of necd, ihan when left dangling by the side. Tho saddle risos abruptly fonr or five inches, both before and behind, in order, as I was told, to gire tlic rider support both in goíng up and dovn the very steep roads of tho country. On each side of the saddle, before the knees, hangs a large skin of some shaggy-coated animal, reaching nearly to the ground : in wet weather, these skins are drawn over the rider’s legs, while what is called the mangas covers the body. This is a cloak cxnctly resembling the poncho of the r.utT m . n 4 4 MEXICO. sontli, being of au oblong forro, witli a lióle in the middle to receive the liead. In México, tliese cloaks are generally made of fíne doth, riclily ornamented round the neck with gold embroidery. The stirrups are made of wood, taken no doubt from the Spanish box-stirrup, hut tliey are more neally made than in Spain, and are lighter, and íit the foot better. livery gentlemau rides witli a pair of silver spnrs of immode rate length and weight; and, ¡astead of a whip, holds 3n his hand a long and curiously twisted set of thongs, which are morid y a taperal continuation of llie slender strips of liide of which the bridle is made, plaited iuto a round cord.” This spriglitly writer gives an amusing description of a tertulia, or evening party, whicli will serve to illustrate the state of manners in México at this period, among the Spanish residents. “ Across the upper cnd of a large room, and for some distance along the sides, were seated the ladies, about twenty in number, in a compact line, and gltied as it were to the wall. Sometimes in the courso of the evening, a gcntleman succceded in obtaining a station amongst. the ladies, but he was generally un intimate acquaintance or a very determined stranger. In eacli córner of the room was placed a small stonc table, on which stood a dingy tallow-candle, the feeblo glimmer of which gave a disnial liglit to the room ; but, by an incongruity characteristic of the country, the candlestick was large and handsome, and made of raassy silver. Behind the Iight, in a glass case, was displayed an image of the Virgin, dressed up as Nuestra Señora de Guadaloupe, the patrón saint of México, alniost suífocated with a prolusión of tawdry artificial fiowers. The line of ladies on one side reached to the door, and, on the side opposite, to a MEXICO. 4 5 table abont half-way along the room, on wlrich were placed wine mui water, gentlemen’s hats and kidies1 shawls. Against one of the córner tables rested ¡i guitar ; and it seldom happenod that there was not sorae person present, ready to play a popular tune, or to aucompany the ladies, many of whom sung vory prettily. Thís occasional musió went on without in- terrnpting the conversation; iudeed, the sonnd of the guitar amongst the Spaniards or their descendants, is so familiar, that it aets more as a stimulus, a sorfc of accompaniment to conversation, than as an interrup- tion. A t the fnrther end of the room was a card- table, where most of the gentlemen played at a game called monté. The space in the middlc of the room seemod to he allotted as a play-ground for the children of the house, and those of many removes in consan- guinity. The nurses too, and the oíd servants of tlie family, used the privilege of walking in and out; and sometimes they nddressed such of the company as happened to be seated near the door. It may be remnrked Itere, that, in all tliosc countrics, a degree of íamUiarity is 'allowed betwccn the servants and their superiors, of whicli in England tliere is no example in any rank of life. “ The entrance to the room was from a deep verán- dah, or, moro properly speaking, a passage open tarty, who seemed much entertained by our curiosity, beg'ged our attention to a rod about two feet long, ivliich lie carricd in his hand, and to the skin of a little bird of brilliant plumage, suspended at liis left knee; these two symfiols, he gave us to under- Stand, belonged to llim as chief of the village. The only ivormm of the party stood apart, wrapped in a coarse kind of blanket, holdiug the bridles of the mules. At first, they were rather alai-med at the interest we took in their dress ami appearance, and, as they did not understand Spauish, slirunk back from us. But au obliging jierson in the market- place stepped forward to act as interpreter, which 48 MEXICO. soon reassured tliem, and tliey came round us afterwards witli confidence; yct, it was witli great reluc- tancc they parted tlieir bows and arrows, and tlieir featliered ornaments. The oíd man could not be prevailed upon to part witli his rod of authority, or his official bird; neither could we induce tliem to sell, at any priee, tliat part of tlieir dress to wliich the inventor/ of tlieir goods and cliattels was ap. pended.” Tliose appear to Iiave been a party of cacique Indians; but to what tribe tliey belonged, is not stated. Tlieir bows and arrows resembled, we are told, tliose of scbool-boys, rather than the arms of men. At Tepic, as well as at San Blas, onv Traveller lound it disagrceably hot duríng the day; * but at night, the thermoineter fell from fifteen to twenty degrecs. Duving the middle of the day, no one can stir abroad. One o'clock is the invariable dinner liour, and from two to half-past three or four, “ all the world” are taking tlieir siesta, and the streets are literally deserted. After tliut liour, ridingor walkíng parties are formed and in the evening, every liouse is ready to receive visiters. The ladies receive company also about ten o’clock iu the forenoon, either in the principal bed-chamber, or in the sala. Cuptain Hall, while at Tepic, witnessed the opening of a ¡Uexican bee-hive, which differs so essentially in its construction and materials from tliat of the English bee, that the description is liighly acceptable. “ The híve is generally inade out of a log of wood from two to three feet long, and eight or ten inches in

* At San Blas, throughout the day, it was gcttorally» in the eoolcst partof the sliadc, about Ü0°; somclimes, for severa) hours, !ij°. At night, the thermoineter stood gencntlly bctwccn Bfi3 and í¡5«, MEXICO. 4 0 diameter, hollowed out, and eloscd at the ends by circular doors, cemented closelv to the wood, but capable of beíng removed at pleasure. Sonie persons use cyliudrical hives made of earthemvare, instead of tile elumsy apparatus of wood; tliesc ave relieved by misad figures and circular rings, so as to form rather handsomo ornaments in tlie verandali of a house, whero tliey are suspended by cords from the roof, in the same manner that the wooden ones ín the villages are hung to the cares of the cottages. On one side of the liive, half-way betwecn the ends, there is a small hole made, just largo enough for a loaded bce to enter, and shaded by a jirojection to prevent the rain from triokling in. In this hole, geuerally representing the mouth of a man, or some monster, the hcad of whtch is mouhled in the clay of the hive, a bee is eonstantly stationed j whose office is no sinecura, for the lióle is so small, he has to draw back every time a bee wishes to enter or to leare the liive. A gentleman told me, that the experiment liad beca madc,l>ymarking the sentinel; wlien it was observed, that the same bee eontiuued at his post a whole day. When it is aseertained by the weight, that the Itive is ful], the cnil jilecos are removed, and the honey tvithdrawn. The hive we saw oponed, was only partly filled; which enabled us to see the economy of the interior to more advantage. Tlie honey is not contained in the elegant hexagonal cells of our hives, but in wax bngs, not quite so large as an egg. These bags, or bladdcrs, are hung round the sides of the hive, and appear about half ful], the quantity beiug probably just as grcat as the strength of the wax will bear without tenring. Tiloso ncar the bottom, being better supportcd, are more filled than tlio upper ones. In the centre of the lower pan 50 MEXICO. of tlie láve, \ve obscrvcd an ¡rregular-sliaped masa of comí), furnished vith cells, like those of our bees, all contaiuing young oues, in such aii advanced state, that vlicn \ve broke the comb aud let tJiem out, they Hew inerrily avay. During this exammation of tito hive, tho comb and tile honey vere taken. out, and the bees disturbed iu every way; but they never stung lis, tliough our faces and liands vere covered vith them. It is said, liovever, that there is a bee in the counti'y vliich does sting; but the kind ve sav, seem to liavc neither the power ñor the inclination, íbr they certainly did not lmrt us; and our friends said, they vero alvays ‘ muy manso,’ very tamo, and never stung any one. The lioney gave out a ricli aromatic perfume, and tasted dilíerently from ours, but possessed an agreeable flavour.” “ Humboldt mentions the mines of Guiehichila, near Tepic, as among the most cclebrated in tliis inten- dauey; but Captain Hall does not appcar to liave made any inquiry on the subject.

CUADALAXARA.

T h e intendaney of Guadalaxara formed, togetlier vith Zacatecas, the kingdom of New Gallicia. It is, in itself, almost tvioe the extent of Portugal, vith a population five times smaller. The number of inbabitants in 1803, was 630,500, being 66 to the square league. It is bounded, on the north hy Sonora and Durango; on the east, by Zacatecas and Guanas» *

* HiunboUlt nicnlions a bee peculiar to tho New Continent, said to be destitute of a sting, on whieh account they havo roceived the llame of anifnlUon (little àngel»). Tho loarned Traveller supposes, however, thaL the organ is not wantúig, but tliat the sting is weak and not very sensible. MEXICO. 51

nato 5 on the soutb, by Valladolid ; and ou the west, for a length of coast of 123 léannos, by the Pacific. It» extreme breadth, from San Blas to the town of Lagos, is 100 leagues, and its extent of surface is com- l>ttted to be 0,012 square leagues. It is traversed frotn east to ivest by the Rio Grande de Santiago, which communientes with the great lake of Chapalu, nearly 100 square leagues in extent, being double the size of tlie Jake of Constance. Tliis ¡Jitendancy was reckoned one of the richest and most luxuriant iu the viee-royaltv. AII the eastern j>art is fonned by tbe table-land and vestem declivity of the Cordillera. The maritime regions are covered with forests, wliich abouiul with timber fit for ship-building. The interior enjoys a fine and temperate elimate. The vahic of its agricultural produce amounted, in 1002, to 2,600,000 piasters (about 500,000/.) ; and its manu factures of woolleus, calicóes, tanned liides, and soap, M-ere estimated at 3,302,200 piasters (about 700,000/.), or nearly lialf of the total valué of the manufactures of New Spain.* Up to 1765, it exponed cottou and wool to maíntain the activity of tlie manufactures of Puebla, Queretaro, and San Miguel ; but since tbat period, mauufactories have becn established at Guadalaxara, Lagos, and the neighbouring towns. Its mines form the sixth groupe in ííumboldt’s emuneration,t but, with regard to the quuntity of mouey actually drawn from tlicm, the mines of Bolanos rank next to tliose of the Real dei Monte, the central groupe of Guanaxuato, Catorce, and Zaca tecas being alone superior to either. The mines *

* Tfiis is estimaled by HumboW t atUctv.‘ccn 7 and a,(lW,OOOof piasteis.—iW. J C m iy , vol. iii. ji. -ICO. t .Sce vol. i. ji. 310. X 2 52 MEXICO. of Guadaiaxaxa cxtend from lat. 21° 5' to 22° 30' N., ami from long. 105° to 100° 30' W. The most ctíle- bratcd are those of Solanos, Asientos de Ibarra, Ifos- liatipaquillo, Cópala, :uid Guichiohila. The intendaney contains two cities, sis towns, and 322 vil- lagos. Guadalaxnra, tJio provincial capital, and formevly tlie scat of the audiencia of New Gallieia, is seated on tlie left bank of the Rio de Santiago, in lat. 20° 50' N., long. 105° W.* It was founded in 1551, and in 1570, was created an episcopal city, the see of Com- pnstella being transierred to tliis place. As the resi dencie at once of the audiencia, the intendant, and the bishop, and possessing sume flourishing manufactures, it woulcl seem. likely to liave been from the lirst a con siderable place; yot, Humholdt States tho population in 181)3, at only 19,500. If tliis be correct, its in- creaso since that period must have been almost uupre- ccdented. While the population of Guanaxuato has sunk from 70,000 to 33,000, that of Guadalaxara has risen from less than 20,000 to at least 70,000, and it now ranks, in point of population, as the secoud city in the empire.* Compostella, situated to the south of Tepic, is the more ancient city. As, in the dístrict to the north- west of tliis placo, tobáceo of a superior quality was fonnerly cultivated; it would seem to be situated either witiun, or on the border oí the tierra caliente of the western coast. Tlie other towns emmierated by Hmnboldt are, Aguas Calientes., a small, well- peopled towu, to tlic sonth of the mines of Asientos de Ibarra; Villa de la Purificación, to the north-west of *•

*• l’ike's JSxpíoralory Travels» p. 32(i- t Notes on México, p -110. Mnjot l*ike carrics tiic estímate to MEXICO. 5 3

tíie port of Guacían; L e t f / o s , lo tiie north of tlie tmm oí León, iu Guanaxuato, near the IVontier of that íntendancy, “ on a plain fertile in wlieat” (a pjirt of the B a x io ); autl Colima, situated two lcagues south of the volcauo of the same ñame. T h e volcan de Colima is the ínost western of the volearme,s of M éxico, w hich a re placed on the same lino Su a parallel dirección. It frequently tlirows up ashes aud smoke. Its elevation is coinputed to he ujnvards of ¡1,000 feot ahove tho level of the sea. “ This insulated rnountain,” says a native writer cited hy Humholdt, “ appears of only a modemte hcight, wlien its summit is compared with tlie grouiíd. on which Znpotilti aud Zapotlan are built,—two villages elevated 5,500 feet ahove the level of the coast: it is from the small town of Colima that the volcano appears in all its grandeur. It is nevar covered with s h o w , except when it fulls 'in tiie chum of the neighbouring mountains from the effeets of the north-wiud, On the íítli of December, 17¡3í!, the volcano ivas covered with sh o w for almost two-thirds of its lieight; hut this snow remained for only two montlis on the northern declivity of the rnountain towards Zapotlan. In the beginning of 1791, I mude the tour of the volcano by Saynla, Tuspan, and Colima, witliout seeing the smallest trace of snow on its summits.” Sueh ís all the Information to which we have at present acccss respecting chis important province. Neither Humholdt ñor any other modern travellcr appears to have visited any part of it, except the small portion betweeu San Blas aud Tepie. The capital, the fertile hanks of the Santiago, the laku Chúpala, the mines of Bolanos, tho hot spríngs of Aguas Calientes, and the volcano of Colima, — all 5 4 MEXICO- remain undesmbed, and invite the attentiou of future travellers— We llave still lesa informática witli regañí to tlie north-onstern portiou of New Oallicia, now compríscd in the intcndancy of

ZACATECAS. “ Tjris singularly ill-peoplod province,” savs our only autliority in the present reícrence, the indefati- gable Iluinlioldt, “ is a mountainous und arid traet, oxposed to a continual indemeney of dimate. It is bounded, on the nortli, by tlie inteudancy of Du rango ; on the east, by San Luis Potosí; on the south, by Guanaxuato ; and ou the west, by Guadalaxara. Its greatest length is eighty-five íeagues, and its extreme breadth, froni Sombrerete to the Real de Ramos, iifty-one Íeagues; being nearly of the same extern witli Switzerland, which it resembles in many geologíeal poiuts ofview. The relative populatíon is hardly etpial to tbat of Sweden.” The extent of suríace is computed to be 2,355 square leag-ues; the jmpuhitiou in 1803, was 153,300, or sixty-íive only lo Uie sipiare league. The table-land wliich forms the centre of the intondunoy, ;md whieli rises to an elevation of upwards of 0,500 feet, is formed of syenite, on which repose strata of primitivo schístus and schistous chlorites; the sdiistus fonns the base of the mountains of trappish porphyry. Zacatecas, the provincial capital, is, next to Guanaxuato, the most celebrated minirig-plaee in New Spain.* Its population is stated by ílumboldt to be at least 33,000. The mines of Zacatecas belong to the same groupe as thosc of

* Siluateil, ¡iccording lo Major 5’ike, in Jar. 23q ÍV.; iong. 104° l'Iiis Travcller cslimates tlic yopuiation imich Iiigher, bal, imfoi'tunaiely, lie cloes not give hls authority. aiKXieo. ¿ 3 Guanaxuato and Catorce. The intendancy is divided iiito i'our diputaciones de mineria, or mining districts s 1. Zacatecas ; 2. Sombrerete;. ¿3. l’resnilio; 4. Sierra de Pinos. The veta negra of Sombrerete lias vitlded tlio greatest wealth of any seam yet discovered iu the ttvo hemispheres. To the nortli of the town of Zaca tecas, thero are nine sinall lakes, abouuding in muriato and carbonate of soda. The carbonate, M'hicii goes by the ñame of tequesquile (corrupted from tbe Mexican word tequlvqiíilil), ís of great uso in the dissolving of tbe rrmriates and sulphureis of silver. “ The central table-land of Asia,” adds M. Ilnmboldt, “ is not richer in soda tlmu I\Iexico.” To the nortli of the two intendancies formerly comprised in New Gallícia, lies the province of New Biscay, whicli, under the distribution of the couutry into intendancies, is called from its chief town,

DURANGO.

T iiis intendaney, which, together with Sonora and New México, formed the cajitaincy of the interior provinces of the west, extends, according to I-Iuraboldt, from lat. 23° 55' to 20° 0' N., and from long. 104“ 40' to llO* 0' W.* It is bounded, on the west, by Sonora; on the south-east, it touches on San Luis Potosí; lmt towards the north and east, for upwards of 200 leagues, it borders on an uncnltivuted country,inbabited by warlike and independent Indians. It comprehends the northern extremity of the great table-land of Ana- liuac. Its lcugtli from north to South, from the cele-

* M ajor Pike makcsNcw Biscay to Jle bctween lat. 24« and o3u, ami long. 103° and 111°: he States its longth from N.W. to S.K. al (KIO miles; its greatest breadlh at 400; and its populaliou at 200, 000. 56 M é x ic o . Iiruted niines of Gnarisamey ti» llie mountains of Carcuy, is 2:52 leagues: its brcadth is very unecpial, and, near Parral, is scarcely fifty-cight leugues. Its extent of surlace is greater than that of the tkree United kingdoms of Great Britain, and yot, its total population does uot egual that of Bir mingham and Manchester uuited. The number of inhabitants in 1803, was computed to be ratber less tiian 100,000. Of these, Major Pike tliinks, threc- twentieths mígbt be Bnropean Whites, five-twentieths Creóles, iivc-twentieths Mestizoes and half-castes, aud seven-twentietlis Indians. It comprises, besides the eity of Durango, six towns (villas); 199 villages (pueblos); '¡o parishes (paroquias) ; 152 haciendas ; 37 missions ; and 400 cottages (ranchos). Duvango, or Guadiana, the principal city, is the residence of the intendant and of a bishop. It is situatcd in the most southem part of the province, (in lat. 25° N., and long, 107° W.)* at 170 leagues distance, in a straight line, from the city of México, and 289 leagues from the town of Santa Fé, in New México. The elevation of the town above the sea-level, is G,í!00 feet; there are freqüent falls of snow, and the thermometer descends to 14° Fahrenheit below the freezing point. The city was founded in 1559 : the population in 1803, was 12,000.+

* P ik e, p. 352. f Major Pike says, 40,000. IIc statos, also, that the city is infested, ¡n a very remarkabie rnamier, foyscoipious. " T hcy come outof the walls and eveviees in May, and continua for about a forinighl in sud» nnmbers, that the inhabitants never ■u·alk in their houscs aftev dark without a liglit, an

The precautions are similar to those we take with our mosehetto curtalns. The hite of these scorpions has heen known to prove mortal in two hours, But the most cxtnmrdiiiary drcumstancc is, tliat, by taking thom ten Ieagues from Durango, they bcrome perfectly hannlcss, and lose all their venomous qualities. Query, docs this arise from a chango of nir or of sustenanco ?” The reader will probably be of opinión, that there is a previous query which requires to be disposed of. Yct, ns México lias its stinglcss bees, it muy possibly havo its impotent scorpions. “ Humboldt, Pol. Essay, vol. ii- p. 245. 5 8 MEXICO. forra, on the costera side of a small stream, which dis- chavges itself into tlie river Conchos. At its Southern extranity is a small but elegant chureh. In tlie public situare stand» the clnirch, the royal treasury, the town-honse, and the richest shops. At tire western extremity, there is another chureh for the military, a superh hospital, belonging formerly to the Jesuits, the churches of the monks of St. Frailéis and St. Do- miuick, the military academy, aml the bamicks (iquartel del hopa). On the north.west are two or tlivee missions, very haudsomely situated on a small stream which comes ín from the west. About ene mile to the south of the town is a largo aqueduct, which eonveys the water round it, to tlie cast, into the main stream below the town, at the centre of which is a reservoir, wlience the water is conducted by pipes to the diiferent parts of the city; and in the publio square is to be a fountuin and jet d'eau. The principal chureh is the raost superb building wc saw in New Spain ; its wliole frout boing covered witli statues of the apostles and the different saints, set in niches, and the Windows, doors, &c. ornamented with sculpture. I ivas uever within the doors, but was informed tliat the decorations ave immensely rich. Some men whom we supposed to be entitled to credit, informad us, that the chureh was built bya tax of 12¿ cents laid on each íngot of gold or silver taken ont of the mines in the vicinity. Its cosí, inchuling the decorations, was 1,500,000 dollarsj and wlicn it was finished, there remained 300,000 dolíais of the fund unappropriated. On the south sido of Chihuahua is the public walk, formed by tlirec rows of trees, whose branches nearly meet ovar the lieatls of the passengers. At diiferent distances there are seats, and, at each end of the walk, circular seats, on wliich, MEXICO. 5 9 in the evemiig, the company oollectcd and amused themsclviis with tlie guitur, and songa-iu Spanish, Italian, and Freneh, adapted to tlie voluptuous man- jiers of the country. In this city, as well as in ali others of any consideration, there are pairóles of sol diora during the night, who stop every person at nine o’clock, and examino them. My countersign was, Americans. “ There are at Chihuahua and its vicinity, iifteen mines ; thirteen of silver, one of gold, and one of cop- jier ; the furnaces for ali of which are situated round the town, in the snburbs, and present, except on Sundays, rolumcs of sinoke rising in every dirección, which are seen from a distance long before tlie spires of the city strike the view. It is incredible, the quantity of cinders that surround the city, in piles ten or Iifteen feet liigh. Nest the creek, they have formed a bank of them, to check tlie encroaehments of the stream, and it has presentad an effectual barrier. I am told, that a European employed some Imnds, and wrouglit at the cinders, and that they yielded 1 dollar 25 cents for each per day; but this not answeriug his expectations, he ceased his proceedings. At Mauperue, there are one gold and seven silver mines.” * The mines of Chihuahua lie to the east of the great real of Sania Rosa ile Cosiyuiriachi, situated at the foot of the sierra de los Metales. Tho population of Cosiguimdn is said to amount to neariy 11,009 souls. To the west of the Rio de Conchos is the tmvn and real of San Pedro de Ralopilas, with a population of ii,000, which was formerly uelebrated for tlie great wualtli of its mines. To the samo rieh groupe (tho third in Ilumholdt’s enumeration, and the most

* Pikc'3 Esplorntoiy Travds, p. W2. 6 0 MEXICO. northern ín Músico, extending from lat. 26° SO' to 2!)° 10' N .; and from long. 10G° 45' to 10«° 50' W.) bulnngs the real oí San José ele Parral, situated to the south. oí Cliihuah.ua, ancl the residence oí a depu- tation oí mines: the popnlation is stated at 5,000. Tliis real, as well as the town of Parras, rcceived its ñame from the great number of wild vme-slioots witli which tlie eountry ivas covered on the iirst arrival of the Spaniards. A fiftli mining district witliin tliis intendancy, is tliat of Guarisamey, a very oíd real, on the road from Durango to Cópala, witli a population of .'1,800. It belongs to the groupe of Durango and Sonora, ranked hy Humboldt as the second in point of actual produce ; extending from lat. 23? to 24° 45' N., and from long. 10G° 30' to 10!F 50' W. The other chíef places in tliis intendancy, according to Humboldt, are, San Juan del Rio, to the S.W. oí the lake of Parras, population 10,200 ; Nombre de Dios, population 6,800 ; Pasquiaro, a small town to the S. of the Rio de Nasas, with a population of 5,G00; Mapimis, a military post (presidio), to the east of the Cerro de la Cadena, on the confines oí the Eolson de Mapinú, — population, 2,400; Saltillo, on the confines of Cohahuila and León, in the midst oí avid plains, towards the eastern dedivity oí the tahle- land, the population G,000; and Parras, near the lake of the same ñame, west of Saltillo. The last two townsave included by MajorPike in the provinceof Co hahuila, and liave already beca noticed. The same Tra- veller mentions, as one of the chíef places of Durango, “ Pollalcin, situated at the foot of the Sierra Madre, and supposed to oontain 25,000 souls.” No such place is mentioned by llumholdt, and it is probably a mis- take íor Parral, the population being overrated. The river Conchos, the lnrgcst in the proviuce, has its MEXICO. 61 source, according to the American Traveller, in the Sierra Madre, near Batopilas, in lat. 28° N .: after a course of about 300 miles, dtiring whieh it ns ceives tlie Rio Florida from the east, and the Itio San, Fallo from the west, it joins the great Rio del Norte íu lat. 31°. The Rio San Pablo, the large western braneh of tlie Conchos, has its head in lat. 28" 50', and after a course of about 150 miles, diseharges into the latter at Bakinao : in summer, it is nearly dry 5 311 the rainy season, impassable. The Rio Florida takes its rise in lat. 26? 30' N., and has a course of similar length: about mid-way on its eastcrn bank, is situated the presidio of Guaxerçuillo. The Rio de Nasas forms iii part the line betwcen New Biscay and Cohahuila ¡ it runs north, and empties itself into the lake Caymao on the borders of the Bolson de Mapimi. This stream is also nearly dry in summer, but, at some periods, impassable. Lake Cayman and lake Parras, situated at the feet of the mountains, are both full of fisli. The climate of this intendancy is statecl by Major Pike to be dry, and the heat, at that time of year wliich precedes the rainy season, very great. The rains commence in June, and continue, by light showers, tíil September. During- the remaiuder of the year, tliere íalls neither rain ñor snow to moisten the earth, and the atmosphere becomes liighly electrified.* The agricultural produce cousists of wlieat, mstize,

* “ The ntmosphcre lwü become so electrified, that, when we halted at uight, in taking oflfour blankets, the elcctric fluid would almost covor diera with spartis; and in Chihuahua, we preparad abottlew ith gold lcaf as a reecivcr, and collceted sufficient fluid from a bear-skin to give a considerable shock to a number of per sone. ThU phenomenon was more conspicuous in the víciníty of C hihuahua, than in any other p a rt th a t v e crossed.*’ — P ik e , l>. 34«. 6 2 MBXICO. rice, oats, cotton, flux, índigo, and the fruit of the vine. . ïo the nortli of Chihuahua, about thirty miles to tlie right of the main road, there is some pine- timber; in ouo place, near a spring, Major Pike noticed a solitary walnut-tree; atul on all the small streams, there are, he says, shrubby cotton-trees. “ With these few exceptions, the wliole province is a naked, barreu plain, which presents to the cye an arid, unproductive soil; and more especially in the neigh- bourliood of mines, evcn the herbage appears to be poisoned hy the «pialities of the land.” New Biscay trades both with tho Southern provinces and with New México and Sonora, furnishing to the more populons parts of the kingdom a great number of horses, mules, beeves, sheep, and goats, in roturn for dry goods, European fttrnituro, ammunition, books, &c., wltích are hrought from the capital on mules. “ Some individuals make large fortunes by being tho carrier» from México to Chihuahua, the freight being eiglit dollars per cent; and they generally pnt 3001b. on eacli mulé. The merchants make thelr reiníttances twiee a vear in bullion. Goods sell at Chihuahua about 200 per cent higher than the prices of our Atlantic sea-port towns.* Tliey manufacture some few anns, hlankcts, stamped lcather, embroidery, coarse cotton and woollen clotlis, and a species of carpeting.” This TravelLer concludes his statistical account of the province hy stating, that huv here is merely a shadow, the only laws that can be said to be in forcé being the military and the ecdesiastical; that the comtption of morals is general,—the natural con comitant of a great degree of luxury among the rich,

* This was in 11)07. Ilorscs then averaged at (5 dollars; some would fetch 100 dolíais; trained mulesi 20 dollars; rice sold for 4 dollars tho cwt. M E X I C O ^ 6 3 mui of miscry among the pnnr; that the Román Catholic religión is in ñill forcé, tmt the inferior clergy are much dissatisfied. Títere are no slaves in tliis province, ñor any In dians of the Aztecrace j—Humholdt savs, not a single tributary individual, and “ all the inhabitants are either white, or consider themselves as sudi.” Major Pike cxplains the state of things more specifieally. Except the Apaches, who inhahit the Jiolson de Mapimi, there are, he says, no uucivilised savages in this provínce. “ The Christian Indians are so in- corporated amongst the lowcr grades of Mestizóos, that it is scarcely possihle to draw the line of distinction, except at the runchos of some nohleman or large land- holder, where they are in a state of vassalage. This dass of people laid a conspíracy, which was so well concerted as to haffle the research of the Spaniards for h length of time, and to occasion them the loss of several hundreds of the inhabitants. The Indians used to go out from their vülagcs in small parties: in a short time, a part would return with a report that they liad bcen attacked by the Indians. The Spa. niards would immediately send out a detachment in pursuit, when they were led into an ambuscadc, and every soul eut off. They pursued this course so long, that the whole province became nlanned at the rapid manner in which their cnemies multiplicó; but some circmnstances leading to a suspicion, they made use of the snpemition of tliese ]>eople for their ruin. Some oíucers disguised themselves like friars, and went round amongst the Indians, pretending to be possessed of the spirít of prophccy. Tliey preached up to them, that the day was approaching when a general deliver- ance from the Spanish tyranny was about to take place, and invited tlie Indians to join with them in 0 4 MEXICO. promoti ng the work of God. The poor crcatures carne fonvard, and, in tlieir confessions, stated tlie great íiand that liad already bren put to the work. Af'ter tliey liad ascertained tlie nature and estent of the conspiracy, and obtained a body of troops, they com- meneed the execntion, and put to death about four hundral of them. This struck terror and dismav throughout tlie ludían villages, and they durst not rise to sujiport their freedom and independcnce.” To the west of New Biscay, lies the intendancy of

SONORA,

C omphehending the tliree provinces of Cinaloa (or Sinaloa), Ostimury, and Sonora Proper. Thefirst extends from the Rio del Rosario to the Rio del Fuerte (from lat. 23° to 2G° 45'); the second, from the Rio del Fuerte to the Rio del Mayo (in lat. 27° 30'); and the third (ealled in some oíd maps, New Navarro) comprises all the northern part of the intendancy. Its northern limits are very uncertaín. The villages of the district of Pimeria alta are separated from the banks of the Rio Gila, by a región inhabited hy inde pendent Indians, of whoni neither the soldiers stationed in the presidios, ñor the monks posted in the neighbouring missions, have been hitherto able to eífect the conquest. On the ivest, this intendancy has more than 280 leagues of coast extending along the Sea of Cortes, usually ealled the Gulf of California. On the south, Sinaloa is boiinded hy Guadalaxara and the orean. Its breadth varies from 50 leagues (its greatest breadth below the 27th parallel) to upwards of 128 leagues. Its extent in square leagues is coinputed to be rather more than 19,000; and the popu* M E X IC O . 05 lalion i» 1803, was 121,400, or six ínkabitants only t» the square league. The province of Sinaloa was tho first peopled. Major Pike estimates its population at 00,000, “ not more than three-twentieths of whom are Spaniards; the rcmaindcr, Creóles, Mestizoes, and Indians.” In 1793, the numher of tributary Indians in tliis province was 1,851. The conníry presents nnicli the same aspcct as that of New Biseay,—haré, destitute of timbcr, and hilly; the air

* We llave followcd Humboldt, in the absencc of better infonnation; b u t in his m ap, th e town or. r e a l of Hostimuri is placed on the n o r t h side of tlic river Mayo, between which and the river Fuerte he describes the province of Ostimury as lyinfl- Afte* statíug, morcover, that tile intendaney comprises the three provinccs of Cinaloa, Ostimury, and Sonora Proper, he tahes no further notice of Ule secotul of these divisions, but subsequently di vides the intendaney tuto the two nrovínces of Sonora and Cinaloa. 66 MEXICO. emlmrks i» a lancha for Loreto in Oíd California, whence Ietters are sent from mission to mission as far as Monterey and the port of S.an Francisco, in New California, under the parallel of 37° 48'. Tlie clúef places in Sonora Proper, are, Avispe, the capital of the intendancy, situated ncar the head of the river Yaqui, in lat, 31° N., long. II Io W., the population 7,600; Honora, S. of Arispe, population fi,400; and Terrenaie, or Ternafe, a presidio to the N, of the capital. Arispe, Major Pike says, “ is celehrated throughont the kingdom for the vast quan. tity of gt>M ta!>le utensils made use of in the houses, and for the urbanity and hospitality of the inhabitants.” lie mukes the population amount only to 3,400, or less than lialf Humboldt’s estímate, huí whether on the authority of a more recent census or not, does not appear. Little is known with any degree of certainty or precisión of these remote regions. E ven the mines are too distant to attract or to repay at. tention. Yet, the proportion of gold which they yield, is so considerable, that gold does not preserve its usual exchange with silver in this province. General Salcedo told Capt. Pike, that the largcst piece of puré gold ever discovered in New Spain, was found in thís province, and it liad been sent to Madrid to be put in Iiis majesty’s cabinet of curiosities.* Sonora trades with New México, Durango, and the Southern provinces, either by land, or through the Californian Gulf.

* All the ravines and even plañís of the hilly country of the Primeria alta, Hnmboldt States, ccmtain gold scattered up and dmvn the alluvial land- Masses of puré gold, of the woight of from S to 1! Ib. troy, have been found there- But these gold-washings are by no means dilígetitly sought after, on aceountof the freqüent incursions of the Indians, and espccially on account of the high price of provisions, which must be brouglit from a grent distance iu this uncultivated country. MEXICO. 67 It is celebrated for cheese, liorses, and slieep. Like New Biscay, tlie province is destitute of timber, but has some rich soil near the sea. It abounds witli deer, calme, bears, and “ remavkably large Guana lizards, wbieh are said to weigh ten ponnds, are perfectly liarmless, and are trained by tlie inhabitants to eatch mice.” * The most northern part of this intendaney bears the name of Pimeria, on account of a numerous tribe of Pimas Indians wko inhabit it. These Indians live for the most part under the domination of the mis- sionary monks, and observe the Romish ritual. This district is divided into the Pimeria alia and the Pimeria baxa; the latter containing the presidio of Buenavista, and the former extending from the pre sidio of Teníate to the Rio Gila. Iiere the traveller has reached the confines of civilised society. “ Hitherto,” says Humboldt, u there has been no permanent communication established between Sonora, New México, and New California, although the Court of Madrid has frequently given orders for tlie formation of presidios and missions between the Rio Gila and the Rio Colorado. Two courageous and enterprising monks, Fathers Garcés and Font, succeeded, however, in penetrating by land through the countries inhabited by independent Indians, l'rom the missions of the Pimeria alia, to Monterey and the port of St. Fran. cisco, without Crossing the peninsula of Oíd California. Tliis bold enterprise, on which the college of the Pro- paganda at Queretaro published an interesting notice, has also furnished liew information relative to the ruins of la Casa grande, considered by the Mexican historians as the abode of the Aztecs on tlieir arrival

- P ik e, p. :tííi. P A K T I U , 08 MEXICO. at the Rio Gila towards the end of tUe twclfth century. Father Francisco Garces, accompamed by Father Font, who was entvustcd wíth the observations of the latitiulc, set ont front thepresidio of Horcasitas on the 20th April, 1778. After a journey of eleven days, they arrived at a vast and bcautiful plain onc league’s distante from the Southern bauk of the ltio Gila. They there discoveretl the ruins of an aneient Aztec city, in the midsl of which is the edifice calleil la Casa ¡fraude. Those ruins uccupy more than a square loaguc. The Casa grande is exactly luid down according to the four cardinal points, having from north to aoutU 445 feet in length, and from east to west 276 feet in breadth. It is constructed of cluy (or un- burnt bricks) of unequal size, but symmetrically placed. The walls are nearly four feet thick. The edifice liad three stories and a terrace; the stair, probably of wood, was on the outside. The same kind of construction is still to be fonnd in all tlie villages of tlie independent Indians of the Moqui, west of New México. We percoive in the Casa grande five apartments, each of wbieh is abouí 27 feet in length, 10 in breadth, and 11 in height. A wal), interrupted by large towers, surrounds the principal edifice, and ap. pears to llave served to defond it. Fatlier Garres discovered the vestiges of an artificial canal, which brought the water of the Rio Gila to the town. The wliole surrounding plain is covered with broken earthen pitchers and pots, prettily painted in white, red, and bine. We also find among those fragmentó of Mexiean carthenwave, picces of ohsidian (itefi) • a very curious phenomenon, because it proves that the Aztecs passed through some unknown uorthem country which contains this volcànic substance, and that it was jiot the abundance of obsidian in New Spain, that MEXICO. 60 suggested the idea of razors and instruments of itzli. We must not, however, confound tho ruins of tiiis city of tho Gila, the centre of an ancicnt civilisation, with the casas (/randes of New Bíscay, sitmited hetween the presidio of Yanos and tliat of San Buena ventura. Tlie iatter aro poiuted out by tho natives, on the very vague supposition, that the Aztec nation, iu their migration from Aztlan to Tula and the valley of Tennchtitlan, made three stations : the first, neai* the lake Teguyo, to the south of the falmlous city of Qnivira, the iUexican Dorado ; the second at the Rio Gila $ and the thírd, in the environs of Yanos. “ The Indians who live in the plains adjoining the Casas grandes of the liio Gila, and who Jiave never liad the smallest consmunication with the inhabitants of Sonora, deserve by no means the appcilation of Indios bravos (savages). Their social civilisation forros a singular contrast with the state of the savages who waiuler along the banks of the Missouri. Fathera Garcés and Font found the Indians to the south of the Rio Gila elothed, and asscmbled together, to tlie nuraber of two or three thousand, in villages, which tiiey called Uturicut and Sutaquisau, where tliey peaccably cultivated the soil. Thev saw fields sown with maize, cotton, and gourds. The inissionaries, in order to bring about the conversión of these In dians, shewed thera a picture painted on a large pieco of cotton cloth, in which a sinner was represented burning in the llames of liell. The picture temlicd tliem; and they entreated Father Garóes not to unroll it any more, ñor speak to tliem of wliat wonkl happen after death. These Indians are of a gentío and sin cere character. Father Font explaincd to tliem by an interpreter, the security which prevailcd iu the C'hrix. to MEXICO. tian missions, whera an Indian alcalde administered justice. Tlio chicf of Uturicut replied: ‘ Tliis order of things may be necessary for you : we do not steal, and wc very seldom disagree; what use have we.then for an alcalde among us ?’ The civilisation to be íound among the Indians when we approach tbe north- west coast of America, from the 33d to tlie 54tli pa ral·lel, is a very striking- phenomenon, vhich cannot but tlu'ow some light un the history of the first migra-, tions of the Mexican nations.” As Fathcr Font is stated to have conversad with these Tndíans by means of an interpreter, either some of them must have had communication with the whites, or they must speak a dialect intel·ligible to the more Southern tribes. On this point, however, the “ seraphic dironíde” wliicli contains the account of this expcdition, appears to be silent, although of material importanee in determining their affinity to the Aztec tribes. The whole statement rests for the present on the testimony of the two monks, who, tliough there is no reason to doubt their vei'íicity, appear to have discovered mudi more zea!, tlian lcnow- ledgc orgood sense, in their attempts at conversión. The condition of these Indians of the Rio Oila will deserve to he investigated isy inture travellcrs. Still further nortli, in the country of the Moqui, watered hv the liio de Yaqucsila, in lat. 3G°, Father Garcés “ vas astonished to íind an Indian tovn with two great squares, liouses of sevcval stories, and strcets well laid out in parallel directions. Fvery evening, the people ussemble together on the terraces which form the roofs. The construction of the edifices is the same as that of the casas grandes on the banks of the Rio GUa. The Indians who inlmhit the northern part of New México, give also g considerable elevation MEXICO. 71 to their houses, for the sate of discovering tlie ap- 3>roadi of their onemies. “ Every thing in these cmintries,” adds Ilumholdt, “ appears to announce traces of the eivilisation of the anoient Mexicans. Ifowevcr, the language spoken by the Indians of the Moqui, the Yabipais, who wear long beards, and tliose who inhabit the plains in the vicinity of tlie Rio Colorado, is esseutially different from the Mexi- can language. In the seventeenth centmy, several Franciscan missionaries established themselves amorig the Indians of the Moqui and Nabajoa, who were roassacred in the great revolt of the Indians in 1080. I have seen, in manuscript maps drawn np before that poriod, the name of the provincia del Moqui.” We iiow enter on what may be consideret! as the Siberiaof México, the province of

NEW MEXICO.

VritEN the town of Durango, in New Biscay, vas founded, undor the administratiun of the second viceroy of New Spain, Velasco el Primero, in 1550, it was tlien a iniiitary post against the incursions of the Chichimeo Indians. Thirty-iive years after this, in the year 1504, two friars came from the Southern provinces into New México, whero thoy were well raceived by the Indians. They returned, and in the ensuing year, Juan de Ouate, a monk, was sent out by the viccroy, Cuunt da Monterey, to explore the eouutry. On his return, 1,000 troops, and 500 men, women, and children, were sent to forni a settle- mout on the Rio dei Norle, at no very great distance IVom where Santa l’é uow stands. They are stated to have eutercd into an amicable arrangement with the Indians rospeoting tliis establishmcnt; but, a few 72 MEXICO. years after, the natives rose en masse, and fell on the new settlers by surprise, killing most of the soldiers, and obliging them to retreat to the Passo del 'Norte, which acquired its ñame from this circumstance. Here they waited for a reinforcement from New Biscay, on the arrival of whick witli two field-pieces, they retnrned and luid síege to the Indian town on the site of Santa Fé. The natives held out for twenty- two days, after whicli they entered into a second negotiation, which appears to have been a com promiso, rather tlian a eonquest, on the part of the besiegers. Since that time, the settlements have been on several occasions on the point of ruin, and liave been maintaiued only by means of reinforce- ments from Durango and Sonora. “ It is remarkable,” Humboldt observes, “ that after the lapse of two centuries of colonisation, tlie province of New México does not yet join the intendaney of New Biscay. The two provinces are separated by a desert, in which travellers are sometimos attacked by the Cumanches Indians. This desert extendí from the Passo del Norte towards the town of Albuquerque. Before 1680, in wliich year there was a general revolt among the Indians of New México, this extent of uncultivated and uninhabited country was mucli less considerable than it is now. There were then three villages, San Pascual, Semillete, and Socorro, which were situated bctween the marsh of the Muerto and the town of Santa Pé. Bishop Tamaron perceived the ruins of them in 170 0 ; and he found apricots growing wild in the ñelds, an indication of the former cultivation of the country. The two most dangerous points for travellers are, the deiile of Robledo, west from the Rio del Norte, opposite the Sierra de Doña -Ana, and the desert of the Muerto, where many M E X IC O i 7 3 whitcs llave Leen assassinated by wandering Indians. The descrt of the Muerto is a plain thirty lengues fu length, destitute of water. The general character of tbis country throughout, ís an alarming nridity; ibr the mountains de los Mansos, situated to the east of the road from Durango to Santa Fé, do not givc rise to a single brook. Notwitlistanding the mildncss of the climate, and the progress of industry, a great parí of tliis province, as well as Oíd Cali fornia, and several districts of New Biscay, and the intcndancy of Guadalaxara, will never admit of any considerable population. “ The colonists of tliis province, known for their great energy of character, live in a state of perpetual warí'are with the neighbouring Indians. It is on account of tliis ínsecurity of the country lile, that we fiad the towns more populous than ive sliould expect in so desert a country. The situation of the inhabitunts of New México bears, in many respecta, a great resemblance to that oí' the people of Europe during.themiddle ages. So long as insulation exposes men to personal danger, we can hope for the establísh» mcnt of no equilibrium between tlie population of towns and that of the country. However, the In dians, who live on an intimate footing with the Spanish colonists, are by no means all equally barbarous. Those of the east are wavlike, and wander about from place to place. If they carry on any com marce with the whites, it is frequently witlmut any personal intevcourse, and according to principies, of which some traces are to be fonnd among somo of the Cribes of Africa. The savages, in theiv excursions to the north of the liohon de Mapimi, plant along the road betweon Chihuahua and Santa Fé, small crosses, to which they suspend a lcathcrn pocket, M M iiX iC O . with a piece of stag-flesh. At tlie foot of the cross, a buffalu’shide is stretehed out- The ludían iudicates.by theso signs, that he wishes to curry on a commeree of barter wjth tliose who adore the cross. He offers the Christian traveller a lude for provisions, of wliícli he does not iix the qnantity. The soldiers of the presidios, who imderstand the hieroglyphical language of the Indians, take away the buffalo hide, and leavo souie saited flesh at the foot of the cross. This system of commcree indicates at once an extraordinary mixture of good faith and distrnst.” The more speoifie account which Major Pike gives of the aborigines, throws further light on the causes of this hostility of the natives. The sources of the Rio del Norte are the haunt of the Utahs, who speak the same language as the Kyaways, who wander about the sources of the Platte river, and the letans. Theso three tribes appear to be assimilated in their habits as well as in their dialect. They pussess immense herds of horses, are armed with bows and arrows, and lances, and follow the buffalo. The Utahs are rather more civilised than the others, having more connexion with the Spaníards, with whom, liowever, they are frequontly at war, and at other times with the letans. They are supposed to he 2,000 warriors strong. The Nanahaws occupy a district to the N.W. of Sante F é; they are frequently at war with the Spaniards. Their strength is suj>posed to be equal to that of the Utahs, and they are armed in the same manner ; but they speak, as do all the tribes further west and bordemig on California, the language of the Appaches. Tiie Appaches extern! from the Black Monufains in New México to the borders of Cohahuihi, keeping tlio frontiers of three provinces in a state of perpetual MEXICO. 75 alarm, and occasioning nearly 2,000 dragoons to be maintained in constant cmployment for the protection oi’ the villagcs, in the escorting of caravans, or in the repelling and avenging of the imiptions continually made into the settlements. “ They formerly ex tended from the entrance of tlie Eio Grande to the Gulf of California, and have waged a continual war/are with the Spaniards, witli the exception of short truces, from the time that the latter pushed their conquests into the interior provinces. It is extremely difficult to say wliat their numbers are at the present day, but they must be very rauch reduced by their long and constant hostili ties, together •H'itli the wandering and savage life they lead on the niountains, which is so injurious to an increase of popnlation, and in which they are liable to be ex tremely pinched by famine. At the commencement of their warfare, the Spaniards used to take tkem prisoners, and make slaves of them ; but, finding that their unconquerable attaclnnent to liberty made them surmount every difficulty and danger to return to their mountains, they adupted the practice of sending them to Cuba. This the Appaclies no sooner learned, than they refused to give or to receive quarter; and in no instance have there heen any taken since that period, except when surprised asleep, or knocked down and overpowered. Their arms are the how and arrow, and the lance. The bow forms two semicircles witli a shoulder in the middle; the back of it is entirely covered with sinews, which are laid on in so nice a manner, hy the use of some glutinous substance, as to be almost imperceptible; this gives great forcé to the elasticity of the weapon. Their arrow is more than the cloth-yard of. the English, being three feet and a lialf long; the upper part con- 76 MEXICO. siscing of some slight rush or cañe, iiito which is insertad a shaft of'about one foot, made of some liard, seasoned, light wood ; the point is of irou, cañe, or «tone, and when the a n w enters the body, in attempting to extract it, the shaft comes out of its Socket, and remains in the wound. With this weapon they shoot witli such forcé, as to pierce through the body of a man at the distante of one liundred yards; and an officer told me, that, in an engagement with them, one of thcir arrows struck his shield, and dismountod him in an instant. The other weapon of defence is a lance of íifteen feet in length, whicli with hotli hantls they charge ovor their lieads, managing the horse principally with their knees. With this they are considerad as an overmatch for the Spanish dragoons single-handed ; but, for want of the tactic, they can never stand the charge of a body that acts in concert: they all have the shield. Some few are armed with guns and ammunition taken from the Spaniards. Titese, as well as the archers, generally march to war on foot, but the lauce-men are always monnted. Nmnerous are the anécdotas I heard related of their personal hravery, and the spirit of their partisan corps. Not long hei'ore 1 passed through, as a cornet with sixty-three dragoons was passing between New México and Biscay, he was surronnded by about two liundred Appaches infantry; and instead of charging through them, as it was on the plain, he ordered liis dragoons to dismount and figlit with tiieir carabines, by which means, he with his wliole party feli a sacrifice. Melgares related an instance in whicii, when marching with 140 men, lie was attacked by a party of Appaches, both horse and loot, who continued the fight for four hours. Whenever tiie Spanish dragoons made a general charge, the MEXICO. 7 7 Appaclies cavalry ivould retreat behind their infantry, ivlio met the Spaniards with a sliower of arrows, o h which tliey immediately retreatcd; and even the gallant Malgares spoke of his cavalry brcaking their infantry as a tliing not to he thought of. Hoiv quicklv would one full squadron of our troops have put them to fliglit, and cut them to pieces ! Malgares assured me, that if the men liad seeonded the efforts and hravery of the ludían chieftain, they must have heen defeated and cut to pieces; that in various instances he rallied his men, and brought them up to the charge, and when they fiew, retired indignantly in the rear. Seeing Malgares very actively engaged in forming and bringing up the men, he rodé out a-head of his party, and challenged him to single com bat with his lance. This my friend refused, as, he said, the chief ivas one of the stontest men he kneiv, carried a remarkably hcavy lance, and rodé a very fine charger; hut one of his corporals, enraged to see them tlius braved by tlie savage, begged permission to meet the “ infidel.” His oíficer refused his request, and ordered him to keep his ranks ; but, on his reiterating his request, his superior in a passion told him to go. The Indian chief liad tunied his horse to join his party : on seeing his enemy advanciug, he returned, and giving a shout, met him at full speed. The dragoon thought to parry the lance of his antagonist, ivliich he in part eifected, but not throwing it quite high enough, it entered his neck in front, and carne out at the nape, ivhen he fell dead to the ground, and his victorious enemy gave a shout, in which he ivas joined by all his followers. This enraged the Spaniards to sncli a degree, that tliey made a general charge, on ivhicli the Indian 78 MEXICO. cavalry ngain rctreated, uotwithstanding the entreaties of tlieir gallant leader. “ In anothcr instaure, a smaU smoko was discovered on the prairie, and threo poor savages were sniTomuled by 100 dragoons, and ordeml to lay down their avms. They smilod at the officer’s denmnd, and askcd him il'he could suppose, that men who had arms in tlieir hands, would ever consent to hecome slaves. He being loath to kill them, held a conlerence for an hour, wlien, finding that his threats had as little eíTect as his entreaties, he ovdered his men to attack them at a distance, keeping ont oí the reách of tlieir arrows, and firing at them with their cara- hiñes, ivliich they did, the Indians never ccasing to resisfc as Iong as iife rcmaiued. Once, during a truce, a captain was ordered to treat with some of the hands. He rcceived tlieir deputics with hauteur, and they could not come to terms ; the tfuce wns hrokeu, and the Indians retreated to their fastnesses in the mountains. In a day or two this same officer pursuecí them. They were in a place called the ‘ I)oor in the Mountains,’ wherc only two or three dragoons could fenter at a tíme, and diere were rocks and caves on the flanks. Between diese the Indians secreted themselves, until a inimber of the Spaniards had come in ; when the Indians sounded a trumpet, and the attack bogan, and continued on the side of the Appaches until the captain fell: the Ihdian chief theu cansed the firing to cense, sayiug, that ‘ the man who liad so haughtilv spurned tlie proffered peace, was now dead.’ They made prisoucr (for once) a young officer, wlio during the truco had treated them with great kinduoss, and sent him lióme safe and unhurt. “ Some of the hands havo made tuiuporary traces MEMieO. 70 with tlie Spaniards, and received from tliern 25 cenia per diem eaeli. These people Jiover round the forti- lications of tlic conntry, drink, slioot, and dissipato tlieir time; they are haughty and independent, and great jealousy exists between thein and the Spaniards. Tiiose savages wlio liave for some time lived near the forts and villages, become, when liostile, by far the most dangerous enemics the Spaniards liave, as they aeipiire the Spanish language, manners, and liabits, and passing throngh the pojmlated parts under the disgnisc of eiviliscd and friendly indians, commit murders and robberios withont being suspected. There is in the provinee of (Johaliuila, a partisan named llalph, vho, it is calculated, lias killed more than 300 persons. He comes into the town under the disguiso of a peasant, lmys provisions, goes to the gambling-tables and to mass, and, beforelio lcaves the village, is sure to kill some person, or to carry oif a woman, which he lias frecpiently done. Sometimes he jnins travellcrs on tlie road, insinuates himself into tlieir confidence, and takes his opporlunity to assas- sinate thein. He has only six folhnvers ; yet, from tlieir knowledge of the country, tlieir activitv and ctimiing, he keeps about 300 dragoons continually cmployed. The government luis offered 1,000 dollars for liis head. “ Tlie civilised Indians of the provinee of New México consist of wliat wero formcrly twenty-fuur different imnds, the several ñames of' which I was not able to loarn. The Kerca wero one of the most powerful: they form at present the populatum of San Domingo, San Felipe, San Dies, and ono or lwo other towns. They are meu of large stature, with round, full visage, and fine teetli, and appear to lie of a geutle, traciable disposition : they rcsemlile tlic Ganges more 1’AllT n i . o 130 MKXICO. thaii any natum within iny knowleuge. Although they are not the vassals of individuals, yet, they may properly be termed the slaves of the stato ; for tiioy are compeiled to do military duty, drive mules, carry loads, or, in fact, perform any otlier act of duty or bondage tliat the commandant of the district, or any other passing military tyrant, may choose to ordain. I was myself eye-witncss of a scene which made my heart bleed for ihese poor wretches, at the same time tliat it excited my indignation and contempt tliat they shmtld suffer themselves, with arms in their hands, to.he beaten and knocked about by beings in no respect their superiors, unless a slight tint of complexión could be supposed to give tliat superiority. Before we arrived at Santa Fé, we rested one night near one of the villages, where resided the famílies of two of ouv horsemen. ïliey took the liberty to pay them a visit in the night. Next moruing the whole party were called up, and because they refused to testify against their im prudent companions, several were knocked down from their horses hy the Spanish dragoons with the butt end of their lances. Yet, with the blood streak- ing their faces, and arms in their hands, they stood cool and tranquil. Not a frown, not a word of discontent or of palliation escaped them. Yet, what must have been the boiling indignation of their sonis at tho insults offcred hy the wretch clothed with a little brief authority ! But the day of retribution will come in thundcr and in vengeance. “ These savages are armed with bows and arrows, and lances, or escopates. Although they are said to be converted to Christianity, they still retain many of their ancient superstitious feasts and ceremonies. Once a year there is a great festival, which lasts MEXICO. 81 tlirec successive days, spent in eating, drinking, and dancing. The nocturnal reveis llave a great affinity to the ancient mystic rites of Greece.” “ Tiie provinco of New México extciuls along tlie Rio del Norte, from lat. 33° to 38°, Jieing abone 170 leagues iu long'th, and varving from 30 to 80 Juagues in breadth.'l' But, in this space, tliere is a desert of more tlian 250 miles. The populatiou in 1803, was estimated at 40,000 souls, or seven persons to every stpiare lcague. It is liormded 011 the north and east, hy Louisiana; on die soutli, by Durango and Cohahuila; and on the west, by Sonora and Cali fornia. Although under the same latitude as Syria and central Persia, it has a remarkably coid climate : it freezes in the middle of May. Ncar Santa Fe, and a little further north, the Rio del Norte is sometimos covered for a succession of years with ice thiclt enongh to allow of the passing of horses and carriegos. The mountains which bound the basin of t!ie Rio del Norte, and even those at the foot of tvhich the village of Taos is sitnated, lose their show towards the beginning of June-Í “ No persons,” savs Captain *

* Pike's Travcls, pp.337—W. This Trnvellcr represente this {'estival as being h tld ncar a darle cave, which is ¡nade the scene of the infamous practicas alludcd to. Tliere is «o reason whatever to iloubt, tliat this was the account he reccived; but it agrees so little with the character of tire Indian superstitioni, Uieir manners, or thoir physical temperament, that, in the «bsenco of moro specific Information, itm ust be regarded as improbable. If substantiatod, tlio coincidence would be most rcmarkable. t Hnmboldt.—Major Pike says, from hit. 31a 30' to 37°, and bc- tvvsen 104° and 10¡P W. long.; but the inliabitud part is not more Ihan 400 miles in lenglh and .10 in breadth. $ From this circumstance, Humboldt infers, that the devation o fth e v alley above the sea iovel is no t g re a t: he supposes the bed of the vjver, under 8"° N. lat., not to be more than from 2,300 to 02 MEXICO. I’ike, í'· accustomed to reside in tlie temperate climate of tlie 3(>th and 37th parallels of nortli latitude in tlie United States, can form any idea of the piereing coid experienced in that latitude in New México. 11 ut tlie air is serene, not suliject to damps or fogs, as it rains but once a year, and some years not at all. It is a mountainous country; and the grand dividing ridges which separate the waters of the Rio del Norte from those of California, bordering it on the line of its western limits, give a keenness to the air which would never be calculated on in a temperate zone. The cotton-trec is the solé production of this province, except somc scrubby pinos and cedars at the fout of the mountains. The former tree borders the banks of the Rio del Norte and its tributary streams.* All the rest of the country presents to the eve a barren wild of poor land, scarcely to be improved by culture, and appears capable only of producing a scanty subsistente for the animals, which live on a f'ew succulent plants and lierhage. There are no mines known in the province, except one of copper, situated in a mountain on the western side of the Rio del Norte, in lat. 34° N. It is wrought, and produces 20.000 muíe-loads of copper anrmally, furnishing that article for the manufactories of nearly all the internal provinces. It contains gold, but not in sufficient quaiitity to pay for its extracción. There is, near Santa Fe, in some of the mountains, a stratum of tale, which admits of heing divided into tilín flakes, of which are madu the Windows of most of the houses

2.000 fect above tilo ocean. Captain Piko represents the western mountains as “ covereil in somc places witli eternal shows," b u t lie was probably misinformed. U um boklt says, “ T h e banks of tito river ave extremely pic- üm'sque, and ave adorncrt with boautiful poplavs and other trees." MEXICO. 83 in Santa Fe mui all the villages to the north. New México carnes r>n a trade dirccfc with México and Biscav, and with Sonora. It sends out annually ttbout 30,000 slteep.; also, dressed deer-skins and culiric-skins, some fur, lmffalo robes, tobáceo, salt, and wrought coppor vessels of a superior qnality. It recoives in return from New Biseay and México, diy goods, eonfectionary, arras, iron, steel, ammunitíon, Europcíui wines and liquors; from Sonora, gold, silver, and cheese.* The journey with loaded mules from Santa Fe to México, and retuming, takes five inonths. Tliey manufacture rough leather, segars, a vast variety and quanti ty of potter’s wave, cotton, some coarsc woollcn cloths, and blankets of a superior (juality. All tliese manufactures are carried on by tlie civilised Indians, as the Spaniards think it more honourable to be agriculturists tlian mechantes. Tlie Indians, likewise, lar excel their comjuerors in all niechanical operations. Tbev cultívate maize, wheat, rye, barley, rice, and all the culinary plnnts of the same latitude in the United States ; Imt they are at least a century behind us in the avt of cultiva» tion: notwithstunding the numerous herds of cattle and horses, I liave frequcntly seen them breaking up whole iields with the hoe. Their oxeu draw hy tbe horns, after the French (and Spanish) mode. Their enrts are extremely awkward and clumsily made. Dming the whole of the time we were in the country, I never saw a horse in a vehide of any dcscription,

s As instances of the extreme deavncss of goods and chcapness of produce, the Wrlter meniions tlie lbllowing ¡irices: ílour, 2 dollars per, 1(101 salt, 5 dollars per íiiule-load; sheep, 1 dollur cachi l«evcs, !> dollars each ; horses, 11 dollars eneli; mules, .'Sil dolíais c n c h fin e cloths, 20 dollars per yard ; superline cloths, 2 ü dollars i Unen, 4 dollars; and drv goods in proportian, 31 MEXICO. nuiles boing made use oí' in carriages, as well as fnr tlie purgóse of labour. New México has the exclusive right of cultivating tobáceo.® Tho ani mals íound in this province are, (leer, elk, baílalo, cabrio, the grisly black bear, and wild liorses.” -{- Tliis provinco contains tliree towns; Suata Fe, tlio capital, Santa Cruz de la Canuda y Taos, and A/buquerque y Alameda: besides tliosc, thcy reckon twenty-six pueblos, tbree parishes, and nineteeu mis sions. The ¡¡residió of Passo del Norte, however, is a consideraide town, the most Southern in tlie provinco. It is situated on the right bank of the Rio del Norte, above sixty leagues south of Santa Té, in a “ deliciolis” country, resembling (Humboldt says) the finest parts of Andalusia. The gardens contain in abundance all the fruits of Europe ; figs, peaches, apples, and pears. The ñelds ave cultivated with maize and wheat, and the vinevards produce excellent sweet wines, which are preferred oven to t.liose of Parras, in New Eiscay. As the country is dry, a canal brings the water of the river to the Passo, for the pnrpose of irrigating the ¡and. Euring the great swells of the Rio del Norte in the months of May and June, the strength of the current destroys, almost cvery year, the datyt which forces the waters of tlie river to enter the canal when they are low. The manner of restoring and strengthening the dam, is *

* This was under lite colonial sysícin, tobáceo being, in tlie soulhorit province?, a royal monopoly, and its cultivador! rcstriclcil lo tlic environs of Orinaba and Conloba, and Iluatusco aiid Songoliea io Vera Cruz. Olliecrs ("unrtlng de taUico) tvavelled the country l'or the parpóse of pulliog up whatever tobáceo they fouiul plaiited beyoml tiio.se distriets. Prior to tho estahlishmcnt of the monopoly iu 171M, Ciuadalaxara was ceiebvatctl for its tobáceo. 1 P ik e , pp. 331—G. MEXICO. 85 sufiu'.k'mly ingenióos. “ The inhabitanís form bas- kots oí' stakes, connected togcther by brunehcs of trees, and (iüed witli earth and stones: these gabions are* abundmted to the forcé of the current, which, in i te edílics, disposes them in thc point where the ¡mal sepanitrs from the river.” This is nbout íwo miles above the town, wherc títere is a bridge over tb.e river, by which tlie roatl passes to the etislern bank. ¡cauta Te, the capital, is situatod ou a small stream which emplíes itself into the Jiio del N ’orfe on the eastern sida, at the foot of thc inountains which divido the head waters of that river from thoso of the Arkansa and Jled Biver of the Mississippi; lat. 3Í»° 15' ■N.; long. 104° 45' IV. of Grcemvioh. The tova is 44 of n long rectangular form, extending about one inile (rom east to west on the baúles of tlie creok. In the centro is the public squarc, une side of which forras the íiank of the soldiers’ sqnarc, which is olosed, and in «orne degree defended by round towers, in the angles which íiank the curtains. Another side of tlic square is formed by the paluce of tlie governor, lús guarrt-houses, &c.; another is oecupied by .the ’príests and their suite, and the fourth liy tlic chapi- ¿uncu (European residents). The houses are gonerally only one story hígh, witli ílat roofs, ¡md have a very mean appenrance ontsiik*, but some of them are richly l’nrnished, especially witli plato.” The populación is stated by Humholdt at '5,<>00. From Chihuahua to Santa Fe, there is a good road Cor carriagcs over the level tract bordering tb.e great river. 44 A sort of calcdic is gcncrally used, suclt as the Catalonians cali a volañie." Albuquerque, situated ío thc west of the Sierra- Obscura, opposite the villngo of A trisco, about iiliv 8 6 MEXICO. miles S. of Santa Fé, contained a populntion, in 1803, oí (i,000. Taos, the most nortliem town in New México, in lat. 37°, contained ncarly 9,000 inhabit ant». Tlie “ preat river oí the north,” so of'ten referred to, riscs in the Sierra Verde, iu lat. 40° N-, and long. 110° W. (of Paris).* The same range oí mouutains gives hirth to the head water» of the Plattc river and other tributaries of the Missouri, to those of the Arkunsa, which falls into the Mississippi, and to the rivers of California. The course of the Rio del Norte inay bo estimated, Major Pike thinks, induding its mcandci's, at 2,000 miles: after watering the pro- vijices of New México, part of Durango, Cohalmila, and New Santander, it falls into the Gulf of México in lat. 26° N. “ It cannot,” says this Traveller, “ in any part of its course, he termed a navigahle stream, owing to saud-bars in the ilat eountry, and mouutains in the upper part, with which its course is inteiTiipted ; but small hoats might aseend as high as the presidio de Rio Grande in Cohalmila; and it might he navigahle for canoes in various parts of its course. Even in the mouutains above Santa Fé, it affordod amply sufficient wafer for that species of navigation, and more than appeared to he ílowing in its bed in the plains. This mnst he attributed to the muñerais canals and the dry, sandy soil through which the river takes its course, and where niuch of the water tliat flows from the mouutains is absorbed and lost. In the provinee of New México, it is called the Rio del N orte; below, it is termed the Rio Grande; but in no iustance did I hear it called the Rio Bravo (savage river), as many of our ancicnt

« Pibe. i>. 332. MEXICO. 8 7 íïiaps desigmited it.” Like the Orinoco, the Mis- sissijipi, and other American rivers, it lias its periodical floods : the water» bcgin to swell in the rnonth of April, are at their height in the boginning of May, and fall towards the end of June. During the drought, the strength of the current is so far diminished, thae it is fordable, aceording to Humboldt, by horses of an extraordinary size, which are used by the natives for the purpose. The water» are at all times extremcly muddy. u The inhabitants of the Pauso del N orte'' Humboldt States, “ have prescvved the recollcction of a ver)' extraordinary event which took place in 1752. The whole hed of the river becatne on a sudden dry, for more than 3t) Icagues above, and 20 leagues below the Passo: the water of the river precipitated itself into a newly formed chasm, and made its re-appearance near the presidio of San Eleqzuro. The fine plains which surround the Passo, and which are intersected by the canals of irrigatio», remained witliout water, and the inhabitants dug wells in the sandy bed of the river. At length, after the lapse of severa! weeks, the water resumed its ancient course,—no donbt, bo- cause the chasm and the subterranean courses had filled up.” * Within the limíts of this province, towards the west,

* “ This phenoinonon bears soma analogy to a fact which I was toia by the Indians of Jaén

THE PROYINCE OF NEW CALIFORNIA Is the mime given, in thoSpnnish maps, to that part of the western eoftst which extends from the isthmus- of (Hd California, or from the hay of Todos los Santos (all saiuts), to Cape lUomlociuo. “ jt is ¡t long ¡md a i ü x i c o ; 89 narrow cxtent of couutiy, in which for tliese (sixty) yeavs the Mexícan Government lias been ostahlíshing missions and military posts. No villagc or hacienda is to be found nortli of tlic port of Sau Francisco, which is inore than 7E! leagues to the sontli of Cape Mcndocino. The province, in its present stato, is only H)7 leagues in longth, and from 9 to 10 in broadth. The dty of México is the same distam-o In a straight line from Philadelphia, as from Monterey, which is the chief place of the missions of New Cali fornia.'’ San Francisco, the most northern settloment in all the Spanish possessions, is under nearly tlte same parallcl as Taos iu New México, from wliich it is not more than ¡300 leagues distant. No civilised travcller, hovever, has hitherto come from New México to the coast of California. The populntion of the provinco in 11303, vas estimated at 10,(300, being seven inhabitants to the square leagne. “ Althmigh,” says lluniboldt, (to wliom we arc in- debtedforalmostall that we know of tliese parts,) u the wholo shore of New California vas cavcfully exumined hy the great navigator Sebastian Viscaino, (as is provud hy plans dmvn up by himself in 1602,) this line country was not occupied by the Spaniards till 1G’7 years afterwavds. The Court of Madrid, dreading lest the other maritime powers of Europo slionld form settlements on the north-western coast, whiclt míglit bucome dangerous to the Spanish colonies, gave ovtlers to the Clicvalier dc la Croix, the víceroy, and the Fm- lador Galvc/,, to fonnd missions and presidios in the porus of San Diego and Monteroy. For tliis purpose, two jiacket-lioats set out from the port of San Blas, and anchored at San Diego in April 1763. Another expedición was sent «nit by land tlmnigh Oíd Cali fornia. Sincc Viscaino, no liuropcan had discmburked 9 0 MEXICO. on thtísií distant toasts. The Indians were quito astouishod to seo menwith clothes, though they knew that iurtlier east, títere were men whose complexión ivas not oí a oopper colonr. Theve was oven íound among them sevcral pieces of silvcr, which liad un- douhtedly come fmn New México. The lu-st Spanish colonists who an-iml, suffered sevcrely from scarcity of provisions and un epidemicu.1 disenso, the conse quente of liad food, fatigue, and want of shelter. Almost ali of tliem fell sick, añil only eight indivi duals reinuined on Uieir í’eet, wlio were employed in digging graves to receive tlic hodies of their unfortu- nate companions. The land expedición was very late iu íirrivingwitli assistance to the infant colony. The Indians, to amiouuce its arrival, placed tliemselves on caskswith tli nir anns stretehed out, to shewtliat they jiad seen whitcs on horseiiack. “ The soil of New California is as well watered and fertile as that of Oíd California is arid and stony. l't is one of tliemost picturesque countries that can he seen. The cliniate is much more mild tlian that of tlie same latitude on the eastern coast of the New Continent. The sky is foggy, hut the freqüent i'ogs, which render ít ditfieult to land on the coast near ■Monterey and San Francisco, givo vigour to vegeta ron, and fertilise the soil, which is covercd with a hlack, sjiongv earth. In the eightecn missions which now exist in New California, wheat, nmize, and heans {fricóles) are cultivated in abundante. As the thirty-six inonks of St. Francis who govern theso missions, are iül Euvopeans, they have carei'nlly intro ducid into the gardens of tlie Indians, the greater part of the vegetables and i'rnit-tvees cultivated in ¡Spain. Tlic íh'st colonists í'ouiul, on tlieir arrival in i y(¡í), slioots of wild vines iu the interior, which MEXICO. 01 yielded very largo grapes, luit of souv quality. The missiomiries introduoed the vUis vinifera of Knropo, whieh is certainly a stranger to the New Continent, (lood wine is made all along the coast, south and north of Montorey, to beyond lat. 37°. The Buro- pean olive is successiully cultivated ncar thc chuimel of Santa Barbara and at San Diego: the oil extractad is as good as that of the valley of México, or thc oils of Andalusia. “ Of all the missions of New Spain, those of the north-west coast exhibit the most ràpid and remarle, altle progresa in civilisation. In 1770, there icere only eight villages; in 171)0. only eleven: in 1802, they amounted to eightecn. The populación of New California, inelncling only the Indians attached to the soi) who had begun to cultívate tlieir iiehls, was, in 1700, 7,748 souls; in 1801, it had risen to 13,088; and in 1802, to 15,502. Thus the number of in. habitants liad doubled in twelve years. In 1791, the Indians sowcd in the whole provincc, only 874 fanegas of wheat, ivliich yielded 15,197 fanegas. The cultí- vation liad doubled in 1802; the ijnantity sown being 2089 fanegas, and the harvest 33,570 fanegas. I 11 1791, there were only 24,958 head of black cattle in all the Indian villages. In 1802, the lívc stock con sistid of «7,782 heeves, 107,177 sheep, 1,040 hegs, 2,1«7 tamed borses,® and 877 mules. This progress of agricnlture, this peaceful cou^uest of industry, is so mucli the more interesting, as the natives of this coast, very different from those of Nootka Sound and Norfolk Bay, were, less tluui iil'ty years ago, a ivandoring tribe, subsisting by llshing and hunting, *

* Tluj total numlscr of horses, rcckonhig tlio& who nin vi 14 ín ihc savannas, amouniod to 151,439. D2 MEXICO. and cultivating no sort of vegetables. The Indians of tiie Bay of San Francisco were at that time eijnatly ivreidied with the ihhaUtsmts of Van Dieme»’s L¡md. Tiio natives wcrc found soinewhat more advanced in civilísation (in 17(39) only near tho dnmnel of Santa Barbara. Thorc thoy eonstrnctcd largo lmts of a ]iynimidal form, dose to ono ¡mother; they appearcd benevolout and hospitable ; and they presentad lo tho Spnniards, vanes very curionsly wrought of stalks of rushes, lined with a very tilín layar of asphaltiis, that rendors tliem impenetrable to water or strong liquors. “ Tlie populación of New California would liave augmentad still more nipidly, if the laws by wliich the Spanish presidios have been for ages govorned, werc notdirectly opposed to the true intorests both of tho mother country and the colomes. By these laws, the soldiers stationed nt Monterey, are not permiUed to livo out of tlieir barrado or to settle as colonists. The motiles are generally aversc to the settlcment of wliite colonists, because, being people who reason (f/eute de razon)^ they are not so easíly bronght to yield a blind obedienco as the Indians. ‘ It is tnily distressing,’ savs a well-informed and enlightened Spanish navigator (D. Dionisio Galiano), ‘ that the military, who pasa a painí'ul and laborions life, eaunot, in their oíd age, settle in the country, andemploy them- sclvos in agriculturc. The prolúbition against building líense» in the neígUbourhood of theprmf/io, is contrary to ali the dictatos of sonnd policy. If the whites were permítted toeinplov themselves in the cultivation of tho soil and the rearing of cattle, and if the ítiili-

’ " The whites, ímilnttoes, nc^vcs, and all llio castes oxrept Ituiiaus, go ttndcr (he deslgitaütm o í g n u t e tic r a - j m ; a liumiliating disUnciiuti for llic naUvcs, wliich hud ils origiii in ages of bar bariam.” MEXICO- 9; tarv, Ijy establishing their wives and ehihlren in eot- tages, conld prepare an asylum ngainst the indigente to which tliev ave too frequcntly exposed iti their oíd age, New California woulcl soon heeome a flourishing colony, a resting-place <>f tlie greatest utility for the SpanisU navigators who trade between Perú, México, and che Philippino Islamls.’ On removing tito ob stacles here pointed ont, the Malouiuc Islands, the missions of the Rio Negro, and the coasts of San Francisco and Monterev, would soon be pocpled with a great number oi‘ whites. What a stviking contrast bettvecn the principies of colonisation íollowed by tito Spaniards, and thosc by which Great Britain has created in a fow years villages on the eastern coast of New Iiolland! “ The Indians who inhábil; the villages of New California, have heen of late years cmploycd in spin- uing toarse woollen stufl's, cuilcd frisadas. But their principal occnpation, the produce of which might becomc a very considerable brancb. of commerce, is tito dressing of stags’ skins. The Spanish and the Ilus- sian establishments boing hitherto the only ones which oxist on the north-west coast, it inay not be useloss lo enumérate all the missions of New California, which have been fonnded up to 1303, in the order in which they run, from snuth to nortli:—1. Sun Diego, foundeii in 1709, fifteon lcagues distant from tlte inost northern mission of Oíd California ; population in 1002, 1,000. 2. San Luis Rey de Francia, founded in 1790; population, 000. 3. San Juan Capistrano, founded in 1770; 1,000 inhabitants. 4. San Gabriel, 1771? 1,030 inhabitants. 5. San Fernando, 172"; ÍÍOO in. habitants. 0. San JJnenaccnluni, 1732; 950 inha bitants. 7- Sania Barbara, 173(5; 1,100 inhabitants. 3. La Purissima Concepción, 1737 ; 1,000 inliabit. 9 4 MEXICO. ants. 9. San Luis Obisbo, 1772; 700 inhabitants. 10. San Miguel, 1797 ; 000 inhabitants. 11. Soledad, 17915 070 inhabitants. 12. San Amonio de Padua, I7 7 I» 1050 inhabitants. 13. Sax Careos d e Mon t e r e y , the capital, 1770; population, 700. 14. San Juan Bautista, 17975 900 inhabitants. 15. Santa Cruz, 1704; 440 inhabitants. 10. Santa Clara, 177?! 1,300 inhabitants. 17. San Jóse, 1707 5 030 inhabitants. 10. San Francisco, 1770, with a lino poro ; population, 320.” 9 San Carlos de Monterey is two leagnes distant from thc ;;residió of the same ñame. It is sitnatecl at the foot of the Cordillera oí Santa Lucia, which is covered with oaks, pines, and rose-bnshes. Cabrillo, who first discovercd this coast, in 1542, as liigli as lati tudo 43®, callee! the Bay of Monterey, Bahia de los Pinos, on account of the beautiful pines with which the neighbouring mountains are clothed. It received itx present ñame sixty years aftenvards, iu honour of the viceroy, Count de Monterey. “ In the vicinity of San Carlos is f'omul the famous shell (1aurum merum) of Monterey, which is in request among the inhahitants of Nootka Sound.” From Monterey to the mouth of the Colombia river, is a navigution of fvom eight to ten days. Within the extont of 100 leagnes of coast, from San Diego to San Francisco, no fewer than seveute'en dialeets are said to be spoken by the natives. The northern part of tiro province is inlmbited by the Ifrmsen and Escelen tribos, who speak languages totafly differenti they form the population of Mon terey, In the Bay of San Francisco are found tlie

¡ Himiboldi's l’ol. Kssny, vol. ii. pp. 2P2—10<1. Of (hese 35,502 inhabitatus, 7,1)45 werc males, 7,1,17 foinalcs. The number of whiUM, M. llumboklt estímate, by conjecture, at l,ü(i(). MEXICO. 95 Matalau, Salse-n, and Quirole tribes, eacli having its separate dialect, bnt evidcntly derived from a commou language. Between some of these idioms and the Aztec, there is an apparent analogy, especíally in tlie final ti. Huinboldt remarles, too, that the Indians of California discover the saíne fondness for warm vapour iiaths as the oíd Mexicans and several tribes of Northern Asia, as well as of Northern Europe. “ We liad in the missions, beside each cottage, a small vaulted edifice. On returning from their lahour, the Indians enter this oven, in which the liro has a lew moments before been extinguished ; and they remain there for a quarter of an hour. When they feel themselves covered with perspiration, theyplunge into the water of some neighbouring stream, or wallow about in the sand. This rapid transition from heat to coid, and the sudden suppression of the cutaneous transpiration, which a European would justly dread, causes the most agreeable sensations in the savage, who enjoys whatever acts with violente on his nervous systeia.” This same practice is found among the natives of Russia and Iceland. Neither huffaloes ñor elks are found in tlie low cordillera which runs along this coast. On the crest of the mountains, which are covered with snow in the month of November, wander lierds of a peculiar species of wild goat, of an asliy white, with horas curved backwards like tliose of the chamois ; they are called lerendos. The forests of the plañís abound with stags of a gigantio si'/.e, a brown colour, smooth, and without spot, with branches above four feet in Iength.a This stag of New California is represented*

* Sebastian Viscaino, the navigator, nsserts, that when he put into the port of Montcrey in 1002, he saw some with branches ncarly nine feet in lengtli. 06 MEXICO. by all travellers to l>e ono of tlie most licautil'ul animals oí' Spanish America. “ These venados” says Hurnboldc, “ rnn with extraordinary rapidity, throwíng tlieir head back, and supporting tbeir branclies ou tbeir backs. T]ie horses oí New Biseay, which are fiunotl forrunnhig, are incapable of keeping ti]) with them ; atul tbey only raach tliem at tlu: tnoment wlien the animal, wlio very seldom drinks, comes to ([ueneh his tliirst. lie is tlien too heavy to display all the cnergy oí bis muscular forcé, and is oasily come up with- The himter who purgues hím, gets thc better of him hv means of a noose, in the sume way tlmt tbey manago wild liorscs and cattle in the Spanish colonies. The Indians make use, however, of anodicr very ingenious artifice to ap])roach the stags, and kill them. They cut olí the head of a venado, the branche» of which are ver)' lotig; and they empty tlie neck, and place it on tlieir own head. Masked in this mannor, and armed also with l»o\vs and an w s, they conceal themselves in the brusli- wood, or among the liigh and tliick herbage. By imitating tlie motion of a stag when it feeds, they draw round them the fiock, wltich become the victims of tlic deception. Tliis extraordinary hunt was seen by M. Costanzo on the coast of the channel of Santa Barbara; and it was seen twenty-four years afterwards, in the savaunas in the neighhonrhood of Mon- torev, by the officers embarked in the guíelas Sutil and Mexicana. The enormous stag-branchcs which Monteznma displayed as objeets of curiosity to the companions of Cortex, belonged, perhaps, to the vena dos of New California. I saw two of them, which were found in tile oíd nioinnnent of Xoachiealco, and which are still preserved in the palace of tlic viecroy. Notwithstanding the want of interior ciumrumication MEXICO. 97 in tlie fif'tc’cntli eentury, in tlie kingdom of Anahnac, it would not liave been extraordimuy if tliese stags liad come from lumd to luuid from tlie 33° to tiie 20a oí' ¡atiende ; in tlie same manner as we sea tlie beautif'ul piedras de, Mahagua of Biaxil, among tlie Caribs, neartho inonth of tlie Orinoco.” The peninsula vliidi forms the provinco of

OLD CALIFORNIA, WniT,n it ecjuals England in extent of territory, “ doe.s not contain a population equal to Ipswich or Deptford.” The mimher of square leagues is stated hy Humboldt at 7,293 ; the population in 1!¡03, at 9,000. Exíending from lat. 22a 40' 10",* to lat. 31°, it lies under the same parallel as Bengal and the Canary Islands. “ The sky is constantly serene and of a deep blue, without a cloud; or, should any clonds appear at the setting of the sun, they display the most beautifnl sliades of violet, purple, and groen. All persons who liave cver been in California, pre servo a roeolleetion of the extraordinary beauty of this phenomemm, wliieh dependa on a particular state of the vesicular vapour and the purity of the air in tliese elimatos. No where could an astronomer íind a more delightful abode, than at Cumana, Coro, the island of Margarita, and the coast of California. But, un- fortunatcly, in this península, the sky is more bean ti ful than the eartli. The soil is sandy and arid, likc the shores of Provence: vegetalion is at a stand, and rain is very nnfrequeut.” A chain of mountains raus throngh the centre of Ilie peninsula, the most elevated of which, the

>• The latiturtcof Cape Kan Lucas. OU MEXICO. Cerro (le la Giganta^ is between 4,500 and 5,000 feefc high, and appears tci be of volcanio origin. This cor dillera is inhábited by a bread of wild sheep (carneros oimaroncs), resembling in their form and habits, tlie movjlon of Sardinia: they leap, like the ibcx, with their head downwards, and their horns are curved back in a spiral forin. They are snp posad to differ, howevcr, specifically, from the Lerendos of New Cali fornia. A t tlie foot of tliis cordillera is fouml, for the most part, a sandy or a stony stratum, from which a species of cactus of a cylindrical form (órganos del tunal) shoots up to an estraordinary height. There are buí fcw springs 5 and where water is found, the rock is often bave of vegetable earth. In those few points where there are botli water and earth, the fertility of the soil is immense. In these places, where the Jesuits established their first missions, maize, tlie manioc, and the ignamc, vegetate vigorously, and the vine yields an excellent grape. In general, however, the aricl nature of the soil and the want of water prcclnde all cultivation ; aud Oíd California will never he able to maintain a great population, any more than the northern part of Sonora, which is alrnost equally dry and sandy. Oíd California was first colonised by the Jesuits, not without opposition on the part of the Franciscans, their rivals, who endeavoured, from time to time, to introduce thcmselves among the Indians, as wcll as from the soldiers of the -presidios. The village of Loreto, the principal place of all the missions, was founded in 1097» by Father Kiilm, the astronomer of Ingolstadt, under the ñame of the presidio oí San Dionisio. It was not till subscijuently to the year 1744, that the Spanish estnblishments in Cali fornia liecaine considerable, owing to tlie successful MEXICO. 99 Rxertions of the Jesails.* Iu a vei'y few years, tliey built sixteen villajes in the interior. Since tlieir ex pulsión in 17(¡7, California has boen coutidecl to the Dominican monks of the city of México, who have not been so fortunate in their missions as the Francis cans in New California. The population of the vil- lagos has ever since been on the decline, and the number of the missions was reduced in 1803 to sixteen. The principal are, Loreto, altore referred to; Santa Ana, a mission and real; and San Joseph. The missions of Santiago and Guadalupe remain without inhabitants. The small-pox and syphilis are stated to have been the chief canses of the depopulation; hut M. Iiumboldt reasonably conjectures that there are other causes, coimccted ivith the political admini straron, which liare retardad the prosperity of the settlements. The number of the savages is supposed to be under 4,000. The chief attraction which has led navigators to visit the coast of this desert country, is, the pearls which abound in the Southern part. u Since the cessation of the pearl-fishery near the island of Margarita, opposite the coast of Araya, the Gulfs of

* “ Sincc the first discovcry of California, there llave been various wandering missionaries who have visitccl it at diderent times, though to little puvpose; but of late yeavs, the Jesuits, en- couraged and suppovted by a large donation from the Marquis de Valero, a mest munificent bigot, have fixod themselves upon the place, and have there established a very considerable mission. Their principal settlement lies just ivlthiu Cape St. Lucas, ivhere they have collected a grcat number of savages, and have enilea- voured to inure them to agricultura and other mechanic arts. Ñor have their efforts been altogcther inelléctual, for they have planted vines at their settlements with very good success, so that they already malte a considerable quantity of vine, rcsembling in flavour the inferior sorts of Madeira.” — A.n' sox’.·s Vo//a/¡u m wni ilir. H ' o r l ' i , 1740—4, chap. x. lüü .MEXICO. Panama and California are tlio only quarters in tlie Spanish coloides wliich supply pearls for the European market. Those of California are of a verv lieautiful water, and large, Imt tliey are frequentlv of an irregular and unpleasing figure. The shell wliich produces the pearl, is particularly to be fouiul in the Bay of Ceralvo, and round the islands of Santa Cruz and San José. In 1788—1709, a private soldier of Loreto, Juan Ocio, bccame rieli in a short time, by pearl-fishing on the coast of Ceralvo. Since that period, the number of pearls annually brought to market, has been reduced almost to nothing. The Indians and negroes who follow the laborious occupa- tiou of divers, are so poorly paid by the wliites, tliat the fishery is considerad as abandonad.” In 1803, Spanish ecclesiastic, resident at México, proposed to the Government to eiuplov a diving-bcll in the pearl - fishery; and M. Humboldt witnessed a series of experiments made in a small pond near the castle of Chapoltepee, with a view to carry tliis project into effecfc; but it does not appear that tliey ivere ever repeated in the Gulf of California. Hitherto, he says, almost all the pearls supplied hy the coloides, have come from the Gulf of Panaina. The western coast of México, “ especially that part of the Great Ocean situated between the Gulf of Bayonua, the tliroe Mary islands, and Cape St. Lúeas,” ahounds also in cachalote, or spermaceti whales. Tliis fishery is an important object of mercantile speculation, and lias long been pursued by Imth Englisli and Anglo-Ameri- can traders. Yet “ the Spanish Mexicans,” remarles the learned Traveller, “ see the cachalot fishers arrive on tlioir coast after a navigation of more than 5,000 marine leagnes, without ever emleavouring to sliare in the pursuit. In the present state of the colonies, the MEXICO. 101 slotli of the inluibitants ¡s inimica) to the execution of such projects; and it would lie impossible to procure sailors willing to embrace so nulo a Imsiness, and so miserable a life, as that of a caclialot-fisher. IIow eoitld they lie found in a country whero, according to the ideas of the connnon people, all that is necessary to happiness, is, bananas, salted ílcsh, a hainmock, and aguitar? The hopo of gain is too wenk a stimulus uiulcr a 7.one whore benelicent Nature provides man with a tbousand means of proco ring an easy and peaceful existente, without quitting his country, and without struggling with the monsters of the ocean.” *1

FROM SANTA FE TO NATCIIITOCHES.

M ajor. P i r e , to whom vepeated referenco lias been made in the precedíng acooimt of the interior provinces, arrived at the Rio del Norte, in an ex- ploratory journey through the interior of Louisiana. Ile supposed it at firsfc to be the Red lliver. Iíere they werc discovercd by the Spaniavds, and a detach- raent was sent out lo bring the wliole party to Santa Fé. The American Major, fiiuling that lie liad unwittingly committed himsclf by entering the Spanish territory, and having no orders to engage íu hos- tílíties, had no alternative but to comply with the requisition. On the 27th of February, 1807, the party set out in a southerly dírection, and on the third day reached the villagc of y l g u a Caliente (warm springs), sitnated on the eastern branch of a stream of that ñame, about twelve miles above its junction with the river de Ion Conejos (of rabbits). The warm springs, wliich give ñame to the place, are two in

* Seo, for further Information relativo to the pear! and cachalot íidieries, Pol. Essay, vol. iii- pp. 79—04. 102 MEXICO. mimber, ahout ten yards apart, and eacli aftording sufficient water for a mill-seat; llicy ave more tiiau ¡53° aliore blood hcat, and appeared to be impregnated witli copper. The next day, they arrived at the villaje of St. John’s, situated on the eastern brancli of the Rio del Norte ^ a little below the confluenee of the Rio de los Conejos, “ the residente of the president pricst of the provinee.” In this day's route, tlicy passed severa! nnul-walled villajes and settlements, and were shown the ruins of several oíd villajes, whidi liad been destroyed by the letans. St. John’.s is supposed to coiitain about a thousand sonl.% chiefly civilised Indians; the whites in all these villajes not forming a twcntioth part of tlie popu latio». On the fifth day, tliey reachcd Santa Fé. The reeeption wliich the American party met witli from the governor, was manly and polite ; but it ivas deeraed necossary tliat they should be sent to Chihua hua, to appear before the commandant-gencral. Ac- cordingly, on the 4th of March, they set out under an escort. The first night, they lodged in a small village. The second day, they reached San Domingo, inhabited by Reres Indians, about 1,000 in mimber, governed by their own clúef. These village chiefs are dístinguislied by a cañe witli a silver hcad and black tassel. On their arrival, the alcalde of San Domingo waited on the capta!» of the escort, cap in liand, to receive his orders. “ Aftcr we liad refreshed our- selvcs a little,” says the American Major, “ tho captain sent for the keys of the chureh. On enteriug it, I was much astonislied to find, enclosed ín mud-briek walls, manv rich paintings, and the saint as large as life, elegantly ornamented with gold and silver. Tlie cnptain made a slight inclination of tlie liead, and intimated to me that this was the patrón of the MEXICO. 10 3 village. In an outside hall was placed another image of the saint, less richly ornamented, where the popu- lace repair daily to rcturn thanks f'or benefaetions received, or to implore new favours. Many young girls made choice of the time of our visit to be on íheir knees before the holy patrón. From the Hat roof of the ehurch, ve liad a delightful view of the village, the Rio del Norle on the west, the mountains of St. Dies (Dionisios ?) to the south, and the valley round the tova, on which vere numerous herds of goats, sheep, and asses. On the whole, this was one of the ñnestviews in New México.” Third day; from San Domingo to the village of San Dies, opposite the mountain of the same ñame. At the village of San Felipe, wliich oncurred in this day’s journey, the road ci'osses a rude bridge of eight arches, the eonstruction of which is sufficiently in genióos. “ The pillars are of neat wood-work, something similar to a crate, and in the form of a keel- boat, the sharp énd (or bow) to the current: in this crate, or abutment, iilled with stone, the river has lodged sand or clay, until the whole has become of tolerably finu consistency. On the top of the pillars are laid pine-logs length-wise, squared on two sides, and joincd sufficiently cióse to make a tolerable bridge i'or liorses, but which wonld not be very safe for carriages, as there are no hand-rails.” At Albu- querque, which they passed through on the fourth day, they were received by the priest, Father Am brosio Guerra, in a very flattering manner. After taking some refreshment, they were led into an inner apartinent, where the father ordered his “ adopted children of the female sex” to make tlieir appearance. Among them were Indians of various nations, Spanish girls, French, and finally, two who, from their com- l'ART IÍI, H 1 0 4 MEXICO. plcxion, Major Pike judged to be English. “ O» pereeiving that I notieed them, he orderal thc rest to retire, and directed these two to sit dowu on the sofá beside me. He told me, that they had bcen taken to the east by tile letans, and passed (rom one nation to anothcr, till lie purchased them: at that time, they were still infunts, and could recollect neíther ñames ñor language. Concluding that they were my country- women, he ortlercd them to embrace me as a mark of my friendship, to which they appeared nothing loath. We then sat down to dinner, which consisted of various dishes, with excellent wines, and, to crown all, we were waited npon by half a dozen of these beautiful girls. After the cloth was removed, the priest beckoned me to follow him, and led me into Itis sanctum sanctorum, where he had rich and majestic images of various saints, and, in the midst, the crucified Jesús, crowned with thorns, but with rich rays of golden glory surrounding. bis head. The roora was hung with black silk curtains, which served to augment the gloom and majesty of the scene. When lie conccived my imagination sufficiently wrought up, he put on a black gown and mitre, and kneeling.before the cross, took hold of my hand, and endeavoured gently to pulí me down beside him : on my refusal, lie prayed fervently for a few minutes, then rose, laid his hands on my shoulders, and, as I con- ceived, blessed me. He then said to me, ‘ Youwíll not be a Christian. Oh! w hatapity! wliatapityí* He then threw olf his robes, took me by the liand, and led me out to the company, smiling; but the scene I had gone through made too serious an im- pression on my mind to lie eiFaced, imtil we took our departure, an liour aftcrwards, having rcceived grcat marks of favonr from the father.” MEXICO. 105 lívery where in joumeying througli New México, thé strangers met witli tlie most unaffected kiudness and hospitality; and the Major expresses his lively grati tud o for the “ noble receptiou” they gave to him and his “ jioov latís.” The priests, too, were uniformly found much more liberal than those uearer the viee- royalty, where they livcd under awc of the terrors of the Inqnisition : many of them were remarkahly friendly. Some, indeed, Major Pike says, woultl in his presence Iaugh at the superstition of the com mou people, and the awe in whieh they were held hy them. The priest of San Felipe, who entertained the party iu the most hospitable manner, entered, dnring dinner, into a long and candid detail respecting the injustiee done to the Creóles, wherein the worthy father spared neitlier the govermnent ñor its admini- strators. “ Both as to government and religión,” says the Major, “ he displayed a liherality of opinión and a fimd of knowledge that astonished me. I-Ie shewed me a statistical tahle, ou -whieh lie had take» the whole province of New México by villages, beginning at Taos on the north-west, and ending with Valencia on the South; giving their latitude, longi tudo, population, whether savages or Spaniards, civilised or barbarous, Christians or Pagans, their numbers, ñame of the nation, when converted, how govevned, military forcé, clergy, salary, &c. &c.; in short, a complete geographieal and historiad sketch of the province. Of this I wished to obtain a copy, hut perecí ved that the captain was somewhat sur- prisod at the father's having sliewn it me.” At l'ather Ambrosio’s, there was a chart wliich gave the «can* conncxion of the sources of the Rio del Norte and the Rio Colorado of California. These are ¡nteresting faets, inasmuch as they serve to shuw ÍOG MEXICO. by how slight íl tcnure the Spanish governmcnt helcl thcsc distant provincea, and how ripe tlie priesthood appeai- to luive been for the politieal changos ivhich have subsequently taken place. Both above and beloiv Albuquerque, the inhahitant.s .wcre beginning to opon the canals, to lot in the water of tho river : men, wonieu, and children of all ages, ivere seen assisting at the “ joyi'ul labour.” The cultivation of the i'telds was noiv comraencing, by which an air of lile and gaycty ivas given to the snrrounding scenery. The travcllers crossed the Rio del Norlc a little beloiv this toivn, ívhcre it is 400 yards ívide, but, at tliis time, not more than three feet deep, and there ivas excellent fording. They lodged at a village some miles further' o». The road continues on the ivest side of the river to the little village of Tousac, on leaving ivhich, the party ivere ferried over hy a eart, as the stream was nearly four feet deep. They proceeded on the iifth day as far as the village of San Fernandez. While here, they had a very characteristic specimen at once of Castilian politeness and Mexican morals. -The following notification v/as sent by the com- inanding officer to the alcaldes of several neighbouring -villages: “ Send this evening six or eight of your handsomcst young girls to the village of San Fer nandez, ivherc I propose giving a fandango for the entertainment of the American ofliccrs arrived to- day.” This order, which iva3 punctually obeyed, ** portrays,” remarks Major Pike, “ more clearly than ‘ a ehapter of observations, the degraded State of the common people. In tho evening, ívhen the company ai-rived, the ball begau after their usual manner, and there ivas really a handsome display of heauty.” Lieutenant Malgares, who conducted MEXICO. 107 the cscort, though only a subaltern, liad cifçlit mules loaded with his common camp-equipngo, wiucs, con- f ectionary, &c. I On the lOth of March (the seventh dav), they reached tlie village of Sibilleta, having travclled l>y vory easy stages: they now took leave of the inhahited coimtry, and entera! the wildmiess. The road became very rough. “ Small liïlls, running into tlic river, fonn valleys, the bottoms of which appeared rícher than those to the north.” They passed a caravan going southward with ahout 10,000 slieep, for which they would bring back merchandise: tlie party consisted of ahout 300 persons, besides an escort of between thirty and fovty troops. A similar expedition goes out in the autumn : duving the other parts of the year, no one travels tlie road. The caravans coliect at Sibilleta, where they separate on their return : the February caravan returus in Marcli. Tlic govornment conriers meet aod exdiange packets at the Passo. Another party of fifty meu, ivith ahout 200 horses Ioaded with merchandise, was met coming northward. Tlic eleventh day, they halted at a point of the river, at the foot of the “ moiintain of Friar Christopher,” wliere the inain road leaves the river for two days’ journey, bearing duc South, while the river forms a considerahle bend to the South west r the distance, by tlie course of the river, to where the roads meet, is a march of five days, during which the river must twice be crossed. This latter route was taken by the party. On the seven- teeuth day, they halted at a salt-lake, and on the day following, after passing over a moimtainous tract, they readicd the town of Passo <¡el Norte. From this place, they proceeded by way of San Eleazaro and Carracal, to Chihuahua. Dctween the former two ii 2 108 MEXICO. stations, tliere is a small “ pond,” fonned by a spring which risos in the centro, callad tlic Ojo llalulka, which is tíre only water for sixty miles oí the road. At Chihuahua, the American Major had to un- dcrgo au examination from the commandant-genoral, whicli was conductcd with the utniost urbanity, tlic- tated alike by Spanish courtesy and by that polite respoct with which a Citizen of the United States seldom fails to be treated in this country. He remained in this city from the 2d to the 28th of April, during which his time appears to have heen not un- pleasantly oceupied, the evenings being spent in visit- ing; till at length, he received notice from his lixcel- lency to huid himself in readiness to inarch. The route he was to pursue, lies in a south-easterly direction to the l'urt of San Pablo, situated on the small river of the same ñame, llowing from the N.W., and falling into the Conchos. Ilere the party halted on the secoml day. Five hours further, they arrived at the hanks of the Conchos, which they pursued for some leagues to its confluenco with the llio Florida, where there is a “ miserable villagc.” On the hanks of the latter river are some very ílourishing settlements, and the land is well timhered. The route lay up this river for six hours to Guaxeqnillo. Fonr miles beyond that place, the road diverges from its course, leaving it to the riglit, and, for hetween 40 and 80 miles, no water oceurs. Ahout 10 miles further, the road passes due west through a gap in the mountain, and tlien turns south to a river twenty feet wide, with high, steep hanks. It was now dry, except in holes, Imt, wlien full, is impassable. On the ninth day from Cliilmahua (excluding a líale of three days at Guaxeqnillo), the travellers reached a station, sumuinded with mines, which Major Pike MEXICO. 109 calls Pelia, whevc ave two large warm springs, “ strougly impregnated ” v.itli mineral properties. The ucxt day, tliey passed a copper mine, which was diligently worked, and arrived at the hacienda of Cadena, situated on a small stream, at the pass called the “ Dour oi' the Prison.” The folhnving day, they arrived at a village wliich Major Pike calls Mauperne (Mapimi ?), situated at the foot of rnetalliferous motmtains, with some eight or nine mines in the neiglihourliood. Tliree miles further, tliey halted for the night at a station hcautifully situated on a little stream, in the midst of lig-trees. Early on the twelfth day, they arrived at a place wheve the road branchos out into tliree. That on the right-hand is the main road to México, leading through Parras and Saltillo; the central ono leavus all the villnges to the right, passing only some plantations; the lcft-hand road leads immediately through the mountains to Monte- lovez, and is called the route of the Bolson dc Mapimi: it was first travelled hy M. de la Croix, aftenvards viceroy of Peru. Iu passing from Chihuahua to Texas by this route, vou make in seven days, what takes from iifteen to twenty by the ordinary road ; but it is very scarcc of water, and dangerous for small parties, as the Appaches iill these mountains. The middle road was thoonewhich the escort liad directions to pur.sue, in order that the Americans might not approximato the frontiers of the viceroyalty ; hut, on tlie 10‘th day, they agam joined the main road. They left Parras on the right, and, a league heyoiul, halted, on the 17th day, at the hacienda of San Lorenzo, pleasantly situated iu the midst ol' vineyards. About iive and twenty miles further is the hacienda of Polloss, a handsome place, wliere the Marquis de Sau Miguel frequently spends tlie summer: the journey 110 MEXICO. from the capital ocoupies ten days. This noblcmau is stated to uwu Uie laúd, from tlie mountains of tho Rio del Norte lo some distance into the viceroyaltv, :uul his annual revonues are immense. He maintams 1,500 troops to proteet bis vussals and property from thc savuges, all cuvalry, and as well dressod and armed as the regnlars. “ The hacienda of Pollos*,” saya Major Píke, “ is a square endosan: of about 1100 fect, the Imilding only «me story higli, but some of tlio apartments are very elegantly furnished. In the centre of the square is a jet d'can, which casts forth water from oiglit spouts extended from a colossal fomale ligare : from this fountain all the popnlation procure their supply oí water. The marquis has likewise lmilt a very handsomc churdi, which, with its ornaments, cost him at least 20,000 dollars. To ofl'u cíate ín it, 1 to mainiains here ¡vlittle, stiíF, supwsti» tious priest. In thc rear of the palace (for so it míght be called) is a fish-pond, stoeked with immense mmibcrs of One iish. The popnlation was about 2,000 souls. This was our nearest point to the city of México.” The route which was pursued from this place, passes betweeu a donhle range of mountains, which this Writcr calis “ Polloss mountains,” hut crosses :v transverse branch, oaílod “ the monntain of the three rivers.” It falls into the main roa«l from the castora provincia, within a few leagues of Montelevoz, whidi the travellers rcached on the 25th day. On tlie 27tli day’s match, they passed the last mountains, and entered the great valley of the Mississippi. On the SOtli clav, they reached the presidio of Rio Grande, where, to the great mortiiieation of the Spanish officer, it was witli the utinost diflkulty they obtained any thing to eat. The mosquitoes, whidi had made their MEXICO. IU appearance tlic lirst night after leaving lUontelovoz, liad now’ beeome very troublesome ; and soon after Crossing tlie Rio Grande, horsc-ilies wcre sean, and some wild horses. From this point, it is a disUmce of IñO miles to where tlie route crosses tlie river Mariana, ono of the heads of the San Antonio, a pretty littlc: streain, forming tlie lino, in tliat direeüon, between Cohahuila and Texas. On the bíjth day, the party reaclied San Antonio, the capital of the laiter province, v,diere tlie American Major mel with a reeeption from Governors Cordero and Herrara, not merely liospitahle and polite; it was more like the eordiality of oíd friends and countrymen. They carne three miles in a coach to mect the party. “ 17e then,” says Major Pike, “ repaired to tlieir quarters, where we ivere received like tlieir children. Cordero in- lbrmcd me, that he liad discretiouary orders as to the manner of my going y the íbllowing anecdote, which he relatad iu tlie presence of his friend Cordero, and which a-as coníirnicd hy him. When the difficnlties commenced on the Sabine, the coimnandant-general and the vjce- roy consultad eacli otlier, and hotli detenninod to maintaiu wliat they deemed the dominions of their ímister inviolate. The viceroy therefore ordered Her rara to join Cordero witli 1,300 ineri, and both the viceroy and General Salcedo ordered Cordero to cause our troops to be attacked, shonld they pass the Rio Onde. These orders were positively rciterated to Herrara, tlie actual commanding' ofliccr of the Spanish army on the frontiers, and gave riso to the many mes- sages whícli he sent to General Wilkinson, when lie was advancing with our troops ; but, fiuding they were not attended to, he called a council of war on the question, whether to attack or not. The council gave it as their opinión, that they sliould imniedíntcly conimcuce a predatory variare, but avoid a general engagement. Yet, notwithstanding the orders of the viceroy and the commanding general, Governor Cor dero, and the opinión of his officers, he liad the íinn- ness, or the temerity, to enter inte the agroement with General Wilkinson which at present exists relative to our boundarics on that frontier. On his return, he was received with coolness by Cordero, and tlicy both made their communication to their superiors. ‘ Until an answer was received,’ said Herrara, ‘ I expericnced the most unhappy period of my life, conscious that I MEXICO. 1 1 5 liad servad my'coiuitry faithfully, at tlic same time tliat I liad violatcd every principie of military duty.’ At length the answer arrived; and ivhaí was it Imt the thanks of tlie viceroy and tlie commandant-general for having pointedly disobeyed their orders, with assuranees that they tvould reprcscnt liis Services in exalted tcrms to the king! What eould have produeed this change of sentiment, is to me nnknown; Imt the letter ivas puhlished to the anny, and conli- dence vas restored between tlie tivo chiefs and the troops.” * Every thing at San Antonio appeared to be in. a fiourishing and improving State, oiving to the encou- ragement given to industry by tliese two generals. Tiie American Major remained iiere for a iveek, and then took his departure, with a Spanish escort, for the frontier. On the first day, they reached the river Guadelupe; a distance of 30 miles. On the second day, they carne at the end of fifteen miles to the St. Mark, and proceedcd the same distance beyond it. Tliird day, distance adVanccd, 2G miles: ivithin the iast six, oak timber commences. Fourth day, they arrived at Ited River, and advanced 2G miles. Fifth day, a journey of 30 miles, in the course of wliicli they passed a large encampment of Tancard Indians. Sixth day, at the end of 25 miles, they crossed the river Brassos, where tliere is a ferry, with a stockade guard consistmg of ono corporal and six men; and proceeded through a tract which is at certaín 'scasons an impassable sivamp: distance advanced, 31 miles. Seventli day, they advanced 30 miles tlirongh alternate woods and prairies of rich land, passiiig two small creeks. Eightli day, 20 miles tlirough similar country.

