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NEW MEXICO AND CALIFORNIA.

Miles. Length

Breadth 1000} Between {90° and 126° Weft Long. from London,

23° and 43° North Latitude.

Boundaries.] BOUNDED north, by unknown lands; eaft, by Louifi

ana; fouth, by Old Mexico and the Pacific Ocean;

weft, by the fame ocean. Divifions.

Subdivifions.

Chief Towns.

North-caft divifion { New Mexico Proper, SANTA FE, W. Longitude

South-east divifion,

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Apacheira,

Sonora,

104. North Latitude 36° St. Antonio.

Tuape.

California, a peninfula, St. Juan.

Climate, foil and productions.] The climate of this country, if we may judge from its fituation, must be very agreeable. Towards the clofe of the last century, the Jefuits, who had great merit in exploring the neglected province of California, and in civilizing its rude inhabitants, feem studiously to have depreciated this country, for political reafons, by reprefenting the climate as fo difagreeable and unwholefome, and the foil as fo barren, that nothing but their zealous endeavours to convert the natives, could have induced them to fettle there. The falfehood of this reprefentation, however, has fince been detected, and a very favourable account has been given of the climate and foil. A valuable pearl fifhery has been found on its coafts, and mines of gold have been discovered of a very promifing appearance. In California, there falls in the morning a great quantity of dew, which, fettling on the rofe-leaves, candies, and becomes hard like manna, having all the fweetness of refined fugar, without its whiteness. There is alfo another very fingular natural production. In the heart of the country there are plains of falt, quite firm, and clear as cryftal, which, confidering the vast quantities of fish found on its coafts, might render it an invaluable acquifition to an induftrious nation.

Inhabitants and Character.] The number of inhabitants, as far as can be known, do not exceed 300,000. The characteristics of the Californians, are stupidity and infenfibility; want of knowledge and reflection; inconftancy, impetuofity, and blindnefs of appetite; an exceffive floth, and abhorrence of all labour and fatigue; an exceffive love of pleafure and amusement of every kind, however trifling or brutal; pufillanimity; and, in fine, a moft wretched want of every thing which conftitutes the real man, and renders him rational, inventive, tractable, and useful to himself and fociety.

Hiftory.] Cortes, the great conqueror of Mexico, difcovered the extenfive peninfula of California in the year 1536, after enduring incredible hardships, and encountering dangers of almoft every fpecies. During a long period it continued to be fo little frequented, that even its form was unknown, and in moft maps it was reprefented as an island. Sir Francis Drake was the first who took poffeffion of it in 1578, and his right was confirmed by the principal king or chief in the whole country.

OLD MEXICO, OR NEW SPAIN.

Miles.

Length 2000 } Between {830 and 1100 Weft Long, from London.

North Latitude.

Boundaries.B Gulph of Mexico; fouth-caft, by Terra Firma; fouth

OUNDED north, by New Mexico; north-eaft, by the

weft, by the Pacific Ocean; divided into the three following audiences,

viz.

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Climate, foil and productions.] Mexico, lying principally in the torrid zone, is exceffively hot. This country is mountainous in the interior parts, but along the eastern fhore it is flat and marshy, and is overflowed in the rainy feafons, which renders it very unhealthy. The trees are cloathed with perpetual verdure, and bloffom and bear almoft the whole year round. The cotton and cedar-trees, and those which bear the cocoa, of which chocolate is made, abound here. Mexico, like all the tropical countries, is rather more abundant in fruits than in grain. Pine-apples, pomegranates, oranges, lemons, citrons, figs, &c. are here in great plenty and perfection. Mexico produces alfo a great quantity of fugar, efpecially to

wards the Gulf of Mexico.

The chief mines of gold are in Veragua and New Grenada, bordering upon Darien and Terra Firma. Thofe of filver, which are much more rich, as well as numerous, are found in feveral parts, particularly in the province of Mexico.

The mines of both kinds are always found in the most barren and mountainous parts of the country; nature making amends in one respect for defects in another.

