On the Commerce of Mexico. 421 
From the year 1777 to the commencement of the present 
century the tax levied upon pulque, averaging about 20 
cents per arroba (25 lbs.), produced about 800,000 dollars 
annually ; and supposing the value of the beverage to have 
been about 50 to 55 cents per arroba, the value of the quan- 
tity consumed may be estimated, taking the amount of the 
tax as a basis, at about 1,800,000 dollars per annum, re- 
presenting a capital of from 28,000,000 to 30,000,000 
dollars. As far as can be ascertained from the meagre 
statistical records of the time, not more than from 20 to 60 
pulque estates existed during the last two centuries ; whilst, 
now, in the several districts of the Mexican table land of 
Teotihuacan, Pachuca, Apam, and Texcoco, there are 178, 
and from 80 to 100 in that of Ilaxcala. 
The following is the mode adopted for the extraction of 
the juice of the maguey plant, and for the manufacturing 
from it of pulque, which denomination dates from the time 
of the Spanish occupation of Mexico, the derivation of the 
word appearing to be totally unknown, the beverage being 
known under the denomination of “neutli” in the time of 
the Aztecs. 
So soon as the leaves begin to turn yellow, a small con- 
cave aperture is scooped out by means of a keen-edged 
knife, called an “iztetl,’ in the core of the plant, which is 
usuaily from about 18 to 20 centimétres in diameter, and 
this aperture is gently scraped round, care being taken that 
no incision be made in the leaves or fibres around it, for 
fear of imparting a bad taste to the juice; this operation 
producing a sediment, denominated “ raspa,” through 
which the juice generally known under the teehnical name 
of “agua-miel,” or honeywater, exudes from the groves of 
the plant, which juice is extracted by the “ilachiquero,” or 
maguey labourer, by means of an elongated gourd formed 
into a tube, called an “acocotl,’ the air in which is ex- 
hausted by suction, and which he thrusts into the incision 
in the core of the plant, stopping the aperture at one end 
with his finger, and emptying its contents into his “ zurron,” 
a sort of impervious sheepskin bag inserted in a net and 
strapped to his back. Each labourer has, usually, the care 
of from about 50 to 60 plants, from which he extracts, or 
as it is technically expressed, “sucks” from about I10 to 
120 arrobas of honeywater perweek. Assoonas his “‘zurron” 
is full, he carries it to the “tinical” or pulque manufactory, 
very commonly returning to each plant and performing the 
same operation of scooping round the incision and exhaust- 
