212 MINES PORTS PRODUCTIONS CATTLE TOWNS. 



all of which lie in the neighborhood of the capital, and are used 

 chiefly for wheat. Corn is ground or rubbed, for tortillas, on the 

 metate by the Indian women throughout Mexico ; and consequently 

 but little of this kind of grain is ever brought to the mills. There 

 are five mines or mineral workings in Ihe State, at Ystepexi, Talea, 

 Teojomulco, Perioles, and Las Peras, with ten smelting and amalga- 

 mating establishments. 



There are nine sea ports, roadsteads and anchorages in Oajaca, 

 the best of which are Tehuantepec, Huatulco, Escondido, Chaca- 

 hua, and Jamiltepec. 



Corn, chile, agave, cotton, coffee, sugar, cacao, vainilla, tobacco, 

 cochineal, wax, honey, and a small quantity of indigo, are the 

 staple productions of this State. Nearly all the fruits which we 

 have already described as growing in the State of Vera Cruz, are 

 produced here abundantly, and of excellent quality. 



The State is estimated as containing, on an average of years — 

 44,106 .... Horses. 



18,438 Mules. 



10,420 .... Asses. 



171,518 Neat cattle. 



213,156 .... Sheep. 



158,009 Goats. 



47,947 .... Hogs. 



Total, 663,600 head of cattle. 

 The worth of which is calculated, in the home market, at $3,332,757. 



Gold, silver, copper, quicksilver, iron, rock salt, limestone, gyp- 

 sum, &c, are found in Oajaca. In the thirty-nine years between 

 January, 1787, and March, 1826, the official registers show a pro- 

 duct in the State of 4,820 marks of gold, and 544,257 marks of 

 silver; and in the five years from March, 1826, to the end of 1830, 

 95 marks of gold, and 21,701 of silver. But these sums must not 

 be regarded as perfect indications of the absolute product of Oajaca, 

 inasmuch as its proximity to the sea, and the facilities for smuggling 

 in the lonely districts of the west coast have no doubt enabled the 

 trading community to export a large portion of the real avails of 

 the mines, which, of course, never appear in the authentic registers 

 and returns of the State. 



The chief towns and villages of this State are : Oajaca, the capi- 

 tal ; Guayapa or Huazapa, Talistaca, Santa Maria del Tule, Tlaco- 

 chahuaya, Teutitlan del Valle, Tlacolula, Mitla, the ancient Leoba ; 



