WHOLE VOL. THE WEST INDIES VAZQUEZ DE ESPINOSA 13/ 



vation and will be over 3 leagues long ; many cypresses and pines 

 grow all over it, and on its slopes round about there are many Indian 

 settlements, especially to the E. and S. of the volcano. This is the 

 best stretch of land to be found in New Spain ; they collect great 

 quantities of fine cochineal here; on the sierra and its slopes and in 

 all the region they graze large numbers of cattle and sheep of Spanish 

 stock. 



387. The town of Atlixco lies 5 leagues from Puebla. It is built 

 in a fertile valley over 5 leagues long and over i^ wide. In the town 

 and the valley there are over 1,000 Spanish residents; there is an 

 excellent parish church and convents of the Dominicans, Franciscans, 

 Augustinians, Barefoot Carmelites, Mercedarians, and Jesuits ; there 

 are nunneries and a hospital for the care of the indigent sick, with 

 other churches and shrines. The climate of this valley and town is 

 marvelous, almost like spring; they harvest over 100,000 fanegas 

 (160,000 bushels) of the best wheat raised anywhere in New Spain, 

 quantities of corn and other cereals, and of fruit, so that the town 

 and its people are wealthy and do a large business. 



Chapter X 



Continuing the Description of the District of the Diocese, and 

 of the Corregidores and Alcaldes May ores Appointed There by the 

 Viceroy. 



388. The city of Tepeaca, 6 leagues SE. of Puebla, has over 5,000 

 Indians and 400 Spanish residents with an excellent Franciscan con- 

 vent for catechizing and the administration of the Holy Sacraments. 

 It enjoys the same climate and fertility of soil as the others. In the 

 neighborhood are large plains and valleys ; the largest is Ozumba, 

 well covered with ranches of cattle, sheep, etc., and they raise quan- 

 tities of wheat, corn, and other cereals, both Spanish and native. 



389. It contains in its district the famous San Pablo Valley, to 

 the ENE. ; it is well covered everywhere with farms and ranches, 

 with large ranches of all kinds of stock; much wheat, corn, and other 

 cereals are grown in the valley. There will be over 1,300 Spaniards 

 settled in the valley and busied with stock raising, farming, and other 

 occupations. The famous Tlaxcala range, which provides Puebla and 

 other neighboring cities with wood, lies 3 leagues from Puebla de 

 Los Angeles ; in the neighborhood are many cattle ranches and farms 

 of wheat and corn. 



390. The Diocese has jurisdiction over an extensive, wealthy, and 

 well-settled region. In length it extends along the Atlantic on the N. 



