﻿nr 



MEXICO. 



MBXICO. 



of wind arv rerj fraqoont, rad from wbatcrar point of tba oompaw 

 tiMT Mow they an rerj eold, and run immcnw oloadi of dtitt fillad 

 with wlino partidai. Within thin plain is aituated a mooDtainoQi 

 rtfrion, eallod the Bolaon di Mapimi, which occupies th« Iraot of land 

 ••atendint; flrom the northern ahorca of the Lake of Mapimi to the 

 banks of the great aonthern band of the Rio del Norte: it is said to 

 eontain an abvodaoee of metala. 



The Sierra Madra, which extend* along the western aide of thi* 

 plain in a north-wartam di(««lioa, deaoendi towards it in terraeea, 

 ••{■■ntod from eaah other hj •bropt dediTitiea, and traversed by deep 

 aM ateap ttaaarMM TaUay& The crett of the chain is sitnated 

 toward! ita wratem daelivi^, and between the ridges which compose 

 tbe mountain ragVm are longitudinal valleys, narrow, bnt of consider- 

 abia astaott whidi contain rich minea. Towiards the plains which lie 

 along tha FMifie the descent is rery rapid, and only farrowed by 

 ravinea. 



The country between the Sierra Mndre and the P«ci6c is naturally 

 divided into two different regions— the plains of Cinaloa and the 

 billy region of Sonora. The former extends between 2i° and 28° 

 N. tat, and the latter between 28' and 32° K. lat The plains are 

 parfltotly levH, and only hills of moderate elevation divide them from 

 tha Hena Madrv. Their soil consists of a sandy clay, almost without 

 apabMe. The rains set in regularly on the 2ilth of June, and last 

 aboQt two moDtha. The greate!<t heat it experienced before the rains, 

 from the month of March, when the country is parched up and 

 l a wiia ble* a desert. The rivers running across the plain flow in beds 

 eao ri datably bdow ita surface, and it does not appear that even after 

 the most abundant rains they rise high enough to water the adjacent 

 tracts. The most oonsiderable of these rivets are the Rio de Cnliacan, 

 the Rio del Fuerte, and the Rio Mayo, each of which may run upwards 

 of 100 miles in a wide and deep bed. 



. Sonora, which begins at some distance north of the Rio Mayo, has 

 likewise a tract of level and low land along the sea, but it soon rises 

 to some elevation, and then extends nearly on a level many miles 

 inland. This part of the country is rather sterile from want of 

 moirttire. The hilly country begins from SO to 40 mDes from the 

 ■hare, and is traversed by several ridges running south and north, 

 paialM to the Sieira Madre. In some places the hills rise to the 

 Might of mountaina Between these hUls run rivers in valleys, 

 geiierally several miles wide, and poaaessed of a considerable degree of 

 fertility. The Uigest is the Yaqul, whidi is formed by two branches— 

 the Rio Babispe, 200 miles long, flowing along the Mse of the Sierra 

 Ma-Ire southward, and the Rio Oposura, 120 miles long, which runs 

 parall'l to it farther west After tneir junction they take the name of 

 Riu Yaqni, and flow about ISO miles more, until they fall into the 

 Gulf of California, south of 28° N. lat The central digtricto of 

 Sonofa are also traversed from north to south by the rivers Arispe and 

 Dolorra, which flow parallel to each other until they unite a few miles 

 above the town of Pitie at San Jaunitz ; a few miles below Pitic the 

 united river enten a lake of some extent, which has no communi- 

 eatioa with the sea. In the north-western comer of Sonora the Rio de 

 Saa Ignaeio enters fhim New Mexico, runs more than 100 miles, and 

 la likewiae lost in a lake. None of these rivers are navigated, but they 

 are used to irrigate the valleys, in which maice and wheat are grown 

 to a considerable extent As this part of Mexico is situated within 

 the temperate zone, it partakes of the great diaages in temperature 

 which commonly occur in these eountriea. The thermometer ranges 

 dnteg tba year between 80' and 95°. During the northern and north- 

 aMlm winds, which blow from the Rocky Mountains, it sometimes 

 freeeea every night for several weeks at Pitic (29° N. kt), and the 

 thermometer then sinks as low as 18* in the night-time ; but the 

 summer is excessively hot, and the hot weather continues for several 

 montha. The rains take place much later here than farther south. 