* Píke, pp. 316—310. FART I I I . X 116 MEXICO. Ninth day, they reached the station on the river Triitity, where thcy found hoth officers and privates (eonsisting of two captains, two lieutennnts, tiiree énsigns, and nearly 100 men) all sick, one scarcely ablfe to assist the other. They me't tlhs day a number of íimaway negroes ; also, some Frenehmen and Irishmen : distance advanced, 20 miles. Tenth day, 22 miles. Eleventh day, 40 miles, Crossing, in the latter párt of the day, the river Natchez. Twelfth day, they carne, at the end of fifteen miles, to the river Angelina, about the width of the Natchez, run- nhig south ; and, twenty-tvo miles íhrther, arrived at Nacogdoches. This part of the country ¡s well watered, btit the soil is hilly and sandy, eovered with pille, scrub-oak, &c. Total distance from San An tonio, 330 miles. From Nacogdoches, it is about 74 miles to the Sabine river, the frontier line between the Mexican and American territory, where Major Pike parted witlt the Spanish escort. About half way, the route crosses the river Toyao, flowiug through a rich and well-timbered dístrict. At length, on the lst of July, the second day áfter Crossing the Sabine, Major Pike arrived át Natchitoches; and “ language cannot ex- press,*’ he aays, “ the gayety of his heavt, when he once inore buheld the standard of his country waving aloft. All hail, urietl I, the ever-sacved ñame of country, in which is etnbraced that of kindred, friends, and every other tie that is dear to the soul of man !” Four months liad elapsed sirtfce he left Santa Fé 5 but ríjc and twenty days were passed at Chihuahua, six days at San Antonio, and the otlier halts appear to havé amouuted to uine days, leaving 7.0 marcking days. After leaving San Antonio, Major Pike luid pnvsurd MUXICO. u r the high road of Texas from Louisiana to México. From that city, a road leads ofF, iiy way of Loredo (ou the banks of the Rio del Norte), Saltillo, Chaveas, San Luis Potosí, aud Queretaro, to tlie capital. “ The rond from New Orleans to the capital of New Spain,’* says Iíumboldt, “ oponed by the inhabitants of Lott. isiana, who come to puvehase horses in the interior provinces, is more tlian 540 Ieagites i ti longth, and is conscquently equal to the distance from Madrid to Warsaw, The road is said to be very difficult from the want of water and habitations; hut it presents by no means the same natural difficulties as must be overcomo in the tracks along the ridge of the Cor. dilleras from Santa Fe in New Granada (Colombia) to Quito, or from Quito to Cusco. It was by this road of Texas, that an intrèpid traveller, M. Pagés, captain in the French navy, went, in 17G7> from Louisiana to Acapulco. The road from Louisiana to México pre sents very few obstacles as far as the Rio del Norte, and we onlv begin from the Saltillo to ascend towards the table-land. The deelivity of the Cordillera is by no means rapid there; and we can have no doubt, considering the progress of civilisation in the New Continent, that laiul-communication will become gradually very freqüent between the United States and New Spain. Public coaches will One day roll on from Philadelphia and Washington to México and Aca pulco.”

To complete our statistical and topographical view of this interesting country, we must now suddeniy transport the reader across half the Mcxican territor)', and again place him on the western deelivity of the great Cordillera of Anahuac, witliin the intendaney of 118 MEXICO.

VALLADOLID.

T his intendancy, at tlie period of the Spanisk conquest, formed part of the independent kingdom of Mechonean, which extended from the mouth of the river Zacatilla to the port of Natividad, and from the motintaiiis of Xala and Colima to the river of Lcnna and the lake of Chapala. Its capital was Tzintzontzan, or Huit/.itfcila, situated on the banks of the lake of Pascuaro. Tlie modern intendancy lies between Gua- dalaxara and Guanaxuato on tlie nortli, México on the east and south-east, and on the west and South west it is washed by the greát Pacific for rather more than 88 leagues of coast. Its greatest length is in a direotion S.S.W. and N.N.E., from Zacatula to the hasaltic mountaín of Palangeo, a distance of 78 leagues. Its extent in square leagues is 3,446$ one fifth less than Ireland. Its population in 1803, was 376,400 souls, being 109 to the square league. It contains three places dignified with the ñame of city, viz. Valladolid, the capital, Pascuaro, and Tzintzontzan; three totvns, Citaquaro, Zamora, and Charo; 263 villages, 205 parish.es, and 32C farms. In the imperfect census of 1793, which gave the total population. at less titán 290,000, there were reckoned 80,000 Whites, and nearly 120,000 Indians: there were 154 monks, 138 nuns, and 293 secular ecelesiastics. All tire Southern part of the intendancy is inhabited exclusivelyby Indians, the only Wliite to be met with in any of the villages being the curé, and he also is frequently an Indian or a Mulatto. u The benefices are so poor, that the Bishop of Mechonean has the greatest difficulty in procuring ecelesiastics to settlc in a country where Spanish is scarcely ever spokea, and i is:])hvuys i:>i1' ;vi:K.c h o .u w .v . MEXICO. 11Ü where, along the coasts of the Great Ocean, the priests are frequently carried ofF liy malignant fevers cngen- dercd by the miusmaía, before the expiration of sevcn or eight months.” It is only to this portion of the intendancy, however, that the character of insalubrity attaches. The greater part of the province, sítuated on the western declivity of the table-land, intersected with- bilis and charmiiig valleys, whicli present the uncommon appearance (under the torrid zone) of ex tensive and well-watered meadows, — enjoys a mild and temperate climate, and is reckoncd peculiarly healthy. The Indian natives of this province are of three distinet races: the Tarases, celebrated in the sixteenth century for the gentlenéss of their manners, their in- dustiy in the mechanical arts, and the harmony of their language, whicli abounds in vowels; the Oto- mites, a trihe still far behind in civilisation, whose language is full of nasals and gutturals; and the Chichimecs, who speak the Aztec or Mexican lan guage.* The Indians of this province generally, are described by Ilumboldt as the most industrious of New Spain. “ They have,” he sáys, “ a remarkable talent of cutting out small figures in wood, and dressing them in clothes made of the pith of an aquatic piant, which, being veiy porous, imbibes the most vivid colours.”-f- The annexed píate is copied from a drawing made from two of these Indian figures, which exhibits a strange mixture of the oíd Indian costume with that introduced by the Spaniards. The learned Traveller gives us no account, however, of the distinctive features and characteristics of the severa! tribes of Indians found in this province, — an inte-

* See vol. i. p. lúf. t Huir.boUU's Itescarchcs, vol. ii. p. Kit. 120 MEXICO. rcsting jioint, wliidi will mevit the attention of future traveUers. Valladolid de Meehoucan, (so called to distinguisk it frora Valladoiid de Yucatán,) the capital of tilia intendancy, ís au episcopal city, situated in a delicióos climate, at an elevation of nearly 6,400 feet above the level of the sea; and yet, at this moderate height, and under lat. 19° 42', snow has been seen to fall in the streets, duriiig the prevalcnce of northerly winds. It contained, in 1803, a population of 18,000 souls. The town-house, the churches, and the convents are dcscribed as handsome ; the alameda, or public wjilk, is boasted of for its beauty; and the town ís supplied with water by an aqucduct, erected at the expense of Bishop Antonio de San Miguel, towards the end of the last century, and saíd to have cost 20,000/. Tzintzontzan, the ancient capital of Mechoacan, though it still retains the title of city, is now only a poor ludían village, contaihing (in 1803) 2,500 inhabitants. It lies to the south-east of Valladolid, on the northem side of the lake of Pascuaco. The city which gives its ñame to the lake, is situated on the eastern bank, opposite to the ludían village of Janicho, which is built on a charming little island, at less than a leagne’s distante, in the midst of the lake. Pascuaro contains the ashes of the firat bishop of Mechoacan, Vasco de Quiroga, a distinguished bene factor of the Tarase Indians, who died in 1556, at the village of Uruapa. His memory is held in the highest veneration by the natives, who still speak of him as their father ( Tata Don Vasco). This city is 7,200 feet above the level of the sea, and contains 6,000 inhabitants. In the eastern píirt of this intendancy therc are con siderable mines: tliey form four distriets; Angangtieo

MEXICO. 121 (includiiig the rícli real del Oro), Tlalpujghua (or ( Tlapuvahua), Zitaquaro, and Inguaran. They bü- long to the same groupe as the mines of Themas- caltepec; but Humboldt gives no particular accopnt nf thcm. The most remarkable íeature of this intendancy is the volcano of «Tonillo (Xorullo, or Juruy.o), which has alrcady been referred to as one of tlie most tremendous physical revolutions tliat ever took place «m the suifaee of the globe. It is situated to the east of the Peak of Tancitaro, the most elevated summit iu the intendancy, at the distance of more than forty- t'vo leagues from any other volcano now in -action. M. Humboldt, who, with hjs colleague,'M. Bonpland, visited its crater in September 1803, gives the ibllow- ing aceount of this wonderful phenomenou. “ A vast plain extends from the hills of Aguasarco to near thevillages of Teipa and Petatlan, both equally cclebrated for their fine plantations of cotton. This plain, between the Picachos del Mortero, tlie Cerro de las Cuevas, and that of Cuiche, is only from 2,480 to 2,024 feet above the level of the sea. In the middle of a tract of ground in which porphyry with a baso of grünstein predomínales, basaltic cones appear, the summits of which are crowned with evergreen oaks of a laurel and olive foliage, intcrmingled with small palm-trees with ilabelliform 1 caves. This beautiful vegetation forms a singular contrast with the aridity of the plain, which was laid waste by yolcauic fire. “ Till the middle of the eighteenth century, fields cultivated with sugar-cane and indigo, occupied the extent of ground between the two hrooks ealled Cui- tamba and Sun Pedro. They were bounded by basal tic monntains, of which the structure seems to 122 MEXICO. indicate, that all tliis country at a very remote pcriod liad been already several cimes convulscd by volcanoes. These fields, watered by artificial means, belonged to the plantation (hacienda) of San Pedro de Jorullo, one of tlie greatest and ricliest of the country. In the month of June, 1759, a subterraneous noise was heard. Hollow noises of a most alarming nature {bramidos) were accompanied by freqüent earthquakes, wliich succeeded one another for from lifty to sixty days, to the great consternation of the inhabitant» of the hacienda. From the beginning of September, • every thing seemed to announce the complete re- establishment of tnmquillity, whcrr, in. the night be tumeen the 28th and 29th, the liorrible subterraneous • noise recommenced. The alfrighted Indians iled to the mountains of Aguasaron. A tract of ground from three to four square miles in extent, which goes by the ñame of Malpays, rose-up in the simpe of a bladder. The bounds of this convulsión are stili dis- tinguishable in the fracturad strata. The Malpays, near its edges, is only thirty-nine feet above the old level of tlie plaiii called the Playas de Jorullo; but the convexity of tlie ground tinis thrown up, increases progressively towards the centre, to an elevation of 521 feet. “ Those who u-itnessed this great catastrophe from the top of Aguasaren, assert that riamos were seen to issue fortli for. an extent of inore than luilf a square league, that fragments of burning rocks were thrown up to prodigious heights, and that, through a lliick cloud of ashes, illumiued by.the volcànic fire, the softened surfaee of the earth was seen to swell up like an agitated sea. The rivers of Cuitamba and San Pedro precipitiited themselves into the burning eliasms. The decomposition of the water contributed MEXICO. 123 to invigorate the flames, whieh were distinguishablc at tlie city of Pascuaro, though situated 011 a very ex tensive table-land, 4,502 feet elevated above tbe plains {las playas) of Jomllo. Eruptions of mud, and especïally of strata of clay, enveloping balls of decomposed basaltes in concentrical layers, appear to indícate that subterraneous water liad no sinall sliare in prodncing tliis extraordinary revolution. Tlionsands of small cones, from six feet to nine feet in lieight, called by tbe natives, ovcns (Jiornitos), issued forth from tbe Malpays. Although within tbe last fifteen years, accerding to the testimony of the Indians, tbe beat of these volcànic ovens has suffered a great dimbmtion, I have seen tbe thermometer rise to 202° F. 011 being plunged into fissures vhioh exhale au aqueous vapour. Eacli small cone is a Jumorohr, from whieh a thick vapour ascends to tbe heigbt of from 30 to 50 feet. In many of them a subter raneous noise is heard, wbicb appears to aunounce the proximity of a fluid in ebullition. “ I11 the midst of tbe ovens, six large masses* elevated from 1,312 to 1,040 feet each above the old level of tbe plains, sprang up from a chasm, of whieh tbe direction is from the N.N.E. to the S.S.E. This is tbe phenomenon of the Monte-novo of Naples, several times rcpcated in a range of volcànic bilis. The most elevated of these enormous masses, whieh bears some resemblance to the pvys de l'Auvergne, is tbe great Volcano of Jorullo. It is eontinually burning, and has thrown up from the nortb side an im mense quantity ofseorified and basaltic lavas, containing fragments of primitive rocks. These great eruptions of tbe central volcano continued till tbe month of Fe- bruary 1750. In tbe following years, tliey became gradually less freqüent. Tbe Indians, írightened at 124 MICXICO. the Iiorri ble noises of the new voleano, abandoned at firat all the villages sitnated witliin seven or eight leagues distance of tlie plains of Jorulln. Tlicy bo- came gradually, liowcver, accustomed to this terrilic spcetade ; and having retumed to their cottagcs, tlmy advaneed towards the mountains of Aguasarco and Santa lúes, to admire the streams of lire diseharged from an infinity of great and small volcànic aperturas. The roofs of the houscs of Queretaro were theu coverod with aslies, at a distance of more than forty-eight leagues in a straight line from the scone of the explosión. Altlumgh the snbterraneous fire now appears far from violent,, and the Malpays and the great voleano begin to be eovored with vegetables, we nevertheless found the ambient air heatcd to such a degreo by the action of the small ovens (homiios), that the thermometer, at a great distance from the sui face, and in the shade, rose as high as 109° F. This fuet appears to pfove that there is no exaggeration in the accoimts of scvcral old Indians, who affinn, that for many years after tiie first eruption, the plains of .Tonillo, even at a great distance from the sccne of the explosión, were unmhabitable, from the excossive heat which prevailed in them. “ The traveller is stili shewn, near the Cerro de Santa Ines, the rivers of Cnitamba and San Vedro, of which the limpid wàters formerly watered the sugar-cane plantation of Don André Pimentel. These streams disappeared in the night üf the 29th Sep tember, 1759; but, at a distance of C,560 feet further west, in tlie tract which was the theatre of the convulsión, two rivers are now scen bursting tlu-ough the argillaeeous vatilt of the 7m~nil0b\ of the appearance of mineral wàters, in which the thermometer riscs to 12í»°F. The Indians continue to givc them tlie ñames MEXICO. 125 ol' San Pedro and Cuitando, because, in several parts oí' thc Malpays, great masses of water are lieard to run in a direction from east to wost, from the mountains oí' Santa Iñes towards I'Hacienda tic la Presentación. Near tbis habitation there is a brook, whieh disen- gages itself from the sulplmreous hydrogen. It is more tliau twenty-two feet in breadth, and is the most abundant hydro-sulphureous spring which I have ever seen. “ In tlie opinión of the Indians, tlie.se extraordinary transformations whieh we llave been dcscribing, the surl'ace of the earth raised up and burst by thc voleante iire, and the mountains of scoria and asiles heaped together, are the work of the monks, the •greatest, no doubt, whieh they have ever produced in tlie two hemispheres ! In the cottage whieh we oeou- pied in thc plains of Jorullo, ouv ludían host related to us, tliat in 1759, Capuehin missionavies carne to pveach at the plantation of San Pedro, and not having met with a favourable receptíon, (perhaps not having got so good a dinner as they expected,) they poured out the most horrible and unheard-of impreeations against thc then bcautiful and fertile plain, and pro- phesied that, in the lirst place, the plantation would be swallowed np by flames rising out of the earth, and .that aftenvards, the ambient air would cool to snob a degree, that the neighbouring mountains would for ever remain covered with suow and ice. The former of tliese maledictions having already produced such l'atal effeets, the lower Indians .contemplate, in the increasing coolness of the volcano, the sinister presage of a perpetual winter. I have thought proper to relate this vulgar tradition, worthy of Aguring in the epic poem of the. Jesuit Landivar, because it forms a striking feature in the picture of thc manners and 120 MEXICO. prejudires of' these remote coimtrics. It provc.s tlie active industry of a class oí’ mea ivho too frequeutly abuse the credlility of the people, and pretendió sus- •pend bv thoir iníluence tlie immutable luivs of naturo, íbr the sako of founding tbeír enipire on the í’eav of physical evils.” So little ivas known of tliis country prior to the visit of lilis admirable Travoller, tliat, ultliough tliis oatastvo)>hc took place not seventy years ago, and svithin six dnys’ jtmrney of tlie capital of Alexíco, it liad remaiued allogether unkiiown to tlio niincralo- gists and nuturalists of Kurope. It is remarkahle, 31. Iluinboldt observes, that tliis new volcano ivas fornied in a direction parallcl wit.h tlie lino, ruiuiing eastaiulwestjin whichall the elevated sninmits ol’Ana- huac are found, that rise into the región of perpetual show, and ivhich are either active volcauoes, or peaks apparently of volcànic diameter. Thus, betwoeu lat. 18®. ¡mil l!i° 12',® receding from the Atlantic coast, we fmd the peak of (Drizaba, the two volcauoes of Pudila, tlxc nevado of Toluca, tlie peak of Tancitaro, -the volcano of Jorullo, and lastly, that of Colima. These great elevatlons, instead of fornúng the crest of the Cordillera, traverso the grcat cluiin ivhich forms the table-land. In connexion witli tliis curious fact, it is inentioned, that, from the Jake of Cuiseo iu this intendaney, ivhich is impregnated with muríate of soda, and exhales sulphuretted hydrogen, to the city of Valladolid, an extent of forty sipiare leagues, there are a great nuiTiber of hot ivells, which generally con- taiu only muríatic acid, ivithout any traces of carthy 1 The volcano of 'Fusila, meulionert rol. 5. p. 237, is nvthcv to Ihc south oíthis Une, nccoriUng lo i lumbolcU’s inap, and he omlts il. iu his cHumcvuliou in this place; yet> its positíou serves to coa- firm lite general observation. MEXICO, 12 7 sulphates or metallic salts. Snob aro the mineral waters of Clmeandiro, Cuindie, San Sebastian, and San Juan Turavamco. From lliese iudicationx of volcànic aclion in thís particular región, Humboldt infers, that thcrc probably exists in tliis part of México, at a great depth in tlie heart of the earth, u chasm, in a direction from east to wcst, and for a length of 137 leagues, along which the volcànic fíre, bursting throngh the interior crust of the porphyritio rocks, has at diíferent epochs inade its appearance. Dees thís chasm,” lie adds as a qoery, “ extend to the siuall grciupe of islands callad the Archipelago of Itevillagigedo, around which, in the saíne parallel wíth the Mexican voleauoes, pumice-stone has Leen seen iloating ?”

The most Southern inteudaney of México, and one of the most valuable portions of the empire, is the iuteuduney of

OAXACA.

This fme province, from which Cortos took his tille of marquis (del Valle de Oa.vaea), derives its namc from the Mexican city and valley of lluax- y a c u c , one of the principal places of the Zapoteo country, and almost as considerable as Teotzapotlan, their capital. It is hounded, on the north, by Vera, Cruz. ; ou the east, by Guatimala ; on the west, by Puebla i and on the south, for eleven leagues of coast, Iry the Pacific Ocean. Its extent of surfaco exceeds that of Bohemia and Moravia together, heing 4,447 sijuare leagues. Its populatiou in lílOJ, was ó34,íi(J0, heing only 120 inhabitants to tito sqttare league, which is oue-sovontli helow the average uumbur ia the 1 2 6 MEXICO. nine iuteudancies south of the tropic, but rdatively equal to the population of JJuropean Russia. Ac- eording to Hnmboldt’s description of its physical advantages, however, this province uiay be expected to advance very xapidly in' improvement and populatiou under a liberal and patriòtic govemment. “ The.intendaucy of Oaxaca,” lie says, “ is one of the most delightful countries in tliis part of the globc. The heauty and salubrity of the climate, the fertility of .the soil, and the richness and vnriety of its produetions, ali minister to the prosperity of the inhabitants; and this province Isas accordingly been, from the re- niotest period, the centre of an advanced eivilisation. Tlie vegetation is beautiful and vigorous tliroughout the province, and especially haif way down the declivity of the table-land, in the temperate región, •where the rains are very copious from May to Octo ber. This intendancy alone has preserved tlie cultivation 'Of the cochineal (coccits cacti), a branch of iudustry which it formerly shared with Puebla and New Galicia.” The mines are not very considerable: hithevto, at least, they have not pvoved very pro ductive. Tliose which have been worked with the greatest care, are tliose of Villalta, Zolaga, Ixtepexi, and Totornistla. They are all induded in one depu- lacion, or mining district, and fca’m the eightli groupe in Ilumboldt’s classilication, extending from lat. l(ip 40' to 16° N., and from long. 96° 15' to 99° 50' W. The animal produce he was unable to ascertain, and it is set down as doubtful. The geological structure of the mountain districts síngularly differs from fchat whieh is observed in Puebla, México, and Valladolid. In place of the «trata of basalt, porpliyry, and arnygdaloid, which are iound from the eighteenth to the twenty-second M liX IC O . 120 pnralle!, the mountuius of Mixteca ami Zapoteen are composed of granito and gneis». The elevation of tlieir highest summits is not known; hut, froïn the Cerro de Senpnaliepec, near Villalta, which is considered as one of the most elevated, both oceans are visible. This extent of horizon would ouly indicate, however, Humboldt says, an elevation of 7,700 feet. The same sight may also he obtained at La Ginellay •twclve leagues from the port of Tehuantepec, on the great roadfrom México to Guatimala. Oaxaca (sometimes writtcn Oruaxaca), thu provin cial ca]>ital, huilt on the site of the andent Iiuaxyacac, •was called Antequera at the beginuing of the conquest. Mr. Rohinson describes it as u the neatest, deanest, .and most regularly huilt city in the kingdom.” “ The editi ces are constructed ivith a green stone, wbich •preserves its colour to perpetuity, and gives the city an appearancc of freslmess, suc'i as wc have never seen in any other. The convent of Ban ¿Francisco, huilt more than 200 years ago, looks at tlús day as if it ■liad just-comefrom thehands of the architect. Streams of the purest water flow through all the streets; and in all the squares, are beautifúl públic fountaitis. The fruits hoth of the tòrrid and the temperate zones are to be scen evcry day in the market-place. We have seen on one side of the road, trees loaded with oranges, and on the other, fields of wheat. The climate of this city is considered as equal to thae of any other in New Spain: the thermometer rarely falls below G3°, nor rauges higlier than 70°. The inhabitants are weli made and remarkable for longevity. The women are likewise distinguislied for their heauty and viva- city.” * According to the imperfect census of 1792,

« nobiíisoti's Ucmoirs, vol. ii. p. 152. Í30 .MEXICO. tile population of this city was 24,000,* but this can be regarded as merely an approximation to tbe actual uumber. The territory of tbe marquisate of Cortes, comprising 4 villas and 49 puellos, was computed to contain 17,700 inhabitants. Mr. llobinson States, that tbe most populous Lidian villages in all México are found in tliis province, but he furnishes nodetails. “ Along tlie coast,” lie adds, “ tbe climate is de structive of healtli; but the greater part of tbe pro vince, partieularly the mountains of the Misteca, is famed for its puré and salubrious air.” The district of Mixteca, the aucient Mixtecapan, ibrmed, prior to the conquest, a distinet territory, inhabited by a race differing from the Indians of Zapo- teca, the sonth-eastern part of the intendaney. It is divided into Upper {(illa) and Lower {hamo) Mixteca. The Indians of this district are described by Hum- boldt as an “ active, intelligent, and industrious peo- ¡)le.” On the road from (Drizaba to Oaxaca, is the towu of San Antonio de los Cues, u a very populous place, and celebrated for the remanís of ancient Mexi- can fortitications.” The district of Zapoteen contains one of the most remarkable monuments of ancient eivilisation in all México, “ the palace of M i l l a a ñame contracted from Miyuillan, which signiíies in the Aztec, “ place of wo.” “ This temí,” says the learned Traveller so often cited, “ seems to have been ivell chosen for a site so savage and lugubrious, that, according to the testimony of travellers, the warbling of birds is there

* Mr. Kobinson States tliat, according to a census takcn in lJioti, the province contaius o'Ob.UUi) inhabitants; the city, stqoou; and the number »r cities, towns, and villages, exceeds íinii. “ We have visiial,” he says, “ severa! villages coutaiuing (i and/0W) inhabit ants yet not one-eighlh part of the province is under cultivatiou. MEXICO. 131 scarccly ever heard. The Tzapotec Indians call these ruins Leoha or Luiva (burial, or tomb), alluding to tlic excavations found beneatli the walls.” This ele gant min is about ten leagues distant from Oaxaca, ou the road to Tehuantcpec. It is of unknown an- tiqnity. According to the tradition of the natives, which is confirmed by the distribution ofits parts, it was “ a palace constrncted over the tombs of the kings,” to which, it is supposed, the monarch retired on the death of a son, a wife, or a brother. “ The tombs of Milla consist of three edifices symmetrieally placed in an extremely romàntic situation. The prin- ripal ediftce, ivhieh is in the best preservation, is nearly 130 feot in length. A stair, formed in a pit, leads to a subterranean apartment, 38 feet long by 23. Tliis. gloomy apartment, as vell as the exterior M’alls of .the ediíice, is covered with àlagrecque and arabempie ornaments. But what distingnishes the ruins of Mitla from all the other remains of Mexican architectare, is, six porphyry columns, which are placed in the midst of a vast ball, and snpport the cciling. These columns, almost the only ones found in the New Continent, bcur stronginarks of the infaney of the art. They have neither base nor capital. Only a simple contraction of the upper part is observable. Their total height is nearly ninetoen feet; the shaft of each is of a single piece of porphyry ; but brokeu fragments for ages heaped together, conceal more tlian a third of the height of these columns.” The ceiling which they served to support, M-as formed of beams of savine wood, three of which arc still in good preservation. “ The roof consisted of very large slabs.” According to a plan of the palace, drawn by a Mexican artist, Don Luis Martin, there originally • existed at .Milla, íive separate Imildings, disposed 132 M fcXlCO . with great regularity. . “ A very large gate, sorae vestiges ol' which are stili to be seen, led to a spacious court, 150 feet square. Heaps of eartli and remains of subteiTaneous structures indicate that four small edilices of oblong form surrounded this court. That on the right is in a state of tolerable preservaron, and the remains of two columns still exist. In the principal edifice, we distinguish, iirst, a terrace, raised three or four feet above the level of the court, and surrounding the walls, to which it served at the same time as a base 5 secondly, a niche formed in the wall, between four and five feet above the level of the hall with pillars. This niche, which is broader than it is higli, is supposed to have enclosed an idol. The principal door of the hall is covered with a stone twelve feet long by three. Next, after entering the inner court, is seen the well, or opening of the tomb. A very broad staircase leads to tire excavation, which is in the l'orm of a cross, supported by columns. The two galleries, which intersect eacli other at right angles, are each eighty-two feet long by twenty-five. l^astly, three small apartments surround the inner court, and behind the niche is a fourth, with which they have 110 communication. The different parts of this edifice present very striking ínequalities and a want of symmetry. In the interior of the apartments are paintings reprcsenting weapons, trophies, and sa crifices. There is no appearance of their having ever liad Windows.” “ The arabesques (with which the exterior walls are covered) forra a kind of raosaic work, composed of several square stoncs (of porphyry), placed with much dexterity by the side of each other. The raosaic is attached to a inass of clay, which appcars to fill np the inside of the walls, as is also observed in some MEXICO. 1 3 3 Peravian ediiices. The Iength oí‘ these walls on the same line, is only about 130 feet; tlieir height probably never exceeded fifteen or sixteen feet. This ediñce, however, though small, might produce some effect by tlie arrangement of its parts, and the elegant form of its ornaments. Several of the Egyptian temples are of still less considerable dimensions. In the euvirons of Mitla are remanís of a great pyramid, and some other buildings very much resembling these.” “ The Greek ornaments of the palace of Mitla pre sent, no doubt,” continues M. Iiumboldt, “ a striking' analogy to those of the vases of lower Italy, and to othcrs which we find spread over the stiriace of almost tlie vitóle of the Oíd Continent. We perceive in them the same design which we admire in the vases falseJy called Tascan (Etruscan ?), or in the frieze of the ancient temple near the grotto of Egeria at Home.” But the perfection of these ornaments, he contends, “ is no indication of any great progress of cívilisation in the people among whom tliey are fotmd. M. Kru- senstern gives a description of «trabesques of great elegance, ñxcd, by means of tattooing, on tlie skins of the most savageinhabitants of Washington’» Islands.”* Witliout running into hypothesis, however, the orna ments in question, and the whole style of the building, are so little in unisón with tlie character of the Mex-

* Pol. Essay, vol. ii. pp. 101—4. Researches, vol. ii. pp. 152—{(. The lcarncd Author promises to givc a further account of these intercsting remanís in his personal narrativo; but that portion of it relating to New Spain, has never as yet inade its appearance. I-Ie (loes not, however, seem to have visited M itla him self. T he drawing given in the Picturesque Atlas, was communicated by Don Luis Martin. Tile whole of tliis distrlct inerits the particular attention of the future traveiier. We should liave been glad to give a view of this interestiug site, but I-linnboldt’s píate exhibits only some fragm ents of wall. 134 MEXICO. ican IcocaUis, that théy would seem to justify our referring tliem to a peopls ot' distinet origini M. Hum- boldt thinks it scarceiy probable, that the cditice is of a date anterior to the thírteenth or fourteenth eeu- tnry. . Possibly, a fureber examinatiori' may throw some light on its comparative antiquity. It.will de serte also to be ascertaíned, whether the excavation be natural or wholly artificial. The “ great pyramid,” of the existence of which we ave somewbat sceptical, clainis particular attention ; and it will be important to ascertain, what apparent analogy tbere is between the ruins of Mitla and tbose of Palenque, and other ancient remains in the kiugdoni of Gnatimala; particularly the cavern of Mixeo in tbe valley of Xilo- petec, tbe entrance to which is stated to bave a “ Dorio pórtico.” ' An interesting natural curiosity is found at tho village of Santa Maria del Tule, three leagues east of Oáxaca, between Santa Lucia and Tlacoebiguaya. It is au ancient cypress (cupressus disticha), tlie trunk of which is still larger tlian that of tbe eypress of At- lixcu,* measuring nearly 120 i'eet in circumference. Oh a minute examinatiori, however, its enormous bulk is found to be composed of three triuiks that llave i’Town together. Tiie only port in this intendaney mentioned by Ilmnboldt, is that of Tehuantepec or Teguantepec, situated at the bottom of a creek formed by the otean between the small villages of San Francisco, San Dionisio, and Santa María de la Mar. “ This port,” saya Humboldt, “ tbougli impeded by avery dangerous bar, will become one day of great consequenee, wben navigation in general, and especially tlic exportution

* Sec vol. i- p. 250. MEXICO. 13 5 oí the inrtigo of Guatimala, símil becomo more freqüent by the Rio Guasacualco” As a porta it hardly de serves the name : nono but smull vessels can pass tlie bar, and without, tliey are exposed in an open road- stead. The sands brought down by the river Chima- lapa, increase the bar every year, and the town of Tehuantepec is now iour leagues from the sea. Rut it is at this part of the isthmus, betwcen the bay of Tehuantepec and the port of Guasacualco, tliat the continent is namnvcst, the distance from the Atlantic to the Paciíic Ocean not exceeding 40 leagues.* The isthmus of Tehuantepec comprises, under the parallel of 1G° N., tho sources of the Guasacualco (or IJuasa- cualeo), which discharges itself into the Gulf of Méx ico, and those of tho Chimalapa, which mingles its waters with the Southern Ocean near the Barra de San Francisco. The approximation of the sources of tliese two rivers, (which, accordíng to Mr. Robinson, are within five leagues of each other,) suggested to the patriòtic viceroy, Count de Revíllagigedo, the project of a canal to connect the two seas. - A fortu nate accident, Humboldt ini'onns us, towards the end of the last century, ivas the means of directing the attention of the Mexican Government to this part of the isthmus. “ There was discovered, in 1771, at Vera Cruz, amongst the artillery of the castle of San Juan de Ulna, several pieces of camión, cast at Manilla. As it was hnown that, before tlie year ¡70'7, the Spaniurds neither doubled the Cape of Good Iíope ñor Cape Horn, in theír voyage to the Philippine Islands, and that since the first expeditions of Magellan and Loysa, who

* Mr- Robinson States the latitudo of Guasacualco loosely at about 18° J ( /; th a t of Tehuantepec a t about l(j° 3ti'. 136 MEXICO. set oiit from Spain, all the conimerce of Asia was earried on in the Galleon of Acapulco, they could not conceive how tliese guiïs had crossed the continent oí’ México on their way from Manilla to the Castle of Ulua. The extreme difliculty of the road from Aca pulco to México, and from thence to Xalapa and Vera Cruz, rendered it very improbable that they should come by that way. In the course of their ínvestiga- tions, they learned both from the chronicle of Tehu- antepec* written by Father Burgoa, and from the traditions preserved among the inhabitants of the Isthmus of Huasacualco, that these gnus were cast at the Island of Luzon, and landcd at the Bar of San Francisco; that they liad ascended the bay of Santa Teresa, and the Rio Chimalapa; that they had been carried by the farm of Chívela and the forest of Tarifa to the Río del Malpasso ; and that, after hav- i»g been again embarked, they descended the Rio Huasacualco, to its mouth in the Gulf of México. “ It was then very reasonahly ohserved, that this road, which had been frequented in. the beginning of the conquest, might still hecome very useful for the opening a direct communication hetwcen the two seas. The viceroy, Don Antonio Bucareli, gave orders to two able engineers, Don Augustin Cramer and Don Miguel del Corral, to examine with the greatest minutencss, the country between the Bar of Huasacualco and the road of Tehuantepec; and he instructed them at the same time to verify whether, as was vaguelysupposed, among the small rivers of Ostnta, Chicapa, or Chima- lapa, there was none which in any of its branches communicated with tlie two seas. From the itinerarv

l< Burgoa, Palestra Historial o Crónica do ia Villa de Tetm- nutcpoc. México, H¡74." ¡MEXICO. 1 3 7 journals of these two engineers, of whom the former was líeutenant of the castle of Ulna, I drew tij» my inap oí the Isthmos of Tehuantepec. They found tliat no river discharged at the same time its waters into tho South Sea and the Atlantic Ocean ; that the Rio Huasacualco díd not take its riso, as the viceroy liad heen informed, near the town of Tehuantepec; and that, on ascending it heyond the eatavact, even as far as the oíd desembarcadero of Malpasso, they were stíll more than twenty-six leagues distant from the shores of the South Sea. They observed that a cliain of mountains, of very inconsiderable height, divides the waters between the gulf of México and the gulf of Tehuantepec. This small cordillera stretches from east to west, from the Cerros de los Mixes, f'ormerly inhabited by a wíld and warlike tribe * towards the elevated table-land of Portilla de Petapa. The en- gineer, Cramer, affimis, however, that to the sonth of the village of Santa María de Chimalapa, the mountains form a groupe rathcr than an unintemipted cliain, and 4 that there exists a transversal valley, in which a canal of communication might be cut between the two seas.’ This canal, which would imite the Rio de Chimalapa with the Rio del Passo (or Mal- passo), would be only six leagues in lengtli. The boats would ascend the Rio Chimalapa, which affords «a very ffiisy navigation from Tehuantepec to the village of San Miguel; and from thence, they would pass by the canal projected in the time of Count de Revillagigedo, to the Río del Passo. This river discharges itself ínto the Rio de Huasacualco near the Bodegas de la •Pernea,* butits navigation is extremely diflicult on account of the seven rapids {raudales) which are

“ ‘'C a rta sd e Corte?;, y. 37$." 138 MEXICO. countcd between its sourcfi and the mouth of the Rio de Saravia. “ It would be of infinite importarme again to order tilia gronnd to be examined by intelligent engineers, to determíne whether, as iras believed by M. Cramer, the canal behceen the Iwo seas can be executed with- onfc locks, or without incliued planes, and whether, by blowing np the rocks with powder, the beds of the rivers Passo and Chimalapa can lie deepened. The Isthmus 5s rich in cattle, and would, from its greut fertility, supply vahiable productions for the connnerce of Vera Cruz. The fine plains of Tehuantepec would be susceptible of irrigation from the Rio de Chimalapa: in tlieír present state, they produce a little indigo and cochinenl of a superior quality. “ Before setting on foot, in the Islands of Cuba and Pinos, the felling of cedar and aeajou wood (cedrclti. odorata and swietenia mahoyany), the dock-yards of the Havannah drew their ivood for. ship-building from the thick forest whicli covers the northern slope of the Cerros de Petapa and Tarifa. The Isthmus of Tehuantepec was at that time very mucli frequented, and the ruins of several honses which are stül to he seen on the two banks of the river Huasacualco, are to be dnted back to that period. The cedar and aeajou wood was embarked at the Bodegas de Malpasso. “ To avoid the seven rapids of the Rio del Passo, a new port (desembarcadero) was establishecl in 179R, at the mouth of the Rio de Saravia: the salt provisions (tasajo) of Tehuantepec, the índigo of Guatimala, and the coehineal of Oaxaca, were conveyed by thisway to Vera Cruz and the Havannah. A road lias becn oponed from Tehuantepec, by Chihuitan, Llano Grande, Santa Maria Petapa, and Guehieovi, to the new port of La Cruz. They reckon this road thirty-four MEXICO. 139 leagues. The productions destiiied for the Havannah do jiot descerní to tlie mtmth of the Rio I-Iuasacnalco, or to the smail port of that nante, because they are afraid of exposiug tlieir canoes to the north winds, during the long passage from the liar of Huasacnalco to the port of Vera Cniz. They disembark the goods at the Passo de la Fabrica; and from thence they are oonveyed on tho backs of mides, by the village of Aca- yucan to the banks of the river San Juan, where they are again embarked in Iarge canoes, and transponed by the bar of Tlacatalpan. to the port of Vera- Cruz.” By this road, whioh was completed iu the year 1800, the river Guasacnalco fomis a eommercial communication, thongh an iinperfect one, between the two oceans. When Spain was at war with Great Britain, the índigo of Guatímala was brougiit by way of this isthmus to the port of Vera Cruz, whence it ivas exponed to Europe 5 but the earriage of goods on the back of nuiles, 1‘rom Telmautepec to Vera Cruz, by Oaxaca, was, in 1C04, as high as thirty piasters (0/. Os.) per load; and tile mnleteers tnok tliree months in accomplishing the journey, though tho dix- tance is not 75 Ieagnes in a straight line. By way of the isthmus and the river Guasacnalco, Humboklt States, nearlyhalf the expense of earriage, andsevemv days, might be saved. The mouth of tiie Guasacnalco has nlready been roferred to as one of the four points to wliicli it was proposed to transfer tiie commerce of Vera Cruz;® and it wonld seem to be by far the most eligible. The inhabitants ol' Oaxaca have long been hent on ibis favourite object. So far hack as the year 1745, a me morial was presentía! to the vicerov by spvurol distin-

1 Vr:l. i. p. l’AüT in. 1-10 MEXICO. /^iiislicd Creóles, praying him to represent to tlie court of Madrid, the immense henefits to tlie kingdom tliat woultl resuit from making Guaaacualco a port oí’ entry, and the grand conimevcial depót, instead of Vera Cruz. This memorial, a copy of which Mr. Robinson saw when at Oaxaca, in 1S1G, after giving a topographical description of the isthmus, and expatiating

* Itobinson’s Memoirs, vol. ii. p. 301. MEXICO. 141 displeasure of the cabinet, by favouring the project of a water communication between the two rivers. The liarbour of Guasacualco is stated by Mr. Ro- biiison to he the most spacious and secure of any on the Atlantic coast. u It is,” hesays, “ the only port in the Mexican Gulf, wliere vessels of war and others of a large.size can enter,* and is far superior either to Pensacola or Espirita Santo. There are, at all seasons, on the bar at the mouth of the port, twenty-two fcet water ; and it is said, that, during the flood of the river, the bar occasionally shifts, and affords passages in five and six fathoms water. Some years ago, a Spanish ship of the line, called the Asia, crossed the bar of Guasacualco, and anchored in the port. The river is navigable for vessels of the largest size, to within twelve leagues of the navigable waters of the Chiraalapa and Tehuantepec. The latter river admits vessels drawing twenty feet water. It was on this river that Cortes constructed ships, wlien he sent Pedro de Alvarado to concpier Gnatimala.” The expedition of Fernando de Grixalva to California, in 1534, sailed also from Tehuantepec; and in like man. 11er, the vessels in wliich Cortes embarked at Cha- metla, in the following year, were constructed at the mouth of the Chimalapa, of materials brought by the river Guasacualco; so early liad this part of the coast attracted the attention of the Spaniards. One of these vessels was lost in Crossing the bar of St. Francis, on leaving the laguna of Santa Theresa. The topography

* See p. 24 of the present volmne. This gentkman mentions, on hearsay information, a port, whieh iie calis Matamnla, as the hest to tlie north of Vera Cruz: it is, he says, in lat. üiP Cl)', ahout half way hetween the rivers Sabine and Del Norte, and has twenty feet on the bar. No such port ís mentioned by Humboldt, but be con- fessos that this part of the coast liad never bcen accuratcly explored. 'The latitude is that of the eiKr.mce to the Hay of St. Ikrnard. 142 MEXICO. of the isthmus of Tehuantepec, however, HumboMt remarks, (and he might have added, the liydrography of the whole coast,} is altogether unknown in Europe. The memorial of the Oaxacan citizens speaks of á number of vaTuable ports on .the coast of this intendancy, whicli are set down, indeed, in Humboldt’s map, but respecting wliich nothing is known. They par» ticularly mention, Mr. Robinson says, besides Tehu antepec, San Diego, Santa Cruz de Guatulco, Caca- luda, San Augustin, Puerto de los Angeles, Escondido, and the bay of Mazuntla. “ The port of Escondido (hidden port) has,” it is added, u a narroiv hut excel lent entrance, which is only discovered on a very near approach to the coast; it is as spacious as Acapulco, and woukl afford perfeetly secure moori ngs for hundreds of vessels. It could easily be fortified, so as to render it ímpregnable to external attacks. The portof Santa Cruz de Guatulco, likewise, is equal to any on the sliorcs of tlie Pacific, and is situated only 35 leagues S. of the city of Oaxaca.” Of the feasibleness o£ a canal betwcen the two riversj this Traveller entertains little doubt. By some extraordinary convulsión of nature, he States, vast chasms or ravines have been formed among the mountains which traverse the isthmus; and duriag the rainy season, these chasnis contain a vast body of water, which sceks its discharge by rivers flowing into either ocean. “ The Indians of the istlunus, partí- cularly tbose of Tabasco and Tehuantepec, assert that thev pass with tlieir canoes eutirely through the isthmus. We endeavonred, while at Oaxaca, to ascertain this fací, and are convinced, that when the waters are at their lieight during the rainy season, a caiuiü may pass, by the sinuosities of the ravines, from the Guasaeualeo to tlié rivers Chimalapa and Tehtuuu MEXICO. 143 tepeo. We will not positively assert tliat a navigable canal may be formed so as to unite tlie waters oí' these three rivers, but we believe it practicable.” No doubt, liowever, he adds, can exist, “ lliat a good carriage road might be made, of from twclve to four- toen leagues, along the sides of the mountains, by wliich every species of mcrcbandise could be trans» ported witli ease, in a few hours, from tlie waters of the Chimalapa to those of the Guasacualco.” By this means, the passage of the isthmus might, he calcúlate», bo effected in less than six davs. A steam-vessel could perform the voyage from Tehuantepec to Canton, in less than 50 days, and might get from the same port to the mouth of Colombia river, in from 18 to 24 days. The voyage from Philadelphia to Guasacualco would oceupy six days. Thus, by means of steam-boat navi gatio», Mr. R. reckons, that a voyage from the United States to China might be performed in less than sixty-three days, the route being shortened by a fourth; and from Philadelphia to Colombia river, on the north- west eoast, in from thirty to thirty-six days, a distance being saved of more than two-thirds. These calmtla- tions would at one time have appeared extremely visionary : they now require only to be verified. The popnlation of Tehuantepec, Mr. Robinson adds, are among the most active and healthy race of Indians in the counlry. “ The Indian females may propcrly be styled the Circassians of Southern (Central) Ame rica. Tlieir piercing eyes give to their countennnce an extraordinary animation; their long black hair is ncatly plaited, and adorned wíth combs, made of gold or tortoise-shell; while the celerity and grace of their movementsstrike a stranger with astonishment. They are very industrious, and manufacture ncurly all their own clothing. They are remarkable for their clcaulu K 2 H -l MEXICO. ness, auri are lbnil of bathiug.” The Spanish Govern ment, during tlie recent revolutiou, lookcd upon these Indians with a jealous oye, in consuquence oi' thoir known predilección for the insurgents. The vicinity of the town to the sea-coast, and its being situated ou a navigable river, were circumstantes that gave the Government mutili uneasiness, because they were aware, that if a foreign enemy should land on the coast of Oaxaca, they wonld be reeeivod with opea anas by lite Indians of Tehuantepec, and, indeed, by the greater part of the population of the whole province. The intcndancy of Oaxaca, continues Mr. Rohinson, “ not only possesses an immense population, but is of the highest importance for its valuable productions. It is the región of New Spain that appears the most favourablo to the production of the important article ol' coehineal. In no other part of México (loes the nopal (on which tree the coehineal inseet subsists) flourish so well. Its propagation has been unsuccess- fully attemptod in various other provinces; but not only do the climate and soil appeav pcculiarly adaptert to this plant in Oaxaca, but the Indians bave, by a long courscof practice, aequired so mucb experience in fchemanner of cultivating the nopal, and colleetmg the insecto, as to preclude all rivalship in any of the other provinces. In some years there have been produced, in Oaxaca, four hundred thousand pounds weight of coehineal: this is worth in Europe, even during peace, about one million six hundred thousand dollars. During war, it has frequently sold in England at twenty-five shillings sterling per pound. The j>oor Indian who collects this precious commodíty, barters it for mamifactured guods to the Spanish shop-keepers in the villages. The extortion bf these men, together with MEXICO. 145 the exaccions of the Government and the priesthood, leave to the Indian a miserable return for his care and industry ; Imt we llave no doubt, that if tliese unjust and nnnatural restrictiona on the labouv oi’ the natives wcre removed, the intendancy of Oaxaca wouhl, in a vcry few years, produce ahove a million of pouuds of cochineal per annum. “ ïlie mountains of this intendancy, particularly those of the Misteca, are likewise peculiarly adapted to the growth of the mulberry-tree. Many years ago, the experiment was mude, and it succeeded so well, that it awakened the jealousy of the European Spa- niards; and they created so many obstacles to the manufacturing of silk in Oaxaca, that the Indians became exasperated, and in onc night destroyed every mulberry-tree in the intendancy; since which time no attempts have heen made to renew its culture. u Tlie indigo of the district of Tehuantepec, is supe rior in quality to that of Guatimala; but, as there are no ports open to foreign commerce along the coast of the Pacific Ocean, in the vicinity of Tehuantepec, ñor, indeed, on any part of the coast of Oaxaca, the inhabitants have not been stimulated either to the culture of that, or of the cotton-plant, or of the sugar-cane, except so far as is absolutcly necessary to supply their own immediate consumption. “ In all the mountainous districts of Oaxaca, and more especially in the spacíous valleys which are situated from twenty-ñve hundred to six thousand feet above the level of the sea, we find a soil and climate at least equal, if not superior, to auy on the globe. There is not a single article raised in the temperate /.one, that would not here find a congenial región. Wheat and all kinds of grain yield a return to tlie cultivator, equal to that of the most fertile parts of 1 4 6 MEXICO- Europe. The fruits atul vegetables of Oaxaca are im- rivalled for luxuriance and delicncy. Peaehes, pears, apiícots, and strawbcrrios, are heve to be found of a sino and flavour superior to those of the south ot {'ranee; and the vurietv and excellenee of the grape point out the valleys of Oaxaca as the great future vineyards of New Spain. Asparagus, artichokes, tur- »¡ps, cabbages, and all the variotis productiori* of hor- ticulture, grow to a sisee and perfection we have never beheltl elsewhcre. “ To all tírese important natural advantages of this favoiired country, must be added that of its mineral productions. Some of the most valuable gold mines of New Spain are in this province; but they have not yet been extcnsively workcd, ínasmuch as tlie attention of the directors of the mining establishments in México has been principally direeted to tlie mines of Guanaxuato, and of other provinces, silver mines heing considered more profitable tiran tliose of gold. The Indians of the Upper and Lower Misteca, as well as those of the district of Tehuantepec, collect grains of gold iu tlie beds of the rivnlets tliat flow through the mountains ; and larger masses of gold have been fouiul in Oaxaca, than in any other part of New Spain. Indications of silver ore are, likewise, disco, vctahle iu all the mountainous ilistricts; but as yet, scavcely any attention has Leen paid to them. In fact, there cannot be a doubt tliat this province abounds in all tlie precious minerals ; and wlien the use of ma- ehinery shall be introdneed, and the restrictioris on human industry and enterprise he removed, this pro vince will yield as mueli gold and silver as any other in America. It is worthy of remark, likewise, tliat copper and iron.orc have heen fouiul iu different parts of Oaxaca. In the villagc of Yanhuillan, there ís a MEXICO. 1 4 7 Iai-ge píece oí' metal, which the blacksmiths of the place use as aú anvih It was found on the summit oí' a hill neár the village, and is of an extraordinary weight íor its dimensions. Varions attexnpts have ticen made to fuse it, but it lias resisted tlie most intense heat.” This iiiass of metal is termed, in some manuscript notes, drawu up by generals Teran and Bnstamente, platina; a metal which, according to Humboldt, has never yet heeu discovered in any part of America nortli of Panama. Mr. Robinson says s “ The mine- ralogists will of course pronounce it to be impossible* and we arc content.” Whatever the metal inay be, the fact is curious, and the statements of this intelligent American, being drawn from native sonrces, merit attention. It will not be long bcfore the topo» graphy of this valuable province will be better known to us. No part of México is more accessible than this province. According to Mr. Robinson, an army could march in 48 hours from the port of Guasacualco to the table-land of Oaxaca. We trust that no invading army will ever he allowcd to makc such au experiment; but British and American mercliants and travellers may ere long be able to report as to the practicability oí’ the route. It only remains to give some accolmt of the great jieninsula of Yucatán, situated between the bays of Campeachy and Honduras, which forma the intendaney of MERIDA.

