TERRITORIAL DIVISION. 5 B. REGION OF THE NORTH-WEST, in the vicinity of the Great Ocean. 3. Provincia de la Nueva California, or north-west coast of North America, possessed by the Spaniards. 4. Provincia de la Antigua California. Its southern extremity enters the torrid zone. 5. Intendencia de la Sonora. The most southern part of Cinaloa, in which the celebrated mines of Copala and Rosario are situated, also passes the tropic of Cancer. C. REGION OF THE NORTH-EAST, adjoining the Gulf of Mexico. 6. Intendencia de San Luis Potosi. It comprehends the provinces of Texas, la colonia de Nuevo Santander and Cohahuila, El Nuevo Reyno de Leon, and the districts of Charças, Altamira, Catorce, and Ramos. These last districts compose the intendancy of San Luis properly so called. southern part, which extends to the south of the Barra de Santander and the Real de Catorce, belongs to the torrid zone. The II. UNDER THE TORRID ZONE, 328,500 square miles, with 5,160,000 souls, or rather more than 15 inhabitants to the square mile. D. CENTRAL REGION. 7. Intendencia de Zacatecas, excepting the part which extends to the north of the mines of Fresnillo. 8. Intendencia de Guadalaxara. 9. Intendencia de Guanaxuato. E. REGION OF THE SOUTH-WEST. 15. Intendencia de Merida. The divisions in this table are founded on the physical state of the country. We see that nearly seven eighths of the inhabitants live under the torrid zone. The population becomes thinner as we advance towards Durango and Chihuahua. In this respect New Spain bears a striking analogy to Hindostan, which in its north parts is bounded by regions almost uncultivated and uninhabited. Of five millions who inhabit the equinoctial part of Mexico, four-fifths live on the ridge of the Cordillera, or table-lands, whose elevation above the level of the sea equals that of the passage of Mount Cenis. New Spain, considering its provinces according to their commercial relations, or the situation of the coasts, is divided into three regions. I. PROVINCES OF THE INTERIOR, which do not extend to the ocean. TERRITORIAL DIVISION. 1. Nuevo Mexico. 2. Nueva Biscaya. 4. Guanaxuato. 7 II. MARITIME PROVINCES of the eastern coast opposite to Europe. 5. San Luis Potosi.. 6. Vera Cruz. 7. Merida, or Yucatan. III. MARITIME PROVINCES of the western coast opposite to Asia. 8. New California. 9. Old California. 10. Sonora. 11. Guadalacara. 12. Valladolid. 13. Mexico. 14. Puebla. 15. Оахаса. These divisions will one day possess great political interest, when the cultivation of Mexico shall be less concentrated on the central table-land or ridge of the Cordillera, and when the coasts shall become more populous. The maritime provinces of the west will send their vessels to Nootka, to China, and the East Indies. The Sandwich islands, inhabited by a ferocious but industrious and enterprising people, appear destined to re ceive Mexican rather than European colonists. They afford an important entrepôt to the nations who carry on commerce in the Great Ocean. The inhabitants of New Spain and Peru have never yet been able to profit by their advantageous position on a coast opposite to Asia and New Holland. They dont even know the productions of the South Sea islands. The bread-fruit tree, sugarcane of Otaheite, that precious reed, the cultivation of which has had such a happy influence on West India commerce,-will one day be received by them from Jamaica, the Havannah, and Caraccas, and no longer from the adjoining islands. What efforts have not been made by the United States of North America, within the last ten years, to open a communication with the western coast, with that same coast on which the Mexicans possess the finest ports, but without activity and without commerce! According to the ancient division of the country, the Reyno de Nueva Galicia contained more than 126,000 square miles, and nearly a million of inhabitants: it included the intendancies of Zacatecas and Guadalaxara*, as well as a small part of that of San Luis Potosi. The regions now known by the denomination of the seven intendancies of Guanaxuato, Valladolid or Mechoacan, Mexico, Puebla, Vera Cruz, Oaxaca, and Merida, formed, * With the exception of the most southern part, which contains the volcanos of Colima and the village of Ayotitan. TERRITORIAL DIVISION. 9 along with a small portion of the intendancy of San Luis Potosi*, the Reyno de Mexico, properly so called. This kingdom consequently contained more than 243,000 square miles, and nearly four millions and a half of inhabitants. Another division of New Spain, equally ancient and less vague, is that which distinguishes New Spain, properly so called, from the provincias internas. To the latter belongs all to the north and north-west of the kingdom of Nueva Galicia, with the exception of the two Californias; consequently, 1. the small kingdom of Leon; 2. the colony of New Santander; 3. Texas; 4. New Biscay; 5. Sonora; 6. Cohahuila; and 7. New Mexico. The provincias internas del Vireynato, which contain 70,326 square miles, are distinguished from the provincias internas de la Comandancia (of Chihuahua), erected into a capitania general in 1779, which contain 534,375 square miles. Of the twelve new intendancies, three are situated in the provincias internas, Durango, Sonora, and San Luis Potosi. We must not, however, forget that the intendant of San Luis is only under the direct authority of the viceroy for Leon, Santander, and the districts near his residence, those of Charcas, Catorce, and Altamira. The governments of Cohahuila and Texas make also part of the intendancy of San Luis * The most southern part, through which the river of Pa nuco runs. C |