THE SPANISH DOMINIONS
I S NORTH AMERICA.
'' 'CH AP TER I.
H f s T Q M e A t^ ' G e o g r a p h y .
t&i Boundaries.'—Origin#! Population— fli/lorical'.fypchs.—Antiquities,
pQNCERiyiNG th$ Spanifh pofieffion's in South ’'Apiericd, confider-
V n # Ie information may;“be djerf^/from'tfie'travels’ ancTefTays of
t«e writings of^^uguer aftd*l^damifee' gfff
|reMh mathematicians,, and more rqc^nlly frbm 'two^ermahs" jbofrrjz-
hoffer 3Ud Helms^ But whetherJfrom a grrater“jealiufyf' of podefllon^
^^ngjLOjt]icdero£.the Epglifh, their moft threaded enemie^or from a
cognation thTsjmcToffier cauTes,- a'ny tel4 ht^and~pregiievinirei
refp|<&ing their'ddmujjons. in Nc^/Ameficai fifeff.'’appears? n The
v|f!onary "|deas ~pf *tfie 'abbe.';Ctav^gefoJ whoh'ai, pretended to'build "i
Mexican h’iftory upon paintyigf aruf iyniBofs'^tepft' d'dubtftll-^efprei
tat^ 4 # e enfteV e^ credit to4Be lIBfWoWr^arts of his tedious5
production ; and even'recent wnferl^cdncsro^^Kdexico* have been
forced’ to 'borrow from Gage, and other aUthbrs^ofthe feventeentth ceni
&■ depidraiblq-penury of rtxateriais, 'ytfibourfe .muiiafed
avoidably be had to authorities’ Which ’might in any other5 cafe* be*
f^^Wbd ifrtperfe&, dubious, or antiquated." Yet.the Spanish’dominions
tn iNofth’ AmgricJ are more ‘impbrtantf jh every refpbdt», than* diofe ,
^hich thayhpld in the./author n half ofthe Yi,
■ The true -pcominciatfoiris M e d i l o j f r om the peeuliar feiuniof.thd Spanifli
• A olV I i . • 4 G In