T h is province, which is separated, on the south-west, by the Rio Baraderas or de los Lagartos (lizards),*

* T he m oulh o f this rivor is stated to be in lat. 21° 31' N .; long. 90° 30' 15" W . o f Paris. 148 MEXICO. from the intendancy of Vera Cruz, ís bounded on tlie south by Chispa and Vera Paz in Guatimala; and on the west, by the English establishments, whieh extern! along- the eastern coast, from the mouth of the river Hondo to the north of Hanover Buy, opposite the island of Ubero (Ambergris key). Cape Catoche, its north-eastern point (in lat. 21° 30'), is only 51 leagues distant from Cape San Antonio, the western extremity of the island of Cuba, wkich is supposed at a remote period to have formed part of the American continent. Tlie northern coast of Yucatán is observed to follow exactly the direction of the “ current of rotation” or gulf stream. The peninsula consists of a vast plain, intersected from N.E. to S.W. by a chain of hills of small elevation. “ The country which extends east from tliese hills towards the bays of Ascensión and Espíritu Santo, appears to be the most fertile part, and was the earliest inhabited. The ruins of Euro- pean edifices in the island of Cozuniel," in the midst of a grove of palm-trees, indicate that that island, now uninhabited, was, at the commencement of the conquest, peopled by Spanish colonists. Since the settlement of the English betwecn Omoa and the Rio Hondo, the Government, to diminish the con- traband trade, concentrated the Spanish and Indian population in that part of the península which is west of the mountains of Yucatán. Colonists are not permitted to settle on the eastern coast, on the banks of the Rio Bacalar and Rio Hondo; and all this vast country remains uninhabited, with the exceptiou of the presidio of Salamanca.” The extent of the intendancy of Merida, is stated at nearly 0000 square leagues; the population, in 1803, *

* Scc vol. i. p. (i. MEXICO. 1 4 9 at 4(15,800, being only 81 to thc square league ; and this in one of thc heultlliest, though one of tlie warm- cst provinces ol‘ equinoccial America. This calcnla- tion, however, does not include thc several Indian trilies who have preserved their independencc in the Southern part of the mountain district, wliich is ren. dered ahnost inaccessible hy tliick forests and the lnx- uríance of tropical vegetación. The only towns in this intendancy mentioned i>y Humboldt, are Mérida, Campeche, and Valladolid. Mérida de Yucatan, the provincial capital, is sitnated ten leagues in the interioi*, in the inidst of an aridplains the population is estimated at 10,000. Its sinall port is called Si'/.al, situated to the west of Cha- boana, opposite a sand-bank nearly ttvelvc leagues in Iength, in lat. 21° 10' N., long. 92° 1!)'. 45" W. of Paris. Campeche has a resident population of 0000. The port, fonned by the mouth of the Rio de San Francisco, is not very secure, and vessels are obliged to anchor a great way from the shore. It derives its ñame from two words in the Muya language; cam signiíying serpent, and peche, the yampata insect (acarus), botli of which, it may he inferral, annoy thc inhabitant». It stands in lat. 19c 50' 45" N., long. 92° 50' 40" W. Betwecn Campeche and Mérida are two very considerable Indian villages, called Xampo- lan and Equetchecan. Valladolid is a small town, surrounded wíth extensive cotton.plantations. The cliiof esports, besides ,the fnmous Campeche wood, are cotton and wax. The trees which fur- nisli this wood, (hcemaloxylon campechianum,) grow in abundance in several districts of this inten dancy. The cutting takes place once a year, on the banks of thc river Champoton, the mouth of whicli is to the south of Campeche, within four leagues 1 5 0 MEXICO. of tlio small village of Inerma. “ It is only with the special permission of the intendant of Merida,” lium- boldt savs, “ that the merchant can from time to time cnt down Campeche wood to the east of tiie mountairis, near the hays of Ascensión, Todos los Santos, and Espirita Santo, where the English carry on an exten sivo and lucrative contrahand trade.” After being cnt down, the wood must dry for a year, hefore it can be sent to Vera Cruz, the Havannah, or Cádiz. The tree is not peculiar to Yucatán and Honduras, hut is fonnd scattered thronghout the forests of the equinoc- t¡al regions, wherevor the mean temperature of the air is not helow 71° of Fahrenheit. The chínate of Merida does not admit of the cultivation of Enropean grain, hut the inhabitants cultivate maize and the manioc root. Ilumboldt attrihutes the saluhrity of the climate in tlus intendaney to the extreme dryness of the soil and atmosphere. From Campeche to Cape Catoche, the navigator does not find a single spring of fresh water; hut, on the northern coast, a very remarkable phenomenon occurs. At the mouth of the llio de los La gartos, 1300 ieet from the shore, springs of fresli water spout up from amidst thesalt water. Thcy arecalled the boceas (mouths) de Conil. The learued Traveller supposes that, bysome strong hydrostaticpressure, the fresh water, after bursting the calcareous rock, hetween the clefts of which it has flowed, is made to rise ai>ove the level of the salt water. The same phenomenon is found in the bay of Xagua, off the Island of Cuba. The ñame of New Spain was at first given (in 1518) only to the peninsula of Yucatán. Grijalva, who landed here the year hefore the expedition of Cortes, was astonished at the cultivation of-the íields and the beauty of the ludían edifices. Cortes aftenvards MEXICO. 1 5 1 extended the ñame to thc whole cmpire üf Montezuma. Yucatán was never subjeot, however, to the A'/.tec sultans. The íirst conquerors were Rtmck with the advaaced civilisatton of the inhabitants. Theyfoimd liouses built of stone, ccmented with lime, jiyramidal ediflces (teocallís), whieh thcy compared to Moorish mosques, fields enclosed with hedges, and the people dothed. IVIanv ruins, purticularly of sepulchral nio- rmments, ave still to he discovered to the east of the small central ehain of monntains. Tlie lar.guage spoken by the Lidian» of tilia intendaney is the Maya, wluch is extranely gnttural, and of whieh theve exist four tolerahly complete dictionaries. The intendant of Met ida bore the title of captain-gencral of Yncatan, and appears to have been in sume degreo independent of the viceroy, it being reeognised as a distinet terri tory.

We liave now completed our survey of tito twclvc intendancies and the three provinces iuto whieh, by the latest arrangement under the colonial system, i\léxico was divided. Wc have been compelled to acibere to tltat arrangement, and to preserve thc ñame of intendancies, allhongh, by the recent política! changos, these tenns have been rendered obsolete, and the distributíon of the provinces has been some- wliat modiiied. The present arrangement, however, can liardly be considered as definitive. For instance, the interior castern provinces will not ultimately remain Consolidated into one state; Texas will probably be annexed to I/Ouisiana, and Santander and León will dctach themselves from Cohahnila. Then, again, Durango and New México cannot eveutually reniain nnited, ñor will the lattcr be ahvays dependent for its Kupplies on the Southern provinces. Un the other hand, Quorotaro and Tabasco serm «cavcelv emitled l ’A H T IV . 1 5 2 MEXICO. to rank as separata statas. The Jatter, if detached ñ'om. Vera Cruz, uiight imite with Chinpa.® Other changos will he introduced both in llie Medican Federation and that of thc Central States. As Cliiapa, however, though usuaílv comprehended in Guatimala, has adhered to México, andnow fonns an i ntcgral part of that republic, it may be proper, before conchuling our description of thc latter country, to give some account of ít in this place.

CIJIAPA.

T his state, formerly an ¡ntendancy of Guatimala, is bounded, on the north, by Tabasco; on the nortli- east, by Yucatán; on the east, by Totonicapan and Suchiltepec; on the west, by Oaxaea and Vera Cruz; and on the south, by the Pacific Ocean. It is about 250 miles in length from east to west, and 90 miles in its extreme breadth, lying between lat. 14° 40', and 17° 30' N., and long. 93° Id', and 95° 46' W. It contains 1 city, 1 town, 109 villages, and 128,000 inhabitants.*t- “ What now forms the intendancy of Chiapa,” says a native historian, to whom ivc shall have occasion to make freqüent referencc liereafter, “ was, in the pcriod of its paganism, divided into íive

* Wc regret that wo have not moro accurate informatio» on the subject of the present arrangement. The enumeratio» glven by Mr. Poinsett as taken from tile ” Constitutive Act of tlie Mesican Kation," apparcntly omits tire important províncc of Guadalaxara, while it incluti es, asa separate state, X a ü s v o , a placo notany «hete mentionedby Huinboldt; only, i» his map, we flnd tito port of XaUico Matanchc on the coast of tiiat intendancy, near the C erra d e l V a lle , in lat. 21°. If this place be important etiough to give its ñam e to th eS tatc, it is marvoUous th a t it should never before liare been heard of. No geographícal order is observed íu the enume- ratlon. f Juarros’s Ilist. of Guatim ala, p. 21. MEXICO. ta 3 provinces, pcopled by as many different na tions, who have, to tlie: present day, preserved tlieir distinet idioins; vis¡. Chiapa, Llanos, Tzondales, Zoque», and Soconusco. Of the last, tiie Spaninrds fonned the govenunent of Soconusco, and of the other four, tlie alcaldia mayor of Ciudad Real. By u roynl order in tlie year 1794, tlie latter was again subdívided to form the alcaldia mayor of Tuxtla, ivliicli was composed of the distríets of Chiapa and Zoques, wliíle tliose of Llanos and Tzendales remained to Ciudad Real. In 1790, the íntendaneyof Chiapa was created, and tliese threo divisions were re-united under the jurisdietíon of the intendant, wlio resides in Ciudad Real, and has a deputy at Tuxtla, Soconusco, and Comitau.” * The. district of Soconusco, liowever, has heen, by tJie recent arrangomonts, again constituted a separate government; and the above descriptiou will not strictly apply to the State of Chiapa, which, instend of reacli- ing to the shores of tlie Pacific, is bounded by Soco nusco on the soutli, and mnst be considered as wliolly an inlaud provinec. 11 has already been stated, that this province, lying contiguons aliko to -México and the Central States, was clahned by botli 5 and tliat, the optíon being given to the inliabitants, Chiapa dcclarcd its wisli to join the Mexican unión, «-hilo the district of Soconusco adhered to the Central Federa- tion. Thus, the province lias been divided betwecn the two Republics. The history of Soconusco nboimds with vicissitiules. That district was the íirst into which Pedro do Alvarado penetrated, and tlie first Indian villages that were reduced hy him to the Spimish dominión, were on this part of the eoast. I11 iormer times, it was one of the most pnpulous and

* Juarvos’s llist. of Guatiniala, r. H. 154 MEXICO. opulent (lixtriotfi in the kingdom of Guatimala. Its aneicnt cnpitaï, from vhieh the provinee took its name, situated betwecn the villages oi' San Domingo

* Don D. J u a r ro s statos lite ¡>o¡nilat¡ou at 1,50?! inhabitante. Unless this be au error o t ihe iness for 15,01«), the discrcpancy ¡> unaccountably ¡;rcat. MEXICO. 1 5 7 inountuinous rountry, covered with forests of cedar, eypress, pino, and walnut-trees. Extensive woods are fornid also iu tlie lowcr región, which abouud with tlie American lion (miztli), the jaguar or minee, the wild Itoar, parrots of great beauty, and great numbers of ser pents. Goats, slieep, and j>igs, of thoEnropean breed, liare multiplied in tliis province to a remarkable degree 5 and tlie breed of liorses is so much esteemed, tliat eolts are sent to México. The chief prodnetions are oHton, cocoa, inai/.e, cociiineal, lioney, and aromatic gums. Our Information with regard to tliis province is very vague and imperfect, but it is evident that a very small proportio» of it lias been brought under cultivation. Tlic population does not amount to quite iive-sixths of that of Vera Cruz, whicli contains only «>8 inhabitants to every square leagtie, but is about twice as large. It appears, liowever, to llave bcen, prior to ti ie conqnest, tbe seat oi' an advanced civi- lísation, and to Lave beon well peopled. Near tile village of San Domingo Palenque, on tile borders of i ucatan, are considerable vestiges of an Indian capi tal, which were accidentally discovered about the nucidle of the last century, in the midst of a fertile and salubrious tract of country, almost entirely depo- puíated. Tlie.se renuüns, ahliough both tlieir antiquity and their nrehitectural beauty llave been ab- surdly magnífied, are highly interesting, and merit the attention of future travellevs. “ Tliis metropolis,” says-Don Domingo Juarros, thc historian of Guati- mala, “ like another Herculaneum, not ¡ndeed over- whelmcd by the torrent of anotlicr Vesuvius, but concealed for ages iu the midst of a vast desert, remained unknown until thc middle of the eighteenth century, when some Spauiards having penecrated the drearv solitude, found themselves, tu their great astonish- 158 MEXICO. ment, within sight of the remanís of what liad once Iicen a superb city, six leagues in ctrcumference. The solidity of its edílices, tlie statelmess of its palaces, and the magnifieence of its public works, were not siirpassed by thevastness of itsextent: temples, altars, sculptures, and monumental stones, hear testimony to its vast antiquity.” The hieroglyphics and emblems found liere, are represented by the learned liistorian as beaving so strong a resemblance to those of the Kgyptians, that he is strongly inclined to ascribe them to a colony of that nation ! The marvellous report brought back by tlie first discoverers liaving reached the ears of the Spanísh Government, a royal mandato was issued in May 17««, directing a fnvther examination of these ruins; and Captain Pon Antonio del Ilio was appoiuted by the Captain-general of Guatimala, to curry the man date into executiou. Reing provided with a corps of ludían pioneers, he proceeded to the spot; bul he had ih'sfc to opon a road to the “ Palencian city,” and a fortnight was oceupied with felling and firing the timbar with which the ruins were inaccessibly sur- roimded. Having sncceeded by this means in obtain-' ing not only a olear path, but a wholesome atmospherc for his further operations, he set to work on the Casas de Piedras, as the ruins are calíed; and ulci- mately, he says in his Report, “ títere remained neither a window ñor a doorway blocked up, a partition that was not thrown down, ñor a room, corridor, couvt, ov tower, unexplored, ñor a subterranean passago in which excavations wsre not effccted from two to tlirce yards in depth.” Tile original mannscript doaunent in which Don Antonio gives an account of his proceedings, was brought to íigiit not many years ago, in an examination of the public archivos of the M K X 1 C 0 . 159 city of Guatimala. It lias sïnce Ijcoii nuule pnblio in thc shape of an English traiislatiou, togetlier with the loarned connnentavy of Doctor Paul l'elix Cabrera, of New Gmitimala, M’ho is stiil more confident thaà liis fellow-citizcn as to tlieír Egvptian origin.* Don Antonio’s descriptiori of the site is as follows. « From Palenque, the iast town nortlnvard in the province of Ciudad Real' de Chiapa, taking a south- vesterly direction, and aseending a vulgo ot high Iand that divides tlie kingdom of Guatimala from Yucatán or Campeche, at tlie distance of two leagues is the little river JUieol, whose wàters fiowing in a westerly direction, unite witli the great river Tulija, wliicli litínds its com-se towards the province of Tahasco. Ilaving passed the Micol, the ascent begins; and at Jtalf a league trom thence, the traveller crosses a littla stream called Otolum, diseharging its wàters into the before-mentioned current. Proni tlus ponit, lieaps of mins are diseovered, wliich render the road very difficult for another lialf langue, when yon gain the hcight on wliicli the Stone Houses are situated, being fourtecn in numher, some more dilapidated than otliers, hut stili having many of their apartments perfeotly dis- cernible. “ A rectangular area, three hnndred vards in bvcadtli hy four lmndred and fifty in lcngtli, presents a plain at the base of the highest monntain forniing the ridge; and in the centre is situated the largest of these stmetures which lias as yot been diseovered. It stands on a monnd twenty yards high, and is surrounded hy the other odi fices, namely, five to the nortlnvard, fotu- to the soutlnvard, one to the south.

< <> Dcsuriptii,» >J'thr Tl'<¡»* " f >M A nriw t Cii:', 'li.K w m i ,m„- fttlaxiuc, Oi tlw Kin^fom <‘f (Junten!«(«>” izc. 410. Lom lou, 11)22. i . '2 100 MEXICO. west, and tliree to the eastward. In all directious, the fragments of other falten buildings are to be seen cxtemling along the xnoimtain, that stretches east and west, about tliree or finir lcagues either way; so tlmt tlie wholo rango of this ruined town may be computed to extern! between seven and eight lcagues. But íts breadtil is by no means equal to íts lengtb, being Iittle more tban lialf a leaguc wide at the point wliere the ruins termínate, whidi is towards the river Micol, tliat winds round the base of the mountain, wlieuce descend small streams tlmt wash tlie foundation of the ruins on thuir banks; so that, were it not for tlie chicle uni- brageons íoliage of the trecs, they would present to the view so many beautifnl serpentine rivulets.” The rivera ahound with turde and the smuller sliell- fish, and mnning to the east, nortli, and west, afford the utmost facility to inland traffic. An abundante of wild fruit-trees, the sapote, tile plantain, the agua cate, the camote, and the cassava, indícate what the soil would yield under proper cultivation. Under the Iargest building there runs a “ subteiTunean aqueduct, Imilt of stone, of grcat solidity.” Tlie descripción given of the Casas de piedras is vague and confused, and has the further disadvantage of appcaring in a very indifferent translación ; but, in tire absence of a more accurate account, it may not be unacceptable to the reader. £‘ The interior of the large building is in a style of arcbitecture strongly resembling the Gotlüc; and, from its rudo and massive constmctíou, promisos great durability. The entrance is on the easteru side, by a pórtico or corridor thirty-six yarda (varas) in length and threo in hreadth, snpportcd by plain rectangular pillars, witliout either bascs or pedestals, upoji which there are square smooth stones of more Llian a i'oot in MEXICO. 161 thickness, forming an urchitrave ; whilc on tlie ex terior superficies are shields of a species of stucco; and over theso stones, there is another plain rectangular block, five fect long and six broad, extcnding over two of tlie pillars. Medallions or compartments in stucco, containing different deviees of the same material, appear as decorations to tlie chambers; and it is pre- sumable from the vestiges of the heads which can still be traced, that tliey wcre the busts of a seríes of kings or lords to whom the natives were subject. Betweeu the metlallions there is a range of Windows lilee niches, passing from one end of the wall to the other: somc of them are squarc, some in the form of a Greek cross, being about two feet high and eight inches dcep. Boyond the corridor there is a square court, entcred by a flight of seven stops. The north side is entirely in vuins, hut sufficient traces remain to show that it once liad a clunnber and corridor similar to those on the eastcrn side, and which continued entirely along the severul angles. The south side has four small chambers, witli no other ornament than one or two little Windows líke those already dcscribed. The western side is correspondent to its opposite in all rospects hut in the varicty of expression of the figures in stucco s those are much more rudo and ridiculous than the otliers, and can be attributed ouly to the most uncultivated ludían cupaeity. The device ¡s a sort of grotesquc mask with u crown and long beard like that of a goat, under which ave two Greek crosses, one within the other. “ Proceeding in the same direction, there is another court, similar in length to the last, but not so' broad, having a passage round it that communicated with the opposite side: in this passage there are two chamhers like those above mentioned, and an interior gal* 1G2 MEXICO. Jery, looking on míe sido upon lite eonrt-yard, and commanding 011 the other a viuw of the ojien country. 3n this jiurt of the edifice, soine pillars yot, rcmain, on which are relieves apjiarently representing the saeri- iice of some wretohed Indian, the destinad victiin of a sanguinary religión. “ Returning by the south sido, the tower presents ¡tself to notice: its height is sixteen yards; and to tlic fottr existing stories of the Imilding * was pcrhaps added a lifth wilh a eupola. These stories diniinish in si'/e, and are without ornament. The tower has a well-imitated artificial entrance...... Beldad the fom* chamhers already mentioned, there are two others of largor dimensions, very well ornamented in the rudo ludían style, and which appear to liave heen used as oralories. Beyornl tliese oratorios, and extending from north to south, are two apartments, each twenty- seven yards long hv little inore than tlin e broad; they contain notldng worthy of notice, excepting a stono of an elliptical form, emhedded in the wall, ahout a yard ahove the pavement, the height of ■which is one yard and a quarter, and the breadth one yard. Below tliis stone, is a plain, rectangular block, more than two yards long by one yard four inches broad, and seven inches tliick, placed upon four feet in form of a table, with a figure in bas-velief, in the attitude ot supporting it. Charactcrs or symbols adorn the edges of the table. At the extremity of this apartment, and on a leve! with the pavement, there is an aperture like a liatchway, two yards long and more than one broad, leading to a subterranoau passage by a flight of steps, which, at a regular distante, forms flats or landings, each liaving its

Thcic are üiity threc íloors iu the suhjoinccl ctching. MEXICO. 1 6 3 respective doonvay ornamentcd in front. Other openiugs load to this subteminea» avenue. O» reach. ing tlie secornl door, artificial light becamc necessary tu the desceñí into this gleomy aliode, which was by a very gentle declivitv. It lias a turning at right angles; and at the end of tlie side.pr.ssttge, tlieve is another door, cotnmunicating with u chamber sixty- four yards long, and almost as large as those befuro described. Beyond this room thera is still another, similar in every respect, and having light admítted into it by some Windows commanding a corridor* l'rmiting the south, aud leadlng to the exterior oí' the edifico. Neither bas-reliefs ñor any other cmbcllish. ments wore found in these places, ñor

* How this consiste with its subterraneous positlon, wc caunot cxplain: thure is probably sume error. 164 MEXICO. covored with hieroglyphies in bas-relíef. The whole of this gallery and saloon are paved. “ Leaving this structuro, and passing by the ruins of many others, which werc probably accessory to tlie principal edifico, the declivity eonducts to an upen space, whereby the approach to another liouse in a southerly direction is rendcrcd practicable...... East- wanl of this structure aro tliree small eminences forming a triangle, upon each of which is a square bitild- ing, eighteen yards long Iiy eleven hroad, of tlte same arcliitecture as the former, but having, nlong tilín rooíings, several superstructuros about three yards high, ivxembling turrets, covered witli ornaments and devices in stucco. In the interior of the first of these three mansions, at the end of a gallery almost entirely dilapidated, is a saloon having a small chambor at each cxtremity. In the centre of the saloon is an oralory, rather more tlian three yards square, pres senting on each sitie of the entrance a perpendicular sloue, whereon is portrayed tlie image of a man in bas-relief. The outward decoration is confmed to a sort of moulding, finished witli smail stucco brieks, cm which are bas-reliefs. Tiie pavement of the oratory is quite smooth, and eíght iuches thick. On perfo- rating it in order to make au excava tion, I found, nbont half a yard deep, a small round earthen vessel, about a foot in diameter, íitted liorizontally with a mixture of lime to another of the same quality and dimensions. The digging boing continued, a quarter of a yard beneatii we diseovered a circular stone of rather largor diameter tlian the first articles; and on removing this, % cyliudrical eavity presented itseif, about a foot wide and the thivd ol‘ a foot deep, con. taining a iliut lance (lance-/ie«'J?), two small corneal MEXICO. 1 6 5 pyramida wltli the figure of a heart iu dark crystallised sume, (knciwn Iiy the ñame of challa.) and t\vi> small eartheu jars M'ith covers, containiug small stones and a hall of vcnnilíon.” The two other odiíiees are of similar architectura, divided internally in tlie same mauner ; and Itere also, the Don States, were found, hv excavating under what lie calis the oratorios, a flint lance or lance-head, two conical pyramids wilh the representación of a heart, and two earthen jars. On digging in other parts, they found small pieccs of challa “ in the shape of laneets or razor-blades,” and a numljcr of small bones and toeth, which, together with specimens of the masonry, and representacions of the principal bas- reliefs, were forwarded by Don Antonio to the com- raandant-general, in order to be transmitted to Europo. Among tbe seventeen platos which accompany the English translation, there is but ene that exliibits any of the cdificcs. In this is representad a square building with two receding stories, which has appnrently been carried highor. This we presume to be the tower referred to. There are sguare Windows withiu avehed nichos, mdely cut; and between eaeli story, a sort of fcieze or ledge runs round tlie building. Branchos of trees ¡ippear to liavc foreed their way through the walls. The otlier platos contain repre- seutations of tho bas-reliefs. Thcse consist chieíly of figures iuvaried dresses and actitudes, and with dif ferent accompanhnonts,but all more or loss deoorously clothed, with caps or helmets adorned. with ílowers, pearls, and sundry nondescript ornaments. Necklacos and strings of pearls are a conspicuous decoration of inost of the figures. But the most striking peculianty ¡n these representatious is, the physiognomv uf the 1 6 6 MEXICO. countenances, which is of eme slrongly rnarked cha racter, though the individuals differ. A prodigiou» devclopment of feature, espeoially of tlmt which would l>e called the nose, Imt whicii in tiiese persouages comes nearer to a beak, is common to all of them ; in almost all, the chin recedes not less remarkably tlian the proboscis protrudes; wliile some of the visagos Itave the additional rocommendation of being fearfully undor-hung. This is ospecially the case with an oíd priest in a cap and apvon, who holds an infant in Itis antis, doubtless with no very good puvpose. In one of the plates, a figure whom we take to be a deity, is seated on a curious sort of throne, with one leg brought up into the laj», and the otliev depending, very iimcli after the fasliion of some of the Hindoo celestials, who prefer very odd and uncomfortable pastures. This personage is very significantly point- ing upwards with the íore-finger of the lel’t hand, wltíle the middle fingor of the riglu is hrought to rest cmpliaticaíly apon the thumb, like a person talking with Itis fingere. The throne is ornamented with an enormous liead and claw of an animal on eaoh side of i t ; and perdí ed on these heads are two undefmed imp-like fbrms, with something rescmbling a llamo proeeeding Irom their loreliead. In the next píate, a medallioJi of inferior exccution represents a personage adorned with ear-rings, necklace, and braeelets, but no dothing except round the waist, seated à la Turquc on a two-headed monster, and receiving a present frmn a full-dressed figure in a kneeling attitude. A smaller medallion, in the rudest style, represents a tree with a serpent twining round the trunk, and a hird perdied on a branch hard by; and anothor presents a naked youth kneeling, and looking íuto the ojien jaws of a munslrous huid, while. miotlior pair of tusks are MEXICO. 167 pmmilmg at his back. It is observable, that none of tbc figures have a martial character, nor liave they any weaptm at all resembling a swovd. But what th« strange instruments are wliioh they hold, or what they are engaged in, and what is the import of the strange liieroglyphics íiouríslied round tilo largest drawing, we are unable to tell.* Ah the figures are beardless. T h e pvotmding undor-lip is so much out of nature, tliat it suggests the idea of un artificial extensión; and one miglit imagine that these personages set tlu fashion of wearing the botoque. One of the figures lias, suspended from the neck, a ver)' pretty orna ment, which seems meant for an ímage of tlie sun. O t h e r drawings are referred to in the Report, though they did not iind their way witk the SIS.

* Doctor Paul Felix Cabrera, hov-'evçr, witli an ingenuity and pc- nctration tuily marvellous, fimis out the whoie history of America ¡u these rudcrcpresentalions, and tolls us who tlie personages are, as rcadily as íf they liad all bcen iris jiatieuts. The princijial figure, it seem s, is no otlicr tlian Votan, great-grandson of Noah, who was the first man sent by God to America '* to divide and porlion out tlu.se Indiati lamls." lio was not only a gveat piince, but an historical wrllor; and an account of liis birlll, parcntnge, and adven- tures, drnwn up by liimself, fell into the hamls of the bishop of Chiapa, Uon Francesco Nunca tic la Vega, author of the " Dio- ccsan Constitutioni,” prhited at Home in 1702, who was led to witlihold it from the publíe only hy his rcligious scruples, “ on account of the mischievoususe the Indians made of their histories in their superstición of Mtgualism ,'' or domcmology. It is much to be regretted, as the Doctor very sapíently observes, “ that the place is unknowu wherc these precious documents of history wcrc depositetl.” B u t a still m ore lam entable loss lo the worltl has buen sustained isi the destrucción, by the hands of the same orthodox but ovcr-zoalous prolate, of certain largo carthen vasos contaiuing figures in stone of the andent Indian Pagans, which the nnerring li'Stimnny of traditum ascribcd (o the sume vorlhy American palriarcli, and which consetiuciHly raust have been lite mosl ancienl pottery now to be met wilh. 1 6 8 MEXICO. to the pul·lisher, representing serpents, lízards, sta tues of meu witli palms iu their hands, atliers bcat- ing drums and dancing, &c. &c. According to the testimony of a monk of Mérida, who gave the account to Captain Del Rio, ahout twenty leagues south of that city are f'ouiul the remains of similar ediiices, the largest of which is in goocl preservation. Eight ieagucs to the northward of Mérida are rtiined walls of other stone-houses, which inorease in nnmher in an easterly direction. At Mani on the lito de los Lagartos, is u a very ancient ]>alace,” resembling tliat at Palenque, which was for some time inhabited by the Franciscans while their convent was building: in the centre of the prin cipal arca starnls a conical pillar or pyrnmid of stones. On the roful from Mérida to Bacalar oceur many other lmildíngs. These are evidently the pyramida! edifices which struek the Spanish conqtierors with so mncli snrprise on their firat landing in the peninsula of Yucatan, and which they compaved to Moorish mosques. There can he no doubt of their sepulcliral character, although they may have answered, like other ancient monuments, tire double pmpose of temples and tombs. The province of Chiapa wouhl thus seem to have received its aborigínal population from the same sonrce as the peninsula of Yucatan; and if the langunge spoken by the Indians should prove to he the Maya, (a point which \ve must look to some futuro travoller to ascertaiu,) there will be no room for hesitation in refcrring these monuments of ancient civilisation to a race distinet from the Aztec, ami bearing more ¡iffinity to the Zapotee Indians of Oaxaca. The Cvclopean masonry of the Cholulan b'iildci-9, dilfcrs scarcelv Icss specífically IVom the MEXICO. 169 architectare of Mitia and Palenque, than the temples oí Nubia from the pyramids of Gheeza.

CONCLUSION.

W e musí now take leave of this interesting portion of the New Continent,—the most interesting perhaps, in respect of its physical features, its natural curiosities, and the monuments of its ancient civilisation. To México and Perú alone, of all the countrics in the western hemispliere, helongs a tradicional history stretciiing back into an undeíined antiquity, and connectiug the present generation wítli au ancestry greater than themselves. Rude and insignifi- cant as are thu Mexican pyramids and süpulchres in comparison of the stupendous works of Tlieban and Persepolitan architects, and comparatívely modern as ís their supposed date, they have an interest peculiar to themselves, arising from their being the only monuineuts of man iu these e.vlra-mundane regions (as the whole continent might be termed in rclation to the world of history), and from their obvious aífinity to those which snperstition and dospotic pou-er have erected in tile Oíd World." What they want «is works of aj-t, they acquire as moral phenomena. Among the natiims who have disnppeared in the Oíd World, it is the conjecture of Humholdt, tliat *

* “ Asmall numborof natlons, far distant from ench ollier, the Etvnscans, the Egyptians, the Thihctínns, and the Aztces, cxlilbit ütviking analogies in their buildings, their religions institmions, tlicir división of time, and their mystlc notions, —analogies which are as diííicull to explain ¡is the roTation» th a t exist hetwcen the Sanscrit. the I’ersiim, ihcGreck, and the languages of Germán origin."— H i.’aibolüt's lícjcnnr/ícs, vol. i. i>. 11. iro r.iicxico. tlie romains of sorna may yct be preserved in the scanty tribes who arc dispersad through tlie vast soli tudes of America. That hitlierto it has bccn fouud impossible to ascertaiu the period when the coinmuui- cation betwecn the two continents was first established, can waken no surprise, wheu it is consiílered how totally ignorant we ave of the early history of those Asiàtic nations to wliom the Toltecs, the Aztecs, the Muyscas, íuid the Pcruvians present the nearest analogies. “ No historical fact, no traditíon,” says the learned Traveller, “ connects the nations of South America with those that inhabit the couutries north of the Isthmus oi' Panama.” And yet, their phv- siological aíhnityis not more decisively marked tlian the analogies found in their institutious and history. “ Men with beards, and of lighter complexions tlian the natives of Anahuac, Cundinamarca, and the elevated plaiu of Cuzco, make their appearance witliout any indicationof the place of their birth; and, hearing tiie tilles of high-priests, of legjslators, of the íïiends of peace and the arts wkieli iiourish under its auspices, operate a sudden chango in the policy of nations, who liaii their arrival with veneration. Quetzulcoatl, Bochica, and Manco Capac, are the sacred ñames of these mysterious beings. Quetzalcoatl, clotlied in a black, sacerdotal robe, comes froni Panuco ou the shores of tlie Gulf of México. Bochica, the Buddh of the Muyscas, presents himself ou tlie liigh plains of Bogotà, wliece he arri ves front tlie savannas which stretch along the eastern foot of the cordilleras. Some learned men have pretended to discover that these strangers ivere shipwrecked Europeans, or the descendants of those Scandinaviaiis who, in the eleventh century, visited Grcenland, NcwfouiuUaud, MEXICO. 171

aml pevkaps Nova Scotia ; r' but a slight roilection 011 lite periorl of the Toiiec migrations, on the monàstic inslitutions, tlu¡ symliols of tvorship, the c a le n d a r, a n d the form of the monuments of Cholula, of Soga- mozo, and of Cuzco, leads ns to conclude, that it vas not in the north of Europe that Quetzalcoatl, Bochica, and Manco Capac framod their code of laws. Kvery consideration leads us rather tovards Eastern Asia,—to those nations who luive been in contact vith the inhabitants of Thibet, to the Shamanist Tar- tars, and the bearded Aincs of tlie isles of Jesso and Saclialin.” -!* The annals of the Mcxican empire appear to go hack as far as the sixtli century of the Christian era, _the epoch of the emigration of the Toltecs from the hanks of tlie Rio Cila. Even this era is antecedent to the rise of Mohanmiedism, and the earliest authentic records of A rali i an history. But vhen we cousider tlie strong instinctive disposition of semi-civilised nations to perpetuate, !>y mechanical imitation, the sanie fornis, and to adhere in all their works to a primitive type or model,—a disposition rcmarkably characteristic of the trihes of Eastern Asia,—these monuments of the ancient Mexicans would seem to carvy us hack to a period far more remote tlian their actual construo

■- The icarned Author himself, howevor, reinnrks in another place: “ Thcy who have studied ihe history of the Scandinavia» nations in tlie horoic times, must be struck at finding in México a ñame ( V o t a n , or Vodan) whiclt recals that of Wodau, or O d in ." According to the icarned researdses of Sir Willíam Jones, Odin and Bouriha, or Brnldh, ave probahly one and the same person; and it is eurinus lo observe, remarks M. Ilimiboldt, “ that tlie ñames uf Boud-var, W'ftrfttiiVrfítf- (Wcdnesday), and Votan, denote in India, iu Scandinavia, and in México (Chiapal, a tltiy oí a small period." These coincidences, howuvov, are falladous iinf« for reasoning.-— Sue IlrSi-ai-oties, vol. i- |ip. 1 7-’, .110- f Jiesearchrs, vol. i. pp. t’í), "0. 17 2 MEXICO. tion. In them we doulitless have tho i'ac-similes of Uní works of theír Asiatic ancestry; aml vioved in this liglit, they serve as legendury records, embodied tradi» tions of ¡i prímeval race. Tlieir specific date becomes but a starting-post from wliicli imagination takes her flight intothe fabtilons regions of history. Various interesting topics of inquiry suggest themselves relative to the remarkable concentration of population, as wall as of civilisation, in the central regions of America ; — the successive emigrations which nm,st have taken place at remote intervals ; — the distinctive features of the hunter, pastoral, and agricultura! tvihes of America;— and the probable course of tho great stream of population soutkward, till we reaoh the shores of the mighty Amazons, which seems the limit of ahoriginal civilisation. These subjccts, however, lie far out of our province, and we refer to them merely with a view to furuish hints to future travellers. The mineral troasures of México form, at tlie pre sent inornent, its strongest attraolion; and owing to the inflnx of foreign capital which they are occasioning, the Moxican mines may prove indirectly, what mines have rnvely proved, the semrees of national prosperity. We have endeavoured to convoy the amplest Information on this point chat we at present possess, and shall liave occasion to recur to the subject before we close the volmne. To the eye of the philanthropist, however, or of the enlightened poli- tician, neither the mines, nor the monuments, nor any of the physical phenomena of México, constitute the chief interent of this rising country. The sudden apparition of the volcano of Jorullo itself, is not a moro striking event in the natural history of the globe, than is tho fovmation of a connected cliain MEXICO. 173 of federal repuhlics m the two Americas, in íts moral history. Unliappily signalised as their birth has boeu by dcvnstation and terror, now that tlie convulsión has suhsided, they will he found, n-o trust, to liavc supplícd, as it vero, the soil in which social institn- tions, the públic virtues, and domèstic charities shall strike deep and flourish. An immense responsibility lias devolved on the present federal govcnunont, to whom it has heen confided to condnct the grand social experiment to its isstie. May the rcsult justify the universal ndmiration which ís entertained for the character of the trniy patriòtic president, — tlie Mexi- can Washington, and that of his hrave and generous compeer! And moy the vords not he forgotten with which the Traveller to whom hoth México and Kurope are so greatly indebted, concludes his Political Essay,—“ That the prosperity of the wliites is inti- mately connected with that of the copper-eolouvcd race; and that there can. be no durable prosperity for tlie two Americas, till this unfortnnate race, lmmi- liated, but not degraded hy long oppression, shall par ticipate in all the advantages resulting from the progress of óvilisation and the improvemeut of social onler.”

ENO OF MEXICO.

GUATIMALA.

1‘AUT IV.

GUATIMALA*

[A Federal Rcpublic, nxtondiuç from nlxnit !onç. íil° 4.V \V. to 03° IV-, ami from lat. d® to 37° N. s boumlcd, on tlic N.W . by México; oït the N\ and E. foy tlic Atlantic: on tho .S .E . by ('olombia; and on tlic S. and S.W. by tlic Pacific Occan.]

iiiE kingdom of Guatimala “ receivcd its nnmc from th e w o rd Quauhlemati, whic.h, in the lUcxican language, means a dmiyed lo g of wood, bccause tlie M exicau Indians who accompanied Alvarado, fmmd, near the palace of the kings of Kachiquel, sui old worm-eaten tree, and gave tliis nnme to the caí»tal.” Such is the siatement adopted by Don Domingo Juarros, in his I·Iistory oí' the Kingdom of Guatimula, as tlie truc origiu of the namc. Somo writers, howcver, lie telis us, have derivad it from Uhulcsmnlha , whidi signilies, in the Tzendale dialcct, a inountain that throws out water, “ alluding, douhtless, to the mmmtain on the skirts of whicli tlie city of Guatimula was Imüt.” W ith due submission to the historian, we incline to the latter etjnnology; flrst, becauseit appears extremely unlikely that the imme of tho king- doïn should not be more ancient tiian the Spanish ooiH|uest; and secondly, because Alvarado wonld not have ieft it to Mexican Inuiuns to name the city. The Aztec word Q u a u h lli signihes eagle, in which sense it occurs in composi t ion iu the words Q n a u h tiu - chan, house of the eagle, (a Mexican city,) and

* More proper!-/ GivvrB.M.i la : Imt we bave adlicrcd to the usual orUuvjrapliy. 178 GUATIMALA.

Quauhtemoizin, tlie ñame of the last sultán of Tenochtitlau. W e camiot afinin tliat Qitauliícmali may not signify a log of wood, but, if it be really dorivecL from ;m Aztec word, ive should deein an etymology referring fo the eagle far more plausible. The mountain afïords, in all probability, the truc: derivatio». A notber etymology, howcver, is given by one historian, Francisco de Fuentes y Gusman, wbo derives thenanie from Coctccmaian, s ig n if y in g u m ilk - vood,” — a peculiar tree found only in the neighbuur- hood of the supposed siti: of the original capital, w here now stands the villago of Tzacualpa. Kastly, Juavros suggests, that the word inay possibly be xnerely a corrupción of tlic name of Juitem al, the first king of Guntimala, as Quiche was named from Nimaquiche, and Nicaragua from the cacique of tiie same ñame. It is not quite ciear, however, that the name of the territory has not, in somc of tliese ijistanc.es, led to the invention of a ñame íbr íts sovereign; and tire existenco of King Juitem al is not sufficicntly established to nfford a solid basis for this ingenious con je c tu r e . A t the time of the conqucst'(A.D. 1524) this región is stated to have been veli peopled by more tlian tliirty distinet tribes, cach governcd by its own chief, and having its peculiar dialect. Tliese tribes vere continually at war with cach other, and the anclent distinctions are stili perpetuated in tlie variety of languages and dissimilar customs which ave found in the different provinces. The Mexican or Aztec language is spoken by tlie Pipil Indians, wbo are settled along the coasta of the Pacific, and by some other tribes ; besides this, jio fcwer than twcnty-fovr dialccts, peculiar to Guatimala, are stili said to be spoken, tlie namos of which are, tile Quiche, the GUATIMALA. tro

Kachiquel, the Zutugil, the Mam, the Pocomam, the Pupuluca, the Sinca, the Chorti, the Alaguilac, the Caichi, the Pnchonchi, the IxíI, the Zotzil, the Tzemktl, the Chapaneca, the Zoque, the Coxoh, the Chañabal, the Ciiol, the Uzpanteca, the Lenca, the Aguacateca, the Quecclii, and the Nahuate or Pipil. The Maya Ianguage is also spoken in Chiapa. “ It is truc,” says Don Domingo Juarros, “ there is a strong resemblance betn-een soine of the itliom s; and tlie Indians of one trihe can understand those of anothcr from analogy s those instances, however, are not vevy freqüent, nor can the intercourse bo maintaíned avith sufficient clearness and precisión to enahle them to trafiic vith eacli other readily and satisfactorily.” The learned Don lahours witli patriòtic solicítucle to shew, tliat his country tvas nevev suhject to the M exican sovereigns. The proofs he addnces are, íirst, that the M exicans alv/ays compelled the inhahitants of the countries they conquered to adopt their language, but tlie Aztee is not the prc- vailing language in Guatimala ; secondly, that at the time of the conqnest, the Spaniards found no open road from México to Chiapa, but only narrow paths, in many places overgrown hy vegetalion. Tlie latter is a very wcak and insnfficient argument. That there was an intercourse betweeu the two coun tries is indubitable, and there must tlieiefore have been what the natives would cali a road. According to the tvadition recited by the learned Historian him - self, the 'fulleca or Toltcc Indians, the most powerful and civilised of all the nations of Guatimala, caine originally from the neighbonrhood of Tula, in the kingdom of México. Tliis emigration took place by directiou of an oracle, in consequenee of the great increase of the population, in the roiga of Mimaguiclió, 180 G ü A T I M A L A . the fif'th king of tlie Tultecas. u In performíng thís journcy, they expended many years, suffercti extraordinary hardships, and wandered ovor an immenso tract of coimtry, untíl they discovered a large lake (the lake of A titan), and resolved to iix their habitations iu a convenient place at a sliort distance from it, tvhicli they ualled Quiche, in commemorat-ion of their king Nimaqnichc (Quiche the Great), n'bo died during their peregrinación.” The timo of tliis eini- gration, it is, of course, impossible to ascertain with precisión. jVimaqmehó was sitcceedcd by Ixis sou Acxopil, from wliom Kicab Tauub, the contcmporary of M ontezuma IL , was the íburteenth in succession ■who reigned in Utatlan, the capital of Quiche. Allowijig twenty years to a reign, this would carry back the foundation of the ïoltec ompire of Quiche to ncai·ly the middle of the thirteenth century, about thirty or fovty years after the arrival of the A'/tecs in the valley of México.1* So far the accounts M'ould secm to agree. Antzol, or Almitzotl, the eighth sultán of Tenochtitlan, is stated to have sent u special embassy to the kings of Quiché, Kachi<[uel, and Zutugil, w ith tlie professed object of cstablishing an alliance between the two kingdoins; but those chicfs, suspecting tbe siueerity of his proposals, dismissed the A'/.tec arobassadors, wliom they regarded as no better than spies, tvith evasive answers and Iexs thau usual courtesy. The King of Quiche alleged that he could not understand their language : if so, two Inmdred and íifty years nuíst have produced it great eluinge eithcr in the dialect of Tenochtitlan or in tiiat of U tatlan, as they m ust originaily have heen the same. The kings of botit countries werc of the ••

•• Sae vol. i. p. 39. GfJATIM AI.A. 181 same race. “ It appears, too,” s«ys Juarros, “ that these príuces acknowledged tho relationship, and niaintiihied a eommmiication with caeli otlier; for it is relutcd in a mamiscript of sixteen quarto pages, which is preserved by tho Indians of tho village ot' St. Andrés Xecul, that when Montezuma II. was mado prisoner (by Cortes), Lo sent a privato ambassador to Kicab Tanub, King of Quiche, to inform iiiin that some white mea had arrived in his statos, and mado war upou him with sneli impetuosity, that the wholo strength of his people was unable to resist thom; lliat he mas him self a prisoner surrounded ivitli guarda; and, heuring it mas the intentiou of the invaders to pass on to the kingdom of Quiche and subduc it, he resolved to send notice of tlie design, in ordor that Kicab Taimb might be preparad to opposo them. Tliis,” adds our historian, u is a strong proof of a goocl understanding liaving existed hetween the two kings; for if Moutozuina, watched as he was by liis keepers, could contrive to despateh this messonger secrctly to Kicab, there is no doubt that freqüent intercourse took place hetween tliem in tho timo of pcace and tranquiility.” B ut if so, there nmst have been. a road lrom one kingdom to tho otlier; and the argument that Guatimahi could not have been tributary to México, becnuse there was no means of keeping up a connmiiiicatiou prior to the Spanisli conquest, falis to the ground. Montezuma was the immediate successor of Ahuitxotl, whose amliassudors werc sent horne w ith so little ceremony, but who is stated, nevertheless, to have fouiul the means of introducing into the couutry certain M exi cans in the character of traders, for the purposo of forming a party that might be useful in iurtheriug his attempts at suhjugating the kingdom. The good 1 8 2 CUATIS! ALA. understanding bctwcen Ahuitzotl’s successor and tito Iving of Qníché remains uvmccountud for. Kithcr some amicablc overtures m ust have subsequently been nindo by the M cxican sovcreigu w ith better success, or tlicre must bavc taken place, transactions of a m ilitary «ature, not, per’uajjs, to the honour of tlie Ountimalan monarchs. Ñor Is the argument luss iiuwichisivu, which Don Domingo founds on the diver» sity of dialects. The numbev of langnages spokcn iu México excceds twenty, and many of them differ from cach otlier far more remarkably than, as we sus|jcct, the Quiche, Kachiquel, Zutugil, and Pipil, wíll be found to tío from the Aztee. Nevcrtheless, as tbere is no positive proof that the kingdoin of Gnati- mala was ever subject to the M exicans, we are quite willing to take for grantcd that its indepcndence remained inviolate up to the period of the Spauisli c o n q u e s t. W heii the Toltecs arrived in Guatimala, they found the country alrcady inhabited by varions tribus, as, in México, they were preceded by the Chichimecs and Ottomites. The remains of these aboriginal tribes, who appcar to llave been dñven southward, aro probably still in existence. The Tolteo empire founded by Acxopil, aftenvards subdivided into the lordships of Quiche, Kachiquel, and Zutugil, is said to have comprised the provínoos of Solóla, Chimalte- nango, Sacatcpec, and part of Qnezaltenango and Totonicapan. A t the time of the Spanish conquest, a civil war was raging between the King of the Kachi- quois and the Zutugil monarch, which induced the former to cali in the aid of thosc dangerons albos. “ The fume of Cories’s exploits,” \ve are told, !< spread rapidly through the country, and soou reachod the coiut of the Kachiquel kings, who, of GUATEMALA. 133 their own free will, sent an embassy to him, oíFering to acknowledge themselves vassals of tlie King of Spain. The chief reeeived the amlmssaclors with all the ldndness and aifability so peculiar to him , treated them with every mark of distinction, and gave assurances'that himself and all those under his command wonld govern them with mildness in peace, and defend them against all enemies. Cortes sent Pedro de Alvarado, one ol' In's offieers who liad been most active in the concpiest of New Spain, to take possession of Guatimala, and receive the snbjection of tlie native kings. He quitted the city of México on the 13th of November, 1523, accompanied by 300 Spaniards and a large body of auxiliaries, Mexicans, Tlascaltecs, and Choluhms. After a short detention in subduing the natives of Tehuantepec, who had revoltcd, he advanced, completed the conqnest of Soconusco and Tonala, and arrived in the territory of the Quichés on the 24th of l’ohruary, 1024.” Ivicah Tanub was engaged in a sangninary war with the Zutugiles and the Mams, when the tidings reached him, that the Spaniards had arrived at the boundaries of Soconusco. On receiving this intclli- gence, he suspended further hostilitics, and dc- spatched messengers to the diílerent kings and chiefs, inviting them to confedérate for their commou defence. The same spirit of rivalry and bitter animosity, liowever, which led to the overthrow of the Mexican empire by a hamlful of Europeans, prevailed, on this oecasion, over every patriòtic feeling. The Kachiijuel monarch openly declared himsclt a trieïul to t h e Teules, or gods, as the Spaniards wero called ; and the king of the Zutugiles rejected the proposal with haughty contempt. A t this crisis, Ivicah íell sick and died. líe was succceded by his eldest 1 84 GÜATIMALA. son, Tecura Umam, who liad but lifctle leisure to indulge in sorrow for his father’s death, as every liour brought him julvice of the enemy's «pproaeli. A t length, Information arrived, tliat the Spaniavds liad laid siege to Xelahuh (or Quezallenango), the most important place in the ldugdom, and w.hiek ivas garrisoned at this time by 80,000 Indians. Alunned at tlieir rapid progresa, Teeum Urnam guittcd his capital at the head of an army of 7 0 ,0 0 0 m e n , and by the time lie reaclied Quezaltenango, he was joined by sevoral petty chiefs, so tliat he was tdde to marslial on tlie jdain of Tzaccaha 232,000 warriors. Here he fortified his camp with a wnll of loo.sc stones, strengthened by a deep fosse, wliich was liued witb rows of pnisoned stakes. The í'pauiards, having traversed the pvovince of Soco nusco, entered the mountains, and captured the stronghold ofX etnlul, or Sapotitlan ; they then pur- sucd tlieir march till, on arriving afc the bcmks of the river Zuñíala, they foimd themselves vigorously attacked hy a large botly of Indians. The Spanish imisketry soon threw the Quichés into confusión: th.ree times they rallied, and renewod the attack with great fury, but at Icngth, tlieir leuders being slain, they fled with precipitation. The invaders now thought themselves secure from. the assaults of the barbarians, but, on their bcginning to ascend the steep ridge now callcd the Cerro de Santa Maria de Jesús, they found the summit covered with the enemy, who prepared to dispute the passagc of the defile. Uetwoeu the rivers Zamala and Olihtepec, six actions took place, in ali of wliich the Indians ivere defeated with great slaughter. Tliat wliich was foughi in the defile of the latter river, was the most desperate: its waters were reddened with ÜUATUIALA. 185

the carnnge, and rccaiveil froïn tliat circnmstance the nainc of Xiquiycl, or river oí' bluod. This was one oí' tlie severest conflicts in which tlse Spaniards liad yct been engaged. Aí'tcr tliis victory, thov remaiiied for tliree days witliout fnrtiier molestation from tile natives, which all’orded thcm tim e to recoven from tlieiv great fatigues. On the fourth day, tliey advanced to Xclalmh, which they found abanuoned ; and some stragglers ivho were brought in, reportad tbat all the inhabitants liad fled to the jnotui- lains. It ivas soon discovered, however, th.at all the forcé of the snrrounding country liad been col- lectcd to make anothcr attack on the Spaniards. The anny immediately quitted Xelahuh, and took np a favourable position on the plain. The cavalry, con- sisting of 135 men, ivas divided into tivo troops: Alvarado himself commanded the infanlry. The ludían army ivas formed into tiro very strong divi sions, ono of ivhieh ivas lieaded by the monareh in person. “ As soon as the contending parties came ivithin reach of caeh other, a furious combat ensued. One of the Indian divisions, being attacked !>y the cavalry, ivas lorced to ahandon its position, and retire for support on the other, ivhich ivas resolutely engaged ivith the infantry. On tlie defeat of this first división, the cavalry rejoined the main body, ivhere the general liad, by several smalí tletaclnnents, been able to resist the forcé of Tecum Umam. The king pcrsonally attacked Alvarado, and ivounded his horse so severely, that he ivas forced to dismount and procure another. Tecum Umam reneived his assault npon the general a second and oven a tliird time, and, in the last en- countnr, received a ivound from a lance by the hand of Alvarado, of which he dual almos!, innnodiatoiy. 186 CUATIMALA.