The third division, or Lower California, is described under Cali- 

 rovma (vol. ii., ooL 248). The Gulf of California, which lies between 

 Iha wart eoast of the district jiist described and I^wer California, and 

 balooga wholly to Mexico, is alto noticed in a separate article. 

 [CaLifOkinA, Gi-i.r of.] 



_J^ Wo dfl Norte, alto called in ita lower course Rio Grande, and 

 wUt loc orrectly Rio Bravo, forms in its lower oonrse the boundary 

 ■*••"• Mexico and the United SUtea. Including its windings, ita 

 JTJ?!* J""^ 1»0« miles. It rises in the most northern angle of the 

 Triaof W aw Vazieo, near 40* N. lat., not far fh)m the sources of the 

 «»aaa, a Wbutaiy of the Miaaiasippi, and of the Rio Colorado, 

 JJ** ■*"■*« *• tnoat northern reoesa of the Oulf of Califomia. 

 na Bio M He«tt roM aouthward tram 40* to 2»' N. lat, and belongs 



2?iL' 1?.*^^?'**' "'•'*■ ** » '•»«»• »»w^ *•"• t<"™ °f El Paao del 

 yy* .}. *^ *::••*■ I' ••«• i» of mat aervioe for irrigating the 

 mUlm dWrt etwhIeh surronndt the Paao del Norte, and its water is 

 •MlMn^ Ohniniabed. Afterwards it receives a small supply of 

 •"•• j5?** 2? CoBohoa ; and after having changed ita course by a 

 ITMt baod totta aaat anlnorthfatt, it rMscrfras a krgar supply by tha 

 Rio roMoa, wWek mat ta a longHudtnal valley east of the Sierra de 

 gy* "*^? "! ^.— •*• <»»"• H" through an arid pUin, which is 

 '■'^ •*•*•<• "7 abondant tains, the rolume of iu water* is too 

 ^Mn •?•■** man craft, oatil H haa dianrnd ita oootae to the south- 

 •?^ •■« .■" miinA H tha Preaidio da Rio Onade, naariy 800 mUes 

 — I Ha vmMt. la tkb a rig hb o uth ood the ttror l«taa the elevated 



plain and deaoends into the lower country which extends along tha 

 shores of the Oulf of Mexico. From Loredo downward it may be 

 navigated by steamboata of light draught Small sailing-vessels aaoead to 

 Matamoros, 00 miles above the mouth ; but larger ones cannot aatar 

 the river on account of its bar and numerous shoals. 



