HISTORY OF MEXICO. 239 



moft part, have a prodigious fpirit. Mules, which 

 through the whole of that country ferve for carriages, 

 and for burdens, are equal in fize to thofe of Europe. 

 Thofe for burdens which are conduced by drivers, car- 

 ry a load of about five hundred pounds weight. They 

 do not travel more than twelve or fourteen miles a-day, 

 according to the cuftom of that country ; but in this 

 manner they make journies of eight hundred, a thoufand, 

 and fifteen hundred miles. Carriage mules go at the 

 rate of the pofts of Europe, although they draw a great 

 deal more weight on account of the baggage of paffen- 

 gers. Saddle mules are made ufe of for very long jour- 

 neys. It is common to make a journey on a mule from 

 Mexico to Guatemala, which is about a thoufand miles 

 diftance, over a track of country that is mountainous and 

 rough, at the rate of three or four ftages a-day. The 

 above fach which we have inferted to fliew the miftakes 

 of our philofophers, are public and notorious in that 

 kingdom, and agreeable to the report of feveral European 

 authors. But nothing in our judgment can be a ftronger 

 indication of the plenty and excellence of American 

 horfes than the following obfervation which we have 

 had occafion to make. Among the various things which 

 are ordered from Spain, at great expenfe, by the Spa- 

 niards eftablifhed in America, from the attachment they 

 preferve to their native country, we do not know Cat 

 lead with regard to Mexico) that for thefe two hundred 

 years paft, they have imported any horfes ; and on the 

 contrary, we are certain that American horfes have fre- 

 quently beenfent to Spain as prefents to the grandees of 

 the court, and fometimes to the catholic king himfelf. 



DOGS. 



