WHOLE VOL. THE WEST INDIES VAZQUEZ DE ESPINOSA 1 6/ 



a good Franciscan convent. Eight leagues farther, to the right from 

 Acatepec and NE. of Mexico, is the village of Otumba, where there 

 are Royal Apartments, in which the Viceroys stop before entering 

 Mexico City, and a famous Franciscan convent and church. Farther 

 along the same course lies Tulancingo, 22 leagues from Mexico, at 

 the foot of the Sierra de Huayacocotlan, where there is a splendid 

 Franciscan convent and church. Ten leagues from Tulancingo is the 

 Alcaldia Mayor of Huayacocotlan, leaving on the left the Alcaldia 

 Mayor of the Sierra de Metztitlan, with a famous Augustinian con- 

 vent, in which they teach Arts and Theology. In the Sierra of Metz- 

 titlan or Huayacocotlan there are mines of excellent alum. 



469. The town of Los Valles in the Province of Huaxteca on the 

 road to Panuco some 50 leagues from Mexico City, is built in a 

 pleasant valley on the banks of a river which irrigates and enriches 

 its fields and meadows. It will contain 200 Spanish residents. There 

 is a parish church here and a Franciscan convent. It has a spring- 

 like climate, and is the residence of the Corregidor appointed by the 

 Viceroy for its good administration and that of the province. It has 

 large mule ranches in its district, which form the chief business of 

 that region, and most of their deer yield excellent bezoar stones. On 

 the slopes of Huaxteca and the Sierra of Metztitlan lies the Cor- 

 regimiento of Yahualica. 



470. Twenty-five leagues beyond the town of Los Valles, and 75 

 from Mexico, is the Province and State of Panuco, where they 

 founded the city of San Esteban of the N. port of Mexico. At the 

 present time it contains few Spaniards, the majority of its inhabitants 

 having left to live in the city and port of Tampico, which is built at 

 the water's edge, for the sea beats against its houses. It will contain 

 200 Spanish residents ; their chief occupation is the shrimp fishery ; 

 sometimes great schools come in, which the fishermen can tell by 

 the color of the water; and when the schools arrive, be it Maundy 

 Thursday or Easter, they go out fishing, even though they miss hear- 

 ing Mass on those days, for that is generally the season when they 

 come. These fisheries in general supply for the whole year the city 

 of Mexico, and other cities, towns, and provinces, and the man who 

 possesses one of those shrimp grounds is rich. 



471. Tampico is 3 leagues from Panuco; at the midway point of 

 i^ leagues there is a Spanish garrison, called Tamos, for defense 

 against the warlike Indians called Salineros, who live on the other 

 side of the Rio de Panuco ; but at the present time they are quiet, 

 because they give them some corn and coarse woolen cloth for their 