The ftiry ol’ the Indians was increased lo madness on sccíng their tnonnrch fall: the discharge oi píkes, arrows, aiui stones tlm t i'ollowed, was more violent than any thing tlmt luul hitherto beou witnessed. A critical inomeut was sei'/.ed for attacking in elose column, and that mamcuvre dceided the inte of tlic day. The Indians, «nablc to make head against tliís solid bodv, yielded to despair, and lirokc away in the most precipítate llight, leaving the Spaniavds com- plotely m asters of the íield. “ Hopelexs of being able longer to resist tlic conquerors hy tlic forcé of theiv anns, they liad recourse to stratagem and treachcry, whicli was determined upon ín a council of wnr hold in U tatlan, by the King Chignauivcelut, son and successor of Tecum Umam. To put theiv desigu into practico, the king began by sending a soleitm embassy to Alvarado witli a valuable present of gold, tn sue for pcace and forgiveness iov the past, and to offer submission to the Spanish monarch. The ambassadors entreated the general to visit the capital, where he m ight coiivemently refresh himself after his late severe fatigues, and where the king was anxious to rcceive and entertain lmn with whatever iiis domíuions could afford. Alvarado most anxiously desirod to establish pcace, and tliis invita- tion heing considercd as a ikvourable opportunitv, he received the ambassadors w ítli every m nrk of distinction and kindness; he promised to repair to U tatlan, and dismissed lliem witli presents of some trilles of Spanish workmanship, that were held in the highest estimation by the Indians. On the following duy, the arm y decamped for U tatlan, in tlie highest spirits, believing the demonstratioiïs of the Quichés to he sincere, and supposing that the war was terminated. B ut, on entering the city, and observing .the strength GUATIMALA. 1 8 7

of the placo, tliat it was well walled and surronnded by a deep ravine, having but two approaches to it; tlie one bv an ascent of twenty-five steps, and the otlier by a causeway, both of which were extremely narrow ; that the streets were lm t of trlíling breadth, and the houses very lofty ; pcrceiving also th.at there were neithev women nor childron in the place, and that the Indians appeared greatly agitated, the soldiers bogan to suspect some doceit. Their apprehensions were soon coniirraed by the Indians of Quetzal tcnango, who accompanied the anny. These had diseovered, that the people of U tatlan intended that nightto set the town on firo in order to destroy the Spaniards; and that large bodies of them were concealod in the neighbouring deliles, who were, as soon as they saw the flames, to full npon the Spaniards, as they endeavourcd to escape from the fire. On gaining tliis intelligence, the troops observed the movcments of the Utatlans very cau- tiously. They examined the liouses, and ascertained that there was no preparation of victuals to regale them, as they had been promised ; but that there was in every place a great quantity of light, dry fuel, and other combustibles. Alvarado no longer doubted the correctness of the infonnation. He assembled a council, represented to the officers the perilous situation in which they were involved, and the immediate necessity of quitting the place. The troops were then collected, and, without any appearance of alarm, marclied out in good order to the open plain ; pretending to Chignauivcelut and his caciques, that they quitted the city for the better accommodation of the horses, which were accustomed to feed at liberty in the lields. The hing, with pretended courtesy, accompanying the army to the plain, the general availed hiinsolf of this opportuníty to make him a prisoner; I’AllT IV. x 18 8 (JUATIMALA.

and after a trial, in which proofs of his trcachery were adduced, he was sentenced to be hanged, and the punishment imraediately inflicted. N either the death of Tecum Umam and their principal leadevs slain in battle, nor tlie ignominious execution of Chignauiv- celut, was sufficient to intim ídate the fierce spírit of the Quiches; on the contrary, it excited fresh ebul. litions of rage and animosity. They gave the signal to the troops that lay in ambush, and a general attack upon the Spaniards ensued. The army was assaulted simultaneously on all sides by powerful squadrons of the Indians. But Spnnish bvavery increased with Increasing dangers. The artillery was bronght into action, and mude dreadful havoc in the enemy’s ranks, who however maintained the contest w ith desperate valour for a short tim e 5 but they were soon thrown into confusión. The leadcrs were unable to rally their troops against the destructive fire of the guns, and they abandoned a field already covered w ith heaps of slain. Some fled to their places of refuge, and otliers threw away their arm s in token of submission, and surrendered theraselves and their caciques to the generosity of their conquerors, who, hy this víctory, reraained «ndisputed masters of the kingdom.” This victory was gained on the 14th of M ay, 1524. A small chapel was hastily erected on the spot, and on the following day, which was the Pentecost, mass was celebrated; and “ thus commenced the Catholic worship in this región.” Alvarado, we are told, un- willing to deprive the royal race of Tanub of their ínlieritance, raiscd to the throne Sequechul, the next in succcssion to Chignauivcelut. He remained at U tatlan for eigbt days, during which he sent out detachments to explore and reduce the surrounding eountry; and in this interval, nmbassadors arrived GUATIMALA. 18& from Sinacam, K ing of the Kachiqxiels, tendering his allegiance, wit,h offers oftroops and otlier necessàries, heaving Juan de Leon Cardona in conunaud at U tatlan, Alvarado setout for Guatim ala, escorted liy 2,000 Kachiquels, who were employed to olear the road. The Spauiards were not without their misgivings respecting the iutentions of tliese new allics, but they proved to be unfounded. Sinacam advanced to meet them in his litter, richly adorned with plumes of quetzal’s feathevs and ornam ents of gold; and tlie two chiefs proceeded at the liead of their respective suites, by the route of Iztapa, to the capital, situated, accord- i.ng to Fuentes, at the place now called San M iguel Tzacualpa, which signifies “ old town.” Here the Spaniards were mosthospitably entertained by the Gua- tim alan monarch. A fter rem aining here for some tim e, Alvarado again set out towards the village of A titlan, to attack the Zutugiles. Taking their route by the villages on the coast, they overcame whatever forcé attem pted to dispute their passage, until they arrived, on the 24th of July, at a place called Atmulunca, or Almolonga, “ the water that springs up.” “ This situation,” says llem csal, “ pleased the Spaniards so much by its fine dim ate, the beauty of the meadows, delightfully watered by running streams, and particularly from lying between two lofty mountains, from oneof which descended rillsof w ater in every direction, while from the snmmit of the other issued volumes of smoke and fire; that they determined to establish them - selves here, and, aided by the M exicans and Tlascal» tecs, they erected the requisite quarters. On the 25th of July, the festival of St. Jam es, the patrón of Spain, the troops were mustered under arms, and marched to attend divine Service w ith raartial uiusic, and repeated IDO GUATIMALA. discharges of fire-arins. In this nrray, they proceoded to the hmnblu clmrch which liad bceu constmcted, where Juan Godínes, clmplain to tlic arm y, saitl mass. This servicc fmished, the whole body invoked the protection of the apostle, gave his ñame to the town tliey liad founded, and cledicated to him the churcli that was to be Imüt. The foundation of the new town was solcmtmed hy the army with feasts and military rejoicmgx, that continuad for three days.” On the 29th of July, the alcaldes and regidors of tho new city took their seats in conncil. On the 12th of A ugust, anothev conncil was held, at which the public oflicers, w ith other persons to the munber of ninoty- soven, wcre registcred as citizens. “ W ith these formalities,” says ¿narros, “ the foundation of the c i t y o f San Jago de los Caballeros de Giialimala w a s completed.” * Alvarado, either in person or l)y his licutenants, governed the ncwly acqnired territories in Guatimala from the year 1524, un til 1541, the year of his death: for the first four years by cominission from Cortes, and afterwards as govemor and captain-general of the kingdoni of Guatimala by commission from tlie Em peror Charles the l-'ifth, dated Dec. 10, 1527. On the death of Alvarado, a royal audiencia was esta» biished, by a decree dated Nov. 20, 1542, for the provincos of Guatimala and Nicaragua, of which Alonv.o de Maldonado was appointed president. It wns ordered to hold ¡ts sittings in the town of Valladolid de Comayagua ; but this being deemed inconvenient, the royal permission was obtained for its rcmoval to the city of Gracias a. Dios, where the first session was

1 Juarros, pp. 125, 0: 39-1—403. GUATIMALA. m

held iu May 1544. In 1555, the tribunal was trans form i to tho city of Guatimala. It was then ibr a sliort time removed to Panaina, but, in 15Gí>, the previous order was rcscinded, and tlie audiencia w a s once more estabiished at Guatimala. Philip II. en- larged its powcrs, and constituted it a pretorial eourt independent of the viceroy of México. ïh e jurisdiction of the royal chancery of Guatim ala extended along the sltores of the A tlantic, from the coast of Balize in the Bay of Honduras, to the Escudo de Veraguas, a small desert islaud off the coast of Veraguas, in lat. 0 ° 21' N-, and long. 112° 40' W .; and, on the Pacific coast, from the bar of the river Parredon iu the province of Soconusco, to the m outli of the river Boruca in that of Costa Rica. The river Chilillo was its boundary towards Oaxaca, and it extended to the district of Chiriqui towards the sonth-east, where the jurisdiction of Santa F 6 de Bogotá terminated. The territory comprised w ithin these limits, is about Í100 miles in length; * its breadth from sea to sea varies from 1{!0 to upwards of 500 miles. The extent of suriace is eomputed to be 200,500 square miles. The populación, in 177G, according to a census taken by royal orders, amounted to 032,055 souls. In 1701, a considerable increase had taken place in some distriets, and in 10 0 0 , it is supposed by Ilumboldt to have risen to 1 , 2 0 0 ,0 0 0 souls; wkich, taking tlte ex tent of suriace at 20,000 square leagues, gives 40 inliabitants to the square league.-}- A stili more recent

' T h e “ 0'íi!_Y.7.'úí(,'distance” from the river Chilillo to C hiriqul, is estim ated by Jitarros at m ore titán 7UU Spauish leagues, or itp- tvards of d.uOO E nglidt m iles.

t llum boldl, Pol. Essay, vol. iv. \ \ '¿22. 1 9 2 GÜATIMALA.

Account briïigs up the population to 1,300,000; * Imt in this, as weil as in the precediug calculations, Chi- npa is included, the population of which is stated as 1 2 8 ,0 0 0 . ïlie provinci.il divisions of Guatlmala have varied ivith the ehanging circumstances of the country s the number of provinces has at one time been increased, at another tim e reduced, as new alcaldías mayor h a v e been created, or several corregimientos h a v e b e e n United. A t one period, there were as many as thirty. two provinces, of which four were distinguished as governments, viz. Comayagua, Nicaragua, Costa Hica, end Soconusco; nine were alcaldías mayor , viz. San Salvador, Ciudad Real, Tegucigalpa, Zonzonate, V era. paz, Suchiltepec, Nicoya, Amatíque, and the r e a l o i San Andrés de Zaragoza ; and eighteen were c o rre g im ie n to s , the corregidors of which were nominated b y t h e a u d ie n c ia . Such was the distribution of the kingdom in the seventeenth century; but, about the year 1060, the population of the provi nce of Costa Rica being greatly diminished, four of the c o r r e g í, m íe n lo s were extinguished, and the divisions were annexed to that governm ent: at the same time, four o t h e r corregimientos were shared between the govern, ments of Comayagua and Nicaragua. In the beginning of the eightcenth century, the alcaldías mayor o f Amatíque and San Andrés were suppressed, and several new ones were created. By these and other changes, the thirty-two provinces were reduced to fiftecn, one of which is styled a governm ent, four are intendancics, eight are alcaldías m a y o r^ and two are eorregidorships. Five of the provinces are situated

* Poinsott’s Notes, p. 239. GUATIMALA. 193 on the shorcs of tlie Pacific; five on the Atlantic coast; and five are ínland. They are as follow :

MARITIME PROVINCES ON TIIE COAST OF THE PACIFIC.

1. Intendancy of Ciudad Real, or Chiapa. jucluding (I) District of Ciudad Real. (2 ) ------T ux tla. (3 )------Soconusco- 2. Alcaldia-mayor of Suchiltepec. 3 . ■ Eseuintla. 4. —. . ... Zonzonate. ">. Ineendancy'of San Salvador. Sncluding (1 ) District of Santa Ana. (2) ■ — . ■ San Salvador. (3) . San Vicente. ( 4 ) ------San Miguel.

MARITIME PROVINCES ON THE ATLANTIC COAST. G. Alcaldía-mayorofVcraPaz. 7. Corregimiento of Chiquimula. tl. Intendancy of Comayagua, or Honduras, including (I) District of Comayagua. (2 )------Tegucigalpa. 0. Intendancy of Nicaragua, or Leon. including (1 ) D istrict o f Leon. (2 ) — ■■ Matagalpa. ( 3 ) ------■----- Realejo. 0 ) Subtiava. (5) ■ — Nicoya. 10. Governm ent o f Costa Rica.

INTERIOR PROVINCES. 11. Alcaldia-mayor of Totonicapan and Gucguetenango. 12. Corregimiento o f Quezaltcuango. 13- AIcal

Between the intendancies of Nicaragua and Comay agua, lie two proviuees peopled by uncivilised Indians of various nations, wlio are callad iudiscrimmately 1 9 4 GUATTMALA.

Xieacs, Moscos, and Sambos. These provinces, which oxtenil alón# tbe A tlantic coast from thtí rivor Aguan to tlie San Juan, are called by Jnanos, lite Provinces of Taguzgulpa and Tologalpn. Tliey form part of tlie tract better known umler the ñame of the Mosc/idlo Shore. TIio Mosquito Indians, «as tlioy aro generally calleil, liave ahvays borne an inveterate dislike to ibe Spaniards. The Dulce of Alternarle, wlien governor of Jam aica, fostei'ed tbis dislike, and lie invested one of the Indians witli the office of cliief of tbe M osqui- toes, nuder tbe protcction of Engbmd. Bnt, by a convention betwecn Great Britain and Spain, signed iu London ou the 14th of July, 17JG, it was agreed on the part of bis B ritannic M ajesty, tliat liis subjeets and otber colonists wbo liad bitherto enjoyeó tlie pro tectiori of England, should evacúate the country of t h e Mosquitos^ as well as the continent in general, and the islands adjacent, without cxception; bis Catbobc M ajesty pledging lnm self not to exercise any act of severity against tbe Mosquitos, on aecount of tlie connexions which may have snbsisted betwcen the said Indians and tbe English. The town and tevritory of Poyáis, where, a lew ycars ago, soine adventurers from tbis country attempteil to establish fin inde pendent colony, are situated on the river Tinto, or Black river, wliioh discharges itself into the Atlantic ncar Cape Camarón: they ave included in Taguzgalpa, which, though nominally a part of Guatimahi, has uever actuallv been appropriated. So lar bis highness Gregor Mucgregor, the sell'-styled c.r/ique of Poyáis, liad some pica in justiiieation of lüs trespassing on tliose sliores. Poyáis town is a paltry viliage of luits and Iog-bouses, on the west sido of Black river, about sixty miles inlaud. Tlie river Aguan, which divides Taguzgalpa from Honduras, OUATIJIALA. 19 5 tlisdiarges' ícself about sixty miles to thc westward oí' Cape Gomaran : eastward, tho provino! extends to Cape Gracias a Dios, lleyoiwl that point, tlie tract of coast extemling soutlnvard to tlie river Chegres, and iuclucliiig tlie province oí Tologulpa, now belongs to tlie republic of Colombia; aiul a decree of tluit govurnmeiU, dated yanta te de Bogotá, July 5, 11)24, declares all persons attempting to eoloitise tlsat part of tlie coast liable to penal soverities."

*• Thetlecrcc isas íollows: ‘'Francisco tle Paula Santander» General of División of tire Armias of Colombia, Vjce-I'rcsideut of thc Republic, &c.— lnasmuch asit has come to tho knowlertge of thc Govurnmeiit of tilo Ilepublie of Colombia, thut vavious individuals, resident in forcign countrics, havo projected the foun- dution of cstabiishmcius in a ccrtaln tevvitory callcti Poyáis, sitúate olí Ule coasts of Mosquito; and eonsidering tluit similar cnlerprises of unauthorised adventurers m ay be prejudicial to the intcrests o f the Republic and lo themselves, in virtuo of tlic pro visions of th c 5th Article of thc Fundamental, it is decreed r.s foUuws: “ Art. 1. Is dcclared ¡ilegal every undertaking which has for its object the colonisation of any point of that part of the coast o f Mosquito, from the Cape Gracias a Dios Inclusivo lo the Rlvcr Chagvcs, which bclougs, in dominión and pvoperty, to tita Republic o f Colombia, iu virtuo of tire formal dcelavation, litado iu San Lorenzo oti thc ."üth of Xovember, 1U03, by which the said part of tlic coast of Mosquito is dcfinitivcly adjoined to thc ancieut viceroyalty of IS'ueva-Granada, and separated from thc jurísdieUoti o f the eaptaiit-gcneralship of Guatimala, to which it previously be- lougcd. “ Alt. 2. Itis dcclarednlso to all person or persons who, in con- iraventicn of thefonncr article, intcnd to fouml tolonies or forcign estahüshments on thc above-mentioitcd coast of Mosquito, up to C a p e Gracias a D i o s inclusive, that tliey i n c u r th e p c n a U i e s to which those p e r s o n s ave s u b j c c t c d who violently tisurp uatiounl propci ty, and disturb iutcrnul p c a c e and tranquillity, unless tlicy have previously obtaineti the ápprobalian and consciit of Uie governm ent, confonnably to th e laws. " Art. 3. i t is also dednred, that the nccessary approbat ion and consent to colonise thc coast of Mosquito, which is under th.e immediate jurisdiction of Ule Republic, or part çf it, not having 106 GUATIMALA.

The ecelcsiastical goverument of tlie kingdom of Ouatimala consists of au archbishop and three suffra gans. The immediate diocese of the archbishop of Guatimala, extending 214 leagues from west to east, comprises 108 curacies, besides others under the chavge of the monàstic orders, and 424 parocliial cliurches: it was crcated an episcopal see by Pope Paul III. in 1534. The bishop of León has jnrisdic- tion over the intendaney of Nicaragua and the government of Costa R ica: in his diocese are 39 curacies and 88 parochial eburches. The bishop of Ciudad Real has under his juiisdictioii the whole of Chiapa, containiug 38 curacies and 102 parisli churches. The fouíth hishopric is that of Comayagua, comprising the intendaney of Honduras : it contains 35 curacies and 145 parisk chnrches. Tlie small district of Peten in Vera Paz, helongs to the diocese of the bishop of Yucatan. Both the cccle- siastical and the civil distribution of the country, however, will probably undergo considerable modi- íications under tlie new order of things. The greater part of the bishopric and intendaney of Cbiapa has become united to M éxico; part of Vera Paz is eccle- siastically annexed to Yucatan; and Colombia has obtained, by the eession of Tologalpa, a large portion of Nicaragua and of the bishopric of Leon, induding 180 leagues of coast, the im portance of whicli, in con- uoxion with the projected coramunication between the two oceans by means of the river San Juan and tlie lake of Nicaragua, will be incalculable. Even- tually, Guatimala will probably be divided between

l'con grantcd to any person witliin or out of the territory of tlie Rquibiic, wliatever person or persolis, cilizoils or foroigners, atlew pt to aflect it» will, J i i c t o , be subject to lite consequenccs tuVhich such ¡llega! and nnaulhoriscd conduct exposis Uiem.” GUAÏÍMALA. 1 9 7

México and Colombia. The remainder of Nicaragua and Costa Rica wili naturally full to tlie share of the latter power, while the provinces to the northward and west of Cape Camarón, will more conveniently unite theraselves to the Mexican States. W e sliall iiow proceed to give some further topographical details respecting this almost unknown portion of the New W o rld .

PROVINCES ON THE COAST OF THE PACIFIC.

T h e intendancy of Ciudad Real has been described in the account of the M exican States, w ith the exception of the m aritim e district of Soconusco, which extends fifty-eight leagues along the shores of the Pacific, from the plains of Tonald, in the district of Tehuantepec, to the river Tilapa, which divides it from Suchiltepec: its breadth, from the sea to the mountains, is about sixteen leagues. The climate is hot, the country level and fertile, yet, from want of hands, very little of the land is under cultivation. It is watered by fifteen rivers, and abounds in woods of the most valuable trees. The principal productions are indigo, vanilla, leche de muria (a valuable gum), pita (a species of flax), cotton, coeoa (the most esteemed of any in the kingdom), achiote, a n d a great variety of medicinal plants and drugs. But, in proportion as the valuable products of the earth in this beautiful country are numerous, the abundance of wiid heasts and reptiles is so great, as to render it almost uninhabitable. Among these is a peculiar species of venomous wasp, called ahorcadores ( h a n g - men), on acconnt of the singular remedy which is believed to be the only means of averting the fatal eifect of thelr sting : this is, “ to plunge the 103 CUATIMALA. sufferor iimnediatcly iuto the water, or to compross the throat i» the íiiitnner of hanging, till lie is nearly exhausted.” The vernacular language of Soconusco is the jllam, Imt the natives generally speak thc Spanish. The wliole district contnined, in 1773, only twenty villages and about 0 ,0 0 0 inhahitants, being less than a seventh part of the wliole population of Chiapa. Yet, M tliis district,” says Juarros, “ which iu thc present day is so m udi neglectcd, was, in form er tim es, one of thc most populons and opulent in the kingdom. Tlie cocoa produccd in it is still consideral as superior to that of any other place in the world. The ancient capital was the large town of Soconusco, from which the province took its name, situatcd between the villages of San Domingo de Eseuintla and Acoeozagua. Kesldes tlie Indian population, it ivas the residence of about 200 Spaniards. iïut upvanls of two centuries have now elapsed since this extensive town. fell to decay and was ontirely abandoned. The same fate has attended many other villages of the district. Previously to the aunexution of the province of Soconusco to the intendaney of Ciudad lteal, it was distingoishcd as a governm cnt,—. a title given to the largest provinces only, and which suíliciently shews the estimation in whidi it was lie ld .” To the west of Soconusco, proceeding along the coast, lies the alcaldia-nunjor of Suuhiltepec. It cx- teiuls in lengtli thirty-tw o leugues, and the hveadth from thci sea to the mouiïtains is twenty-two leagues ; but all the villages are comprised witliin the space of twelve leagues. Tlie wliole province contains onlv sixteen villages, and the inliabitants of tliese, of the sult-works, tlu: larms, and the manufactories, do not excccd 27,000. Yet, the climate, GÜATIMALA. 190

though warin, is lcss so than that of Soconusco, and the province is equally fertile, hcing wcll« wooded, and watered by sixteen rívers s it pro duces all tlie l'ruits, timber, gums, and medicinal plimts, peculiar to the tierras calientes. The chief article of commeroe is cocoa, which is reckoned quite equal, if not superior to that of Soconusco: the inhabitant* trade also in cotton and sapvyul, tlie kcrncl of tlio sapote. “ This is a fruit about six inches in length : the kernel, which is froïn two to three inches long, is enclosed in a shell like a filbert, and round the shell is a pulp of a fine scarlet colour, as beantiful to the eyc as it is delicious to the taste: over this there is a hardish rind. The Indians mix the sapuyul with cocoa to malte cliocolate. The abundarme of sapotes is so groat in this province, that the fruit is thrown away to ohtai.n the sapuyul, of which the consuinption is so general, that, in Qucxalttenango alone, the sale of it amounts to between fouv and fi ve thousand dollars a n n u u lly .” Tlie principal places in this province are : San A n tonio SuchiltcpeCi the uncient capital, now au insig nificant village, but with a large and handsouie c h u r c h : San Bartolomé Mazatenanyo, the present capital, sitnated in lat. 14° 20'' N. ; long. 02® 20' W .; population between 2 and 3,000: San Lorenzo et Real, remarkable ouly for the pilgrimages made hy the poople of the surroiuidiug provinces to visit the image o f Nossa Senhora de la Candelaria in its clm rcli: and the two adjacent villages of San Antonio Rclalulenh a n d Santa Calher'nia Sacalepcu, which form the most cjmuierrial place in the province, serving as a depút for the productious of Soconusco and Tekuantepec. 2 0 0 GUATIMALA.

Tlie language generally spoken by the natives, is tké Quiche dialect. The third province, following the line of coast, is tliat of Escuintla: * it extends 80 leagues along the shores of the Pacific, and is above 30 leagues in breadth; yet, the population is only 38,400 souls. In this province, the Spanish language is generally spoken, but the mother tongue is the Sinca. The only towns or villages wortliy notice, a re : La Concep ción Escuintla, the residente of the alcalde-mayor, situated in lat. 14° 15' N., and long. 91° 46' W.: Guazacapan, formerly a separate alcaldia-mayor, b u t now in decay: and Sania Cruz Chiquimula, tw o leagues froni Guazacapan, now the most populous place in the district, containing upwards of 8 ,0 0 0 i n - habitánts, who are chieily employed in. the cultívation of rice, w itk which they supply the capital. The town of Escuintla is much freepiented, Juarros says, by the inhabitants of Guatimala, in the months of January and February, for the purpose of bathing in the delightful river that flows close by it. The distance from Gnatitaalft is seventeen leagues. It contains a magnificent parish cliurch, and an oratory dedicated to San Sebastian: there were formerly four other chapéis, which have fallen to decay. Abont three leagues from the town is the small village of Masagua, which, like San Lorenzo in Suchiltepec, contains a wonder-working image of the Virgin, which attracts crowds of pilgrims. O f the numerous rivers that water this province, the most considerable is the Michatòyat, which flows out of the lake Amati tan : after the course of a few leagues, it has a beautiful fall, called the fulls oi San - in tiic Aïtcc or Mexican language, significs <%. CUATIMALA. 201 Pedro Martin. The Rio de los Esclavos (slave river) is distinguished by the bridge built over it iu 1502, by lar the handsomest and best constructed in the kingdom ; it ís 128 vards in length, 18 yards in breadth, and has eleven arches. The river is of great depth, and, in the rainy seasons, is so much swelled, that, befoi-e the bridge was built, the oommunication was then eut off betweea the eastem provinces and the capital. Notwithstanding the great height of the bridge, the floods are sometimos so high as to cover it, and have repeatedly occasioned serious damage. It derives its ñame from the circumstance of Alva- rado’s having punished some of the refractory Indians in this quarter by branding them as slaves. The r i v e r Guacaiai, which rises in the province of Chi ma! tenango, flows by the site of Oíd Guatim ala, where it is called the M agdalena: it is then joined by the Rio Pensativo, and after entering the province of Escuintle, receives so m any tributary stream s as to become navigabie,and finally disembogues into the Pacific, where it forms the bar of Istapa, celebrated for being the placo where Alvarado equipped bis armaments in the years 1534 and 1539. “ This place,” saya Juarros, “ is higlüy deserving of notice iu a comtnercial point of view, ae it affords every convenience and advantage for carrying on an extensive iraffic in the Pacific. Its contiguity to the city of Guatimala would enable specul&tors to obtain all the productions of the country at a moderate rate, which could be conveyed by land- carriage to the place of embarkation at a trifling ex. pense, on a road that was opened and levelled in 1539, for the purpose of transporting upon carriages some of Alvarado’s small vessels. There is excellent anchorage, well sheltored on uvery point; there are neither reefs nor shallows, and the ontranoe is per. 2 0 2 GUATIMALA. fectly safe and easy. A redoubt, with four or six pieces of cannon, would afford protectiori to the ship- ping; and for the construction of such a defence, there aro tnany eligible points. W ith respectto ship-building, the advantages are of stili greater importance, ;ls wood of the bcst quality is found in the neighbour- liood, in quantities inexhaustible ; for the fertility of the land is so great, and its quality so peculiarly adapted to the growth of tiniber, that, after a tree is folled, the root will send out live or six shoots that, in four years, become tvees of considerable girth and hoiglit. The cedars are of immense size, some ex. ceeding seven fathoms in circumference. The wood e a llo d palo do maria, excellent for masts, is in very great abundoace. Cordage is stili more plentiful; for, on every part of this coast, the pila grows luxu- riantly and profusely, which is mueh superior for the manufacture of cables and otlior ropes, to the esparto (genista hispánica), l^tcb. and tar are both good and cheap in the valley of Jumáis, ITeights of cocoa and other articles of agricultural produce, planks of cedar and caoba-wood, so. much esteemod for cubinet-work, may be procnred here to almost any extent. Notwithstanding ali the induccments and facilities for carrying on an im portant traific wliich this place offers, but littlo success has hitlierto attended tlie various experiments that havebeen tried.” The little trade carried on by this province, is coniined to iish, sale, m aize, bananas, sapotes, and other fruits, which are carried to the m arket of Guatimala. The most remarkable natural curiosity in Escuintla, is the rock ealled La PcTia de Mirandilla. J u a r r o s describes it as w a Inige promoutory of live rock, so loity as to bc secn at maiiy longues’ distance, the sum- m it presenting a most correct resemblauci' of a largo .CUATIMALA. 2 0 3

trunlc or eliest; and what appears to be the lid, is perforated from side to side so exaetly as to adm it of .the light passing tlirough.” “ These openings have undoubtedly,” he adds, “ been mude by lightning, as, either.from the great elevation of this vast pile, or fi'om the inetallic attraction of its mass, iu which mauy veins of tin are apparent, the electric fluid is invariably observed to strikc against its surface, in the frecpient thunder-stonns that take place in this p a r t . ” Like the .other maritim e provinces on the western coast, Escuintla is infestcd by immense numbers of noxious animals and reptiles. Among these, not the least formidable are the warrior-ants (hormigas gtter~ reras), wko are double the size of the commou aut, and ahvays move in regular array, like an army. “ W herever tiiey enter a house, they spread all over it, and olear it so eífectually as not to leave a single worm, reptile, or vermin of any sort, behind tliem •wlien they depurt. To the larger creatures, such as snakes, scorpions, toads, rats, &c. they are formidable from’ their numbers : in attacking these animals, they adhere so olosely to their bodies that they soon kill them, and devour them to the bones. W hen they bave cleansed one house, they qnit it, and proceed to another.” Juarros adds to this account a verym ar- vellous property of these heneflcent marauders. “ If any injury be done to them when in the house, they revengo it by biting or stinging the assailant, and im- mediatcly retreat, leaving the vermin untouclicd ! ” *

* There is a Spamsh saying, Ni> ay criatura tan libre, a quien falta tu alguacil; There is no creature so free as to bc wilhout its u t y u u v il (police-oiiicer). Snakes and scorpions, according to this account, ave not excepccd from this general law. In like inanner, the great American tire-íly preys upou iucs(¡.uitcesand other gvrntsi 2 0 4 GUATIMALA.

Thts same w riter describes a remarkable species of snake, called by tlie Indians le p u lc u a t, which, he says, has two heads, one at each extreinity, and can ad- vanee w ith facility in either direction w ithout turníng. B ut he does not affirm that he ever s a w one of these raonstrous reptiles, and no m ention of them occurs in Alcedo’s Dictionary. The d a n ta or tapir, and the c a y m a n or alligator, are found in this.province, and, among other birds, the g u u y c a m a y o or roaeaw. The vegetable productions are numerous and valuable. The most esteemed is the banana, (here called g o r d o ,) which, says Juarros, “ for delicacy of flavour, is supe* riov to the a n a n a (pine-apple), the g u a n a b a n a , o r t h e chicozapote (little sapote or m ediar), and, for beauty of colour, to the scarlet sapote: being, perliaps, more extensively useful than any other fruit, it forms a principal article in the traffic of the province. In the first place, it furnishes a substantial food, each fruit yielding a large quantity of nutritíve m atter, w ithout «kin, stone, or other inedible part. Poor people cat it both in a ripe and an immature state, but otbers only in a m ature state, as it then has a most agreeable flavour. Dried in the sun, it has an exquisite taste, and is greatly superior to the dried figs brought from E urope; it is also eaten boiled, roasted, and fried w ith sugar; it furnishes the chief m aterials for several kinds of savouvy stew s; and finally, it supplies the place of maize. Fuentes says, that the plantaina, dried in an oven, then peeled and pounded to a paste, and pressed

the toad is said to he an excellent fiy-catcher¡ snakcs are good mousers; anci the mouseis the enemy of the cock-roaeh. “ We have not laken animals enough into alliance with us," says tlie AuthoT of Madoc; “ the gull shouiclbe taught to catch fisli for us in the sea, tho otter in fresh water. In hot countrics, a reward should be oflfcred to the m an who coulcl discovcr w hat insect fed upo» jleas."— Notes to Mtulov, vol. ii. p. 323. GUATIMALA. 2 0 5 hito a vessel, may, after being kept fór about a fortnight, be dissolved in water and strained, and the liquor will make a sort of wine, not tobe distinguished from tliat which is called Ojo de Gallo. The faeility of cultivating this valuable fruit, and the great abundance of its produce, occasion its real w orth to be but ill appreciated, and its extensive utility to be much neglected.” * Among the other productions, are cin- namon wood (or cascarilla de /o.ra), tam arinds, cassia, long pepper, ginger, the root suchilpaclli, scorzonera, orejuela, (the flowers of which are used to perfume and flavour chocolate,) and excellent cocoa. The wood already mentioned, called palo de maria, yields a sap that is esteemed for its medicinal properties in healing wounds and dissolving tumours. From the ule-tree is obtained a paper, made of its bark; and on piercing its trunk, a liquor exudes copiously, which, when boiled, becomes an excellent preservative of leather, rendering it completely water-proof. The river Paza divides this province on the South- e a s t, fr o m t h e alcaidía-mayor of Zonzonate, (corrupted frora Zezontlatl-f-,) a territory of very small extent, having only 18 leagues of coast and 13 leagues of breadth, but much better peopled; containing, within these lim its, a population of 45,000 souls. Saníissima Trinidad de Zonzonate, the head-town, is pleasantly situated on the Rio Grande, in lat. 13° 35' N., and long. 90° 26', about four leagues from the sea. It

* See for the importance and various uses of the banana, the fruit of the plantain-tree (ptatano arton, zapalote, or masa paradi siaca), vol. i. p. 180; and Humboldt, Pol. Ess., vol. ii. pp.3(i(i—3CU. t This word, in the Mexican language, is said to signify many springs, and is the líame giveu to the provincial capital from the river on which it is situated, now callcd ftío Grande, which is formed by innumerable springs. 2 0 0 GUATIMALA.

contains a spacious church, thrce oratorios, four con vents, royal mngazines, and a treasury. Tliu population, in 17/0, amounted.,to 3,500, oi' whom nearly 500 were Spaniards. On the opposite side of the river, communicatingwith the town bya sume bridge, is a sitlmrb ealled the barría del àngel, w ith a chapel* and iu the vicinity are tliree small Indian vl·llages, mmierons cottages, and gardens. ïh e ciiraate is very h o t . Acajulla, the port oí- Zonzonate, is merely au upen bay, without shelter; yet, nocwithstímding the di/liculties of the coast, it is the anchoring-plaee for ships coming froïn Pern w ith freights of wine, brandy, oils, olives, raisins, skins, and other produce; in return for which, they take back indigo, sarsaparilla, naphtha, tar, turpentine, balsam, amber, and other ginns and resins, in wliieh this province carri es on a considerable commerce.* A n inland trade is likewise carried on in mats, woven in diíferent eolours by the Indians, which are used iu Guatimala as carpets. ïh e provinee yields also cotton, cocoa, sugar, indigo, sessamum, and rice. ïh e other cliief places are Aguachapa, a large and flourishing town, in a district produeing excellent sugar; and Izalco, containing twoparislies, with a population execeding 0,000. ïh e volcano of Izalco, front which the town takes its name, is distinguished by its freqüent eruptions: a very violent one look place in April 1700, which lasted for sevoral d a y s . ïh e fifth province, th.at of San Salvador, is of sufli- cient importanec lo be mado an intendaney. It is bounded ou the west by Zonzonate, on the east and

* About forty Icagucs north-west of the port of Acajulla, in Ihc province of Escudilla, is a small bay, called in some maps, the port of Guatimala; but this, Juarros says, is an error: it !s not a port, ñor lias it r.ny slielter whatever. CUATIMALA. 2 0 7 novtli by Comayagun, and extcnds fifty leagucs along the sliores of the Pacific: its brcadth is about tliirty lengues. It is more numerously peoplod than any othcr provincc, thc nnm bcr of inhabitants being np- wanis of 211,000. The Indians of this intendancy are higlily civüiscd, and all speak Spanish. The most valuable trade of the whole country is com ed on herc, the principal brancli of which is indigo, now bccotne nhnost exclusively a productíon of this province. From the rich tract of country within this intendancy, callud the llalsam coast, is obtaíned the richest halsmn in the world.* The valnable plant which grows here in great abundance, not only yields both the whítc and the blaek balsam, hut a nut from which is cx- tracted the oil of halm, and a spirit called aguardiente de Ixtlsamoy is distilled from the ílowcrs. There are saíd to he mines also of silver, iron, and lead. The intendancy is divided into four distriets. The fií'.st, proceeding from west to cast, is that of Santa Ana. The climate in this distríct is milder than in any other part of the intendancy; thc chief article of commerce is sugar, with souic índigo, cattle, and shoep. The town of Santa Ana Grande, which gives name to the distríct, containcd, in 1770, a population exceeding 6,000, of wliom about 350 were Spaniards. Chalchuapa is a large, woll-biiílt village; the principal nrcupation of the inhabitants is hroeding hogs. The best-bnilt town in the distríct is San Pedro Matapus, sitnated about two leagnes from the lake Guija, which communientes w ith thc river Lem pa, thclargest in the kingdom. A t its iowost ebh, that river is said to excced 140 vards in hreadtli. The lake is about ciglit

■* Thislía’isam, says Juarros, has ahvays becn so liirjlily csteewcd, that, ïïi I5G2 ami líí'l. Popes Pius IV. and V. jrrantwl pormission tJ n t l!ic American b a t a n mi;;ht be used in the holy rhrism. 2 0 8 GUATIMALA.

Icagues in length and thrce in width, and abounds- w ith fish. In the environs of M atapas are five iron founderies. The church is handsome and richly en- dowed : the populatiou exceeds 4,000. The city of San Salvador^ which gives its name to the principal district, as well as to the whole intendancy, stands in a delightful valley, surrounded by m ountains covered w ith wood, which term inate towards the north-east in a volcànic sumtnit, that has caused a t different periods great devastation by its eruptions: it is in lat. 13° 30' N .; long. 89° 46' W . The town was founded in 1528, with the view to keep the province of Cuscatlan (land of riches), as it was then called, in suhjection. It was created a city by Charles the Fifth in 1545. Besides the church of San Salvador, there are four oratories, three convents, Dominican, Franciscan, and M ercedarian, a custom-house, a post office, a tobacco.faetory, and a town-house. The streets are laid out in right lines, the houses are com- xnodious, and the markets are well supplied. The inhabitants, in 1778, were nearly 12,000, of whom C00 were Spaniards. The population has doubtless considerably increased since that time. T he distance from Guatimala is 60 leagues E.S.1S. The other prin cipal towns of the district, are Nejapa, Tejutla, San Jacinto, Sueliitoto, Cojutppec, Texacnangos, Olocuilta, Tonacatepec, Chalatenango, and Masagua. The trade of this district, which contains half the population of the intendaney, is chiefly confined to indigo, to which, indeed, the inhabitants devote their attention almost exclusively, so as to neglect the culture of other articles of prime neeessity. “ The cultivation of indigo,” Humboldt says, u which is very general in Guatimala and Caraccas, is neglccted in M éxico; and indigo is annually imported from Guatimala, wherc G Ü A ' m i A L A . 209 tlie total produce of tlie plantations amounts to the •valué of twelve millíons of livres. Raynal is wrong when he maintains tliat the Europeans introdnced the cultivation of this valuable plant into America. Several species of indigofcra are peculiar to the New Continent. Ferdiuand Columbus, in the life of his father, mentions indigo among the productions of ílayti. Hernández describes the process by which the natives separated the fecula from the juice of the plant; a process different from that now employed. The small cakes of indigo dried by fire, were caUed mohuitli or tleuohuilli: the plant was designated by the name Xiuhquilipitzakuac." * In Guatimala, the plant is called Giquilite, and the indigo prepared from it, añil: the former is the native name; the latter has passed into the Spanish language from the Arabic word niz or nil. Hernández calls the Mexican in digo, aniz. The district of San Vicente has a climate more intensely warm tkan San Salvador: its trade consists chiefly in tobáceo and dyeing materials. The head town, San Vicente de Austria, otherwise called Lorenzana, is situated on the skirts of a lofty mountain, at the base of which are several caverns, wherein are sorae warm springs ; the wàters are extremely fetid, and “ burst forth with an incredible noise.” Iu different parts of the valley there are mineral springs of different temperatm-e, and the whole región bears marks of volcànic phenomena. Two deep rivers, the Acaguapa and the Amapulta, nearly surround the town; the one skirting the northern side, the other flowing on the south; and at a short distance is a third river, called the San Christobal. These three

* Pol. Essay. vol. iii. p. 44. 2 1 0 GUATIMALA. streams are satd to vary most remarkahly hi temperature. The wàters of the Aeaguapa are particnlarly cold, those of the Amapulta are warm, while the Sau Christohal is always of the temperature of the human body. The climate is warm and lmmid, but hcaltliy. Besides tlie principal church of San Vicente, there is a very handsomc one dedicated to Nossn Senhora del Filar, erected at the solc cost of a prívate individual; it has three vaulted aísles of hcautiful architecture, and is richly decorated. There is also an oratory of Calvary, and a Franciscan convent. It is 74 leagues from Guatimala, 14 leagues east of San Salvador, and 23 w-cst of San Miguel. At the base of the voleano of San Vicente, and directly opposite the town of the same ñame, is the village of Sacatecohica, “ one of the fmestin the kingdom,” with a population of upwards of 5,000 persons. About a leaguo from San Vicente, on the skirts of the same mountain, in a mild elimato, is the large village of Apastepec, noted for its annual fair, held on the lst of November, for the sale of dyeing woods, &c. The village of Islepec is celebrated for its tobáceo; and at the adjoining village of Tepe- litan, there is a royal tobacco-factory. The fourth and most easterly district of the intendaney is that of San Miguel, the climate of ivhich is intensely hot and insalubrious: the produce consísts chieíly of indigo and tobáceo. On che coast are two ports; one called Júpiilisco, the entrance of which is six leagues castward of the bar of the river Lempa ; it is shut in by several islands, that shelter and defend the anchoragu. The other, called Conchagua, is a large bay, capable of receiving slups of any tonnage ; it is situated on the confines of the province towards the district of Cholulteca. The city of San Miguel de la Frontera, situated in lat. 123 50' N., and long. 1U>° GUATIMALA. 2 1 1 4G' W., contains a good church, two convents, Fran- ciscan and Mercedarian, an oratory, and a town-house; the population exceeds 6,000 souls. It was formerly rauch more populous. “ Indecd,” says Juarros, “ the commercial advantages it enjoys, would vender it one of the raost nunierously peopled places in the kingdom ; but the insalubrity of the climate keeps down the number of the native residents, and deters others from taking up their abode in it.” The iuliabitants are said to be wealthy. It is 12 leagues from the sea, 37 from San Salvador, and 97 from Guati- mala. The other towns are San Alexis, Chapeltic, and San Juan Chinameca. The last of these, situated in an elevated región, enjoys a mild and salubrious climate, and the soil produces all the species of grain, fruit, and vegetables peculiar to the temperate zone, witli wliich it supplies the city of San Miguel. At Estanzuelas, a small village of Indians and Mulat- toes, there is a mineral spring which has petrifying properties. The whole of this fine provinco invites the especial attention of the geologist and natnralist, from the vcry circnmstances which vender it an undesirablo residence. The violent earthquakes by which it has repeatedly been visited,* the three volcanoes of San Salvador, San Miguel, and San Vicente, (from the former two of which eruptions have happened within the memory of the natives,) the sulphureous springs in the vallcyof San Vicente, and other circumstances, indicate that the shores of the Pacific here form but an immense vault over the subterranean depositories of combustible matter which feed the volcànic furnaces.

* Those from which it lias snffercd the greatest injury, took place in the years 1375, 1593,1G25, l(i5(l, and 1790. l'A lt T i v . O 212 GUATI3IALA. There sccms to be a repetition here of many of thé phenomena which occur on tbe coast of Valladolid.® The volcanoes of San Salvador tower far above tito neighbouring raountains, espccially that of San Vi cente. No account exists of any eraption frojn this rolcano, bnt tlie numcrous springs of warm water that descend from its sides, are all ímprçgnated with sulphur; and on its northem flank is an aperture, called the Infernillo, which emite' smoke or vapour like the hornilos of Jorullo. In tliis direction also ara many other openíngs, filled with vcry hot water, in which iriay be lieartl a noise resembling that of a fluid in a State of ebullition, (a circumstante observet! also in tbe Malpavs,) and this noise is increascd by the slightest agitation of the air, even by tbe human voice. On some parts of tbe mountain, ive are told, is found a very wbite earth, commonly used fox* paint- ing in distemper; in other parts are ycllow, rose- coloured, pnrple, and bine earths; green copperas is also met with. Tbese are doubtless pyrites. No In formation of a scientific kind is to be obtained from tbe vagixe accounts of the native writers. Tbe filti- tüde of tbe volcan is said to be so great tbat, in tlio upper regions, the cold is excessivè; but, wlïether it risos i uto tbe región of snow, is not stated. Among the animals who inhabit it, are the wild boar and tbe danta or tapir. The lakes of Gnija (or Guixar) and Metapa form onc of tbe mostintcrestingfeatures of this intendaney. They are said to communicate by a subternuican channel. The lake of Metapa, which is fed by the rivers Langue and Languetuyo, and lias, apparently, no other outlet, by this means discharges its snper-

* Seo p- 1 2 G of llús vohrnie- •CUATIMALA. 2 1 3

íluous watcrs.51 ïlie lakc Guija, whích is twenty loagucs in extent, is also fed by tlie lnrge rivcr Mit- lan, which, augmentad in its long ceurse by many tribu tury streams, discharges itself into tho lakc under the namo of the river Ostua, near che village so callee!. The rivcr Guija, a large and powerful stream, in no part fordable. ilows out of thc lakc, and, after a tvinding cutirse, joins the rivcr Lempa. Thls latter river has its sources in the mountains of Esijuipulas, in tlie ]>rovincc of Chhprimula. It is at lirst an inconsiderable rivulet called the Sesecapa; but, in a conrse of more than forty leagnes, it rcceivcs the tribute of a great number of small streams, and after being joincd by the Guija, rolls an immense volunte of water towards the Pacific, where it discharges a little to the wcstward of the Bay of Jiquilisco, forming the boundary betwcen the distriets of San Vicente and San Miguel. The two lakes above-mentioncd furnish to the wlioíe district an inexhaustible supply of delicate iish. Iri the middle of that of Guija, is a large island most pie- turesquely clothed with wood, which gives covcr to immeuse quantitics of game. On this island, are the niin$ of soinc aucient buildings, called by thc natives Taaeualpa (old village), which are of sullicient extent to convey the idea of its liaving becn a place of some importance.*!* Two other lakes are mentioned by Juarros, those of Toxacuangos and Gilopango, which, he savs, afford various kiiuis of fine fisb, more tlian

* We say apparcntly, bs causo tho vague statement of Juarros requires to bo verified by actual invcstlgction. t In iho Interior of tho woods on this island, l'uoutes States, tliat it had Uccnudinned cm vory respectable nutliority, that s u tu r a luid bseu frequenlly secn. Juarros dismisses the nssortlon as unde- Porvjng of nttciuion; yct, it miglit be woitl) lnqulvy, vrhclhcr the.se woods inay net conccal a species of nnthropomorphous ape, or savages. 214 GUATIMALA. enough for the markets of San Salvador and a gruat portion of the intendancy; but lie gives no accoimt of their situation or extent. Almost the whole of the tract of country whicli wc liave been ilescrihing, lies either within the regions cailed the tierras calientes, or occupies the Southern declivity of the cordillera, the crests of whicli, “ brist- ling with volcànic cones,” stretch along the coast of the Pacific from the lake of Nicaragua to the bay of Tehnantepec. The province of Costa Rica likewise contains volcanoes. But the most remarkable are in the inland province of Sacatepec, whicli, as comprising both the ancient and tlie modern capital, will now claim our attention. It fornis part of tlie territory designated in some geograpliical works by the name of Guatimala Proper.*

* In q recent geograpliical work, Guatimala is with singular inaccuracy described as containing eiglit provinces, viz. Chiapa, Vera Paz, Guatimala Proper, Soconusco, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Veragua. The latter belongs to New Granada. It ¡s hard to say what is meant to be included in Guatimala Proper. Its boundarics are said to be Vera Paz and Chiapa on the N.E. (an obvious blundcr for N.W .); Honduras on the E .; Nicaragua on the S.E.; and Oaxaca on the N. and W. Oaxaca neither lies in that direction, ñor can it touchon Guatimala Proper, as Soconusco divides them. No notice is taken in this enumeration, of the important intendancy of San Salvador. Guatimala Proper, Uicrcfore, would, according to tliis statement, comprise the four maritime provinccs of Suchiltepec, Escuintla, Zonzonate, and San Salvador, or the wliole coast between Soconusco and Nicaragua, and tito five midland provinccs! It would more correctly be re- stricted to the three interior provinccs, lying between Vera Paz on the nortli and Escuintla on the south, which composed the ancient Kaehiquel or Guatimalan kingdom. In Alcedo's Dictionary, a work considera! as a high authority, Guatimala is described with similar inaccuracy. It is stated to contain 13 provinccs, viz. Soco nusco, Chiapa, Suquitepcc, Vei'a Paz, I-Ionduras, l a d e o s , San Salvador, San Miguel, Nicaragua, Xeres de Ja Choluleca, Tegusi- galpa, and Costa Rica. These 13 provinces are said to be divided G U AT 1 MA L A . 2 1 5

VALLEY OF GUATIMALA.

