The clergy are exceedingly numerous in Mexico; the priests; monks, and nuns, of all orders, make a fifth part of the white inhabitants, both here and in other parts of Spanish America.

The city of Mexico is the oldest in America, of which we have any account. The Abbé Clavigero, who is our authority for the preceding account of this country, dates its foundation as far back as 1325. It is fituated in the charming vale of Mexico, on feveral fmall iflands, in lake Tetzcuco, in north latitude 19° 26', and 276° 34′ weft longitude from Perro. This vale is furrounded with lofty and verdant mountains, and formerly contained no lefs than forty eminent cities, besides villages and hamlets. The city is subject to frequent inundations, as is eafily accounted for from its local fituation, the lake in which it stands being the reservoir of the waters flowing from the neighbouring mountains.

Concerning the ancient population of this city there are various opinions. The historians most to be relied on say, that it was nearly nine miles in circumference, and contained upwards of fixty thousand houfes, containing each from four to ten inhabitants. Some hiftorians reckon one hundred and twenty thoufand, and fome one hundred and thirty thousand houses. By a late accurate enumeration, made by the magiftrates and pricfts, it appears that the prefent number of inhabitants exceeds two hundred thousand. We may form fome idea of its populousness from the quantity of pulque * and tobacco which are daily confumed in it, ascertained from the customhouse books, February 23, 1775. Every day upwards of one hundred and ninety thoufand pounds of pulque are carried into the city, which are almost folely confumed by the Indians and Mulattoes, who drink this beverage. The tax upon it amounts annually to about two hundred and eighty thoufand crowns. The daily confumption of tobacco is reckoned at one thoufand two hundred and fifty

crowns.

The greatest curiofity in the city of Mexico is their floating gardens. When the Mexicans, about the year 1325, were fubdued by the Colhuan and Tepanecan nations, and confined to the fmall iflands in the lake, having no land to cultivate, they were taught by neceffity to form moveable gardens, which floated on the lake. Their

Pulque is the ufual wine or beer of the Mexicans, made of the fermented juice of the maguci. This liquor will not keep but one day, and therefore what is made is daily confumed.

con

conftruction is very fimple. They take willows and the roots of marth plants, and other materials which are light, and twist them together, and fo firmly unite them as to form a fort of platform, which is capable of fupporting the earth of the garden. Upon this foundation they lay the light bufhes which float on the lake, and overfpread the mud and dirt which they draw up from the bottom of the lake. Their regular figure is quadrangular; their length and breadth various, but generally about eight rods long and three wide; and their elevation from the furface of the water is lefs than a foot. Thefe were the firft fields that the Mexicans owned after the foundation of Mexico; there they firft cultivated the maize, great pepper, and other plants neceffary for their fupport. From the industry of the people thefe fields foon became numerous. At prefent they cultivate flowers and every fort of garden herbs upon them. Every day of the year, at fun-rife, innumerable veffels or boats, loaded with various kinds of flowers and herbs which are cultivated in these gardens, are feen arriving by the canal at the great market place of Mexico. All plants thrive in them furprisingly; the mud of the lake. a very rich foil, which requires no water from the clouds. In the largest gardens there is commonly a little tree, and a little hut to helter the cultivator, and defend him from the rain or the fun. When the owner of a garden, or the Chinampa, as he is called, wifhes to change his fituation, to get out of a bad neighbourhood, or to come nearer to his family, he gets into his little boat, and by his own ftrength alone, if the garden is fmall, or with the affistance of others, if it is large, conducts it wherever he pleafes, with the little tree and hut upon it. That part of the island where these floating gardens are, is a place of delightful recreation, where the fenfes receive the highest poffible gratification.

makes

The buildings, which are of ftone, are convenient, and the public edifices, efpecially the churches, are magnificent, and the city has appearance of immense wealth.

the

The trade of Mexico confifts of three great branches, which extend over the whole world. It carries on a traffic with Europe, by La Vera Cruz, fituated on the gulph of Mexico, on the North fea; with the Eaft-Indies, by Acapulco on the fouth feas, two hundred and ten miles fouth-weft, of Mexico; and with South-America, by the fame port. Thefe two fea ports, Vera Cruz and Acapulco, are admirably well fituated for the commercial purposes to which they were applied. It is by means of the former that Mexico pours her wealth VOL. IV.

over

over the whole world, and receives in return the numberless luxuries and neceffaries which Europe affords her. To this port the fleet f.om Cadiz, called the Flota, confifting of three men of war, as a convoy, and fourteen large merchant fhips, annually arrives about the beginning of November. Its cargo confifts of almost every commodity and manufacture of Europe; and there are few nations but have more concern in it than the Spaniards, who send out little except wine and oil. The profit of these, with the freight and commiffion to the merchants, and duty to the king, is all the advantage which Spain derives from the American commerce. When all the goods are landed and disposed of at La Vera Cruz, the fleet takes in the plate, precious ftones, and other commodities for Europe. Some time in May they are ready to depart. From La Vera Cruz they fail to the Havannah, in the ifle of Cuba, which is the rendezvous where they mect the galleons, another fleet which carries on the trade of Terra Firma by Carthagena, and of Peru by Panama and Porto Bello. When all are collected and provided with a convoy neceffary for their fafety, they steer for Old-Spain.

