GUANAXUATO — VALLADOLID — GUADALAXARA. 313 



breadth being not less than 1440 feet ; but its present cHAP.xxiv 

 height is only fifty-nine yards, while the platform on its ~- 

 summit has a surface of 45,210 feet. 



At the village of Atlixco is seen a cypress (^Cupressus Gicrantic 

 disticha) 76 feet in circumference, which is probably one cypress. 

 of the oldest vegetable monuments on the globe.* There 

 are very considerable salt-works in this intendancy, and 

 a beautiful marble is quarried in the vicinity of Puebla. 

 The principal towns are that just named, containing a 

 population of 67,800, Cholula, Tlascala, and Atlixco. 



3. The intendancy of Guanaxuato, situated on the Guanaxunto 

 ridge of the cordillera of Anahuac, is the most populous 



in New Spain, and contains three cities, Guanaxuato, 

 Celayo, and Salvatierra, four towns, 87 villages, and 448 

 farms or haciendas. It is in general highly cultivated, 

 and possesses the most important mines in that section 

 of the New World. 



4. The intendancy of Valladolid is bounded on the valiadolid. 

 north by the Rio de Lerma ; on the east and north-east 



by that of Mexico ; on the south by the district of 

 Guanaxuato ; and on the west by the province of Gua- 

 dalaxara. Being situated on the western declivity of 

 the cordillera of Anahuac, and intersected by hills and 

 beautiful valleys, it in general enjoys a mild and tem- 

 perate climate. The volcano of Jorullo, already de- 

 scribed, is situated in this intendancy, which has three 

 cities, three towns, and 263 villages. The southern part 

 is inhabited by Indians. 



5. The province of Guadalaxara is bounded on the Q^y^yj^, 

 north by the governments of Sonora and Durango, on ments of 



Sonora and 



Durango. 



* " On entering' the gardens of Chapultepec (near Mexico), the 

 first object ttiat strikes the eye is the magnificent cypress ( Sabirio 

 Ahuahuete, or Cupressus disticha), called the Cypress of Mon- 

 tezuma- It had attained its full growth when that monarch was 

 on the throne (1520), so that it must now be at least 400 years 

 old, yet it still retains all the vigour of youthful vegetation. The 

 trunk is 41 feet in circumference, yet the height is so majestic as to 

 make even this enormous mass appear slender." — IFard's Mexico 

 in 1827, vol. ii. p. 230. The same author mentions another cj'press, 

 38 feet in girth, and of equal height to that of Montezuma. 



