VALLEY INDIANS DEPARTMENTS POPULATION. 211 



Cordillera, forming the spine of this continent, divides into two 

 arms after leaving the Isthmus, which connects North and South 

 America. One of these mountain ranges with its high vallies and 

 table lands forms the barrier along the Pacific, while the other 

 spreads out its massive veins throughout the middle and eastern 

 portions of Mexico. Between these formations, the Valley of Oajaca 

 lies embosomed ; and from this beautiful and fruitful region, which 

 was bestowed by the Spanish crown upon Cortez, he obtained his 

 Marquisate del Valle de Oajaca, in which his family still possessed, 

 previous to the revolution, 49 villages, with a population of 17,700 

 persons. 



In these two mountain regions, thus sundered by the valley, 

 have dwelt, from the earliest periods, two Indian races known as 

 the Mixtecas and the Zapotecas ; the former of which is characterised 

 by activity, intelligence and industry. Besides these tribes, seven- 

 teen others are reckoned still to inhabit Oajaca. 



The State is divided into eight departments, which are subdi- 

 vided into districts or cantons. 



1st. The Department of the Centre, with the cantons of Oajaca, 

 Partido del Toraneo, Etla, Tlacolula, and Zimatlan. 



2d. Department of Ejutla, with the cantons of Octolan, Miahuat- 

 lan, and Pochutla. 



3d. Department of Jamiltepec, with the cantons of Jamiltepec 

 and Juquila. 



4th. Department of Tehuantepec, with the cantons of Tehuan- 

 tepec, Quechapa and Lachixila. 



5th. Department of Teposcolula, with the cantons of Teposcolula, 

 Tlaxiaco and Nocnistlan. 



6th. Department of Huajuapam, with the cantons of Huajuapam 

 and Justlahuaca. 



7th. Department of Toochila and Villalta, with the cantons of 

 Ixtlan, Yalalag and Chuapam. 



8th. The Department of Teutitlan del Camino, with the cantons 

 of Teutitlan and Teutila. 



These eight departments and twenty-three cantons, — with nearly 

 700,000 inhabitants, — contain one city, — the capital, Oajaca; — 

 eight towns ; nine hundred and thirteen villages ; one hundred and 

 jthirty-seven large haciendas ; two hundred and thirty-five ranchos ; 

 sixty-eight sugar mills or trapiches, and six estancias or cattle 

 estates and grazing farms. Besides these elements of agricultural 

 wealth, Oajaca possesses ten mills, driven by water power, nearly 



