

* 





26+ zA M E %I C A. Chap. V. 



Mexico, and is about feven Leagues diflant from Pafcuar, towards the Eaft. 4. St. Mi- 

 chaels, a good Town, forty Leagues Weftward of Mexico, and in the Way to the 

 Zacatecas, but lying in a Road that is fomewhat dangerous, being not a littlein- 

 fefted with Salvages on both fides of it. 5. St. Philips. 6. La Conception de Salaya, 

 feventeen Leagues diftant from Valladolid, and a convenient Stage for Travellers, 

 being indeed, with the twolaft mentioned, built chiefly for the defence and fecu- 

 ring of the Countrey againft the Salvages. 7. Guaxanata, a Town on the Bor- 

 ders of Tanuco, where there are very rich Mynes of Silver. 8. Leon, another Town 

 likewifc of very rich Mynes,twcnty four Leagues diftant from Valladolid, and three- 

 score from Mexico. o. Zamorra. 10. Villa de los Lagos, and others. 



Towards the Sea there is 1. Acatlan, but two Miles diftant from the Sea-Coaft, 

 and afmall Town, yet by reafon of a fafe and very good Harbor which it hath for 

 Shipping, a Place of no little Trading. 2. Nativtdad, another well known and 

 convenient Haven upon Mare del Zur, pertaining to this Provincc,and from whence 

 they ufually let Sail for the Philippine Iflands. 3. St. Jago de buena Speran^a, fo call'd 

 by the Spaniards, perhaps from the abundance of good Pearls they found upon this 

 Coaft. 4. Colyma. 5. Zacatula, and fome others. 



This Province, as we faid, was at firft a diftincT: Kingdom of it felf, yet fubordi* 

 natc and Tributary to that of Mexico j the King whereof nam'd Tamgaiy>a,ot Simbicha, 

 (as Laet reporteth) at the firft coming of the Spaniards thither, after the Conqucft of 

 Mexico, voluntarily fubmitted himfelf to them, and was Baptiz'd. Nevcrthelefs af- 

 terwards, upon a pretence of I know not what Treafon intended by him againft 

 them, and which the Spanifl) Writers themfelves profeiTedly think to have been 

 feigned, by command of Nttnne^de Gufman, Prcfident of the (Jbancery of Mexico, he 

 was moft inhumanely burnt alive, and his Kingdom fciz'd upon by the Spaniards. 



Sect. III. 



Tlafcalla. 





Situation and 

 Befcriptian 

 of Tlajcalla. 



T 



The ancient 

 State of the 

 7lafc*llans s 



He Biflioprick of Tlafcalla, formerly call'd Tla/Calteca, Tlaxcala, and TUfca* 

 Ian, is a Province of New Spain, which extendeth it (elf entirely from one 

 Sea to another, vi^. from the Atlantic A to Mare del Zur, with which it is 

 bounded on the Eaft and Weft Parts, lying otherwife, and for the moft part be- 

 twixt the Provinces of Mexicana,\z(k fpoken of,and that of Guaxata, which follow* 

 eth, containing in length from one Sea to the other, not much lefs than an hun- 

 dred Leagues, and in fome places fourfcore in breadth ; but towards the South 

 Sea growing much narrower. It is a Countrey exceedingly plentiful both in Corn 

 and Cattel, full of rich Pafturage, and fo plentifully ftor'd with Mai^, Wheat, and 

 other Grain, that it is accounted as it were the Granary of America ; befides Deer, 

 all manner of Venifon, and great ftore of Fowl. There is likewife Coppcrefs, Al- 

 lom, Silver.Myncs, Manna, Anime, and Liquid Amber, with a fweet fmelling Gum 

 which drops out of a Tree. The Rivers feed no Fiflh, becayfe they fall with ex- 

 ceeding force from the Mountains ; onely near Topoyanco, is a deep Lake of frefh 

 Water, inhabited round about by Indians, enjoying the pleafure and profit of the 

 many Cumbeba-Ttecs, which yield Cochinele, producing yearly above two hundred 

 thoufand Duckets worth of that Commodity. In this Lake fwim black Hedge- 

 hogs, whofe Flcfh is good and wholfom to eat.. 



The People of this Countrey, when the Spaniards came firft amongft them, liv'd 

 in the form of a Common- wealth, or Free-State,refufing to be fubject to the King of 



Mexico, 