Acapulco is the fea port by which the communication is kept up between the different parts of the Spanish empire in America, and the East-Indies. About the month of December, the great galleon, attended by a large fhip as a convoy, which make the only communi cation between the Philippines and Mexico, annually arrive here. The cargoes of thefe fhips (for the convoy, though in a clandeftine. manner, likewife carries goods) confift of all the rich commodities and manufactures of the caft. At the fame time the annual fhip from Lima, the capital of Peru, comes in, and is computed to bring not lefs than two millions of pieces of eight in filver, betides quickfilver, and other valuable commodities, to be laid out in the purchafe of the galleons cargoes. Several other fhips, from different parts of Chili and Peru, meet upon the fame occafion. A great fair, in which the commodities of all parts of the world are bartered for one another, lafts thirty days. The galleon then prepares for her voyage, loaded with filver and fuch European goods as have been thought neceflary. The Spaniards, though this trade be carried on entirely through their hands, and in the very heart of their dominions, are comparatively but finall gainers by it. For as they allow the Dutch, Great-Britain, and other commercial ftates, to furnish the greater part of the cargo of the flota, fo the Spanish inhabitants of the Philippines, tainted with the indolence which ruined their Euro

pean

pean ancestors, permit the Chinese merchants to furnish the greater part of the cargo of the galleon. Notwithstanding what has been faid of Vera Cruz and Acapulco, the city of Mexico, the capital of the empire, ought to be confidered as the center of commerce in this part of the world; for here the principal merchants refide, and the greatest part of the bufinefs is negociated. The Eaft-India goods from Acapulco, and the European from Vera Cruz, also pass through this city. Hither all the gold and filver come to be coined, here the king's fifth is depofited, and here are wrought all those utenfils and ornaments in plate, which are every year fent into Europe.

The empire of Mexico was finally fubdued by Cortes, in the year 1521. Montezuma was at that time emperor of Mexico. In the courfe of the war, he was treacherously taken by Cortes, and held as a prifoner. During the imprisonment of Montezuma, Cortes and his army had made repeated attacks on his fubjects, but without fuccefs. Cortes was now determined, as his last resource, to try what effect the interpofition of Montezuma might have to foothe or overawe his fubjects. This unfortunate prince, at the mercy of the treacherous Spaniards, and reduced to the fad neceffity of becoming the inftrument of his own difgrace, and of the flavery of his fubjects, advanced to the battlements in his royal robes, in all the pomp in which he used to appear on folemn occafions. At fight of their fovereign, whom they had long been accustomed to honour, and almoft to revere as a god, the weapons dropped from their hands, every tongue was silent, all bowed their heads, and many prostrated themselves on the ground. Montezuma addreffed them with every argument that could mitigate their rage, or perfuade them from hoftilities. When he ended his difcourfe, a fullen murmur of difappro bation ran through the crowd; to this fucceeded reproaches and threats; and their fury rifing in a moment, they violently poured in whole flights of arrows and vollies of ftones upon their unhappy monarch, two of the arrows ftruck him in his body, which, with the blow of a stone on his temple, put an end to his life. Guatimozin fucceeded Montezuma, and maintained a vigorous oppofition against the affaults of Cortes; but he, like his predeceffor, after a noble defence, was forced to fubmit, and his capital was wrested from him by Cortes and his followers.

The exultation of the Spaniards, on accomplishing this arduous enterprife, was at firft exceffive. But this was quickly damped by the

VIEW OF

SOUTH-AMERICA.

WE now enter upon the defcription of that part of the globe,

where the human mind will be fucceffively furprised with the fublime and astonishing works of Nature; where rivers of amazing breadth flow through beautiful and widely-extended plains, and where lofty mountains, whofe fummits are covered with eternal fnow, intercept the courfe of the clouds, and hide their heads from the view of mortals. In fome parts of this extenfive region, nature hath bountifully bestowed her treasures, and given every thing neceffary for the convenience and happiness of man. We have only to regret, that a fet of avaricious men have fucceffively drenched with innocent blood these plains, which are fo beautifully formed and enriched by the hand of Nature; and that the rod of SPANISH DESPOTISM has prevented the population of a country which might have fupported millions of be ings in affluence.

DIVISIONS.

South-America, like Africa, is an extenfive peninfula, connected with North-America by the isthmus of Darien, and divided between SPAIN, PORTUGAL, FRANCE, HOLLAND, and the ABORIGINES, as follows: