HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



15 



tloning the waters of that kingdom, if the plan of our 

 hiftory would permit, we might defcribc the Hupcndous 

 falls or cafcades of feveral rivers (IJ^ and the bridges 

 which nature has formed over others, particularly the 

 Ponte di Dio : thus they call in that country a vaft vo- 

 lume of earth thrown acrofs the deep river Atoyaque, 

 clofe to the village of Molcaxac, about one hundred 

 miles to the fouth-eaft from Mexico, along which, coach- 

 es and carriages conveniently pafs. It is probable, it 

 has been a fragment of a neighbouring mountain, thrown 

 from it by fome former earthquake. 



The climate of the countries of Anahuac varies ac- 

 cording to their fituation. The maritime countries are 

 hot, and for the moft part moifl and unhealthy. Their 

 heat, which occafions fwcat even in January, is owing 

 to the perfect flatnefs of the coafts compared with the 

 inland country ; or from the mountains of fand that ga- 

 ther upon the fliore, which is the cafe with Vera Cruz 

 my native country. The moifture proceeds not lefs from 

 the fea than from the abundance of waters defcending 

 from the mountains which command the coaft. In hot 

 countries there is never any white frofl, and moft inha- 

 bitants of fuch regions have no other idea of fnow than 

 that which they receive from the reading of books, or 

 the accounts of ftrangers. Lands which are very high, 

 or very near to very high mountains which are perpe- 

 tually covered with fnow, are cold ; and I have been 

 upon a mountain not more than twenty-five miles re- 

 moved from the capital, where there has been white 

 froft and ice even in the dog-days. All the other inland 



countries, 



Amongft the cafcades there is one famous, made by the great river Gua- 

 dalaxara, in a place called Tempizque, fifteco miles to the fouthward of that 

 dty. 