T he province of Sacatepec, bcing of limited extent, thongh umisually populous, is onlyan alcaldia-mayor. It lies betwoen Üie 14tU and lótli paral·lels of north latítude, and between long. 1)0° 40' and 91° 46' W. 3t is not abovc 20 leagues iu length, and is nearly as ínucli in breadth, and contains upwards of 115,000 inhabitants. It is the most Southern of the five in terior provinees, and, together with the alcaldías of Chimaltenango and Solola, fonned the ancient king. dom of Kachiquel. Within these contracted limita, tiie country presents a singular variety of surface and of elimate. The soil, Juarros says, is favouraljlo to the productions of every temperature. The Vale of Guatimala, known also by the name of Pasuya, seems to bear an analogy to that series of immense plaius which encirde tlie capital of México. It consists of nino basíns or valleys, of varying elevation, comprised within onevast circuit, which cxtends frorn the numn- tains of Quezal tenango on the west, to tlie maritime province of Ciiiquimula on the cast. Thrce of tliese valleys, those of Chimaltenango, Xilopetec, and Alo- tenango, are comprised within the alcaldia-mayor of Chimaltenango: the othei* six, which form the alcal dia-mayor of Sacatepec, are the valleys. of Guatimala, Mixco, Sacatepec, Las Vacas, Mesas de Petupa, and Canales. We are unaapiainted with the different into 25 govomments and nlcnldias-mayorcs; and nfterwnnU, the of Ouaünmki, (which is not inu’.ilicmed in the lirst enu- meralion.) is stated to be one ot' Uie thrc.e composin" t!l“ kingdom. !t is ncedlcss to iKiint out the gross inaccuracics in Ihis accouut. Icalcos is pcobahly Jzalco in 2cmzonato, which docs not appear to havc e m fonned eithur all akahUa-miii/w or a ■.•om·ginúaao. T he same remark applics to San Miguel. o 2 2 iü GUATEMALA. elcvations of thcso vrdleys, as no IIumMdt has hitlicrto explorad thk región 5 but títere is reason to snppose that they will be found to vary not less remarkably in their climate and productions, tlian the four JMcxican plateaos.* Jmirros States, that thc valley of Chimaltenango enjoys a coid, dry, but healthy climate, and that i t is of so exactly proportioned a level, that the drainage waters of one half of the town of Santa Ana clescend into the Atlantic, and ehose of thc other half into the Pacific. The soil produces ndieat, maize, and Euvopean fruits. The vicinity of Almolonga and San Gaspar in Sacatepec, used to sup- ])ly the capital with pulque or maguey wine, until the govemor, Andrés de los Navas, prohibited the trafile imder pain of excommunication ; while, in the valley of Xilotepec, the sugar-cane is cultivated. That which is properly called the Valley of Guati- m alaf occupíes nearly tlie centre of the chain of plateaus, having the valleys of Chimaltenango and Xilotejiec on the north, that of Mixco on the east, that of Petapa on the south, and that of Alote- nango on the west. Oíd Gnatimala stands nearly in the centre of the plain, encompassed hy eleven suburbs, which are environed byno fetver than thirty- one villages, the most distant of which is not two leagnes from the city: some of these are on the plain, others 011 the declivities of the mountains. The * The valley of Toluca is 8,530 feet, the valley of Tenochtillan 7,400 fcct, the valley of Actopau 0,430 feet, and the valley of Istia 3,3ÚU feet, above the level of the sea. They diil'er as much in their clitnatc asín their elevat ion, caclibeingadaptcd to a diderent species of cultlvalion. The las!, which is the lenst elevated, ad mita of the groivthof the sugar-cane ¡ the ihird is¡ulapted for Uiat of cotton; thesecond, for the cultivatio» of European grain ; and the first, for agave-plnntations. — H uwjioldt, JW. lCm¡/, ro l. i. p . 56. i lis audent ñame was the valley ol' Tuerto or Panchoi. GUATIMALA. 2 1 ? present inhabitants are, it seems, indebted to the Spanish conqnerors for this succession of viílages. It appears frorn the records of the cabildo, that soon after the cíty was founded, a distribution was made, in lots, of the lands in the valley. It being found, however, that some of the worthy citizens had, in the scramble, got possession of larger portions than fell to their share, while others had none, in a meeting of the cabildo held in April 1520, it was determined to equalise the distribution by dividing the whole valley into lots called caballerías and peonerías; the former, 1,000 paces long by 000 in breadth; the Iatter, half that qnantity. To a horse-soldier was assigned a cabullería ; to a foot-soldier, a peonería. These lots were laid out by the proprietors, some as maize-fields, others as gardens, or for other agricultural labours. “ At this period,” continues Juarros, “ there were great numbers of the unreelaimed natives wandering about in the forests and on the mountains, without any kiud of subjection or government, who were very detrimental to tliose who had already been converted. The Spaniards, desirous of applying a remedy to this evil, began to devise means of collecting them toge* ther, and establishing them in small viílages. This design was still iurther promoted by various edicts from the king, particularly one dated June 10, 1540, which especially ordered that all methods should be tried to induce the Indians to live in societies and form viílages, to accomplish more eífectually the important object of civilising and instnicting them. As tlie wild Indians disregarded all the fricndly offers that were made them, and shewed hut HttJe inclination to. listen to the pveaching of the missionaries, the gover- nor gave pennission to kunl them out of their retrcats. In consequence. the ofñcers, each taking ten or twelve 213 GUATIMALÀ. soldiers, sallied forth on the darlcest nights, conducted by expert guides, to an Indian hovel, wlua*c tliey fre- (juently seized six, eight, or ten Indians, whom they brought home and placed on tlieir inaize-plantations and other works, under the superintendente of carefnl persons. ïhese excursions were rcpeated until sixty, eightv, two Inmdred, tliree lumdred, or oven gTeater nutnbers were got together and formed into a village, on which was usnally bestowed tlie namo of the saint of the proprietor’s peculiar devotion, with the addkion of the súmame of bis fainily. Thus, Luis de JJivar establisbed the village calied San Gaspar Bivar 5 Ignacio de Bobadilla, that of Santa Catarina Bobadilla ; Alonzo de Zamora, that of Santiago Zamora, at a place where lic used to wash the soil to find gold; and Gabriel Cabrera, that of San Lucas Cabrera.” Severul otliers are designated by tlie dignity or office lield by their founders ; as, San Juan del Obispo, founded by Bisbop Francisco de Marroí|um; San Andrés Dean, founded by Dean Juan Alonzo ; and San Pedro Tesorero, establisbed by the treasurer, Pedro de Becerra. San Miguel Milpa Dueñas, founded by Alvarado, is named from a portion of laud which he had ordered to be sown with niaize for the benefit of the vidows of his soldiers; San Dionisio Pastores is said to have received its name from the iuliabitants having tended Alvarado's llocks; and San Luis de las Carretas was so calied becausc the inhahitants were chiefly oartwriglits. The in-

* O ihcrsr.rc enum eratod by Juarros, which wc liavc not Uiought it ¡K'ccssary to particulavise. San Lucas C abrera i.< ¡liso calied San Lucas Yvhanzwji/U, which signiíies, ín the Pipil knigungc, housenf sm iil; dorlving ihis appellative l'rom soinc v/eils ncar the village, “ in which, if any kkid of Unen be laid for tlireeor four days, it will bc dyed a m ost Ik-auliful black, and the colour so durable that it eaim ot be diseharged.”— J cohhos, p . 470, r u t e . GUATIMAXA. 219 habitants of the dty derive many advantagcs from tliese numerous places: besides tlie supply of every kind of provisions, they draw plenty of hands for their different works and manut'actories. If a person is in •\viint of bricklayers, he is sure of finding them at Jocotenango, Santa Ana, and San Gaspar; masons at Sau Cristovai (the Iower); gardcncrs at San Pedro de las Huertas; bakers at Santa A na; and butdiers at Santa Isabel. The inhabitants of Almolonga supply the cíty wíth fniit of all kinds, either the growth of their own gardens, or procured from other villages towards the mountains or tlie sea-shore; Almolonga and Upper San Cristovai furnish all kinds of flowers; San Gaspar and Almolonga used to supply pulipie ; and San Pedro de las Huertas sends cauliflowers, cabbagcs, ouions, and every other descríption of garden vegetables. Wood, c o a ls , and similar articles of domèstic necessity, are brotight from the other villages.” This descríption, while it disdoses the unprincipled method pursued by the Spanish conquerors for sub- jugating and converltng the natives, sliews that the site of Alvarado’s capital vas not injudiciously cliosen. The spot first selected vas about a league to the south-ivest of Old Guatimala, betveen the two volcanoes, near the place now called Almolonga, and sometimes Ciudad Vieja (the old city).* The settlement here, Juarros States, was meant to be a tem-

* It is a disputed point atnong the Spanish historian», whelher the first settlement was at Almolonga, or in the capital of Kiug Sinacam, the lndiancity of Tecpanguatemala, tvhich occupied the site of Sun M iguel Tuiainlpa, a sillage a t a sliort distance. Juarros says, that directiy above Txncualpa (which signifies old town), may be distinguíshed. the deep chattncl m ade by tlic torrent of water and detachcd masses of rock by which tile old town was overwhelmed. •220 GOATIMALA. porary one, until a more convenient S]>ot could be selccted ; but, 41 not discovering ¡motlier situation oil'enj'.g superior advuutnges, tbe inhabitant» detur- niinoil to remain hcre, and to extern! their buildings a little to tha eastward, upon the skirt of the mountain callecl the Volcan de Agua ; a place of great i'ertility, very ploasant, under a fine climate, liealtliy, and abundantly supplied with excellent water. On tliis spot, tliey eonnncnced building the city on the 22(1 oí' JSoveinber, 1527; and in a short time tliey liad erectud a decent cathedral, convents of Dominicans, Pranciscans, and Merccdarians, two hcrmitas, a town- Jiouse, and a hospital. Aíter fourtcen years’ progresa, fiu'ther improrements wcre stopped bv a calamity tlmt linally decidod its fute. On the night oí' Septem ber 11, 1541, an eruption of water from the mountain took place, when a torrent so immense rollad down í'roia the summit, swüeping befare it large trecs and enonnous rocks, tlmt tlie city xvas overwliclined, the buildings dcstroyed, and gi-cat part of the inhabitant» buriod beneath the ruins.® Tliis irreparable disaster » The account which Juarros gires of tliis drcadful catsstrophc, is as follows. “ It hr

OLD GUATIMALA.

Old G u a t im a l a (la Antigua Gualimala), mi- cïently a city and the metropolis of the kingdora, now ranks only aü. a town; it is, liowever, as being tíie resiliente of the alcalde mayor, the provincial capital of Sacatepec. Its proper title is Santiago (or San Jago) de los Caballeros de Guutimala. Saint Cecilia is also considered as the co-patroness of the city, in consetiuence of a memorable victory obtaincd over the Kachiquel Indians, who had revolteó, in 152G .* It ivas constituted an episcopal see in 1 5 3 4 by Pope

* The history of this revolt is briefly given by Juarros. When Pedro de Alvarado left Guatlm ala in 1520 to wait npon Cortes, h e left llis brother Gonzalo licutenant of tlie newly acquired kingdom during his absence. Impelled by avarice, Gonzalo deterroincd to improve the fnvourablc opportimity of enriehing himsclf. " With this view, he demauded an exorbitant tribute from the populous viilnge of Pitinamit, requiring that DOO of the Indians sliould oach bving him, every day, a rccd of thcsize of hislittle flugerfilled with fine gold, under the penalty of being taken as slaves. The ladi.ijipy victims of hisrapncity exerted themseives to the utmost to pay this iniquitous exaction; but all their endeavours being in- efFeetual, the governor went to the village, inilicted seveie punish- meiits, and threatencd them witti death, sliould his dcmand be neglectcd. The natives, driven to dosperation by thcse vexations, invoked all the towns of the Kachiquel nation to their aid, and soou collected a forcé of 30,000 comba tants. A part of this host was detadied lo defend the mountains in the road frmn Potapa, bywhich thcy feared Pedro de Alvarado might rclurn,-ivhilo the maín body suddenly fell upon the town, and, taking the inhabit ante by surprise, killetl many, wounded more, and put the rest to liight. After this defeat, the city was abandoned by the Spaniavds, unti! the return of Alvarado, who, without loss of lime, exevted himsclf to rega'm what they hnd bcen deprived of, and to reduce the Kachiquels once more to subjeotion. This was not done withoutgreat troublo, and several sevcrc contesls. He ut last van- quished them, after a very obstinate battle, ami they theu submitted. This victory was obtaincd on Lho 22d of November, St. Cecilia’* day.” Ul?ATIJIAJ,A. 22 3 Pani lïï., and Pope BenerHct XIV. in 1742 raised it to the rank of a metropolitan city. “ It stauds in a delíghtf'ul valley, shnt in by mouutains and liills tliat ahvays retain tlieir verdura, and enooinpasseil by nieadowa and lands whieh supply pasturaje to large henU of eattle. Two rivcrs run thraigli the vallcy, and supply to tlie gardens and ineadows, the fanns and eountry-houses, evory convonience for irrigation. The climate is extremely agreealde, ami of so happy a medium, that neither heat nor cold ever pre- dominatcs to the injury of vegetation; but a perpetual spring presents its varied bounties. The city extentis abont twelve squares of houses (manzanas)* in the narrowest p art: the streets are broad, strnight, and well paved, running in right lines frnm east to west and from nortli to south, except in the suburbs, where are many both narrow and irregular. There are numereus fountains, suppüed froïn tliree different springs; and water is aiso diffused into ull parts of the city by pipes, so that títere is scarcely a house without three or four cisterns regnlarjy replenislietl. There are large rcservoirs in the streets and publio places: that in the Great Square is worthy of notice, being constructed entirely of stone, very well wronght, and lilieti by two different strauns that ftill hito it on opposite sides. The consistorial houses deserre atten tum, holli for the solidity of Imilding, and their excellent distribution, as well as for an elegant cer ritior fronting the square, formed by colurnus and arches of inasonry. There are thirty-cight edi lices appropriated to religions worship and estabiishments, viz. the catiiedral, three pavish cherches, and sixteen

* A n u iH zm u t is a soliti square of houses, fonned by Ihc intersec- Utmof streets at right .ingles, and varyini; in m ejit frniu 1 jij to 330 ynrtls in front. 1‘ATtT IV. P 2 2 4 «UATÏMALA. others, eight convents for mon, eight for women, ilie congregations of San Felipe Nuri, and of Calvary, and eleven chapéis. The cathedral is a magnificent temple, more iban 300 feet long, 120 broad, and ncarly scventy liigh, lighted by fifty Windows;. it has tliree aísles, and eight chapéis on each side, of whicli those of the Sanctuary and Nuestra Señora del Socorro are very spacious; the decorations consist of beautiful statues, paintings of the best masters, many inestimable relies, and numerous utensils of gold and silver. The grand altar stood under a cupola, sup- poned by sixteen columns, faced with tortoiseshell, and adorncd with medallions In bronze of exquisitu workmanship ; on the cornice are placed the statues of the Virgin and the twelve apostles in ivory. In tliis sumptuous edifice, to which there are seven spacious entrances, repose the ashes of Pedro de Alvarado, the conqueror of the country, of Francisco Marroquin, the first bishop, eight of his successors, and of many otlier illustrious men. The church of San Domingo deserved notice by its elegant design, great elevation, capacious vestibule, and splendid decorations, among which was a statue of the Virgin del Rosario, nearly six feet in lieight, of massive silver. In the church of San Francisco, one of the largest in the city, were three alcoves, beautifully and richly adorned, which contributed greatly to the splendour of the grand altar ; the singularly curious chapel of Our Lady of Loretto, in which the image of the Virgin of Alcántara “ is worshipped ; at the portal*

* “ This image is not without its mirado, for it appears (from records juridically aulhenticated, obtained in tile year l(i01, and preserved in the archives of Ihc convent), that it is the ¡denlicat image which was worshipped at Alcántara in Estremadura, where ihe tvadition was, that it had been fotuid in the river Tagus, en- GUATIMAÏ íA í 225 there aro several statues of saints done in stucco, and onamelled, wbich far exeeed any thing of the kind in the kingdom. But the greatest treasure in popular estimation belongiug to the churoh, are the mortal relies of Pedro de San José de Betancurt, * that are preserved under the safeguard of three kevs, in a niche on the left hand side of the presbytery. The church of the Colleye of Jesuits, and that of Nuestra Señora de la Merced, each spacious, and vith three aísles, possess their due share of magniticenee. The Dominical!, Francisean, and Mercedurian convents, are the most remarkahle for their size, solidity of the building, neatness, and convenient arrangement of their respective offices. Of the mmneries, that of La Conception is the largest; it is said to Lave heen formerly inhabited by upwards of 1,000 persons, nuns, pupils, and servants.” -)* In the time of its prosperitv, as the capital of the kingdom, Oíd Guatimala was the residenne of the captain-general, who vas also president of the chan- eery and royal audiencia. In 1070, the royal and pontifical university of San Carlos vas founded by Charles II., on wliich, in 1G!17» Pope Innocent XI. conferred all the privileges enjoyed by the universities of México and Lima. This city has given birth to many illustrious individuals. Among these, the closed with the infant Pon Pclayo, in a cliest, and the preservado» of the piinco was attributed to ilic special protection of his Virgin patrones».” * “ Pedro de Betancurt was a priest, native of the islaitd of TcnerifTe, who sotüed in Guatimala; he was lield in great estima tion by the populare, who beiieved that he wrought miracles: the subject of his beatification was warmly debated in the Romish con clave, but not carried; howevcr, Pope Clement XIV. declared that his virtucs worc entitled to the most heroic degree.” -f J narros, pp. 112—14. 22G GUATIMALA. native Historian a!>ove cited enumeratos, Christoval Floros, a Francisca», of one of the noblest families of Guatimala, who suffered a cruel death for preaching Christi anity in Algiers in 1027; Diego de la Cerda, of the order of La Merced, who was toril in pieees by four horsos at Constantinople for preaching Chris- tianity ; lilas de Morales, a Francisc.ui of noble race and exemplary virtne, wlio died in 1646; Alonso Sánchez, a secular priest, who, for his eminent virtues, was honoured with a public funeral,_he died in 1652; Juan Bautista Alvares de Toledo, of an illustrious family, who, after filling the Duns Scotus professorship in the university of San Carlos, was raised to the episcopal chairs, succossively, of Chiapa, Guatimala, and Guadalaxara, and died in his native country in 1726; Juan de Padilla, a secular ecclesiastic of considerable literary attainments, who died in 1749; Miguel de Zilieza y Velasco, of a noble family, bishop of Cuidad Real, where lie died in 1768; Antonio de Pineda y Ramírez, who accompanied Malaspina, in a scientific capacity, in his voyage round the globe; Ignacio Ceballos, deán of México and Seville, mcmber of the Roya! Spanish Academy, and one of the compilers of the Spanish Dictionary; and lastly, Miguel Gutierres, an ex- jesuit, who died at Romo in 1794,—his life has been written in Latín by Luis Muniero. Tliehistoryof Oíd Guatimala is singularlydisastrous. Juarros devotes a separate chapter to its calamities, heginning with the Kachiquel revolt of 1526, and the destruction of the Ciudad Vieja, and bringing down the story to the fatal earthquake of 1773.* Although

* In these disastrous annals of the first city, it is recorded, tliat in 1532, “ tile vicinity of the city ivas ravagcd, and the inhabitants tlirown into consternation, by a lio n of uncommon magnitudo and GU A T I M ALA. 2 2 7 the inhabitants liad ehanged the situation of tíiü town, tliey could not evade the calamities that still awaited them. In 1558, an epidemic disorder, attended with a violent bleeding at the nose, swept away great numbers of the inhabitants. In 15G5, a severe shock of earthquake seriously damaged inany of the principal buildings. The earthquakes of 1575, 76, and 77, were not less ruinous. “ On the 27th of December, 1581, the population ivas again alarmed by the volcano, which began to emit fire; and so great was the quantity of ashes thrown out and spread in the air, that tlie sun was entirely obscured, and artificial light was necessary in the city at mid-day. Processions were formed to implore the Divine intercession; people confessed themselves aloud in the streets, being persuaded they were on the point of suffering some awful visitation of Providence. A northerly wind, however, at last relieved them from their fears, by dispersing the ashes towards the Pacific Ocean, and again allowing them to view the splendour of the sun. On the 14th of January, 1582, the mountain vomited fire with great forcé for twenty- íbur hours successively. “ The years 1585 and G were dreadful in the ex treme. On January 16, of the former, earthquakes were felt, and they continued through that and the ferocit}','1 (probably the p a u t a , or m i z t l i , is meant,) " which descended from the forests on tito Volcan de Agua, and committed great devnstations ainong tlie iierds. ¿V reward of 25 gold dollars, or 100 bushels of whcat, was ofi'ered by the town couneil to any person that could kill it; but the animal escapcd even from a general hunting-party of the whole city, with Alvarado at the head of it. After five ov sis months' continual depredations, lie was killed by a herdsmati, tvho roccived the proinised reward.” In February 153(1, a fire, oviginating in ablacksniith’t shop, destroyed a great number of houses, in conscqucnce of v/hich forges were prohibited witltin the city. 328 ÜUATIMALA. íollowijig year so i’requently, that not an interval of oight days elapsed, during the whole period, withont a shock more or less violent, l'ire issued incessantly, l’or mouths togetlicr, from tire ínountain, and grcatly incroased the general consternation. The most dis- astnms of these eruptiotis took place on the 23d Dec., 1580, wheu the major part of the city again became a lieap of rnins, burying under them many of the unfortunato inhahitants ; the earth shook with snch violence, that the tops of the Itigh ridges were torn off, and deep cliasms formed in various parts of the level ground. “ I111001, a pestilential distemper carricd off great numhors. It ragcd with so much malignity, that three days generally terminated the existenec of snch as were affected by it. In 1G07, frcsh shocks of earth- qnakos were felt, causing great damage to sevcral of the buildings, and killing many people. These terrible visitations did not return again until the year 1040. In 1020, a fiery meteor appearod, and iilled the inhahitants witli terror and dismay, from their ignorance of the nature of such phenomena: similar nppearances at the present day, as philosophy is bettev umlerstood, wouhl excite only admiratio». Meteors of the same description appeared on the 14th Àpril, 1040; the 23d March, 1080; the 20th January, ¡6 8 1; in January 1088; and on the 18th of Sep tember, 105)1. “ In the month of January 1623, the volcano was ohserved to be again in action; it thrcw out mudi tlame and thick smoke, accompanied by violent and loucl reports, to the great terror of the inhahitants, but fortunately witiiout injury. “ On the IRth of Fehvuary, 1051, abmit oneo’clock, afternoon, a most extraordinary subterraneaii noiso GUÁTIMALA. 220 v:as heard, and immediately followed by three violout shocks, at very short intervals from eacli other, wlvícli threw dowu many buildings, and damagcd otliers; tiie tiles from the roofs of the houses were dispersad in all directions, like light straws by a gust of w m d ; tlie bells of the churches were rung by the vibratious; masses of rock were detached from the mountains; and even tlie wíld beasts were so terrified, that, losing their natural instinct, tliey quitted theír retreats, and souglit shelter from the hahitations of men. Among tliese, a lion of great size and flerceness entered the dty, on tiie Southern sido, and advanced into tlie middle of ic; he tore down a paper iixed against one of the consistorial houses, and retreated by the strcets on the north side, These shocks were ropeated frequently, until the 13th of April. “ Very few years passed in which this devotad place did not experience the horrors of these exter- minating phcnomena; for, enumeratiug only sucli as caused serious damage since 1031, the worst were those in March 1070; 22d July, 1081; May 1083; August 1084; September and October 1087 » and the 12tli of Februarv, 1089, which, a writer of that period asserts, was even more disastrous than the one in 1651. “ Tlie year 1080 brought with it another dreadfui epidemia, which, in three months, swept away a tenth part of the inhabitants. Soma of them died smldenly; otliers expired under the most acute pains of the head, hreast, and howels. No remody was discovered that eould check its destructive progresa, althongli many of the deceased were oponed, to en- deavour, by that means, to come at the cause of the disorder. So great was the ninuber of the infectad, that thero was not a suifioient number of priests to administer to tliem the neligious rites. The bells 2 3 0 GÜATIMALA. were no longer tolled for the dead individual!}', and the corpses were buricd, en masse, in a common grave. From tlic capital, t'he pestilence spread to the neigh- houring villages, and thence to the inore remote ones, causing drcadful havoc, particulavly among the most robust of the inhabitants.* “ Pursuiiig this narrative of misfortunes, the next in succession happenod on the lst of February, 1705 ; when the mountain again disgorgcd ashes and thick smoke in such nbundance, that the sun was entirely obscured; and the Guntimaltccans, like the aneient Jigyptians, were enveloped in impenetrable darkucss at noon-day, which continued for several liours. In I7 IO, a violent emption of smoke and ignited stones took place; hut no serious injuiy was snstained. Tlie year 1717 was memorable: on the night of Augnst 27th, tlie mountain bogan to emít flames, attended bv a continued subterranean rumbling noise. On the night of the 23th, the emption íncreased to gTOivt violence, and verv mueh nlarmcd the inhabitants. The images of saints were carried in procession, public prayers were put tip, day after tlay; but the

* The author mnkes no mcntion of tho manner in which this cpidemic temiínatcd; hut, ;nys iiis Translator, '‘ religions ingenuily was not tardy in produoing a mirado to rcmove so drcadful a scourge. The inluibitants being gricvonsiy alarmed at the frightful iiavoc among thein, resolved upon the expedient of addrcssing publie pravers to Lile Virgin for her interference! they carried the image Ihat ís worshippcd in the village of Ahnolonga, thence to the churcli of Calvary, in the citv, in solemn procession. Tin» rogatlon conrlnuecl thrce tlays s on the last

NEW GÜATIMALA. T he new city received, by royal appointment, the ñame of La Nueva Guatimala de la Asunción, it being wichin the curacy of the hermitage of La Asunción de Nuestra Señora. Possibly, the ineílicicncy of the sainted patrons of the old city, Saint James and Saint Cecilia, might be :ut induceraent to consecrate the new settlement to the Virgin umler one of her many fonos GTJATIMALA. 239 of invocation. The spacious plain of La Virgen, in which it stands, forming part of t'he valley of Mixco, is hve leagues in diameter. It is in a delightful climate: the inhabi tants searcely know a cliange of temperature. The plain is watered by sevcral small rivers and lakcs, which greatly conduce to its fertility; and aUhotigh the new city is not summndcd with so many villages as Oíd Guatimala, yet, the raarkets are cqually well supplied with provisions of every descrip- tíon from the same quarters, and present a choice of vegetables, fruit, flowcrs, poultry, game, and othcr articles not often sm-passed in any región. “ The cicy forms a square about fifteen manzanas each way; it is (lividecí into í’our quarters, and the quarters into two barrios or wards, each superintendecl by its pecu liar alcalde, eleeted annually from the residents, and cxercísing his juriscliction under the control of the judge of the quarter, who is always a minister of the royal audiencia. For the administration of spiritual concerns, the city is divided into three parisiïes, each extenúing its whole longth from east to west, and om- bracing a third part of it from north to south; the centre is calied the parish of the Sanctuary of the Cathedral; the northern side, St. Sebastian’»; and the Southern, Los llemetlios. Tlie streets, which cross each other at right angles, are twelve yards bread, tho greater part of tliem paved: the houses, (ilthongh rather low, to mitigate the violcnce of future vartltquakes, are built in a good style, very enromo, dious, and judiciously decorated, nearly all of them enjoying the advantage of kitchen and plcasure gardens, with two, three, and even more reservoirs of water. The great square is a rectangle lóO yards eacli way, ¡iaved all over, and having a colonnade on lüich side. The eastern side presents the graud en 2-10 GUATUIALA. trance to tlio cathedral, with tlie arcliiepiscopal palace cm the right, and the college de Infantes on the leí't; on the opposite side stand the royal palace, the hall oi’ the audiencia, and offices belonging to that tribunal, the chambcr of accounts, the treasury, and the m iut; on the north side are the houses of the Corporation, prisonx, markets, públic granary, &c.; and on the south side, the custom-house, and the marquesado de Aizinena, &c. In the middle there is a large stone fountain of very superior workmanship, supplied with water, brought by means of pipes from the mountains to the south-east, upwards of two ieagues distant; from the same source, twelve públic reservoirs in dif ferent places and streets, besides many lielonging to the convents and private houses, derive their supplies. Tliis aqueduct is in some places carried over valleys, upon au extensive range of arches, and in others, through hills, by excavations, that have cost immenses lahour to complete. From the south-west, there lias been another stream of water brought into the city by similar means, and althoúgh from a greater distance, it lias, from the nature of the country through which it passes, been eft'ected with much less difficulty. The catiiedral is small, but in a fine style of architecture, and not, yet completed; the pedestals and capitals of the columns, the vaultings of tlio chapéis, and many other pans of it, are executed in a manner that en- titles them to the admiration of a scientiíic observer. Many other churches and. convents are stili in a pro gressive state; and, except the Jesuits’ college with its dependencies, and eleven of the minor churches, areiiitended to he similar to thosealreadymentioned in Old Guatimala. But besides thosc spoken of at the former jdace, there are, the college of Seises, the ¿tímale seminary called the Visitation, the Ilennitage ÜUATIMALA. 241 dol Carmen, sitnated on the snmmit of a hili near clic city, and that of Our Lady of Guadalupe*. On tlie north-east, adjoining tlie city, there is an extensivo suburb, dívided iuto two quarters and four barrios, over which the two ordinary alcaldes are the presiding magistrates: the parish of La Candelaria, and the colluge of the Visitation, are in this división, the streets of which are crooked and irregularly built.” The population of the city, according to the census of 179Ó, amounted to 24,434 persons, including many families descended from the most illustrions houses of Old Spain. Since that period, the number of inhabitants has greatly increased, and is supposed now to exceed 30,000. The Guatimaltecans are characterised hy Juarros as, for the most part, docile, humane, courteous, liberal, aífable to strangers, and inclincd to pietv, bnt too generally chargeable witli pusillanimity and indolence. “ They possess au aptness for the arts, which is demonstrated by the great number of liandicraftsmen in all trades, among whom there have been produced artisans of superior talents ; hut those who acquire most celebrity are, the silversmiths, sculptors, and musicians. The produetions of the sculptors are eagerly sought after, not onlv in tlus country, lmt in México; and even some that have been earried to Europe, have been highly esteemed by con- noisseurs. The class of weavers is nnmerous, and their looms produce One muslins and gauzes, calicóes, and comrnon cottons that are used in general wear by the poor people of the country. The potters are also a nnmerous tribe, who furnish earthenware and china sufficient for all the provinces : in the manufacture of some articles they excel so mucli, as to turn them out of hand but little inferior to the porcelain of Germany. Among the femalcs, there are excellent embroiderers, 2 4 2 GL'ATIM ALA. mantua-makevs, and florists, who make artificial flowers that vie with t'he productious of nature. Great munbers of females are eraployed in the manufactura of a species of cigars, ealled tuza, that are peculiar to this country; others spin cotton-yarn of every degree of fineness.” In the ycar 1795, a society' was instituted, under the title of the lioyal Economical Society of l’riends of the Kingdom, with the sanction of the Government, which, during tire short time that it was sufíered to exist, refleetcd high credit on its promotors. It had for its design, to ascertain the most eíFectnal means of euconraging agrieulture and the arts, and of advancing the públic prosperity of the kingdom. The lirst object to which the members turned their attention was, the introduction of spínning-wheels; and rewards were offered to females who should produce the best specimens of thread. With the view to encourage the cultivation of cocoa and cotton to a greater extent, premiums were next offered to the personswho should plant the greatest number of trees. To excite emulation among the weavers, pmes were assigned to those who presented the finest gair/.cs and tmislins. To facilitate the progress of the arts, a school of drawing was opened in March 1797, in which thirty-two young meu were gratuitonsly instrncted for two hours (from seven till nine) every ovening, and prízes were awavded once a month for the two best drawíngs. A mathematical school was 0]>ened in Januarv 1790; and in Jannary 1000, a modei academy M’as opened. The society held a públic sitting every half-year, at which the most distingnished personnges of the capital attended. At these meetings, extracts were remi from the journal of the Society’s proceedings, the prízes were dïstributed to the successful candidates, and the GUATIMALA. 243 sittíng tcrminated with a discourse delivered by ona of tlie assooiates. “ The patriòtic zeal of tliis body obtained for it a fresií mark of the royal favour by bis majesty’s communieating to it, on the lüth of July, his entire satisfactiou at the operations which had so powerfully contributed to the públic advantage; and he desired that the royal audiencia should propose to him such measures as ihey might think expedient to ensnre its contimiance. M'ith thesc flattcring pro- spects of success, on the 14th of July, 1800, contrary to all expectation, and to the astonishment of every person, a royal order ivas received, by which its further meetings and ulterior progress wcre prohibited, without vouchsafing any reasons for a determination so extraordinary and apparcntly injurious.” This flagrant act of despòtic authority illustrates in a striking manner, the odious policy pursued by the Spanish Government towards the Colonies; nor does it leave any room for surprise, that the Guatiinaltecans, not less than the Mexican citizens, should liavc beeu impatient of a yoke so galling. From the foundation of the university to the year 177«, the lectures tvere delivered according to the old soholastic method. Iu that year, the first course of experimental philosophy was begun. In October 1732, examinations in geometrytook place for the first time, which werc repeatcd in May 1705. In 1703, 1730, and 1734, there were examinations in anatomy, for which purpose models were introduced, which are stili preserved. “ In March 1708, four young men were examined in surgery, being the first who had gra- duated in that faenlty; and in July 1733, there were examinations in philosophy according to the Socràtic method.” * Altached to the university are twelve * Juavros, pp. ISO— 144. •344 CïUATIMALA. proiVssorshíps and u públic librnry. In 1793, was instituted, hy roval permission, tlie Prolomedicato, or college of pliysicians, composed of a president, two examinéis, ami a fiscal. The liconomical Seciety, before its arbitrary anppression, laid the basis of a j'oyal cabinet of natural history. Besides these insti- tutions, Juarros enumerates three scliools l'or the gratuitous instruetion of youtlt in the elementary branches of knowledge, and two classes of Latín grammav. It remains for future traveílers to toll ns, what fnrther progress Science and literatuve liavo made in the capital during the last five and twenty ycars, and what, besides changing its forní of government, the Revoluti on has effected l’or Guatimala.

Among the other clúef places in the alcaldía-mayor of Sacatcpec, we have already mentioned Almolont/a, for some time the residence of the alcalde-mayor, and one of the most beautiful villages of the kingdom. I t contaius a splendid parochial clmrcli, with an image of the Virgin that is held in high repute, and a Frau- ciscan convent. The Indian inhabitants claim the priviïeges of nobility, as being descended from the Mexicans wlio accompanied Alvarado at the comjuest. Their principal cmployment is supplying the capital with fruit, which they procure from tlio more distant villages. The climate is cold. San Juan Sacatepec was also for some tinte the head town of the alcaldia ; it is now the most populous village in the province, containing upwards of 0,000 inhabitants, and is de- seribed as a very handsome place. The air is salu- lirious, tbe climate temperate, the soil extremely fertile, and the market well supplíed; the inhabitants are chiefly employed in agriculture and sugar manufactories. San Juan Amatitan, situatcd in the vicinity GUATIMA3.A. 2 4 5 <>f tito lake of that mime, is a faronrite watering» place with the citizens of Gnatimala. It is situated in ¡i plain surroimdcd by very hígh mountains, which give it, Juarros says, u somewbat mdancholy aspeut; bnt, being in the vicinidy of the lakc Amatítan, and having a beautifuï river flowing on the castern sicle of it, tho fine climate and its contiguity to the capital, <»ccasion it to be very much frequented for the purpose of drinking the wàters of the river, which is a specific in many cases; others retíre thither to take the baths, and others again for their recreation. The streets are hroad and straight, and the houses are coninio- dious. The church contains a famous effigy of the infant Saviour, wliicli was originally placed in a little hennitage at Belen, a village three leagues distant; lmt the avchhishop, to prcvent the mischicís occasioned by large meetings in retircd places, ordered it, in 1789, to be trnnsferred to the church of San Juan, whither a vast concourse of worshippers an- nnally repair on the first Sunday in May. The inliabitants employ themsdves in fishing for moharra, crabs, and cray-fish in the lake, wliich they dispose of in Guatimala; in raising melons and water-melons for the same market; and in the manufacture of baskets and mats. The inhabitants of Villa Nueva de San Miguel in like manner subsist by fishing on the lake, and raising bananas for the capital. Villa Nueva de Pelajta is a well-biiilt village, situated in a dclighlfitl plain, fonr leagues from the metropolis. There are some very good houses, a handsome church, and an oratory; the streets intersect each other at right angles, and there is a spacious plaza. The in habitants cultívate maize. San Christoval de Ama- litan, nbout tliree leagues from San Juan Amatilan, is celebrated for a species of lizavd fonnd there, which is believed to be a cure for etmeers ; tho. Indians are 24 6 GUATIMALA. saúl to liavo uscd tliis medicine from tlie earlicxt periods. Sun Domingo Mixco, situated on tlie declivity of a mountain, and coimnanding a view ovni- the extensive valley of Mixco, is famed í'ov its mineral spring ; che iuhabitants arc carriors and pottors, and cultívate niai'/.8. Santa Catalina Pinula stands at the foot of the ridge of inoimtains called Canales, two loaguos S.E. of Guatímala. In this place is a seminary for the education of young fcmales,—an estublish- ment not to be fountl in any other villnge. The insti- tution lias obtained the royal sanction : the individuals on the establishinent maintain themselvcs hy the pro- (luce of tlieir gardens and thoir hee-hives. At N u estra Señora de la Asimdon Jocotcnango, a villago contiguous to Oíd Guatimala, is huid an animal fair for liorscs, mules, and mercliandi.se, wliich is numerously attended. La Ermita de la Asunción, the nio- ther-church of that ivhich ivas suhsecpiently huilt in the plain of La Virgen, is a small place situated in the valley of Las Vacas, on the river of the same ñamo. Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, is a modem village, huilt for the gardeners ivlio supply the inarket of the capital: the cliurbh ivas consecnited so lately as 1803. In tito alcaldía-mayor of Chimaltenango, ivhioh extends about tiventy lengues in length and as many in hreadth, the principal places are : Santa Ana Ckim- altenango, tlie licad town, about eleven leagucs from the metropolis; the publio «piare is very handsomo, luiving on one side an extensive sheet of water. Tec- panguatcmula,* formerly a residence of the Kachi- qnel monarchs. Here ivas huilt the second clmrch in the kingdoin. The climate is still coldev tlian that at

T h a t is, a lo c a Guntimítl.T, or, Upper G uatim ala; For sucli ia saiil lo be Clic nteaning of tec jm n . .So, T eqm uatillan ivas a dis tinet place from Afilian. GUATIMALA. •247 Sania Ana, and is favourable to thc growth of wlieat, maize, peaches, quinces, apples, pears, &c.; the iieigh- bourhood abounds also with timber, wliich ís sent to Guatimala in planks. The iniiabitants, who exceed 3,000, liave a high character for industry and otlier estimable qualities. Palzum contains 5,000 inliabitants of the Ruchique] nation, who are very industri. ously occupied in similar pursuits ; and the climate is imich the same as at Tecpanguatemala. Patzizia is a large village, containing not fewer than 5,000 iuhabitants, all labourers; the climate is coid and humid. San Andrés Itzapa contains about 1,500 persons, who raise wheat, maize, pulse, and vegetables, and feed large herds of hogs; the climate is coid, but drv. llere is lield a large animal fair on the eve of Saint Andrew, the patrón saint. San Sebastian del Texar is placed by Juarros in the alcaldía of Sacatepec, although witliin the valley of Chimaltenango : it is remarkable only for a medicinal spring. San Martin Xilopetcc stands in the mildest climate of the valley, where the sugar-cane is cultivated with snccess, affording full employment. to several mamifactories; the population is considerable. San Antonio Ncxapa, San Juan Alolenango, and San Miguel Milpa Dueñas, are also heads of uuracies within this province. That which lirst claims the traveller’s notice among the natural curiosities of the valley of Guatimala, is the gigantic Volcan de Agua (wuter-voleano), which is tlms described by Juarros. “ Tliis mountain is of a conical figure; its base extends over nearly all the western part of the valley of Guatimala. On the side towards the citv, the ascent by the road from the base to the summit, is three leagues and a half; and from the side towards Alotenango, it is more than finir leagues. The circumference at the bottom is eighteen l'AHT iv.

* In another part of hls work, Jnatros describes this mountain as covered lo thetum m it with trees that always retaln their ver- dure s yet, it is statcd above, that at suppiles the city during great partof thesummer with snow. Heaflirms, moreover, that it is the most lofty in the kingdom. The fact v;t¡ apprehend to be, that it loses its snow at certain seasons of the year; and if so, its clevatinn docs noi reach the región of perpetual snow. G ü A T lM A L A . 2 4 9 of au immense torrent of water, carrying with it im mense stones, and, if Father Remesal may be believed, the crown of the mountain itself.* Humboïdt supposes tliat subterraneous water ltad nosmall skare in produci ng the stupeiulous phenomenon of Jorulio, but tJiat volcauo emitted ñames and discharged lava. Oíd Guatimala is to the nortlnvard of this mountain, wliich stands between two volcanoes, the Volcan de Pacaya on the east, and the Volcan de Fuego ou the west. From each of these, tliere have been violent eruptions from time immemorial. The most remarkable on record were, that of July 11, 1775, from Pacaya, and those of the years 1G23, 1705, 1710, and 1717, from tlic Volcan de Fuego. There happeued one as recently as the cióse of the eighteenth century, but, as it was unattended with any serious conse- ({iicnces, it exeited little attention, although it lasted several days. The waters of a spring on the side of Alotenango were observed to have beeome heated, during the eruption, to such a degree, that eattlewere unable to pass through the rivulet running from it. The Volcan de Fuego is included in the alcaldia of Chimaltenango. At its base, near the village of San Andrés, there is a thermal spring, the water of which is veryhot, and is held ingreat repute for its medicinal virtues: ifc is called Saint Andrew’s Batli. At a short distanee is another warm spring, that emits a strong sulphureous smell, and is deemed an efficacious remedy lor cutaneons complaints. The general figure of this mountain is conical, but its snrnmit is divided into three points, in the westernmost of which may be seen several openings, wliich fre»piently emit ñames,

* Probably, an accumulat ion of snow 0 1 1 the summit, which might add to the npjiarcnl hciglit of tlic mountain. 2 5 0 G Ü A T 1 M A L A . puniiee-stones, sand, and smoke. The Vole&n de P a caya stands to the eastward of Old Guatimala, but southward of the present capital, and thrce leagues from Amatitíui. Tiiis mountain also has tbree dis tinet peaks. Xt is connectcd \vith a chain of eleva- tions extending to a great distance. The surrounding country is thiekly covered with the accnmulation of volcànic matter tliat has been formecl by its numerous eniptions. Fuentes says, that, in his time, tliere was scarcely a day thvoughotit the year, in which one or other of its lofty peaks did not emit flames. In the year 1064, “ such immense quantities of flames were vomited íorth with the most appalling explosions, that, duríiig the night, the city of Old Guatimala, at the distance of seven leagnes, was illuminated by a ljght not inferior to that of mid-day ; and the terror produced by the vibrations of tlie earth was so great, that the inhabitants were afraid to trust themselves within their houses during the tlu-ee days of its con- tinuance. Similar events occtirred in 1060, 1071, antl 1077 5 bnt tliere are no records of any others after the time of Fuentes, until that which took place 011 the llth of July, 1775, wlien, at day-break, without any previous noise, or any perceptible oscillation of the earth, a dense cloud of smoke was observad from Old Guatimala* in a south-west direction, which rose from behind the rangeofmountains thatconcealeíl the volcano from tlie view. To discover the flames, it was necessary to go to the village of Santa Maria de Jesús, whence could he dístingiushed the aperture through which they lmrst. From this aróse a large column of thick smoke, and vast quantities of burning

* Whcrc llie wrilcr, Don Domingo Juarrn», was resident at llie lime. GUATEMALA. 251 stones thai fell again into the crater. Sand was also thrown out in such abundanee, tlvat, being carried by tlie wind, it full so eopiously in Old Guatimala as to obscure tlie light of the sun, and tliicklv cover the ground. The wiiul liaving changed, the sand was carried in a southerly direction as far as the provinces of Escuintla and Snchiltepec. It was remarked on this occasion, that the eruption was not from either of the summits, but from the región where the mouutaiu divides into three peaks.” The lake of Amatitan will claim the attention of the scientiíic traveller. Its shores are said to produce salt, like those of the lake of Tezcuco,* in which the inhabitants carry on a considerable trade ; there are also several warm springs on its borders, which are found very beneficial in the case of glandular swollings in the throat, to which the females of this country are suhject. In all prohability, the wàters of the lake will he fonnd impregnated with the muriate and car bonate of soda, as well as some kínd ot sulphate. It is abont three leagues in length, and one in breadth at its widest part; its depth is not specified. It fur- nislies an incxhaustible snpply of fish, lmt there are none of the largor kinds: they consist of the moharra, a fish abont a foot in length, and of excellent flavour ; the pepesca, which does not exceed three inches in length, but is reckoned a delicacy; crabs and cray- fish ; amí a species called pescadilos. The valley of Las Vacas f is watered, on its eastern

* Sec vol. i. pp. 2G(J, 315. f This valley received its ñame (the Cows) from being the piare where catlle were first introduced into the lungdom by one of the companions of Alvarado, from the island of Cuba. They multi- plieil Iure so fast, Ihat they wcrc soon dispersad over all paris uf the country. ti 2 25 2 GUATIMÀLA. side, by the rivor Chorrera, which deserves notice ou account of tlie supposed pctrifying quality of its wàters. “ If the root or lininch of a troe fall so tbat a part of it lies in the water, the portion which isimmersed, becomcs petrified into a substance of a shining wliite or grey colour, liut the other part remains in its natural state; and it is observad, tliat where the current is ràpid, the transformaron is more speedily eifected than in places where the stream is slow.” The explanation of this phenomenon is not very difficult. The wàters aro highly impregnated with calcareous matter, which, wlien the stream is slow, is precipitated, bnt is lield in solntion where the current is ràpid, and forms a de posite on whatever obstruets the course of the stream. Juarros adds, that “ the substance tima transformed always preserves its natural porosity and iibrous tex ture.” This can hardly be true with regard to the part covered with the incrustatiou ? but it is sufficiently evident, that the wàters have, properly speaking, no petrifying quality/' In the valley of Petapa, some human bones of gigantic size are said to have been discovered, and among them, Fuentes says, “ a tooth as large as a man’s two fists!” Possibly, some fòssil animal remains may be found liere. In the valley of Sacatepec, near the village ofSan Pedro, “ a mine of ruhies (and silvev) was accidentally discovered in the year 1681,” by the curate of the village. The account given of the circnmstance hy the ahove-mentioned Historian, is as follows : “ As the father was amnsing himself one afternoon, he directed his walk towards a pass in the monntain, through which ran a clear rivulet. On

* Soc, for au account of tlic pelresoenl wàters of Laava and the petrified beach of Sciinly, M oa. T r a v ¡ Sgria, fy:. vol. ii. pp. 251, ¿ 5 3 , 2 0 0 . UCJATI.MALA. 2 .5 3 the side of tho bed of this river, lie observed a vein of white clay, interspersed with red and hlack patclics. llcing attracted by tlie variety and brilliance of tlie colours, and the reflection of small spackling sub stantes, he took nj» a part of the clay, which he carried to Guatimala, and gave to the licentiate, Christo- val Martin, an intelligent man, conversant in the na ture of metáis 5 who, having fnsed the mass, whicli weighed three pounds, delivered to the curate, on his return, a piece ofpure silver rather more than half an ochava (about forty grains) in weight, and seven ru bíes of the size of small beans. A few days after the discovcry, the curate was elected prior of the Domini cal! convent of Guatimala, wliich obliged liim to quit his curacy; and no more was heard of the mine.” Fuentes States, that he had actually had the silver and the gems in his liands. Juarros repeats the story without comment, so that, np to the close of the last century, no attontion appears to have been paid to the discovery, although thero is strong reason to believe tbat the ealcaveous fonnation wliich evidently pvevails in this part, will be found richly argentiferous. Don D. Juarros gives, from the same Historian, an account of a very remarkablc cavem, called the cavem of Mixco, in the valley of Xilopetcc, near wherc the ancient village of Mixco stood. “ On n small ritlge oflandon one side of the ruins of ancient Mixco, is the entranco to the cavern, about tlireo yards each way. Tlie pórtico, formed of clay, is in some parts entire, and appears to be of the Dorie order. Fuentes says, he inquired of some oíd Indians, how it had been contrived to give so great a consistency to the clay; and tliey informed liim, it ivas done by grindiiig a quantity of onion-sccd, and mixing it in the water 2 5 4 GUAITMALA. with which the clay was tcmpercd. From the entrance, a flight of thirty-six stone stops, each of a single piece, descends to a lofty saloon ahout sixty yards square. From this chamber the descent con tinues by another flight, beyond which nothing more is known, as no persoxt sufficiently cottrngeous, or jm- pmdeut enough to resist the iiulications of imminent clangor from tlxe tremulous motion of the ground nndev foot, has yet advanced more than a few paces. Descendi ng eighteen steps of this second flight, there is, on the right haud, another doonvay, forming a ]>erfect avch; and having passed this, there are six steps, in ali rcspects similar to the former, from which there is a passage ahout 140 feet in length. Fortiter than this part, it has not beca explorad. Many extraordinary acconnts of it liare heen fahricated, but they are stich as will not bear rcpeating.” In this same district (Xilopetec), are other excavations not less dcserving of attentio». “ The river Pancacoya, which rises near the pass of Fasacab, desccnds with great rapidity from a lofty rock, but, before it reaclies the plain, it passes through a conduit formed in the rock, ahout a yard and a half wide, and sufficiently liigh for a man to pass through with ease. Where this channcl terminates, there is a range of colurnus curiously wrought, with capitals and inould- ings; and a little further on, are several round cisterns formed in the rock, ahout a yard and a half in diameter, and nearly a yard in depth.” There is a tradition, that this part of the river was a washiug place for gold; and it is supposed, Juarros says, that the cisterns were oxcavated for that purpose. This is highly improbable. AII these excavations are doubtless to be referred to the same period and the GUAT1AIALA. 255 same artists, and class with Montezurna’s ISatli at Tescosingo,* tlie Casas de Piedras at Palenque,-f- and tho Palace of ¡Mitia in Oaxaea; not, perhaps, as monuments of tho same people or era, luit as indi- cating n striking analogy iu the respective customs aud attaínments in civüisation of the Aztcc, Zapotee, and Kachiquel nations, and possibly a commou origin. We mnst not omit to notice one stili moro marvellous curiosity whicli is found in these regions,—an animal which hecomes transformad into a vegetable ! Sucli is the grave statemcnt of the Historian so frc- (juently referrcd to. Near the villages of San Chris to val, Amatitan, and Pampichin, he telis us, is found the green chapuli, a large species of grasshopper, or locust, ahout a span long; at the extremity of its tail is a sharp eurvcd point like a thorn, which beeomes hard when the animal has attained its full growth. “ If killed in tliis State, and rarefully opened, a small hunch of seeds, similar to those of the passion-flower, about an inch long, attached to rami- fying fibres, is found in the intestines: these grains heing sown, will produce a plant like the gourd, which will bear a fruit resembling small pompions, as yellow and brilliant as gold; the seeds of which, sowu again, will bring forth similar fruit, but of much largor sine.” Were these seeds to bring forth grass- hoppers, it miglit be accounted for. I t nuty, indeed, occur to the reader, that the ckapnli must first have swallowed these seeds ; but' Francisco do Fuentes as- sures us, on the ummpeachahle testimony of Tomas de lUelgar, a venerable priest, and Don Domingo ./narros is satisfied of its correctness. that this vegetable spawn

* See vol. i. p. a.'to. t Sec p. 137 of the present volumc.

s c e i> . í m 2 5 6 GUATIMALA. is actually produeed from the intestinos of the insect; and the said priest, having sown the sceds, found the result to accord precisely with die above statement. We commend the chapuli to the especial attention of the learned naturalists of Europe. To the west of the alcaldia-mayor of Chimalte- nango, between Suchiltepec and Escuintla ou the south, and Totonicapan and Vera Paz on the north, lies the proviuce of

SOLOLA.

