386 



HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



huixcas, Miztecas, Zapotecas, and Cuitlatccas ; of the 

 province of Coatzacualco ; of the kingdoms of Acolhua- 

 can, and Michuacan, and the ftates of Tlafcala, Cholula, 

 Huexotzinco, &c. 



The vale of Mexico, although that a great part of it 

 was occupied by the lakes, was at lead as well peopled 

 as the mod populous country of Europe. It contained 

 forty confiderable cities, which we have already named, 

 and are mentioned likewife by the ancient writers. The 

 other inhabited places of it were innumerable, the names 

 of which we could alfo give, if we were not afraid of 

 tiring our readers. The very fincere B. Diaz, deferr- 

 ing, in chap. viii. of his Hiftory, what he faw in his way 

 through the vale towards the capital, fpeaks thus : 

 " When we beheld things fo wonderful we knew not 

 " what to fay, nor whether the objects before our eyes 

 " were real ; we faw fo many great cities fituated on 

 cc the main land, and many others in the lake, and an 

 " infinity of little veffels upon it." He fays farther, 

 that fome foldiers, his companions, in wonder beyond 

 meafure at feeing fo great and beautiful a territory, were 

 in doubt whether what they faw was the effect of a 

 dream, or inchantment. Thofe and many other candid 

 confeflions of Diaz are fufficient to anfwer Robertfon, 

 who availed himfelf of certain words of that author, 

 which he did not well comprehend, to make his readers 

 believe that the population of Mexico was not fo great 

 as it certainly was. 



Concerning the population of the ancient capital there 

 are various opinions ; nor can the cafe be otherwife 

 where an attempt is made to judge of the populoufnefs 

 of a great city by the eye : but all the writers who faw 

 it, or were informed by eye-witnefles, are agreed in fay- 

 ing 



