6 



HISTORY OF MEXICO* 



Zapotecas, and laftly, the Chiapanecas. Towards the 

 eaft were the provinces of Tepeyacac, the Popolocas, 

 and the Totonacas. The maritime provinces of the Mex- 

 ican gulf were thofe of Coatzacualco and Cuetlachtlan^ 

 which the Spaniards call Cotafta. The provinces on the 

 Pacific Ocean were thofe of Coliman^ Zacatollan^ To- 

 totepec^ Tecuantepec^ and Xoconochco, 



The province of the Otomies commenced in the north- 

 em part of the Vale of Mexico, and extended through 

 thofe mountains to the north, the diflance of 90 miles 

 from the capital. The ancient and famous city of Tol- 

 Ian, now Tula, diftinguiflied itfelf over all the inhabited 

 places, of which there were many ; alfo Xilotepec, which 

 after the conquefl made by the Spaniards, was the me- 

 tropolis of the Otomies. Beyond the fettlements of this 

 nation towards the north and north-weft, there were no 

 other places inhabited as far as New Mexico. All this 

 great track of land of more than a thoufand miles in 

 length, was occupied by barbarous nations, who had no 

 fixed refidence, nor paid obedience to any fovereign. 



The province of the Matlatzincas, comprehended be- 

 fides the valley of Tolocan, all that fpace from thence 

 to Tlaximaloyan (now Tammroa), the frontier of the 

 kingdom of Michuacan. The fertile valley of Tolocan 

 from the fouth-eaft to the north-weft is upwards of for- 

 ty miles long, and thirty in breadth where it is broadeft. 

 Tolocan, which was the principal city of the Matlatzin- 

 cas, from whence the valley took its name, was, as it 

 ftill is, fituated at the foot of a high mountain perpetu- 

 ally covered with fnow, thirty miles diftant from Mexi- 

 co. All the other places of the valley were inhabited 

 partly by the Matlatzincas, partly by the Otomies. In 

 the neighbouring mountains there were the ftates of 



i Xalatlaubca^ 



