SPANISH DOMINIONS IN NORTH AMERICA, 



OLD MEXICO, OR NEW SPAIN. 



SITUATION AND EXTENT, 



Miles. Degrees. Sq. Miles. 



Length 2000? , . C 83 and 1 10 West longitude.? „,.... 



Breadth 600 J between \ 8 and 30 North latitude. $ ° 18 ' 000 



Boundaries, divisions. ...Bounded by New Mexico, or Granada, 

 on the north ; by the gulf of Mexico, on the north east ; by Terra 

 Firma, on the south-east ; by the Pacific Ocean on the south-west* 

 It contains three audiences, viz. 



Audiences. Chief Towns. 



1. Galitia, or Guadalajarra fGuadalajarra 



J Mexico, W. long. l00 9 N.lat, 19° 25'* 



2. Mexico Proper . . <( Acapulco 



| Vera Cruz 



3. Guatimala . . . ^Guatimala* 



Bays. ...On the North Sea are the gulfs or bays of Mexico, Cam- 

 peachy, Vera Cruz, and Honduras ; in the Pacific Ocean or South 

 Sea, are the bays of Micoya and Amapallo, Acapulco, and Salinas. 



Winds. ...In the Gulf of Mexico, and the adjacent seas, there are 

 strong north winds from October to March, about the full and change 

 of the moon. Trade winds prevail every where at a distance from 

 land within the tropics. Near the coast, in the South Sea, they have 

 periodical winds, viz. monsoons, and sea and land breezes, as in Asia. 



Rivers, lakes. ...This country has many large rivers, some of 

 which run into the Gulf of Mexico, and others into the Pacific Ocean* 

 Among the former are the Alvarado, the Coatzacualco and the Ta- 

 basco ; among the latter is the Guadalaxara, or great river. The 

 principal lakes are those of Nicaragua, Chappalan, and Pazaquarro ; 

 those of Tetzuco and Chalco occupy a great part of the vale of Mexi- 

 co, which is the finest tract of country in New Spain. The waters of 

 Chalco are sweet ; those of Tetzuco brackish. These two lakes are 



* This city was swallowed up by an earthquake on the 7th of June, 1773, when 

 eight thousand families instantly perished. New Guatimala is built at some dis- 

 tance, and is well inhabited. 



