l68 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. I02 



clothing, SO that they shall not disturb and molest people passing 

 from one side to the other. 



472. In the city of Tampico there is a parish church and a Fran- 

 ciscan convent. The climate is very hot and damp. In that district 

 and that of Panuco there are extensive cattle and mule ranches, most 

 of which lie in the hostile Indian territory, but with what they give 

 these Indians, they are not molested by them. There are innumerable 

 deer in these parts ; the Indians shoot them with arrows ; from some 

 they get excellent bezoar stones. All this country is very level and 

 pleasant, so that it seems a bit of Paradise. The Rio de Panuco is a 

 large river ; ships and frigates can enter it ; they come up from Vera 

 Cruz with wine and other commodities ; there are quantities of alli- 

 gators in it. This district borders on the ESE. on the Province and 

 port of Tamiahua of the Diocese of Puebla, and on the N. with 

 extensive provinces of heathen savages. 



Chapter XXV 



Continuing the Description of the Archdiocese of Mexico. 



473. On leaving Mexico City in a northeasterly direction, near 

 Otumba is the village of Tepeapulco, where they raise quantities of 

 corn and wheat ; there are broad pastures and ranches there. Farther 

 on is the Province of Guachinango, with silver mines ; the streams 

 run into the Atlantic. Next comes the Province of Papantla and 

 Tuxpan, whose river flows into the Atlantic opposite the Isla de 

 Lobos (Wolf Island) ; but that country and coast are unhealthy, 

 being hot and damp. 



474. Returning to Mexico, the city of Texcoco lies 7 leagues E. 

 of it, on the bank of the lake ; here they produce quantities of cloth, 

 serge, and coarse woolens. From Texcoco to Gueytulpa, Zacatepec 

 and other villages, and returning ENE. from there, one passes moun- 

 tain ranges separating the Rio de Tuxpan from the Rio de San Pedro 

 y San Pablo ; here the Archdiocese touches the Diocese of Puebla, 

 at the village of Agotepeque, near the Vera Cruz highway ; this 

 village belongs to the Diocese of Puebla. 



475. Returning to Mexico, to the S. one finds the villages of Cuer- 

 navaca. Las Amilpas, Huaxtepec, Huautla, and Acapixtla, belonging 

 to the Marques del Valle, 10 leagues from Mexico, where there are 

 fine valleys with a hot climate. Here there are many mills for [grind- 

 ing] sugarcane, from which they make great quantities of excellent 

 [white] sugar. They have many kinds of delicious fruit, both native 