T ins alcaldia was formed by the unión of the two separate corregimientos of Atitan and Tecpanatitlan, or SoloM, which are stili considered as distinet distriets. It is of small extent, but populous ; lying be tween lat. 14° 25' and 15° 10' N., and long. 92° 46' and 93° 46' W. ; the population amounts to 43,000 souls. The district of Sololà, which includes the eastern part of the province, was included in the ancient kingdom of Kachiquel. Nuestra Señora de la Asunción de Solola, the head town, was the ancient Tecpanatitlan, the residence of one of the royal house of the Kachiqucls. It is situated on the smnmit of an elevated ridge, in a coid climate, about twenty-eight leagues frum Guatimala. The inhabitants, who amount to upwards of 5,000, are Indians, chiefly artisans and mechamos. Santa Cruz del Quiche, in this district, is the modern representativa of the once large and opulent capital of the sovereigns of Quiche, the city of Utatlan. It is situated on an extensive and very fertile plain, is modcrately populous, and contabas a Dominica» priory, Such is all the information which Juarros is able to communicate respecting the modern village; but C U . v m iA L A . 2 5 7 “ that iudefatignhle writer, Francisco de Fuentes, who went to Quiehó for the purpose of collecting informarien, partly from tlie antiquitics oí' tlie place, and partly from mamtscripts,” gives the followíng descríption of the ancient city. It stootl nearly in the situation whieh Santa Cruz now occupies, and the latter is supposed to have been oríginallv a suburb. The city was surrounded by a deep ravine, whicli formed a natural fosse, leaving only two very narrow roads as entrances, whicli were defended by tíie castle. The centre of the city was occupied by the royal palace, which was surrounded by the houscs «f the nobility, the extremities being inhabited by the plebeians. The streets were very narrow. The alcasar, or palace, in the opinion of Torquemada, cernid compete in mag- nificenee with that of Montezuma at México, or that of the Ineas at Cuzco. I t was constructed of hewn stone of various colours. The front extended 37í» paces from east to west, and it was 728 paces in depth. There were six principal divisions. The iirst contained lodgings for a munerous troop of lancers, archers, and other troops, constituting the royal body guard ; the sceond was assigned to the priuces and relations of the Mng; the third, to the monarcli himself; the fourth and fifth were occupied by the queens and royal concubines; and the sixth was the residence of the king’s daughters and other females of the blüod royal. The third división, appropriatcd to the use of the king, contained distinet suites of apartments for the morning, the evening, and night. In one of the saloons stood the throne, under fouv canopics of feathers.* In this part of the * The Indians aro said to have distinguished the degrees of sorcreignty among their chiefs by the throne itseif. That of Utatlan, which was the first in rank, was placed under four cano- 258 GUATIMALA. jiíilace were the treasnry, the tribunals of justice, and tlie armory, together witli gítrdens, aviaries, and menageries. Tlie female apartments were of great extent; and attaehed to them were gardens, batlis, and places for breeding geese,“ whicli were kopt for the sole purpose of furnishing feathers for ornamental furniture. The castle of the Atalaya (watch-tower) was a remarkable structure, fonr stories in height. That of Resguardo (defence—probably the citadel is meant) was five stories liigh: it extended 18!! pacos in front, and was 280 feet in depth. From this description, these castles wouhl seem to liavè resembled the Mexican leocallics, and the stories were possibly terraces. It is impossible to gather from this vague aceount, wliat rcmains yet exist of the “ palaces, castles, and temples,” of this Indian metropolis. Utatlan, Juarros says, was indisputably the most magnificent and opulent citv, not only of Quiche, but of the whole kingdom of Guatimala. As sucli, its site would especially deserve to be examined by future travellers. Of the Indians of this district, somo speak the Quiche, and some the Ivachiquel dialcct.

pics, formcd of feathers, cacli of iliilbrent colours and of difTerent sizes, flxed one within the other. Tlie throne of Kachiquel, or Guatimala, had threecanopies; and that of Atitlan, or Zutugil, liad but two.— J uarros, p. 1(54. * This is obviously a mistaUe, chargeable, we suspect, not ou the historian, but his translator. Humboldt says, “ The goose is the only one of the birds of our poultry-yards which is no wherc to be found in the Spanish colonics of the New Continent.”—(JV. E s s a y , vol. iii. p. àtí.) The ttirkey» called in México, t o t u l i n and h v c x o ln tl, is probably meant. Cortes relates, that several thousands of these birds were fed in the poultry-yards of the castles of Mon- tezuma. They were formcrly found wild on the rkige of the cor dilleras from Panania to New Kngland. The aiuient Mexicans had alsotamc ducks, which they annually plucked, as the feathers were an important article of commerce. GUATIMALA. 250 The capital of the Zutugil kmgdom was Atitlan, “ otlierwise called Atzïqiúnixai, which, in the Quichú dialect, means the cagle’s house; a name originat- ing in the practice of tlicir kiugs, who, when they took the ficld, wore, as a distinguishing device, a large plume of the quetzal’» feathers in the forní of an eagle.” This extensive city, Juarros says, was in a position strongly defended by natural bulwarks, among steep, hanging' rocks, on the border of the lake of the same ñame, which protected it on the south side. Its site is occupied hy the víllage of Santiayo Atitan (eorrupted or softened, npparentlv, from Atitian), the ehiof place in the district of the same ñame, which compríses the western part of the province of Solola. It stands on the south side of the lake, in a miid and healthy climate, 20 leagues W. of Guatimala, and contains upwards of 2,000 Indian inhabitants. The vülage was anciently a mission of the Franciscans, and one of tlie earliest founded in the province: the convent was rehuilt about the middle of the iast century. Atitlan is sliorn, however, of all its ancient splendour. If thore are any remains of the Indian capital, Juarros does not mention tlion. The lake of Atitan is ono of the largest in Guati mala, being eight leagues in length from east to west, and more thnn fonr leagues from north to south. It is entirely snrrouuded by mountains and rocks of irre gular forai. “ From its margin there is no gradation of depth, but the hanks are precipitous, and the bottom has not been found with a liue of -300 fathoms. Several rivers discharge tliemselves into it, a-nd it receives all the wàters that descend from the moun tains ; but there is no perceptible channel by which this great influx is carried off. The water is fresh, and so cold, that in a few minutes it bemimbs and i* A irr iv . u aeo G U A T 1M A L A . swells the limbs of those ivho attemptto swiin in it. The only fisli caught in it are crabs, and a species of smnll fish iiltout the size of tiie little iinger (pepescas?). Tliese are in sncli countless myriads, tiiat the inliabitants of all the ten surroundiug viUagcs carry on a considerable fishery for them. The communication between One village and another is carried on hy canoes.” According to this account, (which will require, however, to bc verified,) this lake would seem to be one of the most remarkable phenomena in the country. In the absence of all specific information witli regard to its elevation and other circumstances, it would be idle to frame a conjecture as to its origin, or the probable communication of its waters witb some otlier reservoir. The fish which it contains, are the same as are found in the lake Amatitan. May tliere not be some connexion between tliese lakes, at least the fathomless one, and the Volcan de Agua 9 Near the village of Atitan is a mineral spring of “ som* water,” whidi 44 exudes in the form of dew from the rock, and trickles into a channel, forming a stream sufficient to iill small vessels. On account of its medi cinal virtues, it is in great request, and is sent to distant parts: it is an excellent remedy for nephritic complaints, and cures the swellings in the throat, so common in this kingdom, where the complaint is called hosio, and more vulgarly guiiguiicho. The wjiter has a flavour rcsembling Iemon, but it leaves no tasto in the moutli.” A Chemical analysis is a process which has never yet been achieved in the kingdom of Gnati- mala. The climate of this district is for the most part mild ; the soil fertile, producing cocoa, maize, pulse, all sorts of culinary vegetables, aguacates of extraordi- navy excellence, and a variety of other fruits, aniseed, GUATIMALA. 2 6 1 drugs, and coehíneal. In these articles, aided l>y the labours of cnbinct-niakers, carpenters, and potters, the inhabitants carry on a tolernhly lucrativo commcrce with the adjoining provinces and the metropolis. The natives spoak the Zutugil and Kachíquel latignagcs. Half of the curacics in this district beiong to the Franciscans, vhereas, in the district of Solola, the Dominicans are the chief proprietors. Of the five middle provinces, two still remain to he (iescribed ; they are named, froïn their chief totvns,

QXJEZALTENANGO AND TOTONICAPAN.

T he ancíent kingdom of Quiche extended over great part of both these provinces, and the Quiche is stili the prevailing dialect. Next to Utatlan, the most considerable city in that kingdom was Xelalmb, svhich occupied the site of the modern town of Ques- altenango del Espíritu Sanio. This vas the iirst place founded by Alvarado after his conquest of the Quiche Indians. “ It is beyond doubt,” says Juar- ros, “ the most important, ricli, and fiourishitig viilage of the kingdom, surpassing in several respeets many of tlie towns and cities. The population is great, viz. (in 1776) 4C4 Spaniards, 5,536 Ladinos,* and 5,000 Indians. The Ladinas rear large floeks of shéep, and cultívate extensive tracts of lands for vheat. There are numerous artisans in ali branches, and tliirty manufactories of fine linen cloths of varions colours, serges, and coarse cloth of different kinds, in whichlOO workmen areemployed,hesidesseverallooms for the mamifactory oi' cotton goods. The corregidor of

* L a i l i m s is a Spanisli woril stgnifying intel·ligent, or sagadous: it is the general appellatio» giren in Guatimala to the Intlians who profoss Christianity, to distinguish thera frovn the olher natives- 262 CUATI M ALA. the province has his residence here. There is a post- ofiice, a dcpót of tobáceo, others of gunpowder, salt- petre, and playing-cards, (all royal monopolies,) a custom-housc, a deputy-commissioner oí' lands, and a vice-consulate. There is a Franciscas convent under tlie authority of a guardián. The principal ehurch is capacious, rich, and well furnished, in which the chapel of Nuestra Señora del Rosario is very curious as well as in good taste: tliere are also five other churches. The market is better snpplied than any other, excepting ouly that of Guatimala ; the annual sales average 16,000 bushels of wheat, 14,000 dollars worth of cocoa, 50,000 of panelas,* 12,000 of sugar, 30,000 of woollen cloths, and 5,000 of cotton cloth, and provisions of all kinds in proportion.” This estímate was made iietween furty and fifty years ago, at which time the whole population of the province amounted to about 34,000. In 1823, it is computed to have risen to nearly 44,000. That of the head-town may, therefore, be supposed to have inoreased in something like the same proportion. The other chíef places in this corregimiento are; E l Barrio de San Marcos Sacatcpcc, a small village of Spaniards and Ladinos, who breed cattle, cultivate wheat and maize, and manufacture some woollens and linens,—popula tion between 2 and 3,000; Santa Catalina Suñil, population 3,000 ; San Juan Obsluncalco, witli 1,300 inbabitants; Tajamulco, a small village, situated at the base of a volcano of that ñame, which is subject to freqüent eruptions,—this place affords a copious supply of excellent sulphur, as it did to the soldiers of Alvarado ; Olintepec; Tacana ; San Martin; San

» Small loüves of unrefined sugar, mueh used by Uie natives in maUing non, orWi/.w. GUATEMALA. 2 6 3 Pedro Sacutepec ; and Santa Crua Comitan. Tlie languages in use are, the Spanish, the Quich6, and the Mam. This provlnce (corregimiento), which lies between the lótli and ICth parallels of north latitudo, and betweon 93" 26' and 94° 36' of west longitude, is thirty- Jive ¡cagues iu length from S.E. to N.W., and about twenty leagues ¡n breadth from N.E. to S.W., forming the figure of a spheroid. It is bounded by Solola on the south-east; Suchikepec on the south; Soco nusco on the west; and Totonicapan on the north- west, north, and north-east. The temperaturo is coid, and admits of the cultivation of wheat, maize, potatous, peaclies, apples, quinces, cherries, &c. The natives also tend sheep, which are the best brttnck of their trade. The alcaldía-mayor of Totonicapan, the most west ern of the interior provinces, lying botweon lat. 15° 12' and 17° 20' N., and long. 92° 10' asid 93° 20' W., is bounded by Quezaltenango and Solola on the south ; Vera Paz on the north-east; and Chiapa on the north and west. Its greatest length is sixty-síx leagues; its breadth fifty. The population, in 177#» consiste»! of 2,750 Ladinos, and 55,450 Indians dwellíng ¡n fifty villages. In 1323, the total number of inhabitants was 90,000. The province is divided into the twodís- triets of Totonicapan and (íueguetenango. The for mer extends over the eastern part, which is high table-land, enjoyingmuch the same climate, and yielding the same pvoductions as the other distriets of the audent kingdom of Quiche, of which it formed part. San Miguel Totonicapan, the residence.of tilo alcalde- mayor, is five leagues from Quezaltenango, eleven from Solola, and thirty-eight from Guatimala. Of the inhabitants, in 177#» 450 were Ladinos, 573 264 G U A T1M A LA . cacique Indians, descended from the Tlascaltecs who aecompanied Alvarado, and nearly 6,000 Masegualcs, or plebeian Indians. The Franciscans liave a convent here. The natives are expert in the manufacture of guitars, fiincy-hoxes, and other articles of cabinet- work and earthen-ware. They liave, besides, some woollen manufactories. The climate is coid and liumid. Near this town there are two warm mineral springs." San Luis Sahcaja, situated within the district of Totonicapan, only two leagues from Quez- altcnango, is the site of the first establishment made by Pedro de Alvarado, and its cliurck is the first that was consecrated to Christian worship in this country. It originally bore the ñame of Quezaltenango, which signifies “ the mountain of Quezales;” but, on the transfer of its population, four years after the foundation of the town, to Xelahuh, that ñame became appropriated to the latter place. The present hamlet of Sahcaja was built in 1760, the date of another small hamlet of Ladinos, named San Carlos Sija, situated under a very coid climate. The other chief places are, San Francisco el Alio, Momostenango, and Sania Maria Chiquimula, eacli of which contains a population of from 5 to 6,000 souls ; San Christoval Totoni capan, 6,500 inhabitants; and San Andrés Xecul, about 1,200. The district of Gueguetenango, which forma the western part of the province, lies on the deelivity of the cordillera, and has consequently a great variety of climate. In the npper parts wheat is grown, and

* T!ie ancient ñame of the town is said to liave been C h e m o - q u c n a , signifying “ upon warin water.” The waters, Juarros says, are strongly impregnated with sulphur, and are so hot, that eggs, frnit, or evon fiesh put into it will lie pcrfcetly boiled in a short time. In the rivulct wliieli itows from it, tile weavers cleause from grease tlie wool for their iooms. UÜATIMALA. 2 6 5 ¡dieep arc pustured: in the iower cantons, are sugar plaiitations, and Ohíli pepper is raised. Concepción Gneguettma?igo, the cliief place, (and formerly the head of the alcaldia,) enjoys a mild and bcnignant climate, ami yields excellent fruit; it is, howevcr, it very inconsiderable place, the population liaving de- clined. At one league’s distante is Chianlla, famed for its sanctuary of the Virgin of Candelaria, a favourite idol in these parts. Grapes, oranges, figs, and pears are grown in its gardens, but the chief article of coinmerce is lead, obtained front a rich mine that also yields some silver and litharge. ïh e vernacular dia- íect here is the Mam. The population is undcr 1,000. San Domingo de Sacapulas, situated on the banks of the river from which it takes its name, is in a kotand dry climate. On the banks of tlus river the natives collect salt, which is deposited by the wàters. The town is inhabited by about 2,000 Quiche Indians. Springs of salt water are found at the villnge of San Mateo Istailan (or Ixtatan), a name signifyiug u the land of salt.” “ At the foot of a large jnountain, arc several caverns, penetrating about two yards in the rock: from tlic roof of these, the water continually exudes. If a vessel be filled with it, and placed over a slow fire at night, it will be found in the morning crystallised into a fine salt, without any further process. The Indians are very economical in the distri butiori of this water; the'caverns are locked up, aud the keys are kcpt by the magistrate. They are opened only on Thursdays at a fixed hour, when the pcople assemble, and each person receives a pitcher-full; the magistrates and ecolesiastics are entitled to double portions. A considerable trafile is carried on in this article, which they sell in the adjacent provinces, de- riving from it sufficient emolument to enable them to 266 GUATJuSlAL-A. Uve Very eomfortably.” This viilage stands iu a ¡•avine, at a sliort distance froiu the river Lacandon : the elimato is very coUl. On the borders of Totoni- cajísm stands the small viilage of San Francisco Mo- tocinla, “ no othenvise deserving of notice, than for the phenomenon of the river near it, the water of whieh is of a poisonous qunlity, and so active, that animals drinking of it die almost immediately. WJien eattle are obliged to pass the river, the owncrs take the pre- cíiution of muzzling them, to prevent the certain mor- tality that would be the consequence of their being siiffered to allay their thirst.” * The Indians of this viilage weave mats of a scarlet colour, that are much iised in the country, This province is watered hy several rivers. Juarros euumerates the Zamala, the Sija, the Motocinta, the Sacapulas, the Zumacinta, the Sah Ramon, and the Cuilco. Most of tkese fall into the Southern Ocean ; but the Zumacinta (or Sumasinta) disriíarges itself into the Atlantic. The Zamala (or Saínala) is the same river that first bears the mtme of tlic Siguila, íloving near the viilage of Sint Miguel Siguila, and aftenvards, at Olintepec, assumes that of Xíqui- gil, or river of blood, in commemoration of tlie nmn- bers of Quiché Indians who feli theroin dispntingthe passage witli Alvarado. Contiuuing its course by Quezaltenango, it receives the river Sija, and.passes by Sunil; it then enters the province of Sucliiltepec, where it is called the Samala, and finally talls into the Pacific. There are several mountain-streams, whieh, fulling from lofty rocky eminences, forní cascades of exquisite beauty: for instanec, the fall of the river

* Canthis dolelerioua properiy arise from its traversing mines of icail orc ? (rUATIJIAI.A. 2 6 7 Han Christoval ds Paula, another ou the road to the Ranchos Altos of Totonicapan, and those at the village oí' Guistla de los Xioies. But the most remarkahle phenomena in this part <»f the country are, the intermittent rivers. Herrera, the historian, mentions a spring in the province of. Chiapa, which regularly flows during tllree years, and is then dry for a similar period, and thus alternately. This spring is said to he situated on the side of a moimtain, about lialf a league from Cuidad Real.. Tile rivulet is called Yeixhihuiat, a Mexican word signifying “ three-years’-water.” “ At the expiration of the term of three years, the fountain dries up, and the watersburst forth at a place five leagues distant, near Teopisca. The natives of tliat village give this pe riodica! spring the name of Olixavilha, which, in the Tzendal language, means the same as the Mexican name. After this spring lias flowed for three years, it disappears, and the water rises again at the former place.” Such is the infonnation obtained hy Juarros from a resident in confinnation of Herrera’s statement. Fuentes, he adds, gives another instance of a similar fountain near Chiantla, which flows and is dry for- three years together alternately, witli this additional peculiarity, that the waters appear and disappear in- variahly on' the eve of St. Micliacl. “ This writer de clares, that he had in his possession documents written by Diego de Rivas, other monks of the order of La Merced, and several anates ofnnimpeachable character, aftesting the fact. Witli a view to ascertain the cor- reetness of this account, and whether the phenomenon yet existed, the present writer obtained the favour of a reference on the subject to a clergyman resident in the province, who, in reply, declared, that he had examined several old men of the village, ali of whom n 2 2 6 8 ÜUATIIUALA. assueed bim, with vevy little discrepancy in their nar ratives, that, in a liollow betwcen two monntaíns, about tbree leagues from Chiantla, tbere is a rivnlet which begins to flow on Miehaelmas-day, and con tinues for tbree years, at the end o£ wbich it stops on tbe same day, and remains dry for thi-ee years; and on this account the place is called San Miguel.” Wlio can resist the conviction, tbat tbe Saint himself is the worker of this triennial miracle ? Fuentes mentions anotber rivulet, in a meadow to the northward of Chiantla, called lïigucro, the wàters of which bcgin to flow twenty days before the periodical rains cease, and bccome completoly dry twenty days before the rains begin. He States also, that during the period that he was corregidor of Totonicapan, as he was travelling from Aguacatlan to San Juan Ixcoy, “ the channel of a little strcam was pointed out to him, wltich the Mam Indians called Xubunha, implying water that is whistled for ; because, by whistling at the openings of sonie clefts in a solid rock, water will iinmediately gush forth, of wlucli tliere is no appearance unless that ínethod be used to exhibit it.” He speaks also of a subterranean river, that shews itself throngh a large aperture at the foot of a hill ahont two miles from the víllage of Chialchitan. At this spot, a large quantity of water ** boils up,” and fonns at once a stream of considerable magnitude. Another river of moderate size falls into a decp pool, and disappears, near a place called Rancho de las M inas; it rises again on the opposite side of a ridge of morin, tains near the river Socoleo. From all these necounts, making due allowance for whatever inaccuracy or romance may havc mingled itself with the facts, it is evident, that, in the lioart of the mountains, tliere mtist exist a series of cavcrns and natural galleries, tra- GUATIMALA. 2 6 9 versod by subterranean rivera,—such as M. Ilumboldt conjectures to exist in the limestoue formatiou in the neighbourhood of Telmilotepec and Platanillo.* For the periodical circulation of tlie waters, it is not easy to accouut; but the whole región is iuli of wonders, and might seem the theatre chosen by the genii of the watery element to display their fantastic feats. The water volcano, the fatliomless lake of Atitlan, the triennial rivers, the dripping rocks, and the nunierous hot springs, ali seem to forzn connected parts oi' tlie stupeudous hvdraulie machinery. The ageney of fire is doubtless at the same timo concerned in some of these phenomena. Besides the volcano of Tajatnulco aheady mentioned, in the neighbourhood of wiiich is found so rnuch sulphur, Juarros mentions another in the same province, called Ex- canui: this, however, may be the same under another ñame. A spring of tepid water highly sulphureons is i’ound at San Bartolomé Aguas Cállenles, and several warm springs are tbund on the banks of the river Siguila near Suñii. The whole región nbounds with salt and sulphur in different combinations, and may be coinpared to one vast laboratory, of whicli it inight lie saitl, tliat the volcanoes ore so many colossal fur naces. In the province of Quezalteuango, there still exist vestiges and foundations of many hu-ge ludían for- tresses; among otliers, the celebrated one of Parrax- ijuin (green mouutain), on the confines of Totonica- ]»an and Quezalteuango, and the citadel of Ollntepéc, “ formed with all the intricacy of a labyrinth,” wliioh was the chief defonce of the important city of Xelahuh.

* Vol. i. j>. 337. 270 CiUATIAIAJ/A. Fortresse» existed at Socoleo, Uspantlan, Chalcitan, (Chialcliitan ?) aml other places. An íntercsting specimen of ancient art is inci- dentally referred to by Juarros, in the description oí the cíty of Patinamit in the kingdom of Kachi- f|uel, situated eleven leagues from the modern villago of Tecpanguatemala. * In a deep ravine near thnt city was “ a, place of worship,” wherem was placed “ a black transparent stone,” which, in some unexplnined way, was consulted as an oracle, the prlests affecting to discover on its surfaee a represen- tation of the fate awarded to the criminal by the gods. This oracle was also consulted in the atfairs of war. “ The bishop, Francisco Mavroquín, having obtained intelligenee of this slab, ordered it to be cut square, and consecrated it for the top of the grand altar in the church of Tecpanguatemala. I t is a piece of singular beanty, about half a yard each way.” W e muy hope to rcceive before long, somc more distinet account of this oracular stone. The description of the city of Patinamit, given by Fuentes, maltes it appear to have been a stronger and more remarkable place than Utat- lan itself. Though a little out of its place, we shall insert it liere. Patinamit was seated on an eminenco, the plane of which extends about three miles from north to south, ajid about two from east to west. The soil is covered with a stiff clay about three quarters of a yard deep. On one side of this arca inay be seen the rumains of a magnificent Imild- ing, perfectly square, each side measuring 100 paces. This fabric was constructed of hewn stone, extremely well put togetlier. In front of the building is a large square, on one side of which stand the ruins of a * See pago 246. CUATI MAJ/A. 271 sumptuous palace, and near to it there arc the founda* tious of scveral houses. A treiich, three yards deep, runs from north to south tlirough the City, having a breast-work of mnsonry, rising about a yard high. On the eastern side of this trench stood the liouses of the nobles, and on the opposite, the residences of the niuset/vaJes, or coimnoners. The streets were, as may still be seen, straight and spacious, Crossing eaeh other at right angles. To the westward of the city is a little mount, that commauds it, on which stands a small, round building, abont sixfeet in height, in tho middle of which is a pedestal í'ormed of a shining substance resemblingglass ; lint the precise quality of it has not been ascertained. Seated around this building, the. judges heard mul decidud causes ; and here also tlieir sontences were executed, after the oracular stone in the ravine below, had been consulted. A deep de- lile, or natural fosse, surrounded Patinamit, the per pendicular deptli of which from the level of the city, was more than 100 fathoms. The only entranco to the city ivas by a narrow causeway, terminating at two gates, one beyoiul the other, constructed of the chay stone. The dimensions of these Works are not given, but the gigautic nature of the fortress bears some analogy to that of Xochicalco in México.* The

* Sec vol. i. p. 33!). T h e hill of Xochicalco, which Humboldt «(escribes as a mass of rocks to which th e hand o f man has giveu a regular conical form. is snrroumletl, in like manner» by a deep and very broad ditch; the wholc eutieiichmcnt is abovo 12 ,0 0 0 feet in circumfcrence. *' The magnitude of these dimensions,” adds th e leamed Travellcr, " ought not to surprise us: on the ridge of the Cordilleras of Peru, and on heights almost equal to that of the l’eak of Tenerifl'e, M. Bonpland and myself have scen monuments still more considerable. Lines of «lefence and cntrenchments of extraordinary iength, are found in the plaiits of Cañada. The 2 7 2 GÜATIMALA. city of Mixco in Xilotepec was, in like manner, built ou thc summit of a stcep rock, accessible only by a narrow path tliat vould not admit two porsons abreast, and intersected by deep ravines. It is said to have beeu founded by tlie Pocomam Indians, and is about nine leagues from the modern town of Mixco. ïh e Vale of Tenochtitlan is not ricber in ancient monuments, tban tliat of Guatimala and the adjacent provincos. Yet, Pompeii itself was not more effectually shrowdod from observation, previously to its disintermcnt, tlian these regions liavo hitherto been from the eyc of Science or of taste, through the incurious spirit and jealous policy of the ÍSpanish Americans. The most remarkable object which this district pre sents to the naturalist, is “ the bat-winged squirrel,” found on the mountains and in the woods of Quezal- tenango, Totonicapan, and Solola. Its figure and size, Juarros says, arc those of the commou squirrel, but it has two small tvings resembling those of tiie bat, without hair or other covering : it can íiy, however, but a sliort distance. In point of fact, \vc apprehend, it cannot be said to flv at all, but only to leap. Sueh at least is the account geuerally given by naturalists of the American flying squirrel. The* supposed wing is only a loose slcin attached to the hending of the hinder feet, and eonneeted by a bony ivhole of these American works resemblc those which are daily discovered in the eastern part of Asia. Nations of Uie Mongol race, those cspecially tliat ave most advanced in civiiisation, have bnilt walls tliat separate whole provinces...... Among the hieroglyphical ornaments of the pyramid of Xoehicalco, we distinguís!) lieads of crocodilos spouling water, and figures of roen sitting cross-leggcd, according to thc custom of scvcral nations of Asia.1'— H v.m u o ld t's Rc3 c'! ii:hcc, vol. i- pp. 10!)—li- ÜUATJMALA. 2 7 3 articulatiüu witli the fore feet, which the animal luis tlie power of extending like a sail; and it then liolds so inucli air as to buoy him up, and enable him to jum p from tree to trce at a prodigious distance. W e m ust now proceed to give some account of the

PROVINCES ON THE ATLANTIC COAST.

To the south of the peninsula of Yucatan, betwceu Chiapa and Totonicapan on the east, and the Bay of Honduras on the west, and hounded by Solola on the south, lies the province {alcaldía-mayor) of Vera Paz, called by the Indians Tur.ulutlan. The Spauíards at íirst gavc it the ñame of Tierra de Guerra ( l a n d o f war), from the warlike spïrït of the natives, by whom tliey were tliree sevcral times repulsad in their at- teinpts to eonquer it. Charles the Fifth bcstowed on it tlie ñame of Vera Paz, because the Indians cm- hraced Christiauíty merely from the preaeliing of the missionaries. The account which Juarros gives of tliis prodigious phenomenon (for such it appeared to the arined apostles and crusacling relighmists of those times) is as follows: “ In the year 1530, Bartolomé Las Casas, Pedro do Angulo, Luis de Cancer, and Rodrigo de Ladrada, of the Donmiican order, settled in the city of Guatimala. Las Casas, who was vicar of the convent, liad, some years beforc, w ritten a treatise, which he called ‘ De unico vocationis modo in which he attempted to prove, and witli great eru- dition, that Divine Providence had institnted the preaching of the gospel as the only means of conver sión to the Cliristiau faithj for by those means alone can the uuderstauding Ite persuaded, and tlie inclina tio» be led, to embrace its tenels; consequently, 2 7 4 GUATIMALA. harassing by wars those whose conversión is sought ior, is tbe means of preventing, ratlier than accomplishing, the desired object. Henee it results, that, to obtain this end, war cannot, in. justice, be made npon those who have never been subject to a Christian authority, ov have never committed any act of aggres- sion against Christians. This reasoning was generally believcd fallaeions; and when the author pro- inulgatud and endeavoured to prove it from the púlpit, as well as in private nssemblies, instead of producing eonviction among his auditors, he was laughed at, treated w ith ridicule, and advised to put in practice what he had preached in theory; as he would then be with certainty undeeeíved by the bad success of his rash enterprise. “ Firm in his opinión, and possessing too much courage to be intimidated by tannts, Las Casas un- hesitatingly accepted the proposal. The provinee of Tuzulutlán, which the Spaniards called Tierra de Guerra (the Jand of war), as thcy had been three several times driven back in their attem pts to conquer it, but which the Emperor Charles the Fifth after- w ard callcd Verapaz, because the natives were brought w ithin the pale of Clu'istianity by the esertion of the missionaries only, was pitched upon by him as the suene of his first endeavours ; and this región, that the Spaniards were unable to subdne by their arms, yielded to the mild persuasión of a few zealous ecclesiastics. The Dominicans, previously to commencing their undertaking, entered iuto an agreement with the governor, Alonzo de Maldonado, that such provinces as might be reduced to the obedience of the crown of Spain by their etforts, were not to be pufc under the charge of any individual; and that no GL’ATIMAJ-A. 2 7 5

¿paniards should be pcrm itted to reside in them during a period of five years. The govemor assented to these terms, and signed an agreement of that purport on the 2d of May, 1537; whicli was confirmed by the king ou the 17th of October, 1540, and again on the Ist of M ay, 1543. “ This arrangement being concluded, the Domini cans composed some hymns in the Quiche language; in which they described tbe creation of the world, the fall of Adam, the reclemption of numkind, and the principal inystcríes of the life, passiou, and death of the Saviour. These were Icarned by some of the converted Indians, who traded with those of Saca- pulas and Quiche, whcre the chief cacique of that countrv, who was afterwards called Don Juan, having Keard them sung, asked those who had repeated them to explain more in detail the meaníng of tbings so new to him. The Indians exoused themselves from so doing, on account of tlieir inability to perform it correctly, saying, they could be explained onlyby the fathers who had taught them ; and these were so kintl that, if he would send for them, they would gladly come and instruet him in every thing. The cacique wjis plcased w ith the inform ation, and sent one of his . brothers, with many presents, to entreat that they would come to m ake him acquainted w ith every thing contained in the songs of the ludían merchants. Tlje fathers veceived tliis ambassador w ith great kindness, and much satisfaction to themselves, and determinad that one of their numbei', Luis Cancer, should retnrn with him to the cacique. The chief went to the entrance of the village to m eet the missionavy, treated him with great vcneration, and after having been made to comprehend the mysteries of the new faíth, 2 7 6 ÜUAÏTMALA. he fervently adopted it, hurnt his idols, and beeame ¡i prcíteher of the gospel to his mvn subjects. “ Cancer retnrned to Guatímala, and the favourable reports he made, so nnich rejoiced Las Casas and Angulo, that, in December 1537, they set out for the residence of the cacique Don Juan. They visited the whole dístrict of Tuzulutlán, where they were well received ; and having reconnoitred a pavt of it, they retnrned to the cacique Juan. At this time the fatliers endeavoured to assemble the Indians in villages; for, as they were then living dispersed, there was greater labour in civilising and instructing them. W ith this object in view, they undertook to form villages; and, by the assistance of the chief, they soon succeeded, but not without much labour, and some opposition, in establisbing the village of Rabinal. This object having been satisfactorily aceomplished, they penetrated further into the province, and reached Coban, being every where well received by the na tives.* Las Casas affirms, in his “ Apologetical His- tory,” that in no part of the Lidies did he find governments better ordered, or ruled by better laws, than those he met with in this district. Thus, the Indians of Verapaz, brought to live in societies under

* “ It may at first sightappear inconsistent and contradictory to say that the inissionaries arrived at C o b a n and other places, and al'terward, that they persuaded tire natives to live in villages; but it must be observed, that, in the time of tlieir paganism, tliesc Indians had villages similar to some still existing, that are callcd V n j w ja e s , in which the houses are so far distant from each other, that a place contairjíng 500 inhabitants, will extend a league or inore. These fathers, and some of the first conquerors, placed thcvn in villages formcd after the Spanish manticr, with the church iu the centre, beforc it tito sentare, witli the c a b ild o or town-hoase, prison, and other offices, the houses connected in squares, the streets straighl and Crossing each other at right anglcs.” G U A T i M A L A . 2 7 7 a rational legislation, and iustructed in the dogmas of trae religión, embraeed Cliristianity ivith ardour, and cheerfully submitted to the empire of the Spanish monarch. Sueh ivas the case, not only in llabinal a n d Coban, but in places more remóte, as Cahabon, and others. “ After the conquest of Verapaz, thus fortunately and mildly achieved, the Dominicans next undertook t h a t o f Alcalá. In the year 1552, Thomas de la Torre, vicar-gencral of the order, arrived at Coban, in his visit to the different convents. A t this period, Domingo Vico had made himself master of the lan- g u a g e o f Alcalá, and accompanying the vicar-general, they made their ftrst entry into that province; -cvhere they preached ivith so much zeal and fervour, that they induced many natives to embrace Christianity, and give up a great num ber of their idols, whicli ivere pnblicly burnt. They pursued their apostolical labours ivith diligence, converting and baptizing m any; but, being repeatedly warned that some of the infidels meditated their destruction, they ivithdrew privately. Some tim e after this, Vico reneived his visit to Alcalá, and succeeded in makiug many proselytes. Dcing appointed prior of Coban, he sent Alonzo Vayllo, and some others, into Alcalà; and not long after, the conventuals of Coban ivent thither on a similar mission. The three years of Vico’s priorate having expired, he made another excursión into that province, and exerted himself ivith imivearied zeal to persuade the inhabitants to form societies, and build villages; labouring incessantly to promote their iveifare, until lie feli a m artyr to his kindness. He ivas killed hy them on the 29th of November, 1555. Remesal makes no mention of Alcalá after Vico’s death; and it is 27« CUATl'MALA.

supposed tliat further attenipts tu redáhn them wero a b a n d o n e d . “ Adjoining tho province of Vcrapaz is tliat uf Manche, tlie reduetion of vhich vas occasioned by tlie following circumstaiices.* Abont the year 1570, some. of the principal Indians came to Cobany wliere they, were well received, and much caressed by Tilomas de Cárdenas, Bishop of Verapaz, and other residents iu tlie convent. Thís pleased them so higlily, tliat after- ward they freqnently carne to Cahubon, the nearest village to tlieir mvn territories. On these visits, the fathers always instructed them on religions subjeets, and exhorted thein to embrace Chrístianity; the answer uniformly giren ivas, tliat they would consider about it, but they rem ained nndecíded w ith respect to giving up their native mode of worship until 1003. In thís ycar, a chapter of the Dominican order vas held in the convent at Sacapulas ¡ and Alonzo Criado de Castilla vrote to the members, recommending them most enrnestly to uudertake the conversión of Manché. The means by vhich tbis Service was to be effected, were disenssed ¡n tlie assembly, w ith great attention, severa! tim es; and the result of tlíese conferences vas, to order Juan de Esguerra to prepare for undertaking the rnission as speedily and effectually as pos sible. On the 25th of April, Esguerra, accompanied by Salvador Cipriano, left Cahalon f o r Manche, a n d reached the first village of that province ou the lst of M ay, vbich being St. Pliilip’s day, they called it after the saint. Tlie cacique advanced to meet them , and regaled them according to the m anuer of bis country, with all tbe distinction lie could sliev; the principal

* This (Ustrict, as well as Aléala, is now inchuled in Vera Paz. GUATIMALA. 2 7 9

cliiefs of the other villages tliat they visited, followed the caciquo’s example. The fathers preached to the Indians in ali the places tlicy visiter!; and having explored as much of the territory as they tlien could, retumed to Cahabon. A t the desire of' the president, Esguerra persuaded soine ofthe caciques to accompany him to Guatiinala, where they were received by the governor, and trcatfid w ith every m ark of attention and kindness; lio presented them w ith dresses of silk, and gave them otliers for their wives. This good treatm ent operated strongly in m aking the Indians lay aside the fear they cntertained of the Spaniards, and led them to considor the offer of Christianity as fiable to fewer objections tlian they liad cntertained against it. In February of the following year, 1 £>04, tile same missionaries undertook another joum ey into Manché ; in May, tliey were followed by some more, and, in addition to tliese, care was takcn to send some of the baptized Indians froin Cahabon into the villages of Manché., that they might use their influence in ex- horting the inhahitants to attend to the instmctions of the fathers. These means were so successfullyplied, t h a t i n 10 0 0 , eight villages had entirely abandoncd the pagan rites, to kneel before the altars of Christianity, and subm it to the government of Spain.” In 1704 and the following two years, the Domini can fathers made repeated attem pts to convert the Indians of the Chol nation, whose country lies to the north- east of Vera Paz. Some of the Chols, it seems, had arrived at Guatiinala, to request that missionaries might be sent to them, and the audiencia o rd e re d Francisco Gallegos, the provincial of tlie order, to depute proper persona to undertake the mission. The provincial determined to go in person, attended by Fatlicr José Delgado. On arriving at Cahahon, the 28 0 GUATÏMALA. last village in V era Paz, tliey procnrcd ludían guides, an«l, after a journey of tw enty-three leagues, arrived at tlie dwellings of the Indians who had visited the capital. “ A t tlixs place they assemhled as many of tlie ClioLs as they could collect, and builfc a village which tliey named San Lucas, and soon aftenvard two títhcrs not far distant from tlie first. They snbse- (piently penetratcd into tlie sierras furtlier to tlie iiorth, and ascended u vcry lofty m ountain, which was designated by the natives, the God of the Hills. On the otiier side of this m ountain were great numbers of inhabitants, who immediatelycame to visit thofathers; and tliese having made them compreliend, that they had been sent hy the Alinighty for their instruction, were treated witli great kindness and respect; the natives saying, that they appeared among them like the sun, moon, and stars, to dispel the darkness of their ignorance. The Indians then cleared a road for them to advance further into the country,and, as they arrived at any difficnlt or rough part, carefully carried them over it. In this manner they continued their route, and in. the space of eight leagnes, three more villages were marked ont. The rainy season was now approaching, and the fathers retnrned to Guatímala. “ In 1G7C, the same zealous missionaries again visited the Chols and the Manches, and encountered much less clifficulty or fatigue thaii in either of their former journeys, as a more direct j>atli had been opened for them. They found the Indians still persevering in their designs, and that they had not forgotten sucli instruction as had been already afforded to them : many more settlements were formed, in which 234 persons were admitted to the rite of Christian baptism, besides m any others at the different dwellings and small settlements dispersed among the mountains. GUATIMALA. 2 8 1

In 18/8, for what reason cannot now be discovercd, the Chols returned to their native worship, abandonad the villages, blnckcd up the roads, dispersad nrnong thii moimtaitis, and tinis dcstroyed the expectations tliat liad bceu raised at the expense of so mucli labour and fatigue.” No further attempts weve made till the year 1885, lvheu A ugusti» Cano, then provincial of San Domingo, penetrated once more into the mountains, and succeeded in persuading some of tlie Cliols to returu and settle again in the village of San Lucas; but, three years afterwards, these untoward ncophytes again set fire to the village, and the missionaries resident there narrowly escaped w ith their lives. This want of suc» cess in the use of fair means, determined the Spunish Government to revert to the shorter method of con versio» by means of the sword. In 1688, the alcalde- mayor of Vera Paz undertook an expedition into the eountry in search of the apostates, and brougbt hack as m any of the natives as he could induce to follow him, whom he settled iu tlie valley of Urran, where their posterity still remain. The Spanish monarch now growing impatient, fresh commands were issued for the conversión of this nation ; and in Nov. 1G92, the Council of the Judies transmitted a despatch, ordering the conqnest of the Chols and the Laeandons to be undertaken simnltaneously from tbc provinces of Vera Paz, Chiapa, and Gueguetenango. The good work was not, liowever, set ábout till the beginning of 1G95, wlien three detachments of Spaniards and Indians, under the command of the president of the audiencia, w ith a prbper sti^ff of ecclesiastics, entered the mouutains. One of these detachments under Mnzariegos, having advanced with great difficulty through ¡nvamps and tluckets and over hroken gronnd, 282 GUATIMALA. at length, on their sixth day’s journey, discovered a village of the Lacandons, containing about 100 houses. It was quite deserted, but they determined to niake a settlemeut Iiere, and a wooden fort was hastily constructed, while the fathers who accompanicd the troops, took possession of w hathad served for a temple, and, having burnetl all the ídols they could find, con. verted it hito a chapel. The track to the village having been discovered on Good Friday, the place was n a m e d , Nuestra Señora de los Dolores. Soldiers were now sent out in all directions in search of the fugi tives, and about a hundred, with their cacique, were induced to return t.o their village ; their liouses were givcn up to tliem , and the soldiers were lodged iu huís w ithout the village. M ore Indians contimied to arrive, until the numher amounted to four hundred, most of whom were haptised. The rainy season being at hand, it was deemed expedient to return with the troops to the capital, leavíng only a garrison in the fort, and some missionaríes, to prosecute the work so favourably coinmenced. A second detachment, commanded by a Captain Velasco, whick. left Cahabon about the same time that tlie former set out from San Mateo Iztapan, liad ín the mean tíme succeeded in collecting upwards of 500 Ckol Indians, among whom were some of the fugitives who liad run away from the villages established by Gallegos ín 1675. “ The domiciliated Chols soon gave information of the Mopans, a fierce and warliko tribe, spread over about tliirty leagnes of conntry, among whom neither Spaniards ñor missionaríes had ever yet ventured. The description gíven of this people, instead of discouraging the soldiers, excited their emulation, and they prcparéd to go in search of tliem. The commander having made the necessary GUATIMALA. 2Í33

dispositions, they departed, and, witli much labour, clearcd their way over precipites, racks, and ravines, nntil they came in sight of tlie iiovels of thu people they were in search of. The numher of famílies in this nation, it is conlidently stated, amounted to bctween 10 a n d 1 2 , 0 00 , dwelling in a country of exquisite beauty and great fertility, in a climate the most agreeable of any that liad yet been discovered. On the first sight of the Spaniards, the natives were alarmed, and gavo unequivocal demonstrations of niaking a stout resistance; but the judicious measnres of the missionaries, and the prudence of the commander, so much disarmed their resentment, and calmed their appvehensions, that they soon opened a friendly interconrse : the result of which was, that the caciques were hrought together, and persuaded to ex- cliange their present mode of life for a domèstic one, and to accept the oíTer of heing adm itted to the benefits of Christianity. Intelligence of what had been oilected, was sent to the governor at the village-of Dolores, and aíso to the royal audiencia ; subm itting to their consideraron, that advantages wonld accrue from huilding a town in Mopan, to be inhahited by Spaniards, as the land was of the excellent quality already mentioned, and the situation eligible for faeilitating the roduction of the whole to settled hàbits of life; heing in the centre of the unre- claimed nations, having Chol on the south, the Itza on the east and north, and the Lacandon on the west. The troops continned their march until they reached the extrem ityof M opan, and pitched their camp about forty leagues from the lake of Itza, having traversed eighty-two leagues of very mountainous country. On quítting this situation, the detachment pursued a rmite to the river Chaxal, ten leagues distant from

p a r t i v . s 2 8 4 G U A T 1 M A L A .

Itza. Velasco thought of pnssing the river, and attempting the conquest of Peten ; Imt the missíou- aries represcnted to him , tlutt, as the numbers of the Itzaes were reponed to be very great, tlieir present fonc vas inadequate to undertake so important an enterprise, more panicularly as tho sohliei-s began to be tinhealthy, provisions to grow scarce, and the v et season wasfastapproftching. The communder acknov- Icilged the forcé of thcse arguments, and deterramed to retreat; Imt, before leaving the terrítory of ¡\Iopan, a fort vas constructed, and garrisoncd by thirty soldiers, with some Indians, under the eommand of Podro Ram írez de Ovosco.” In ltí9(>, another expedition vas sent ont under the direction of Bartolomé de Amezquita, oidor o f th e audiencia^ accompanied by this same Velasco. Thcy safely reaohed ¿Uopan. Velasco then reqnested and obtained permission to push on with part of the troops at a quicker rato, hut he vas strictly enjoined not to penetrate more than sixleagues beyond the river Chaxal. Thís command vas not obeved with the puuctuality that became a soldier; he advanced as Par as the lake Itza, where he vas attacked by the Indians, and him - self and all his men, ahout a hnndred in number, vero killed. Ainezquita i'ollowed, and not meeting with Velasco, halted on the banks of the Chaxal, where he vas proceeding to construet a fort, when, iu consoquence of a change of administration, and the new orders to vhich it led, the expedition vas re- called, M opan was abandoned, and all further attem pts at conversión were suspended. The Itzaes were subsequently rcduced by forces sent from Yucatán; but the Aléalas, tho Mopans, the Chols, and tile Lacau- dons remaiu, Juarros snvs, for the most part unsub- dned to the present day. The province of Vera Paz GiíATIM ALA. 28.5

is, intleed, throughout inhabitet! almost entirely by Indians, there being neither Spaniards noi- Ladinos, except a very fev in one or two villajes for the purpose of m aintaining the sovereignty of the Spaniards over the territory. San Domingo Coban, the residente of the alcalde- mayor, and formerly of the bishop of Vera Paz, is imposingly styled the imperial city of San Domingo. In point of population, it is a place of some impor tante, containing upvards of 12 ,0 0 0 inhabitants, but apparently in no other respect. It stands in lat. 15° 15' N-, long. 91° 10' W ., and is fifty lcagues froni Guatimala. The ñames of tlie other most populous villages are, San Pablo, Itabiúal, San Maiieo, Salama, a n d Santa Maria Cahabon. In the village o f San Augustin Lauquin, there is a cavern wherein are very beautifnj stalactites. The total population is a h o u t 0 0 ,00 0 so u ls. The province of Vera Paz is partly mountainous and rugged, but contains extensive tracts of marshy land, subjeet to inundation from the innumerable rivers which interseet it. Some of thcse afford great facilities for inland navigation. I3y the river Polochic, produce imported from Jüurope niiglit be transportet! to the capital. This river rises in the mountain of Xucaneb ; after passing the village of Sau Pablo Tamajun, it takes a nonh-easterly direction, and at about four leagnos from Tamajun, ilows by another village, called San Miguel Tucuru. In its wav to the Amalitpio gulf, it is joined by the Cahabon river. From the bar to this conlhience, the river is ascended by large huinches, vessels not being able to pass the bar at the moutli of the lagoon : beyond that point, large flat-bottomod canoes are employed. Ahout eight leagues belmv Tucuru, there vas formerly a 286 GUATIMAIjA. viHage called Sania Catarina, and, furthcr dotvn, nnother namccl San Andrés, both of whidi were burnt, and tho sottlements destroyed, Juarros statos, by tlic English. In former times, he says, tlic merchandise imported from Spain to Guatimala, and tliat which chis country exported to Europe, were conveyed by thisrivev; and even so lately as 171)3, the ovgan sent from Europe for the ehurch of San Domingo, was transponed by this route to the capital. The advantagcs of the navigution are stated to be, first, that the Polochic has always sufficient water, even for vessels, if they could pass the b ar; secondly, that the route from Las Bodegas (in Honduras) to the capital, is much shorter than that by Zacnpa;* thirdly, that the former route ís more healthy than the latter, and frec from the excessive heats which prove so frequently fatal; and fourthly, that the lands of V era Pa/. being fertile ín the extrem e, there is «in abundant supply of provisions. A nother rivcr of hnportance for inland traffic, is the Uto de la Passion, which risos in the mountains oí Chama. W here it passes to the north of Cobau, in front of the mountains of Cliieec, it is twenty-five toises in brcadth, and not lesa than ten in depth. In tlie raiiiy scason, it swells to half a league in breadth, and ita depth is proportionuhly augmented. Froin Vera Paz, it flows in a north.westerly diroetíon, passes through the district of Peten, enters that of Tabasco, and, nniting w ith the large rivcr Utsuma-

* From Guatimala to Ave Marta, tlic place of ombarkation, abottt eleven Icagues above Tucura» tho distance Is fifty-five leagucs, wliichmay be trnvelled wlth case in six ilays; from Ave Maria to the mouth of the Lagoon» two days; thcnce to the Cas- lillo, at most uvo days more; so that the whole distance may be performed in ten days. 1>UATLMALA. 28?

KÍnta, discharges itself into the líay of Campeche, where it forms the bar of St. Petor and St. Paul.* A very proficablo commcrce, Juarros says, migiít bü o]iened by means of thís river, w ith Peten, Tabasco, Campeche, and even Vera Cm'/. TJie large lake Itza, or Peten, lies between Vera Pa/., Cliiapa, and Yueatan. It is of an oblong figure, and about twenty-six lenguas in circumference. In soine parts títere are thirty l'athoms of depth; iu others, still more. The wàters are good, and produce excellent fish. The Peten, or Great Island, is about two leagues from the shore. It was the cliief place of tlie Itza Indians. It is steep and lofty, and on the summit is a plain nearly a quarter of a league in diameter. Four smaller islands lie at sliort distances from the principal one, all of whicli, together with tlie wliole eastern slde of the lake and the neighbouring range of m ountains, were forroerly peopled by dif ferent ludían nations. In tlie five islands alone, according to the computation of the missionarics, títere were, prior to the conqnest, from 24 to 20,000 inhahitants, whilc the Iudians who inhahited the borders of the lake and the m ountains, were almost innu merable. The gods were numerous in proportion. W hen Peten was taken by M artin de Ursua in U>í>7, “ so gveat was the uumber of idols íbmul in twenty- one places oi’ worship that were iu the island, as well as in the j»rivate houses, that the general, oíficers, and soldiers were. unremittingly einploycd from niue

* In tliis aceount, our ottly gimlc is Juarros. amí the tnap pre- fixed to the Trmislation by no tucans aíits us to verify or tiirow light on the text. The Utsuniazinta is apparently the sarne river time iie cUcwhere writes Zumacinta mul Sumnsintn- Tlie river & in l ‘e d r o f f l ’nb lricnters Tabasco from (’liiapn. Ncither the R in rifí 1« Pttssimt, nor the P o lo d ilc , is noliced by name iu the map. 8 2 288 GUATEMALA. o’clock in the uiorning till five iu the aftenioon, in destroying tliem.” * A t the close üf the last cen- tm y, there rémained but seven villages in the wholc territory, w ith a population ofonly 2,555 individuals ! The principal place in the district is the fortress of Peten, called Nuestra Señora de ios Remedios, w h ic h is the residence of the warden (castellano) of Peten, and the ecclesiastical vicav appointed by the bishop of H erida. The climate, Juavros says, is temperate and salubrious ; the coimtry ahounds w ith gam e; the soil yields two harvests of maize in the year ; it produces also Cliiapa pepper, Brazil wood, balsam, vauilla, cotton, cocoa, píne-apples and other fm its, índigo, achiote, and cochineal. A t the distauce of ten leagnes from the lake, the ridge of the Alabaster mountains begins, on which is found green, brown, and red jásper. These moun- taius a iFovd slielter tu great nmnhers of wild boasts. A m ong the animals peenliar to tliis province, .Tuarros mentions the zachin, a quadruped resembling a rat, abont a span long, witli a tail of six inches. Tliough so diminutivo, it preys upon snakes, rats, tarda, poultry, overtakes the mountain cat and «leer, and even attacks the lord of the creation with great hold- ness ; it emits so fetid a smell, tliat dogs will not eucounter it unless they aro much enraged, and its hite is venomous. Among the numeróos varieties of the feathered race wliich cnliven the forests of tliis province, the quetzal holds the first rank for its phnnage, whicli is of an exquisite emerald green : tlie tail feathers, which are very long, are favourite orna-

* Among these ídols werc some bones, which weroascertnincd to be piu-t of tile skeleton o f a luirse ieft here by Cortes, on bis way to Honduras, on account of iubeing discased: the sald bones were held by the indians in high veneration. CUATIMALA. 2 8 9 ments with tlio natives, and wcre fonnerly sent, as a valuable present, to the sultans of Tenochtitlau. (/reat eare was taken jiot to kill tlie birds, and tbey were released after being despoilcd of these featbers. “ The birds themselves,” says Juarros, “ as if they knew the high estimation their fcathers are held in, builcl their nests w ith two openings, that, by entering at one, and quitting them by the other, their plumes may not be deranged.” This most beautiful bird, which is peculiar to this kingdom, is fouud also in Quezaltenango. Three other birds found in this province are described by Juarros. “ The chion is a small bird, about the size of a canary, and of various colours : sorae are of a fíne shining black; others liave the head and upper part black, the breast and inferior parts w hite, and the wings spotted ; there are some yellow, like cariaries, which they also rescmhlo in song. This little creature cannot be domesticated, for they never survive two days of captivity. The chitl- pilchoo is a native bird of the cold and hum id m ountains of Verapaz ; the plumage is black, exeept on the breast, which is scarlet ; it is about the size of a canary, but has no song, at least only a sort of short whistle. The raxon is one of the most beautiful birds known ; it is an inhabitant only of the mild climate of Verapaz, for great beat and excessive cold are alike destructive to it. Nature has dcnied it song, but, by fluttering its wings, it makes a noise like that of a liawk’s bell; it is, therefore, only estimable for the plumage. Its height is about nine inches, the bill short, and eyes black ; the feet are provided with three toes before and one behind ; the feathcrs below the bill, and on all tbe front part, are purple ; a ring round the ucck, and the upper part of the body are oí' a lustrous emcrald green, exquisitely beautiful; the 2 9 0 GUATIMALA.

wings and taü are black. The female is larger than the male, but differs from liiïn so xnuch, as to seem a creature of a distinet species; the feathers are gray, w ith streaks of white, but in the sun’s rays tliey llave a tinge of greca.” Excellent tim ber of various kinds,—the guayacan, t h c drago, whicli yields the gnm called dragón’s blood, t h e liquidambar, mastic-tree, and other balsamic and arom atic trees, abound in the forests.

