, ELEMENTS OP THE POPULATION. 303 



the additional consumption of the adjacent towns and CHAPXxrv, 

 mines. The inhabitants of Mexico have increased in a Freiiuem 

 greater ratio than the means of subsistence, and accord- failure of 

 ingly, whenever the crops fall short of the demand, or 

 are damaged by drought or other local causes, famine 

 ensues. With want of food comes disease ; and these 

 visitations, which are of not unfrequent occurrence, are 

 very destructive. 



The working of the mines has also contributed to the Effect of 

 depopulation of America. At the period of the conquest ^^® mines. 

 many Indians perished from excessive toil, and as 

 they were forced from their homes to distant places, 

 they usually died without leaving progeny. In New 

 Spain, however, such labour has been free for many 

 years. The number employed in it does not exceed 

 28,000 or 30,000, and the mortality among them is not 

 much greater than in other classes. 



The Mexican population consists of the same elements Mexican 

 as that of the other Spanish colonies. Seven races ^°^"^''°^ 

 are distinguished : — 1. Gachupines, or persons born in 

 Europe ; 2. Spanish Creoles, or Whites of European ex- 

 traction born in America ; 3. Mestizoes, descendants of 

 Whites and Indians ; 4. Mulattoes, descendants of 

 Whites and Negroes ; 5. Zamhoes, descendants of Negroes 

 and Indians ; 6. Indians of the indigenous race ; and, 

 7. African Negroes. 



The Indians appear to constitute at least two-fifths of Nimiber of 

 the whole. Humboldt seems to favour the opinion, '"'^'^'is. 

 that the Aztecs, who inhabited New Spain at the period 

 of the conquest, may have been of Asiatic origin. As 

 the migrations of the Ampricat, tribes have always taken 

 place from north to south, the native population of this 

 country must necessarily consist of very heterogeneous 

 elements. The number of languages exceeds twenty ; Lanf,Tiages. 

 and of these fourteen have tolerably complete grammars 

 and dictionaries. Most of these tongues, so i'ar from 

 being only dialects of the same, as some authors have 

 asserted, present as little affinity to each other as the 

 Greek and the Grerman. The variety spoken by the 



