NORTHERN DISTRICTS. BYR: 
the whole north-eastern part of New Spain, and is’ 
extremely diversified in its character. The only 
portion which is cold and mountainous is that ad- 
joining the province of Zacatecas, and in which are 
the rich mines of Charcas, Guadalcagar, and Catorce. 
There is a great extent of low ground, partly cul- 
tivated, but for the most part barren and uninhabit- 
ed. Its coast line is more than 794 miles in length ; 
but hardly any commerce enlivens it, owing to the 
deficiency of harbours. The mouths of the rivers, 
too, are blocked up by bars, necks of land, and long 
islands running parallel to the coast. 
1]. New Biscay or Durango occupies a greater space 
of ground than Great Britain and Ireland, though 
its population does not exceed 160,000. It is bound- 
ed on the south by Zacatecas and Guadalaxara ; on 
the south-east by San Luis ; and on the west by 
Sonora. On the northern and eastern sides, for more 
than 690 miles, it borders on an uncultivated coun- 
try inhabited by independent Indians. This in- 
tendancy comprehends the northern extremity of the 
great table-land of Anahuac, which declines towards 
the Rio Grande del Norte. 
12. The province of Sonora is still more thinly 
peopled than Durango. It extends on the shores of 
the Gulf of California more than 966 miles. 
13. New Mexico, which is very sparingly inhabit- 
ed, stretches along the Rio Norte, and has a remark- 
ably cold climate. 
14. Old California equals England in extent of 
territory, but has only a population of 9000. The 
soil of this peninsula is parched and sandy, and the 
vegetation feeble ; but the sky is constantly clear and 
of a deep blue; the light clouds which sometimes ap- 
