54 



THE COAST OF Audience of 



The audience of MEXICO, 



INcludes the provinces of Mechoacan, Mexico Proper, Panuco Tlafcala, 

 Giiaxaca, Tabafco and Tucatan. This is by far the nobleft part of the 

 Spanijh dominions. Its extent is very great, its foil fruitful, and though un- 

 der the torrid zone, its climate indifferently cool, rich in all forts of defirable 

 commodities, gold, filver, and precious ftones. 



YUCATAN. 



THIS province is in all refpeds a moft noble country, and as fucli de- 

 fer vedly commended by Herrera, and all the Spanijh writers. The 

 climate is pretty warm in the fummer, which begins in the month of April, 

 and ends in that of September. The winter feafon is indifferently cool, ex- 

 cepting the months of January and February, which are almoft as hot as in 

 the midfl of fummer yet on the whole the country is very wholfome, efpe- 

 cially a fort of mountainous tra61:, which runs acrofs it, where when the Spa- 

 niards entered America, there were fome Indians three hundred years old, 

 and the natives ftill live to a vaft age. The days and nights are pretty near 

 equal all the year round ; and this, with the fea breezes, makes the heat to- 

 lerable enough. The foil is indifferently good, produces plenty of corn, when 

 fufliciendy cultivated, and abounds with cattle of all forts, but the principal 

 commodity is logwood, for which the bay Camp each e \^ defervedly fa- 

 mous. But inafmuch as no mines have been difcovered in this country, 

 whatever plenty there may be of other ufeful things, the Spaniards are not 

 fond of making fettlements here, which without doubt is one great caufe of 

 its abounding fo much with Indians. Thefe, however live, generally fpeak- 

 ing, in fubmiffive obedience to the Spaniards. In the bay of Campeache, they 

 are made ufe of in making fait, which is a very laborious employment, the poor 



creatures 



