112 GEOGRAPHY. 



1845; till J 835 a part of Mexico, then 1835-45 an independent republic), 

 cities : Austin, the capital, other towns Bexar, Houston, and Galveston. 31 

 California \since IfeoO), cap. not decided upon, inhabs. not precisely ascer- 

 tained. Principal city, San Francisco. 



1. District of Columbia, formerly ten miles square, now confined to that 

 part of the square formerly in Maryland, and north of the Potomac, cap. 

 Washington, and at the same time the seat of the general government, pop. 

 23,000. 2. The Indian Territory north of Texas, west of Missouri and 

 Arkansas, and south of the Platte, area 248,851 square statute miles, 

 inhabited by the Delawares, Kansas, Arrapahoes, Shawnees, Osages, 

 Cherokees, Seminoles, &c. 3. Nebraska, north of the Platte and of Iowa, 

 and extending to the British line of 49° N. lat., bounded east by the Missouri 

 and west by the Rocky Mountains, inhabited by the Minnetarees, Mandans, 

 Cheyennes, Tetons, Blackfeet, Pawnees, &c., 723,248 square statute miles. 

 4. Minnesota, area 150,000 square statute miles, west of Iowa and Wis- 

 consin, east of the Missouri river, and south of the British line of 49°, inhabited 

 by Winnebagos, Sioux, &c., and by an increasing population of whites, chief 

 town St. Paul's. 5. Oregon, bounded north by the parallel of 49°, south by 

 the parallel of 42°, east by the Rocky Mountains, and west by the Pacific 

 Ocean, inhabited by Clatsops, Wallah Wallahs, Shoshonees, and other 

 tribes of Indians, and by a large and increasing number of persons from 

 the United States, area 341,463 square statute miles. 6. New Cali- 

 fornia (recently erected into a state), south of Oregon and north of Mexico, 

 bounded on the east by the Pacific Ocean, and on the west by New Mexico. 

 This country, within the last few years, has been the object of universal 

 attention on account of the vast deposits of gold which it contains, either 

 in the rock or in the alluvial sands. The white population, consisting mainly 

 of individuals from the United States, amounted, on the 1st of January 

 1850, in all probability, to 100,000. Principal town, San Francisco. 7. 

 New Mexico, north-west of Texas, north of Mexico, and east of New 

 Cahfornia, with an area of 77,128 square statute miles. Principal town 

 Santa Fe, inhabited by predatory bands of Indians, by Mexicans, and 

 Anglo-Americans, the latter increasing rapidly in number. 



h. Republic of Mexico. 



This great state, to the south of the United States of America, has an area of 

 1,100,000 square statute miles, with a population of seven to nine millions. Of 

 this, about four sevenths are aboriginal inhabitants, two sevenths a mixed race, 

 and one seventh Europeans or their descendants, mostly of Spanish origin. 

 Slavery is not recognised in this country. The principal language is the Spanish, 

 although many others are in use. The prevailing religion is the Roman 

 Catholic. Although a confederacy, the independence of the individual states as 

 provinces was taken away by the constitution of 1825. These states may be 

 divided into western, eastern, and interior. The western states, represented on 

 the map of North America {pi. 30) by the numbers 1, 15, 16, 5, 7, 4, are in 

 this order : Mexico (with the cap. Mexico, pop. 220,000) ; Puebla (cap. PuebJa^ 

 112 



