388 



HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



er than he wifhes it ? Who will not be furprifed to hear 

 that the number of the inhabitants of Mexico is notori- 

 ous in Berlin, when it is not many years fince it has been 

 known to the ecclefiaftics, who every year make an enu- 

 meration ; we mall therefore give M. de Paw fome cer- 

 tain information concerning that city of America, that he 

 may in future avoid thofe errors into which he has fallen 

 in fpeaking of its populoufnefs. 



Mexico, he muft know, is the moft populous city of 

 all thofe which the catholic King has in his vafl domini- 

 ons. From the bills of mortality publifhed daily in the 

 cities of Madrid and Mexico, it appears that the number 

 of the inhabitants of Madrid is a fourth lefs than that of 

 Mexico ; for example, if Madrid has a hundred and fix- 

 ty thoufand inhabitants, Mexico has without doubt two 

 hundred thoufand. There has been a great difference 

 of opinions refpe&ing the number of fouls of the modern 

 city of Mexico, as there was alfo refpecling the ancient 

 city, and all other cities of the firfl rank ; but there be- 

 ing an enumeration made with great accuracy of late 

 years, partly by the priefts, and partly by the magis- 

 trates, it has been found that the inhabitants of that ca- 

 pital exceeded two hundred thoufand, although they 

 have not afcertained how much more. We may form 

 fome idea of its populoufnefs from the quantity of pulque 

 (g) and tobacco which is daily confuined there {h ). Eve- 

 ry day are brought into it upwards of fix thoufand arro- 

 has of pulque, that is a hundred and ninety thoufand 



Roman 



(g) Pulque ia the ufual wine, or rather heer, of the Mexicans, made of the 

 fermented juice of the Maguei. This liquor will not keep above one day, and 

 therefore what is made is daily confumed. 



(h Our account of the daily confumption of pulque and tobacco in Mexico is 

 taken from the letter of one of the chief accomptants of that cuftom-houfe, of 

 the 33d of February, 1775. 