Produelioru. — As there is so great a dilTerenoe in the climate of tha 

 different regions of Mexico, there must be a corresponding variety in 

 their productions. Humboldt asserta that within tiiese states almoat 

 all the vegetable productions may be grown which are found betweaa 

 the equator and the polar circle. The agricultural productions whidl 

 actually are grown prove the justice of this observation. On the 

 highest of the table-lands, that of Tolnca (9000 feet), wheat does not 

 succeed, nor does it succeed iu Europe beyond 60° N. lat On this 

 table-land agriculture is limited to the cultivation of bariey and the 

 plantations of the American aloe, which may be considered as the vine- 

 yards of Mexico, the juice of this plant being converted into a Idnd of 

 vrine called ' pulque.' Most of the table-lands however are from 6000 

 to 7600 feet above the sea ; and as their climate may be compared 

 with that of the southern countries of Europe, we find that they 

 produce all the CerecUia of Europe with the exception of oata, whi<a 

 are not used, as horses in Mexico are fed on barley. The wheat it of 

 large size and excellent quality. The fruits also are those of Europe, 

 as cherries, peaches, plums, aprioota, apples, pears, flga, and pome- 

 granates. The v^etables too are those of Europe, among which capsi- 

 cum, called ' chile,' is most abundantly grown, as it is used all over 

 the country nearly as salt is in Europe. The plantations of American 

 aloes on tJiese table-lands are also very extensive. The difierance 

 between the agricultural productions of the Tierros Templadas and 

 Calieotes is not well established. Maize is grown everywhere, and 

 constitutes the principal food of the lower classes. It is the only 

 grain which is cultivated for food, rice being only grown to a small 

 extent in the wet countries along the Rio Huasacuaico ; but the plan- 

 tations of plantains and those of manioc are extensive, and Oxalii 

 tuberota, Diotcorea alata, and Saiatai are also cultivated on a lai«e 

 scale. Oranges and lemons, which do not succeed on the table-land, 

 are abundant in the Ticrras Templadas ; olives and grapes succeed 

 well ; and besides these many fruita of hot countries, especially pine- 

 arolee, guavas, and others. 



The agriculture of the table-lands does not supply any article for 

 exportation. Cotton is grown along the shores of the Pacific, and 

 coHee on the eastern coast, west of me town of Vera Cruz ; sugar is 

 cultivated in many places, but to a much less extent than formerly ; 

 cocoa is collected in the low cotmtry along the river Huasacualoo; 

 and indigo along the southern coast, but only for home consumption. 

 Tobacco, which iu many i)arU succeeds very well, is only permitted 

 by the government to be grown in certain places. Three valuable 

 planta grow wild in the forests, at the base of the steep ascent which 

 divides the low eastern coaxt from the table-lands, and supply articlea 

 of export — the jalapa, sarsaparilla, and the vanilla. 



All the domestic animals, which have been brought over tram 

 Europe by the Spaniards, have multiplied greatly in Mexico, owing to 

 the wide tracta which are not or cannot be cultivated, and whidi 

 afford pasture-ground for nine or ten months of the year. Cattle are 

 abundant, both on the table-lands and the lower tracta ; among tha 

 latter, especially on the wet plain of Tabasco and the arid plain of 

 Yucatan. Jerked beef and homa are exported. Sheep are numerous 

 on the table-lands, and wool is an article of exportation. Horses 

 abound generally ; and both hones and mules are exported in great 

 numbers to the United States. In winter American buffaloes pasture 

 on the plains along the lower course of the Rio del Norte. Camivoroui 

 wild auinialn are not numerous. Game is abundant, especially deer 

 and hares. Among the birds are various kinds of parrots, mackawt, 

 and humming-birds. The lakes abound in fish. The cochineal insect 

 is reared with greit care on the tableland of Mixtecapau, whence by 

 far Uie greatest part is brought to the market of the world. In the 

 Gulf of Califomia pearl-shells are found, and formerly many pearls 

 were coUeottd. 



Mexico is noted for ita mines of gold and silver. The gold-mines 

 occur chiefly on the western side of the Sierra Madrc, north of 24° 

 N. lat : the silver-mines are richest on the mountains which rite on 

 the table-lands, and in those which border their margin. It is said 

 that quite recently gold has been found in large quantities in Lower 

 California b^ some Indians. The working of the mines has been very 

 imperfectly carried on, owing in a great measure to the disturbed state 

 of the country, and the ditliculty of procuring competent directors 

 and industrious miners. Besides the prccioiu metals, Mexico hot 

 abundance of copper, iron, lead, and quicksilver, which are worked. 

 Tin, antimony, and zinc have alto been found. Carbonate of soda, 

 which is neeesaaiy for the smelting of the silver-ore, is collected in 

 several lakes, where it is found crystallised on the surface in great 

 abundance, and it is alto common in the upper layers of the soil in 

 most part* of the table-land. 



Manufacturu and Commerce. — Before the Revolution (1810) there 

 were many flourishing manubcturee, the annual produce of which 

 amoimted to from eig;ht to ten millions of Spanish dollars, or about 

 two millions of KnglUh money. The most considerable were those 

 of cotton and wool in the towns of I'uobl.i, Cholula, Tlascala, Quere- 

 taro, I^oa, Guadalajara, and Tezcoco. The manufactures of soap. 



