I 



DISTRICTS OR INTENDANCIES. 305 



those of the United States, possesses more important CUAP.XXIV 



scientific establishments than Mexico. Of these Hum- . ~~~ 



boldt mentions particularly the School of Mines, the estabUsh- 



Botanic Garden, which has however fallen into a state T'}^'^^^ °'^ 

 ' „-, Mexico, 



of neglect, and the Academy of Fine Arts. The 



influence of this institution is perceptible in the 



symmetry of the buildings which adorn the capital. 



New Spain is divided into 15 disti'icts, which he 



arranges as follows : — 



I. In the Temperate Zone — 82,000 square leagues ; Districts of 

 fi77,000 inhabitants, or 8 to the square league — (978,834 ate zon&^'^' 

 square miles ; inhabitants S to the square mile). 



A. Northern Re^-ion, in the interior. 



1. Province of New Mexico along the Rio del Norte, to the 

 north of the parallel of 31°. 



2. Intendancy of New Biscay, to the south-west of the Rio 

 del Norte, on the central table-land. 



B. North-western Region, in the vicinity of the Pacific Ocean. 



3. Province of New California, on the north-west coast of 

 Nortli America. 



4. Province of Old Califoniia, the southern extremity of which 

 enters the torrid zone. 



5. Intendancy of La Sonora, which also passes the tropic. 



C. North-eastern Region, adjoining the Gulf of Mexico. 



6. Intendancy of San Luis Potosi. 



IL In the Torrid Zone — 86,500 square leagues ; Districts of 

 5,100,000 inhabitants, or 141 to the square league— *^f ""''^ 

 (435,700 square miles ; inhabitants 12 to the square 

 mile). 



D. Central Region. 



7. Intendancy of Zacatecas. 



8. Intendancy of Guadalaxara. . • 



9. Intendancy of Guanaxuato. 



10. Intendancy of Valladolid. 



11. Intendancy of Mexico. 



12. Intendancy of Piiebla. 



13. Intendancy of Vera Cruz. 



E. South-western Region. 



14. Intendancy of Oaxaca- 

 16. Intendancy of Merida. 



Without attempting to present an analysis of our 

 author's statistical account of these different provinces, 