To the south-east of the provínce of V era Paz, lies the corregidorship of Chiquimula, bounded by Hon duras on the east; Escuintla, Sacatepec, and Zon- zonate on the south$ and the A tlantic on the uortli. It is divided into two distriets, vrhich were formerly s e p a ra te corregimientos: the one, called Acasagnast- lan, or Zacapa, comprises the western part, and contains only eiglit villages; that of Chiquimula, the eastern división, includes twenty-two villages. The total population is about the same as that of Vera P;iz, being rather above 80,000. The vernacular language is the Chorti. The climate is almost every wheve extrcmely hot. The produetions of the soil are, maize, rice, cocoa, melons, water-melons, cotton, and above all, the sugar-cane ; there are also said to be mines of gold, silver, tale, and other minerals. There are excellent pasture-lands, in whieh are bred cattle, hogs, liorses, and mules. The chief places in the western división are, San Augustín de la Heal Corona, o r Acasaguasilan ; a n d San Pedro Zacapa. A t the latter place, there are a few Spauish faniilies, mauy of mulattoes, but more of Indians. In this distvict is the large fresh-water Iako, called the Golfo Dulce; it is six leaguos across in almost every direction, and communicates with the GU AT I AI AL A. 2 9 1 ocean by a channel called the Gulf River, the mmith of which is alwut fondeen leagues from the lake, in tbo centre üf the Bay of Honduras.* Numerous rivers fall into this lake, rendering it navigable by large vessels. For more than a century, tliis was tlie ojily port whcre tbe ships of Spain trading with this kingdom, discharged their freights. On its shore is a fort called tlie castle of San Felipe, built in 1G55. In the event of our establisíiing a commercial intercourse dircet w ith Guatimala, the river Dulce will become of considerable importance. Chiquimula de la Sierra , the cliief place in the eastern distríct, is the residenco of the corregidor, and contains npwards of 3,000 inhabitants, of whom about 300 are Spaniards. It is in lat. 14° 20' N ., and lóng. 90° 16' W .; distance from Guatimala, fifty leagues. But the best-built town in the district, thougli situated in a humid and unhealthy climate, is said to be San Jago Esquipulas. It stands in a plain surrounded by hills, and is famous on two accotmts; flrst, as bavíng one of the most capacious and handsomest churcbes in the kingdom ; it has tlrree aisles, and is surmounted by finir lofty towcrs, but what forms its ohief glory is, n lavge crucifix, carved by a native of Guatimala, vhich is adored throughout the country for the m irades it has w rought: the other rcmarlcable thing is, an inn, — the only one, possibly, tliat Guatim ala can yet boast of. The province of Chiquimula ivas conquered by tho ofiicers of Alvarado. In the year 1530, the Indians revolted, but were again subdued by Hernando de Chaves. Part of this province and of Vera Paz, was

* Arconling to Juamw, it is 120 leagues from Capo Catoche, and Gfl lcaguos from the P oint of Castile, and is in lat. 15° 25' N . j long. MPIG' W. 2 9 2 OUATUIAl.A. formerly comprehendet! in the alcaldia -mayor o f Ainatique, which coinprised a district thirty-ftve leagues in length by thirty in breudth, soutlnvard of tiie river Dulce. It contained one town and three villages; bnt the town, called New Seville, sítuated on the sonthern bauk of the river Polochie, was dismantled in pursuance of a royal decrae, in 1549, in eonseqtteneo of representations jnade by the monks of Vera Paz. The three villages, Amatique, sítuated near the G ulf of Guanaxos, Jocolo, whicíi stood where the castle of San Felipe has sínce heen erected, and San Tomas, were ahandoned in consequcnce of the pestilential epidèmics by which they were repcatedly desolated; and the alcaldia was abolished. Among the remarkable objeets in this provínce, Juarros mentions the lake of Atescatempa, near a village of the same ñame, in the cnracy of Jutiapa, which receives two large rivers, the Contipec and the Yupitepec, and, like the lake of Atítlan, has no apparent outlet for its w àters; but, at a short distanee from its borders, at a place called La Doncella, a la r g e volunte of water issnes from the earth, and forms a broacl and deep river. “ As the discharge is always regular, this opening,” Juarros reasonably infers, “ can be no other tliau the channel by which the wàters of the lake are drawn off.” A still more extraordinary natural curíosity is, the cave of Peñol, which, according to the tradition of the conntry, extends through the mountains, from Peñol, towards the village of Mataqueseninte, as far as the llio de los Esclavos,, a distanee of about eleven leagues. W e know not on what grouuds this tradition vests. The subterranean passage docs not appear to have been penetrated lieyond the distanee of three quarters of a league. A t this distanee, the onlv individual who is known to CrUATIMALA. ‘293 liave attemptet! it, found his Iights ahvays extinguished by the mephitic vaponr. Gigantic skcletons are said to liave lieen found in tlie neighbourhood of this cave, some of the leg bones oi' which m easum l iive feet six inches ! ! Among the rivers of this región, the next in importance to the river Dulce, is t h e Ilio Grande, which rises in the province of Chi- malteuango, and afterwards takes tlie nante of Mo tacila: it is notcd for a delicate species of fish,-front two to three feet long, called tho bobo, w h ic h is CiHight only in this river and in that which liows by the city of Comayagua. It falis into tlie Atlantic eight leagues to the eastward of the Gulf river, fornt- ing the boundary between Chiquimula and the intendancy of Comayagua, or Honduras.

Tlie Bay of Honduras, along the coast of which the latter province extends, was so named by the Spanianls, because, tvlien they first came to subjugate tlie country, they were unablo to fiud nnchorage, owing to tlie great depth (hondura) of water. They called the c o u n t r y IHImeras, o r Calabazas, from the great mnn- ber of pumpions they found on shore, and Guaimura, from a native village on the coast. The nante of the hay is now generully given to the province, iilthough it is officially named, as an intendancv, from Comay- agna, the chief city. This province was the first part of the New Continent on which the Spaniards landed. H errera says, that Columbus arrived off tlie coast of Honduras in the yeav 1502, and landed at Point Casinas on the 17th of August. Formal possessiou was taken of the country in the name of the King of Castile ; Columbus, however, did not advance into the interior, but continued his progress aiong the ronst till he reaohed Veraguas, and the province of 2 9 4 GÜATÏMALA.

Honduras was not explorad till twenty years after, when Gil Gonsalez Davila, taking shelter in the Gulf Dulco, Imilt a little village near Capo Tliree Points, to which he pave the name of San Gil de JBnena Vista. Tliis site was subsecjuently abandoned as nn- healthy, a character which attaolies, unfortunately, to the wliole province. W e need not pursue the history of its settlement, which is in nowise interesting. The soil is for the most part extremely fertile, prodncing maize, pulse, cocoa, sugar, ami cotton; it ahouiuls also in cattle; Imt the climate is hot and humit), am i, consequently, extrem ely insaluhrious, on which account many of the towus of which it could lioast at one tim e, have been succossively abandoned. The population which, ín 1770, was 87,730, and in 1791, 93,500, is still muler 127,000. Yet it contains, Juarros says, more gold and silver mines than all the rest of the kingdom hesides.0 It is divided into two distriets: Comayagua, fonnerly a government, which comprehends the western part; and Tegucigalpa, at onc tim e an alcaldia-mayor, w h ic h extends over the eastern part. The district of Comayagua contains nincty-fom- villages and settlements. The chief places are Trtix- illo , Gracias a Dios, a n d Comayagua. Truxíllo, situated close to the port of that name, was fonnerly the capital of the province, and the residence of the hishop. It stands about thirty yards above the level of the sea, betwecn the rivers Negro and Christales; distance from Comayagua 95 lcagues, and 239 from Guatim ala; Ín lat. 15° 20' N. ; long. 86° 6' W. The barbour is

» The valley of Oiandio, In particular, is colebratcU for the “ immense riehcs that bave been coltcctcd from iho river Ouaynpc that flows througb it: and even now," adds Juarros, '■ the purcít gold in the kingdom is fouml in its sands.” GÜATIMAI.A. 2 9 5 commodious and well-fortified. The Dulcli iaruled here in 1(543, and pillaged and destroyed tlie tow n; from whieh time it remained in a ruined state till 17f!9, when the Government directed it to he again put in a state of ricfence. It was attackcd, in 1797, h v two English ships of war and a br'g, hut they verc repulsed. The population, however, is nou’ very inconsidcralde. Gracias a Dios is in a state of great decav; yet, it was formerly one of the most flourisli. ing places in the kingdom, and im portant as being for some time the seat of the royal audiencia. I t is situated in a pleasant valley, at the base of a lofty mountain, from the summit of whieh descends a rivnlet that flo'vs close bv, and supplies it w ith water. It is thirtv-eight leagues from Comayagua and ICC from Guatimala; lat. 14° N .; long. 89° 1G' W . This city was fonnded hy .Tnan de Chaves in 153C. He had spenta long time in searching for a convenient situation for a town about mid-way between Honduras and Guatimala, that should facilitate the commerce with the capital, when, at lengtli, on avriving at the level tract in whicli the town was aftenvards hnilt, thesoldiers exclaimcd, Gracias aDios,— ‘ T h a n k God, we have found a proper place!’ and from this c-ircumstance it received its ñame.* The town was indebted for the ràpid increase of its prospority, to the

* A similar circumstante gave rise to the ñame of Cape Gracias a Dios. “ Columbus liaving arrived at Point Casinas in August ISO?, kept a westerly course, contemling with great difíicuUy against the windand astrong cuireut, until he weatliered a head- land stretching far into the sea, and from which the lamí trends away to the southward; he then kept tris intended course witli cañe. Tile sailon thanked God for liaving doubled the cape, and i t tlien rcccived its nppeUation,” Tliere are roany sim ilar histauces of places owing their ñames to an csclamation, as Olinda, Maran- hani, and Hítenos Ayres.—Seo Moi>. T iia v . ü i ·c z i l , vol. ti. p. 30C. PATIT iv. T 2 9 0 GUATIMALA.

discovery of some gold mines in its vícinity, iu 1544. The ricliest of these was that of S a n A ndrés de N u e va Z aragoza , sitnated in a mountain of thc valley of Scnsenti, to tlie west of the city, and east of thc valley of Copan. Fuentes asserts that, with no otlier instru m ent tlian a wooden stake, poor people went to .this mountain, and, by merely scratehing up the sand, found grains of the precious metal. Ilo says, also, that in a mine bolonging to Bartolomé Marin de Sanabria, more tlian a pound of gold a day was collected by the luhour of himself and onc slave. “ The strongest proof that can be adduced of the riehes of this m ountain,” remarks Juarros, “ ivas the appointment of an alcalde-mayor, for the purpose of superin, tending the working of the mines and receiving the king’s fiftlis. This officer was invested with plenary jurisdictio», both iu civil and criminal m atters, w itliin the boundaries of the mines, and had the power of compelling a fourth part of the Indians w ithin a circuit of twelve leagues, to labour in them. These souvces of wealth, that were so famous for more tlian a hundred years, are now entirely exhausted, and the alcaldia is extinguished. Santa Maria de Comayagua was founded in 1540, with a view to maiütain. an easier communication hetween the two oceans, its situation being about half-way hetiveeu Puerto Caballos and the Bay of Fonseca. In 1544, a royal order directed, that thc new audiencia o f t h e confines of Guatimala and Nicaragua should reside in Comayagua, which was thenceforth to he called New Valladolid; but this decree was not carried into effect. In 1557, it was created a city ; and in 15G1, the see of Truxillo was transferred to it, at the solicitation of the bishop. It is now the residence of the intendant. It is sitnated in a beautiful plain contiguous to a large GUATIMALA. 2 9 7

river (the U lna), whicl» abounds wit'h excellent fish : lat. 13° 50' N., and long. 88° 4C'W .: the distance from Guatimala is 144 lcagues. 5'«» Pedro Z u la , founded l>y Alvarado in 1530, San Jorge Olanchito, founded by Diego de Alvarado in 1530, and Sona- gttera, wore formerly called cides, and luid corpora- tions, lmt are now entirely decayed. Of S a n G il de Buena Vista, a n d El Triunfo de la Cruz , founded in 1523, as well as of the town of S u n J u a n , near Puerto Caballos, settled in 1530, nothing remains but tlie ñ a m e . Toro is still a considerable town. The villa g e o f Tencoa is celcbrated for a peculiar specics of pepper cultivated in its vicinity; the valley of M orolica for its checse; and that of Copan fo r it s to b á c eo . Tlie district of Tegucigalpa contains two tow ns; tlie one from wliich it takes its ñame, and Xeres de la F rontera. The former is tho most populous and flourisliing place in the whole province, and is the residence of a dejmty-intendant. It stands in a healthy climate, 25 leagues from Comayagna, and 148 from Guatimala. It contains a spacious cliurch, two oratorios, and two convenís, Franciscan and M ercedarian. Xeres is situated in the valley of Cholu- teca, the most southerly and the hottest place of all the district, in lat. 12° 50' N ., andlong. 87° 46'W . W ithin its jurisdiction is E l Corpus, which has pro. dnced more gold than any other place in the kingdom. This cantón is in fact esteemed the richest in the precious metáis of any in Guatimala. O n the coast of this province there are six different ports. The first is Omoa, a hay w ith good anchorage, forming a clean, safe, and well-sheltered harbour, sufficiently capacious to moor twenty or five and tiventy vessels. It is 17 leagnes cast of the Fresli 2 9 8 GUATIMALA.

Gulf, in lat. 15° 23' N. and long. 88° 5G' W . Fort San Fernando Omoa was built in 1775, to protect tlie harbour. In 1780, however, the place was taken by the English, Irat tliey soon abandoned it on account of the unhealthiness of the climate. A t a short distance from the fort is a village inhabited by ncgvoes, wlio are the only persons able to endure the climatc. Three leagnes further eastward is Puerto Caballos, formed by two bays ; as its entrance has little more than two feet water, it is not much frequented. Puerto de Sal, 37 leagues from the gulf, is very small, and withont good anchorage. Trionfo de la Crus is a large bay trending to the south-east, wliere vessels of any size may anchor under shelter of fchree small islands, called the Friars. The fifth port is that of Truxillo , 88 leagues from the Fresh Gulf, formed by Point Castilla on the N.E., and Point Quemara on the S.W ., which are six leagues distant from each other : in the tníddle of the bay lies the Isla Blanca. The last is Puerto Carlago, 132 leagues from the Gulf River, in the territories of the uncivilised Indians. The principal rivers that fall into the Atlantic, arc t h e Camalecon, navigable by piraguas, or large canoes, for" m ore than fifty leagues, which falls into the sea twenty-four leagues below the G ulf R iver; the U lna, 31 leagues from the same point; the L e a n , o r Leones, 46 leagues from the Gulf; the A g u a n , 84 leagues E. of the Gulf River, and about 60 miles \V. of Cape Camarón,—it is navigable by canoes about 40 leagues from its mouth. This is the boundary of Honduras and the territory of Taguzgalpa. Six leagues further is the Lim ones, which dcscends from the mountains of Olancho el Viejo. Twelvc leagues further is the bar of the R io Tinto , or Black River. Half a league to the eastward is the P a ya s, a n d GUATEMALA. 299 tlie last is tke Piálanos, which t'alls into the A tlantic about 10G leagues front the Gulf River.* The N a - vaome a n d t h e Choluíecu fall into the Bay of Con- chagua on tho south-w estm i coast. Eighteen leagues N .E. of Port T.uxíllo, tlie Island of Roatan lies oif the coast, extending from forty-five to fifty miles in length, by from six to ten in breadtln The approack to it is dangerons, owing to the reefs and rocks hy which it is surrounded; but the prin cipal harbour affords good anckorage, though rather open to S.W . winds. In the year 1G42, this island was taken by the Euglish, but was abandoned eight years after. From that time to 1742, it remaiued uninhabited; the English tlten again occupied and fortified it, but were dislodged about 17 0 0 . T h e y resumed possession of it in 1790; but, in the following year, the Spaniards once more recovered it. The only object of iuterest known to exist in this large provinco, is the Great Circus of Copan, in the valley of that name, which, at the time that Fuentes wrote (about A.D. 1700), existcd entire. It is described as “ a circular space, surrounded by stonc pyramids about six yarda high, at the bases of which are figures, botk male and female, habited in the Cas- lilian costumc, of very excellent sculpture, and coloured.” In the míddle of the area, a flight of steps led to the place of sacrifice. A t a sliort distance is a stone gateway, on the pillars of which are sculptura! figures, likewise in Spauisb hàbits ; and on enterïng * Wegivc thcse detnilson the authority of Juarros, as points to be verified, rather than as aciually ascerlaincd. In the map pre- fixed to the English Iranslation, neither the Limones, the Uio Tinto, the ¡‘ayas, «or the Platanon, appears uniler thosc ñames: the only tlirce rivera castward of the Aguan, and westward of Cape Gracias a Dios, are lunned tlic Yaiiguc, or (¡mi/upc, llie Bayano, and the Barbo. aoo CiÜATIMALA.

this gateway, two fine stone pyramids present themselves, “ from which is suspended a hammock containing two human figures, clothed in the Indian style. Astonishment is fbrcibly excited on viewing this structure, because, large as it is, there is no appearance of the component parts being joined to g e th e r 5 and, although entirely of stone, and of an enormous weight, it may be put in motion by the slightcst impulse o f the hand. Not far l'rom this ham mock is the cave of Tibulca, wliich appears like a large temple hollowed out of the base of a liill, and adorned witli columns Iiaving bases, pedestals, and capitals: at the sídes are numerous Windows faced with stone, exquisitely wrought.” All this reads assuredly very much like romance, but, as it is part of our object, while recording the discoveries of former travellers, to point out what it remains for luture travellers to investigate, we should have been guilty of a great omission had we failed to direct their attention to this valley of wonders, wliere the genii who attended on King Solomon have evidently been the artists . 8 W e now proceed to the description of a province which seems likely to become, in some respects, the most important in the kingdom, as affording *

* The valley of Copan is situatcd on the boundnry line between the provinces of Chiquimula and Comayagua. The Indian city of Copan was ore of the largest and most populous in the kingdom. When the Spaniardsarrivcd befoxe it, it wae so well prepared for defcncc, as to bc able to hold out against a large and powerful army. On one side it was defended by the mountains of Chiquimula and Gracias a Dios; on the opposite side, by a deep fosse and au intrenchment, formed of strong beams of timber, having the interstices (illed with earth, in which were made em- brasurcs and loop-lioles, through which the besieged discharged their arrows under covcr from the cnemy's fire. It was talccn with difliculty by De Chaves. Its site is now entirely deserted. GÜAT1MALA. 301 the long-süught-for communicatíon lictweeu the two o c e a n s , —

THE INTENDANCY OF NICARAGUA.

T m s was the first province subdued by the Spa- niards, having been discovered and partially settled by Gil Gonwiles Davila and his companions in 1522. It takes its ñame from a powerful'cacique (or perhaps from liis territory), who was one of the first to enter into amicable relations w ith the Spaniards, and submit to baptism. It is bounded, on the north and north-east, by Honduras and Tologalpa; on the north-west, by Tegucigalpa; on the south-west and south, by the Pacific and Costa Rica ; on the east, by the territoiy ceded to Colombia, which skirts the shores of the A tlantic. The intendancy includes five districts; that of Leon, formerly a distinet government, and the ancient corregidorslups of Realejo, Subtiava, M atagalpa, and Nicoya. The latter are allvery much redneed in importance: Realejo, Subtiava, and N i coya, more especially, which lie along the shores of the Pacific, are, from the insalabrtty of the climate, which is both hot and humid, almost depopulated. The first of these districts contains but tlirce vilíages besídes the town from which it takes its ñame, and (in 177*0 a l'ttle more than (>,000 inhabitants: the last has only one settlement, and a scattered population acaree! y amounting to half that mimber; The total population of the intendancy was, in 1 7 7 8 , 107,000: in 1823, ¡t is computcd to have reachod 104,400. As the temperature of the wlude province is very liot, it does not produce wheat, but yields ex cellent grapes and other fruits, cocoa, indigo, cotton, the gura called carana, and various medicinal dnigs. 3 0 2 Gl/ATiMALA.

Immense herds of cattle are pastured in the large grazing-farms, for the consumption not merely of the province, but of the city of Guatimala also: the soil, however, is not favourable for breeding sheep. But the most remarkable feature of this province is, its numerous rivers and immense lakes. The Lake of Nicaragua is the largest in the kingdom, and one of the most extensive in the world, being more than 150 leagues long from enst to west, and neai·ly 00 miles from north to south; it has almost every where a depth of 1 0 fathoms, with a muddy bottom, except ulong the shore, where theve is ciear sanch A great immber of rivers fall into this vast basin, but the River San Juan is, aecording to Juarros, the only visible outlet j notwithstanding whioh, he says, there is no observable indication at any time of any increase or decrease of its wàters. On the north-west, it coimnunicates w ith the Lake of Leon or M anagua, which extends npwards of 50 railes in length by neavly 30 in brcadth, by a navigable cbamiel called the Rio Tipilapa, about 20 miles in length. This lake also is said to be throughout of sufficient depth to reeeive the lavgest ships. A t twelve miles distante only from its northem extrem ity, vans the river Tosta, which, after a course of tw enty miles, falls into the Pacific Ocean. To form, therefore, a communication between the two oceans, the only part actually to be opened, would be the twelve miles be tween the River Tosta and the Lake of Leon. Humboldt says, there are in the archives of M adrid, several memoirs, both French and English, on the possibility of the junction of tho Lake of Nicaragua w ith the Pacific; hut in none which he had seen, was tho height of the intervening ground snfticiently cleared up. Upon more recent information, however, GÜATIMALA. 30 3

it has been ascertained that the difference of level in the lnghest parí, is not more than hfty-one feet above the surface of the Lake of León, which is about thrco feet higlier than tliat of the River Tosta. Not more than two loeks, therefore, wonld be required to render this a perfecti)'- practicable 'and secure eomrau- n ic a tio n . This great achievement appears likely to be at length realiscd by the enterprise of B ritish capitalists. Uuder the auspices of the local Government, an association has alreatly been formcd for the purpose of cutting a ship-canal in this rtirection, and a bilí in relation to the subject is now in its progresa through parliament. From the prospectus issüed by the com- m ittee, we obtain the following additional details. “ That the line now spoken of was known to the Spanish Government, is pnt beyond doubt; but, as she would not, or could not, avail hersclf of this know. ledge, she with cautious jealousy concealed it from other uations. It appears from documents discovered in the hydrographical cahinet of the Spanish m inister of m arine, that the most accurate surveys were made of the whole of central America, and were sent, accompanied with proper drawings, to Madrid. One ofthese, containing an exact description of the spot most favourable for opeuing the proposed channel, was ohtained some time ago under particular circum stantes, by a gentleman who resided at the court of M adrid, and it is now in possession of the company. From this it appears, that, in the Province of Nicaragua, in 10° 10' N. lat., and 82° 15' W. long-, the River San Juan falls into the Atlantic Ocean, after runmng_a south-east course of 120 miles from the lake Nica ragua, in which it has its source. Thia river, in the rainy soasan, is navigable from the sea to the lake for

•1-2 30 4 GUATIMALA. sliips of from 200 to 300 tons burthen ; but ít may bc reudered navigable íor the largest vessels, and sufficient deptli of w ater be preserved fov thcm thc whole of the way up. The passage is at present partially ob- structed by cevtain ski ps sunk by tke Spaniards, to prevent the intrusión of foreign vessels.” Then, after describing the above-inentioned plan of communication by means of the River Tosta, the document proceeds : “ A nother line of communication ivith the Pacific, presents itself also from the Lake of Leon. O n the souther» shores of that lake, is situatcd the town of Tipitapa. From tkis town, a canal inight be cut into another river, San Juan, which runs into -the Pacific by the port of that naroe, in the G ulf of Papagayo. The distance hetween the lake and where the cut would enter tbe River San Juan, is about twelve miles, and the wliole distance to the Pacific is not more than thirty. Of tliis distance, eighteen miles of the river are already navigable for large v e ss e ls. “ To point ont ali tko advantages of such a junction of the two great oceans, would be impossible in the limits of a prospectus. They would be as various as the many branches of profitable trade which would be so greatly facilitated, or to wliicb they would give rise. The intereourse of Europe and America with the States on tlie shores of the Pacific, would be en- laTged to an incalculable extent; the South Sea Trade, the W liale Fishories of England and America, the fadlities for working the mines in the central Pro» vinces, in Chili, and Peru, would be increased in an extraordinary degree ; the India Trade would likcwise be m aterially increased, and the voyage to China and the Pliilippine Islands shortened hy sorne thousands of' miles. T h e iviiole of t iie s e tjiaües w ot?i. r> G U A T1M A LA . 30 5 J1E CAH111ED OU ÏUnOCGH THE NEW ClIAKNEI.. The advantages wliich would accmo to England, in a political point of view, cannot be overlooked : they would bo of a most important nature, but it is unne- cessary to mention them in detail. “ It may, perhaps, be objectcd, that some accounts of the River San Juan liave represented it as not nuvi- galilo for ships of any great size. It is admitted, tliat some maps and cbarts of South America liave so ilcscrlbed it; but nothing is more dearly demonstrated than tlie fallacy of such representatíons. It is a well-known fact that the Spaniards prohibited the navigation of tlie San Juan, under paín of deatli, sunk vessels iu different parts of tlie river, and also raised a fort for its prevention. It is also well knoitiji, that Spain has often wilfully misdescríhed the nature ofsome ofher South American colantes, to prevent the intrusión of otker nations ; and only since the eslablish- incut of the inàcpendenee of those conntries, could foreiyners land on their shores. An instance of tliis kind was experienced not very long ago byJLord Coch- rane. Wliile at the mouth of the river Guayaquil with part of liis fleet, he was boarded by a pilot, who assured llim that the river was not navigable for large vessels. I-Iis lordship, on referring to his maps and charts of tliis part of the coast, found this river dcscribcd as full of (li/ficulties and dangers, and absolutely unnavigablc for large ships. It was similarly represented by more than one English, as well as Spatiish geographer. llis lordship inquired what water there was in the river, and was informed that the dcptli was íour fhtlioms. He ínstantly ordered the pilot to conduct him up, on pain of immediate death. The terrified pilot obeyed, and in a sliort time his lordship cast anchor abreast of the town of Guayaquil, with his U06 tiUATIMALA. squadron, to the astonishment of the inhabitants, who saw, for the first time, the guns of a fifty-gun frigate bearing upo» their city. The questio» is, however, now set at rest for ever; the information derived, from the survey spoken of, leaving no more doubt that the San Juan may be easily rendered navigable, (aucl for ships of all burdeits,) tlian there exists of the navigation of the Thames. “ The gen tierna» by whose skill and address a copy of the survey was obtained, is one on wliom the Com pany can place the most implícit rebanee. Theyhave availed themselves of hisgreat abiüties, and he is now on bis way to central America, to take the preliininary steps for carrying this important undertakiiig into efFect. From the estimates tvliich have been made, it is calculated, that tho profits accruing to the company from the tolls of ships passing and repassing, will be sufficient, a fler defraying all expenses, lo replace, in Ihe conree of leu years, the original capital, besides yiving in the inierim a considerable dividend. “ Independently of the many other advantages wliich she must derive from it, lingland will have the glory of achieving a work, which has been eagevly desired ever since America was discovered, and eveu more so siuce its valué to Europe has been correctly ascertained. In eífecting this, she will leave to posterity an additional monument of her great commercial enterprise, her industry, and perseverance.” It would be altogethcr idle for us to offer any comment on this statement, as we cannot be expected to have access to more minute or recent information than tlie committee llave been enabled to procure. Hum- holdt States, that the coast of Nicaragua is almost in. accessible in the months of August, September, and October, on account of the terrible storms and niius.. GUATOIAI.A. 3 0 7 and, in January and Pebruary, on aeeount of the furious nortli-oast and east-north-east winds callad gagagayos. This circumstance, hn remarks, is ex- ceedingly inconvenient for navigation. But the same inconvenience attaches, more or less, to the whole of the western cuast of central America. The port of Tehuantepec gives its name to the huméanos which hlow from the liortli-west, and which deter vessels from landing at the small ports of' Sabinas andVen- tosa. The Tehuantepec cut, moreover, if carried into execution, would not alford a passage to any but barges or canoes; and this would be the case also with the projected coinmunication l>y means of the River Chagres, and a canal to be cut from the venta de Cruces to Panama. Merchandise could be transportcd across the isthmus of Darien • only in riat-bottomed boats, unable to keep the sea, and theru woulcl re

* The vulgar notion of a difference between the level of the two occans so material as to effect the practicability of the raeasure, is siiewn by Humboldt to be without foundatioii. In America, the South Sea is generally supposed to be higher at the isthmus of I’anam3, than tlie Atlantic- Yet, remarks the learneil Traveller, “ when we considor tho eflect of the current of rolation," or gulf- stream, “ which cnrrics the waters from east to west, and accumu late* them towards the coast of Costa Hica and Veragua, we are tem pted to $upi>ose, contrary to tlie rcceived opinion, that th e Atlantic is a lítele higher than the Pacific.” By barométrica! measttrcmenis, however, hc asccrtained, that if there be any dif ferente of tcvel between the two seas, it canuot exeeed twenty or tweiity-lwo foct— i Vi. liïjfty, vol. i. p. Ü1. 308 uL'ATIMALA. turesqtie hy the numerous small ishtnds which stud its surí'íiec. These are all uncultivatcd and uniu- habited, except that of Omotepetl, from which a lofty raountain shoots up its volcànic peak near the Southern shore of the lake, freíiuently cmitting both flames and smoke: this island is inliubi ted, as it is rcmarkable that the neighbourhood of a volcano never fnils to be. The lake is subject to tempestuom agi- tations, from heavy gales. Lakes, rivers, and creeks, and both the Atlantic and Paciiic coasts, fumish an inexhaustiblo supply of variona kinds of iisli. Exten sivo forests, Jiffording valuable timbcr, and peopled with numerous tribcs of monkeys, tjuadrupcds, and rare birds, skirt the shores of thís little lUoditorranean, and on its banks are found some of the most populous vilbtges in the province. The principal ]>lace is the city of Granada, from which the lake takes the name inore commonly applíed to it ín Guatimala, where it is called the lake of Granada. This city was founded in 1523. It stands on the íiorth-western shore, in an advantageous posítion for commereo; lat. 11° 30' N., long. 06° 21' W . ; distònce from Leon 30 leagues, and 216 from Guatirmda. It contains a handsorae chuich and four convents: the Franoiscan is one of the most ancient in the kingdom. The popnlation, in 1778, consisted of 8G3 Spaniards and Creóles, 910 Mestixoes, 4,765 Ladinos, and, in an adjoining barrio or village, about 1,700 Indians. The place which carrios on the largcst trade, however, in the whole intendaney, Juarros says, is Masaya, a lavge village containing a popnlation of 6,000 sonis, among whom are a few Spaniards. Yet, the sitnation, one wonld have imagined, is one of the last that wonld have been voluntarily selected. In the firat place, tbe scarcity of water is severcly felt, CUATl.MALA. 3 03 and tlie inhabitants ave forced to draw tlieir ouly supply from a well of extraordiuary deptln The descent into it is almost perpendicular, but the Indian woraen sling tlieiv pitchers behind them, and descend by placing tlicir liands and feet in cavities scooped out in the rocky sides, with au inaudible celerity. Then, at a short úistance from the village, is tlie volcano of JUasava,—nov, iudeed, extinet, but, at the time of the comjuest, known by the ñame of the Infierno de Masaya: the iiglit of the lava constantly boiling up in the crater, might be perceived at sea twenty-five leagues off. Jíot far from this is auothev voienno, CüIIed Nindiri, from whicli au eruption took place in 1775, when “ the torrent of lava that rolled into the lake of Masaya, dcstroyed the fish, and heated the lands which it traversed to so great a degrce, that all the cattle feediug on them perisbed.” * The city of León, the capital of the intendaucy, and the see of a bishop, is situated in a savanna, about eight leagues from the western shore of the lake to whicli it gives name, and fonr leagues from the shores of tlie Pacific 5 lat. 12° 20' N., long. «6° 16' W., and 183 leagues í'rom Guutimala. It was originally founded in 1523, on the spot now callcd Old Leon, but was rebuilt on its present site a few years after. I t contains four churchcs, three convents, Frnneiscan, Mercedarian, and of San Juan de Dios, a Tridentine college with eight professorships, a custom-house, tobacco-factory, post-office, royal treasury, &.C., and a popnlation of between 7 and 8,000 persons, including upwavds of 1,000 Spaniards. The Cortes (of Cadix), by a decree of Jan. 1812, granted permission

* Near the city of Nicaragua is said to be another volcano, wliich Humboldt call-1 Moumutvbo, but Juavros (iocs nat m e n - l ’OH it. 310 GUATIMALA. to the city ot' Leon to creet a uuiversity, with tlio same privileges as tliose enjoyecl by tlio other universities of Spanish America. P>v another decree emanatiiig from the same authority, in tlie same year, the province of Nicaragua was priviioged to liold a provincia! assembly composed of deputies from the distriets of Leon, Granada, Segòvia, Nicaragua, Matagalpa, Ni- coya, and Costa Rica, whieh assembly was installed in Oct. 1813.* Four leagues to the north-west of Leon, on the shores of the Pacific, is thetown of Realejo, inhabited entirely by Ladinos, wlio are employed in ship-building. The town was built in 1534, by the companions of Alvarado in his expeditiori to Pern, who, observing the advantageous situation of the harbonr, detennined to establish themselves ou a spot so convenient and promising. Its original name was Jaguei, or Cardón, and it is said to have received the diminutive appella- tion of Realejo from the small mimber of settlers. The harbonr is formed, like that of Guayaquil, by a large and beautiful river. There is, perhaps,” says Juarros, “ not a better liarbour in the Spanish monarchv, and there are very few in tire known world superior to it. In the first place, it is capable of containing 1,000 vessels commodiously, affbrding clean and good anchorage in every part; and sliips may lie cióse to the shorc without the smallest risk or danger ; there is not the most trifling impediment to the passage in or out, and new vessels may be launched at all seasons without the least obstructiou. Tire con. veniences for ship-building cannot be surpassed, as timber, cordage, sail-clotii, pitcli, and tar, may he procured in grcat abundance ; the supply of masts

* Juarros, p. 33íi, GUATEMALA. 311 is inexhaustible. This brauch of eommerce might be most advantageously carried on: in fact, a great number of vessels of all sizes were formevly constructed here, and were held in sucli high cstimation, thut Puentes mentions, that a galloon built in Realejo was sold at Callao for 100,000 dollars. ïh e liarbour could he placed iu a respectable state of defence with the greatest euse, as a few pieces of caunon mounted in battery on tbe islet of Cardón would, from its eminence, completely command thc entrance, and efFectually protcct the port. There was formerly a different cbaimel into the harbour from the one now used. Origimilly, the passage was between the point of the Isle of Cardón and the península of Castanon, and ships proceeded tip the river to the landing-place at a village called Nuestra Señora del Viejo ; hut the full of immense quantities of rock, both from the Isle of Cardón and the point of Castanon, during a violent carchquake, has inadc this passage impracticable. The present channel lies between the north point of Cardón and the isle of Icacos, whence vessels liave a clear course, and may ran up with their bowsprits almost into thc towjn” At a short distance is the viltage of the Viejo, where the corregidors have resided, on account of its more healtliy situation: it coutains npwards of 3,000 inhabitants, and is, moreover, resorted to on certain holydays by devout pilgrims from all parts, on account of an inestimable lijou, — an image of Nuestra Señora, wliicli was once the property of the immaculate vij-gin Santa Theresa ! The whole of this tract of coast is low. That of Nicoya, in the south-eastern extrem i ty of the province, is covered at full tide. The road from Realejo to Lcon, passes for.twenty miles acroas a flat country, 312 GUATLUALA. covered witli mangle-trees.* The only other places <>f any eonsideration in the intendancy ure, Segòvia Nueva, situated on the River Yare, near the confines of Tegucigalpa, 30 leagucs north of Granada; Nica ragua, 12 leagues S.K. of Granada, inhahited chiefly by Spaniards, who carry on a traffic in cocoa, with an ludían village adjoining; Esteli; Acogapa ; Villa Nueva; (all these are in the district of Leon ;) Sub- iava, a very populous Indian village, contiguous to the city of Leon ; and Nicoga. Of the numerous rivers whicli water this province, Juarros enumerates, as the most important, the Creek del Viejo (or Realejo River), the River of Nicaragua,-}- the Alvarado, and the Nicoya, among those which fall into the Pacific; and the Pontasma,:}' the Mos quito, the Gold River, the Iron River, and the great River San Juan, which diseharge their wàters into the Atlantic. The Nicoya separates this province from that of

COSTA RICA.

“ A K.1ME," remarks Juarros, “ which at present seems continued to it only in irony, as it is more poor

* Dainpíer cited by Ilumboldt. t This is called, in the map, the /ito dc Vartirio, and it is repre- sentcd as commuuicaling, by one of its branches, tvitli the lakc, whilc the other folls into tiie Gnlf of Papagayo. If so, tliere would already be a water communication between the two oceans. 13ut this brancií lias dissappearecl in m ore recent maps, and is sup- poscd tobean error. In fact, it is in contradiction to Juarros’* own statement, that the iakc of Nicaragua has no outlet but the Kan Juan. } This is called, in the map, the River Vare, or Segòvia. It rises in the jurisdiction of that cítv, and being joined by severa! tributaries, becomcs a stream of considerable magnitudo by the time it toadles the Atlantic, where it forms a smnll harbour near tlie false Cape G radas a Dios. GUATIMALA. 31 3 and destitute than any other.” The name of rieh coast was given to it, however, on account of the rich mines which it contains, of gold, silver, and copper. “ From tlie mine called Tisingul” Alcedo says, “ not less riches have been extracted than from that of Potosí in Peru.” At the period, too, that Porto Bello was the rendezvons of the galleons, the commcrce of the province was in a most flourisliing state. The whole of it was well-peopled, the arahle lands were in a good state of cnltivation, and the pastures were covered with cattle, horses, and mules, in which a considerable trade was carried on with Carthagena and Porto Bello from the harbour of Matina, and with Panama and other ports of the Pacific from La Caldera. Its prosperity and riches soon excited the cupidity of adventurers. in 1GGG, a descent was made on the coast by some pirates, whose numbers amounted to 1,200 men; but they were defeated and driven back by the Sjtaniards and tlieir celestial allies, headed by the Virgin in person, whose imagc continued to be honoured by an aimual procession in acknowledgement of the victory, up to tlie beginning of the present centnry. A few years aftenvards, the pirates of the Pacific, on two several occasions, attacked tho city of Esparza, phmdered it, and set it on fire. So completely was it mined, that the ínhabitants abandoned it. On the coasts of tiie Atlantic, many attempts were inade with various success hy the Bnccaneers; and the Mosco Indians made freqüent incursions hy the harbour of Matina, carrying of? couoa, «laves, or whatever else they eould lay their hands on. Thesc incessant and harassing hostilities nppenr to have led, in connexion with other circumstauces, to the present depopulated and neglccted state of the province. 3 1 4 OUATIMALA, “ Whatever might once have been ita importante,” says Juarros, “ it is very certain that, at the preseufc time, its condition is very deplorable: tbu populatio» is redueed almost to nothing, comineras is annihilated, and tlie mines are no longer worked. In fact, a province that, iu many resjiects, merits particular attention, is now so mucli neglected, that none of tlie writers of this kingdom, or 1'oreigners, take any notice of it. It extends from the Ilio dei Salto,* whicli separates it from Nicaragua, to tlie district of Chi- riqui, in tlie jurisdiction of Veraguas, a distance of U;0 leagues from west to east; and from tlie Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean, from north to south, about 00 leagues. Its limit, on the Atlantic, is from the mouth of the River San Juan to the little island callcd the Escudo de Veraguas; and on the Pacific, from the River Alvarado, the boundary of the province of Nicaragua, to tlie River Boruca, which tenninates the kingdom of Terra Firma to the westward. The climate is for the most part warm, but in some places it is very temperate; the soil yields cocoa, tobáceo, and othev productions of warm climates; wheat, and such othev articles as are peculiar to colder regions, are raised in the inouu- taiuous parts; but ali in scanty proportions from the want of hands for agricultural employments. There are mines of gold, silver, and copper, but they are scnrccly inore productive than the surface of the soil is. Ou the Pacific there is a harbonr, that of Caldera, or Esparza; and anotliev on the Atlantic, Matina, or the bar of Carpintero, formed by the rivers Barbilla and Chirripo, wliich unite four ieagues above the sea.

* Wc presumo that tliis is tlie sanie river as tlie Nicoya, whicli is just before stated to bc the boundary. r u a t ï m a i .a . 3 15 The rivers Ximenes, Rebentazon, and Moin, dis- chargti themselves into the Atlantic; they have suffi cient depth of water to admit the pirarías eight or ten leagues inland. The Alvarado, the Rio Grande, and the Boruca, witli severa! others of less note, descend into the Pacific. Within the government of Costa Rica there are 1 city, 3 towns, and 10 villages, containing together about 30,000 inhabitants,— a small proportion, compared with the territorial extent of ít, and a great díminution of its ancient numbers. In the earlv periods of the Spanish occupancv, there were a governor and four corregidors, who liad their residences in Quipo, Chirripo, Ujarraz, and the four villages contignous to Cartago: the jnrisdíction of the first extended to the coast of the South Sea, that of the second to the Atlantic, and the two otliers were intermedíate. Tliese corregimientos were aholislied more thnn a century ago, and of many of the villages belonging to tliem, there are no vestiges remaining.” Since the time that this was written, some improvement has probably taken place in the state of things, as the present amount of the population of Costa Rica is computed to be nearly 38,000, although Mre know not whether the calculation rests on any certain data. The chief city, said to be the most ancient in the kingdom, is Cartago, situatcd in the heart of the province, 80 leagues from the boundarv of Nica ragua, the sume distance from Terra Firma, 30 leagues from Esparza, abont as many from Matina, and 400 leagues E.S.E. from Guatimala; it is in lat. 0° 10', and long. 82° 46' W. It stands in ahealthy situation, and enjoys a benignant climate ; eontains a chnrch, a Franciscan convent, a sanctuary, and two oratories; and has a population of upwards of 8,000 persons, riz. 600 Spaniards, 6,000 Mcstizoes, and 31G GUATIMALA. 1,700 Ladinos. Next to the capital, the most populous town is Villa Nueva da San José, situated in a valley at a short distance from Cartago : it contains a population very nearly cqual in numbers, with three times as large a proportion of Spaniards. Villa Vieja has G,GG0 inhabitants, of wliom 1,800 are Spaniards, and 4,000 Mestizoes: Villa Hermosa, included in the same curacy, has a population of 4,000 persons. Ujarraz is now a place of very trifüng consequence. Esperaza, and the neighbouring town of Bagases, are entirely abandoned. Should the “ Atlantic and Pacific Company” suc- ceed in completing their undertaking, this important province will no doubt reap essential advantages from the impulse which will be communicated to commercc and every internal improvement. It ís one object which the Company have in view, to enter into con traéis for working' the valuable mines with which tliese regions are ascertained to abound. Yet, till now, who had ever heard of the mines of Guatimala ? In Ilumboldt’s general table of the annual produce of the mines, &c. of Spanish America, against Guatimala is written, u Nothing.” * The total valué of goods imported from the Oíd Continent into this kingdom, is stated at only two millions of piasters, while the imports of New Spain are estimated at twenty mil lions, and those of Cuba and Porto Rico at eleven millions! In the captaincy-general of Guatimala, as well as those of Caraccas, Chile, and Cuba, the whole receipts of the treasury were consumed by the ex penses of administration, so that the motlier country actually derived no net revenne from those colonies.* But the System which so long condemned these

* Pol- Kfsav, vol. iv. p. 322. GUATIMALA. 317 fine conntvies ta remain stationary in cívüisntíon, and morally as woll as politically improductivo, exists no long-or: the sovereignty of Spain in that hcmisphere has rcceived its last blow from the hands of Bolívar. In the recent message of the Vice - President of Colombia to the Congress of 1825, assembled at Bogotà, it is noticecl, that “ the provincos of Guatimala con tinue to preserve unmolested the sovereignty into ivhich thcy spontaneously electcd themselves. An nccredited minister from that Government to the Repnhlic is now,” it is added, “ residing in our capi tal.” The message proceeds to advert to the necessity of adjusting and estahlíshing the still nndetermmed limits bctween Colombia and Guatimala, “ inasnnich as certain foreigners have pretended to a right to the coast of Mosquito, and as the interior boundary line between the two coimtries is not nscertained.” “ The Executive, (it is added,) in strict compliance tvith the liw of the 12th of July, 1821, has declared that that part of the Atlantic coast which extends from Cape Gracias a Dios to the River Chagres, belongs to the Republie, and that nll colonisation made therein without the sanction of the government and laws of Colombia, is nuil and void.” Sliould this line of coast, however, be definitely annexed to Colombia, it will of course place under the control of that republie the navigation of the River San Juan, and conse- qnently of the lakcs and the intended ship-canal. It ■vvill amount, in fact, to Iittle short of a cession of the vvliole of Costa Rica, and the greater part of Nicaragua. *

* PoL Essay, vol. iv. p. 204. 3 J 8 GUATIMAI.A.

To rcvert to the snbject of mines. Tho produce of thoso of México, wlien Humboldt wrote his Political Essay, had tripled in fiftv-two years, and sextupled in a hundred years; * and it will admit, h e remarks, of greater increase as the country sliall bccome inore populous, and inrlustry and information becomo more diffused. Sir William Adams, in a recent pampblet on tlie Actual State of the Mexican Mines, maintains that the Anglo-Mexican Associations may reasonably expect to raise treble the quantity of ore formerly obtained, by working them seientifically, and bv the aid of machinery. The expenses of working them, no doubt, admit of being reduceil to a great dcgrec. By tlie very imperfcct process of amalgamation hitherto adopted, the loss in mercnry alone is statcd to have amounted to an eighth or even a sixth of tho produce. At Freiberg, Hnmboldt says, they employ from CO to 150 times less time in extracting tho sitvcr, than in the Spanish colonies, and consume in amalgamation *

* The quantity of gold and silvcr imported into Europe from America bctwocn the years 1492 and 1803, is calculatcd to amoimt to 1,166,776,322A storliug. Till 1325, Europe had receíveil from the New World líttle elsc than gold. From tliat period till the discovcry of the mines of Brazil, towards the end of the seven- tcenth century, the silvcr imported exceedcd the Importation of gold in the propoition of (¡0 or G5 to 1. in the flrst lutlf of the eiglitccnth century, the mines of Brazil, Chili, Choco, &c., furnished so considerable a quantity of gold, that the proportiou wss scarccly 30 to 1. During the latter half of the last century, the silvcr again increased in the market; the annual produce of the mines of México rose from 600,000 marcs to 2,600,000 ¡ and, as the produce of gold did not increase in the same proportion, the quantity imported of the two prccious metáis was as 1 to 40. Tho mines of México have counterbalanccd the effects rvltich the abundance of the gold of Brazil would have produccd. The East índies and China are the countries which have absorbed the ¡pontet part of the gold and silvcr cxtvacted from tire mines of America. (iUATIMALA. 3 1 9 eight times less mercury. I t has becn expevimentally ascertained, Sír W. Adams says, that the Mexican ores admit of being most beneficially reduced by the same processes tliat are employed i'or tile reduction of the tin ores in Cormvall. Mr. Moyle, an experienced mining enghiecr, who has been sent out to México by the Anglo-Mexican Mining Association, reports that, “ should it be founcl advisable to employ the process of amalgamation, (in consequenee either of a scarcity of fuel, or from some species of the ores requiring to be amalgamated with quicksilver, in order to extract all the silvev,)—this process, which costs the Mexicans the lahour of from two to five months, may be better effected in six kours; while Mr. Perkins has discovered a method of separnting the two metáis with scavcely any loss of quicksilver.” Should these calculations prove accurate, the favourable Opinión lately expressed by Barón Humboldt is likely to be verifiod; that the mining operations about to be undertaken by British capitalists could not íail to be the most important and lucrative nnder- takíng that hud yet been entered into. But it muy possibly occur to the reader to inquiro, whetlier the intercsts of society would not be placed ¡n jeopardy by the rapid increasc of the quantity of specie whích may thus be anticipated,—whcther a deprcciation of the precious metáis mustnot ensue, which will occasion a relative rise in the valué of all otlier commodities, and materially affect all existing contracts. The learnod Traveller above named, maintains that the danger is not so great as it appcars on a first view, because the quantity of commodities which enter into commerce, increases with the augmentation of the currency which rcpresents them. u The price of grain, it is true,” lie says, “ has tripled sílice the PA llT IV. u 3 2 0 ÜUATIMALA. treasuves of the New Continent were poured into the Old. This l iso, which was not felt till the middle of tlie sixtecnth centurv, took place suddenly between 1570 and 1595, when the silver of México began to flow through all parts of liurope. Bnt, between that memorable periocl in the history of coxnmerce and the year 1C3G, the discovery of the mines of America produccd its wliole effect on the reduction of the valué of money. The price of grain has not in reality risen to the present day; and if the contrary has been advanced !>y scveral authors, it is from theír having confounded the nominal valué of coin with the trne proportion between money and comraodities.” It would he foreign from our object to pursue tliis inquiry, which is, however, a most important one. The first effect which miglit be expected to ensue from the present nndertakings, is, the deprecíation of silver relative to gold, unless the mines of Brazil shall, under the same impvoved management, be made to furnish a eorrespondeut produce. Eut such deprecia ron is, perhaps, more likely to affect the profits oi’ the miner, than to produce any material effect on the curreney.

ENT) OE Gl'ATIMALA.

LO.NUOS : FftJ.vrt0 BV .!• MOVKS, BOCVElíIt M REEI.