194 



MEXICO. 



tivated plain. It seemed strange to us that there 

 should have existed so large and important a 

 place, of which, until a few weeks before, we had 

 never even heard the name. This city is next 

 in importance to Guadalaxara, the capital of New 

 Galicia, and is built in the regular manner before 

 described. It lies near the centre of a basin or 

 valley formed by an irregular chain of volcanic 

 mountains. The appearance of the town is ren- 

 dered very lively by rows of trees, gardens, and 

 terraced walks, amongst the houses, all kept green 

 and fresh by the waters of a river which embraces 

 the town on three of its sides. 



In the course of the morning I had several 

 conferences with the merchants of Topic, and 

 with' the agents of those at Guadalaxara. It ap- 

 peared, that the commercial capitalists of this 

 part of Mexico were desirous of opening a direct 

 communication with England ; and, in order to 

 do this safely and effectually, they proposed to re- 

 mit a considerable quantity of specie to London, 

 in the Conway, for which returns were to be 

 made in English goods, in the manner practised 

 » ever since the opening of the trade in Peru, Chili, 