Of the gold and filver which the mines of Mexico afford, great things have been faid. Those who have enquired moft into this fubject compute the revenues at twenty-four millions of money; and this account is probably juft, fince it is well known that this, with the other Spanish provinces in South America, fupply the whole world with filver.

The Spanish commerce in the article of cocoa is immenfe. It grows on a tree of a middling fize, which bears a pod about the fize of a cucumber, containing the cocoa. It is faid that a small garden of cocoas, produces to the owner 20,000 crowns a year.

Inhabitants, character and government.] The prefent inhabitants of Mexico may be divided into whites, Indians and negroes. The whites are born in Old Spain, or they are creoles, that is, natives of Spanish America. The former are chiefly employed in government and trade, and have nearly the fame character with the Spaniards in Europe; only a

larger

larger fhare of pride; for they confider themselves as entitled to every high diftinction as natives of Europe, and look on the other inhabitants as many degrees beneath them. The creoles have all the bad qualities of the Spaniards, from whom they are defcended, without that courage, firmnefs and patience, which make the praifeworthy part of the Spanish character. Naturally weak and effeminate, they dedicate the greateft part of their lives to loitering and inactive pleafures. Luxurious without variety or elegance, and expenfive with great parade, and little convenience, their character is nothing more than a grave, fpecious infignificance. From idleness and conftitution, their whole bufinefs is amour and intrigue; their ladies, of confequence, are not diftinguished for their chastity or domestic virtues.

The Indians, who, notwithstanding the devastations of the first invaders, remain in great numbers, are become, by continual oppreffion and indignity, a dejected, timorous, and miferable race of mortals.

The blacks here, like thofe in other parts of the world, are stubborn, robust and hardy, and as well adapted for the grofs and inhuman flavery they endure, as any human beings. This may ferve for the general character, not only of the Mexicans, but for the greater part of the Spa nish colonies in South America.

The civil government of Mexico is adminiftered by tribunals, called audiences. In these courts the viceroy of the king of Spain prefides. His employment is the greateft truft and power his catholic majefty has at his difpofal, and is, perhaps, the richeft government entrusted to any fubject in the world. The viceroy continues in office but three years.

The clergy, are extremely numerous in Mexico, The priests, monks and nuns of all orders, make a fifth part of the white inhabitants, both here and in other parts of Spanish America.

Chief towns.] MEXICO, the capital of this place, is fituated on a large plain, environed by mountains of fuch height, that, though within the torrid zone, the temperature of its climate is mild and healthful.

All the buildings are convenient; and the public edifices, especially the churches, are magnificent. The revenue of the grand cathedral amounts to near L.80,000 fterling a year, of which the archbishop has £15,000, befides vaft fums arifing from perquifites. The inhabitants are reckoned at 150,000, who draw annually from the mines above ten millions of money, exclufive of the vaft fums fecreted, and applied to private ufes; yet with these almoft incredible treasures, the people may be reckoned poor, as most of them live beyond their fortunes, and commonly terminate a life of profufion, in extreme indigence.

ACAPULCO ftands on a bay of the South Sea, about 210 miles foutheaft of Mexico. In this harbour, which is very commodious, the Manilla galleon takes in at least ten millions of dollars, in return for the goods the brings thither, and for the payment of the Spanish garrifons in the Philippine ifles.

Hiftory. The empire of Mexico was fubdued by Cortes, in the year 1521. Montezuma was at that time emperor of Mexico. In the course of the war, he was treacherously taken by Cortes, and held as a prisoner. During the imprisonment of Montezuma, Cortes and his army had made repeated attacks on his fubjects, but without fuccefs. Cortes was now

