6dS
S P A N I S H D O M I N I O N S , .
CtTtM.
-Towns.
Acapulco.
Hiftorical connection requires a brief notice of Tlafcala, the republic
v^Wch affifted €ortezf and which, in confcquence/.enj®yed gsfeat pri-
vileges, hut in the time of GemeM Careri, who vifited it in the -snd of
the Seventeenth century, it had become a village.- The fee has been
moved to Angelos, thirty miles to the fouth>, The large province of
Tlafcala is however very flourifhing and populous; as the native's enjoy
fome privileges granted to the republic:* =' 1 - * ,
The ch ie f towns in the Spanifh dominibns In North America^re St.
Yago, Carthago, San Salvador, -Guatimala,' Chlapa/'Guaxada,'Veral
Cruz, Acapulco, Mechoacan, Guadalaxara,; Panu|d, ^t/Andj, Du-1
Tano-o Cinaloa, whence a line drawn acrofs to the mouth of theftio
Bravo’, may be find to bound the long ifthmtrs on tffe north. WM™
the territory -widens from Florida to Caliibraia/sre .St;.A«piftij|i|fen-
facola, New Orleans, Texas, St. Antonio, St. <T 5tta, and $JbtaCFe. I
Towards the weft, and in California, the'fcttlement^re fhiall and,umm-
portant. Monterey, though^ the refiden'ce- of a Governor, is H « e
hamlet, the harbour dangerous, and infefted with fogs/ The H p
was difeovered in 1602, but Montefey,' how*'?hb^apiteT^^iepo
Californias, was not founded till 1 7 7 0 /
Concerning many of.thefe towns there fcjittle ^ r t^ t e j^ n c e ;
and an earthquake might deface a labpured dej^tigg^j ^ ^ mala
was totally deftroyed by an earthquake-June 7th 1773, when Jght
thoufand families' periflied; hut
Acapulco was a celebrated port on the fouth of Mexico, encoding- the
chief Indian trade over the Pacific; while Carthagena, in South Aberica,
on the Caribbean fea, was a centre-of European traffic. ...B^thfce k
unhealthy fituations, as Mexico itfelf; for by a fatal .error th^p^niards,
Dutch, and other Europeans, have in Afia and America founded ifeities |
oh plains, in imitation of thofe in their own countries, while high
_ fituations ought to have been felefted. Mechdacan is a fair commercial
town; and Merida, the capital of the peninfuk of Yucatan, ®
a bifhoprick, and the refidence of the governor of the province. iP ^
3 L a Peroufe, ii. 200, where curious details may be,found .concerning the millions,
eftablifhed among the lavages.
p parifhcsj
Vera
c H A P. HI. C l T I L G E O G Pd A PÏPY.
Vera Cruz’' was burnt by the Buccaneers, and a more advantageous Cities. ,
pofition feledted for the new city. It contains pne church, and three Ve,?'5*n^
monafteries, and is enclofed with ruinous fortifications : l jm & to the
fohth eaft of Mexico, and the- 'fcdmfiion, Tpo^Cfor ■ European^gébds,
where a Spanilh fleet ufed to arrive every two years, taking in return
fflv-er and ©thenîreafures.*’' ‘-CDtr-the north are* barren-,%|s, .a£d on the
weft bogs, that ha-ve been drained. ' Guaxaca exports excellent wool J
and-.perfumes. St. Leon and-Granada are both',»fituated on .the large
lake •of Nicaragua,, where ’the. chain ?pf the Andes .le ifUppïrfed ^o (terminate,
even by thofe who carry its extenfion to 'tile utmoft limit.
Santa Fe is remarkable as the moft northern town of any note ; but Sauta Fc,
little k-known concerning it bx^p’t^-ttâêflieaf anê-t.hë tee-
'■ fide^e/pf a prowhpal governoi n-Even the iaffcirte* cities ihontain; as
Robertfon obferves, a ifiaperior population >t® tthofc'tof ï®y,-other European
nations'in Am erica,f -Ébat ü£ Angeles Win^fedîhputed .atiêllo©© ^
-atidofGuâdalaxâra .gbyfoo©, nxcl&five/pf i
The chief edifices are the cathedrals, churches, and convents, as -Edifices,
may be expected where the clergy .are fo ^predominant, that civil -architecture,
and civil affairs/ are almoft eMllpfyjmdgîe'Ôid'. Part df
what^rhay b,d dlledi the 'high European road, from ’ Vera* ' Cruz';t§^", ‘
Mexico, is * tolerably fmo oth .and. pleafant ; but ; the others are probably
neglected, and in fo mountainous a country they are rough and precipitous1.
Inland navigations Teem unknown, and are perhaps un-
nçeeffary.
New Spain is. Angularly diftihguiflied .by the multitude and variety JÆanufac-
'of its produirions, in all the three great reigns of nature, animal, •emnincrFe.
vegetable, and mineral. This abundance, d f natural produdtions pèf-
haps contributes to the n-egleft of mahU’fadtures. *’ Even metallurgy k
bllf poorly conducted. Cochihéal and: cdfeoa,* with^g. little filk and
cotton, form articles of export ; but the chief are gold, Elver, and
precious ftones,' There was a Celebrated fair at Acapulco/ on the jin- *’
UUal arrival of the Chips from Peru and Chili,; after which thé noted
4 D’Atiteroche California, 2 ,1 . ÉÉj S j!:>^ s sAmericay\ hi. 392..!^ <
v , Chocolate is faià to have been a Mexican, liquor $ tlao- bed nuts are’ |K;ofe qf Gua- ;:i
TOL. Ji, _ 4 I' galleon/- •