4 



HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



hood of ^auhtemallan ; towards the eaft, exckilive of 

 the diftri(5]:s of the three republics, and a fmall part of 

 the kingdom of Acolhuacan, as far as the Gulf of Mex- 

 ico ; towards the north, to the country of the Huaxte- 

 cas ; towards the north-weft, it bordered on the barba- 

 rous Chichemecas ; and the dominions of Tlacopan and 

 Michuacan, were its boundaries towards the eaft. The 

 whole of the Mexican kingdom was comprehended be- 

 tween the 14th and 2ift degrees of north latitude, and 

 between 271 and 283 degrees of longitude, taken from 

 the meridian of the ifland of Ferro (c). 



The fineft diftri£l of this country, in refpe^i: to advan- 

 tage of fituation, as well as population, was the vale itfelf 

 of Mexico, crowned by beautiful and verdant mountains, 

 whofe circumference, meafured at their bafe, exceeded a 

 hundred and twenty miles. A great part of the vale is 

 occupied by two lakes, the upper one of fweet water, 

 the lower one brackifli, which communicate together 

 by a canal. In the lower lake, on account of its lying 

 in the very bottom of the valley, all the water running 

 from the mountains collected ; from thence, when ex- 

 traordinary abundance of rains raifed the water of the 

 lake over its bed, it eafily overflowed the city of Mexico, 

 which was fituated in the lake ; which accident hap- 

 pened not Jefs frequently under the Mexican monarchy 

 than in the time of the Spaniards. Thefe two lakes, the 

 :ircumference of which is not lefs than ninety miles, 

 reprefented in fome degree, the figure of a camel, the 



head 



(c J De Soils, and other Spanifh, French and Engllfli writers, allow ftill more 

 extent to the kingdom of Mexico ; and Dr. Robertfon fays, that the territories 

 belonging to the chiefs of Tezcuco and Tacuba, fcarcely yielded in extent to 

 thofe of the fovereign of Mexico ; but how far thefe authors are diftant from 

 the truth, will appear from our diflcrtatlons. 



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