COAHUILA BOUNDARY POSITION CLIMATE. 329 



tory of North American victories, by the capitulation it made to 

 General Taylor, September, 1846. 



The other principal towns, villages and settlements in New Leon, 

 are San Felipe de Linares, containing 6,000 inhabitants, 40 

 leagues south-east of Monterey ; Buena Vista, a village 7 leagues 

 north-west of Linares ; Cadereyta Ximenes, a small town of 2,000 

 people, 10 leagues south-east of Monterey ; Salinas Victorias, 10 

 leagues north of Monterey ; Pesqueria Grande, a village north-west 

 from Monterey, and formerly the site of silver mines and salt works ; 

 Villa Aldama ; San Carlos de Vallecillo ; Lampazos ; Agualequas ; 

 China, and Galeana. 



THE STATE OF COAHUILA. 



Coahuila was formerly united with the ancient Mexican province 

 of Texas, until the revolution, which resulted in the independence 

 of the latter, sundered the bond and added it to the United States 

 of North America. The present State of Coahuila is bounded on 

 the east by New Leon and Tamaulipas ; on the south by Zacatecas; 

 on the west by the Indian territory known as the Bolson de Mapi- 

 mi, Durango and Chihuahua ; and on the north by Texas. 



The whole State lies on the first steeps of the Sierra Madre ; its 

 southern portion, beyond the Rio Sabinas, is extremely mountain- 

 ous ; but from the northern bank of this stream, the land sinks gra- 

 dually into levels until it is lost in the well-watered and fruitful 

 plains of Texas. The principal rivers in this State are the Rio 

 Grande del Norte or Rio Bravo, the Sabinas and the Rio Tigre ; 

 and the chief lakes orlagunes are those of Parras and Agua Verde. 



The climate of Coahuila is equable and healthy. From the mid- 

 dle of May to the middle of August the greatest heat is generally 

 experienced, and, during this season, the country is torn by high 

 winds which nearly every day begin to blow at sunset. The popu- 

 lation of the State is estimated at about 97,000. Large bodies of 

 Indians inhabit the lonelier regions of Coahuila; and, in the north, 

 beyond the Rio Grande, the country swarms with ferocious tribes 

 of Lipans and Cumanches. Agriculture is not flourishing though 

 the soil of large portions of the State is good and capable of pro- 

 duction. The remote position of Coahuila, and the thinness of its 

 population, have probably obliged the inhabitants to congregate in 

 towns and villages where they might afford each other mutual protec- 