Ti

determined,

determined, as his laft refource, to try what effect the interpofition of Montezuma might have to footh, or overawe his fubjects. This unfortunate prince, at the mercy of the treacherous Spaniards, and reduced to the fad neceffity of becoming the inftrument of his own difgrace, and of the flavery of his fubjects, advanced to the battlements in his royal robes, with all the pomp in which he used to appear on folemn occafions. At fight of their fovereign, whom they had long been accustomed to ho nour, and almost to revere as a god, the weapons dropped from their hands, every tongue was filent, all bowed their heads, and many prof trated themselves on the ground. Montezuma addreffed them with every argument that could mitigate their rage, or perfuade them to ceafe from hoftilities. When he ended his difcourfe, a fullen murmur of difapprobation ran through the crowd; to this fucceeded reproaches and threats; and their fury rifing in a moment, they violently poured in whole flights of arrows, and vollies of ftones, upon their unhappy monarch; two of the arrows ftruck him in the body, which, with the blow of a ftone on his temple, put an end to his life. Guatimozin fucceeded Montezuma, and maintained a vigorous oppofition against the affaults of Cortes. he like his predeceffor, after a noble defence, was forced to fubmit. Previous to this, being aware of his impending fate, he had ordered that all his treasures fhould be thrown into the lake. While a prifoner, on fufpicion of his having concealed his treasure, he was put to the torture, which was done by laying him on burning coals; but he bore whatever the refined cruelty of his tormentors could inflict, with the invincible fortitude of an American warrior. One of his chief favourites, his fellow fufferer, being overcome by the violence of the anguish, turned a deJected eye towards his mafter, which feemed to implore his permiffion to reveal all that he knew. But the high fpirited prince darted on him a look of authority, mingled with fcorn, and checked his weakness by asking, Am I now repoling on a bed of flowers? Overawed by the reproach, he perfevered in dutiful filence, and expired. Cortes, afhamed of a fcene fo horrid, refcued the royal victim froin the hands of his torturers, and prolonged a life for new indignities and fufferings. Cortes died in Spain, in the year 1547, in the 62d year of his age. Envied by his contemporaries, and ill requited by the court which he ferved, he has been admired and celebrated by fucceeding ages. By his own defire he was carried to Mexico, and buried there.

SOUTH AMERICA,

Sa peninfula, joined to North America by the Ifthmus of Darien,

and divided as follows:

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Miles.
Length 1400
Breadth 400 Between
Between

Boundaries.] BOUND

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OUNDED north, by the Atlantic Ocean; eaft, by the fame ocean and Surinam; fouth, by Amazonia and Peru; weft, by the Pacific Ocean.

Climate, foil and productions.] The climate here, efpecially in the northern parts, is extremely hot and fultry during the whole year. From the month of May to the end of November, the feafon called winter by the inhabitants, is almoft a continual fucceffion of thunder, rain and tempefts; the clouds precipitating the rains with fuch impetuofity, that the low lands exhibit the appearance of an ocean. Great part of the country is of confequence almoft continually flooded; and this, together with the exceffive heat, fo impregnates the air with vapours, that in many pro◄ vinces, particularly about Popayan and Porto-Bello, it is extremely unwhole fome. The foil of this country is very different, the inland parts being exceedingly rich and fertile, and the coafts fandy and barren. It is impoffible to view without admiration, the perpetual verdure of the woods, the luxuriancy of the plains, and the towering height of the mountains, This country produces corn, fugar, tobacco and fruits of all kinds; the moft remarkable is that of the manzanillo tree. It bears a fruit resembling an apple, but which, under this fpecious appearance, contains the most fubtile poifon. The bean of Carthagena is the fruit of a fpecies of wil low, about the bignefs of a bean, and is an excellent and never failing remedy for the bite of the most venomous ferpents, which are very frequent all over this country. Among the natural merchandize of Terra Firma, the pearls found on the coaft, particularly in the bay of Panama, are not the leaft confiderable. An immenfe number of negroe flaves are employed in fifhing for these, and have arrived at a wonderful dexterity in this occupation. They are fometimes, however, devoured by fharks, while they dive to the bottom, or are crushed against the shelves of the rocks.

Chief Towns.] PANAMA is the capital of Terra Firma Proper, and is fituated upon a capacious bay, to which it gives its name. It is the great receptacle of the vast quantities of gold and filver, with other rich mer

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