parties are formed; and in the evening, every house is ready to receive visiters. The ladies receive company also about ten o'clock in the forenoon, either in the principal bed-chamber, or in the sala.

Captain Hall, while at Tepic, witnessed the opening of a Mexican bee-hive, which differs so essentially in its construction and materials from that of the English bee, that the description is highly acceptable. "The hive is generally made out of a log of wood from two to three feet long, and eight or ten inches in diameter, hollowed out, and closed at the ends by circular doors, cemented closely to the wood, but capable of being removed at pleasure. Some persons use cylindrical hives made of earthenware, instead of the clumsy apparatus of wood; these are relieved by raised figures and circular rings, so as to form rather handsome ornaments in the verandah of a house, where they are suspended by cords from the roof, in the same manner that the wooden ones in the villages are hung to the eaves of the cottages. On one side of the hive, half-way between the ends, there is a small hole made, just large enough for a loaded bee to enter, and shaded by a projection to prevent the rain from trickling in. In this hole, generally representing the mouth of a man, or some monster, the head of which is moulded in the clay of the hive, a bee is constantly stationed; whose office is no sinecure, for the hole is so small, he has to draw back every time a bee wishes to enter or to leave the hive. A gentleman told me, that the experiment had been made, by marking the centinel; when it was observed, that the same bee continued at his post a whole day. When it is ascertained by the weight, that the hive is full, the end pieces are removed, and the honey withdrawn. The hive we saw opened, was only partly filled; which enabled us to see the economy of the interior to more advantage. The honey is not contained in the elegant hexagonal cells of our

hives, but in wax bags, not quite so large as an egg. These bags, or bladders, are hung round the sides of the hive, and appear about half full, the quantity being probably just as great as the strength of the wax will bear without tearing. Those near the bottom, being better supported, are more filled than the upper ones. In the centre of the lower part of the hive, we observed an irregular-shaped mass of comb, furnished with cells, like those of our bees, all containing young ones, in such an advanced state, that when we broke the coinb and let them out, they flew merrily away. During this examination of the hive, the comb and the honey were taken out, and the bees disturbed in every way; but they never stung us, though our faces and hands were covered with them. It is said, however, that there is a bee in the country which does sting; but the kind we saw, seem to have neither the power nor the inclination, for they certainly did not hurt us; and our friends said, they were always muy manso,' very tame, and never stung any one. The honey gave out a rich aromatic perfume, and tasted differently from ours, but possessed an agreeable flavour.

Humboldt mentions the mines of Guichichila, near Tepic, as among the most celebrated in this intendancy; but Captain Hall does not appear to have made any inquiry on the subject.

GUADALAXARA.

The intendancy of Guadalaxara formed, together with Zacatecas, the kingdom of New Gallicia. It is, in itself, almost twice the extent of Portugal, with

* Humboldt mentions a bee peculiar to the New Continent, said to be destitute of a sting, on which account they have received the name of angelitos (little angels.) The learned Traveller supposes, however, that the organ is not wanting, but that the sting is weak and not very sensible.

a population five times smaller. The number of inhabitants in 1803, was 630,500, being 66 to the square league. It is bounded, on the north by Sonora and Durango; on the east, by Zacatecas and Guanaxuato; on the south, by Valladolid; and on the west, for a length of coast of 123 leagues, by the Pacific. Its extreme breadth, from San Blas to the town of Lagos, is 100 leagues, and its extent of surface is computed to be 9,612 square leagues. It is traversed from east to west by the Rio Grande de Santiago, which communicates with the great lake of Chapala, nearly 160 square leagues in extent, being double the size of the lake of Constance. This intendancy was reckoned one of the richest and most luxuriant in the vice-royalty. All the eastern part is formed by the table-land and western declivity of the Cordillera. The maritime regions are covered with forests, which abound with timber fit for ship-building. The interior enjoys a fine and temperate climate. The value of its agricultural produce amounted, in 1802, to 2,600,000 piasters (about 560,000l.); and its manufactures of woollens, calicoes, tanned hides, and soap, were estimated at 3,302,200 piasters (about 700,000!.), or nearly half of the total value of the manufactures of New Spain.* Up to 1765, it exported cotton and wool to maintain the activity of the manufactures of Puebla, Queretaro, and San Miguel; but since that period, manufactories have been established at Guadalaxara, Lagos, and the neighbouring towns. Its mines form the sixth groupe in Humboldt's enumeration, but, with regard to the quantity of money actually drawn from them, the mines of Bolaños rank next to those of the Real del Monte, the central groupe of Guanaxuato, Catorce, and Zaca

This is estimated by Humboldt at between 7 and 8,000,000 of piasters.-Pol. Essay, vol. iii. p. 460.

† See vol. i. p. 300.

tecas being alone superior to either. The mines of Guadalaxara extend from lat 21° 5′ to 22° 30′ N., and from long 105° to 106° 30′ W. The most celebrated are those of Bolanos, Asientos de Ibarra, Hostiotipaquillo, Copala, and Guichichila. The intendancy contains two cities, six towns, and 322 villages.

Guadalaxara, the provincial capital, and formerly the seat of the audiencia of new Gallicia, is seated on the left bank of the Rio de Santiago, in lat 20° 50′ N., long 105° W.* It was founded in 1551, and in 1570, was created an episcopal city, the see of Compostella being transferred to this place. As the residence at once of the audiencia, the intendant, and the bishop, and possessing some flourishing manufactures, it would seem likely to have been from the first a considerable place; yet, Humboldt states the population in 1803, at only 19,500. If this be correct, its increase since that period must have been almost unprecedented. While the population of Guanaxuato has sunk from 70,000 to 33,000, that of Guadalaxara has risen from less than 20,000 to at least 70,000, and it now ranks, in point of population, as the second city in the empire.†

Compostella, situated to the south of Tepic, is the more ancient city. As, in the district to the northwest of this place, tobacco of a superior quality was formerly cultivated; it would seem to be situated either within, or on the border of the tierra caliente of the western coast. The other towns enumerated by Humboldt are, Aguas Calientes, a small, wellpeopled town, to the south of the mines of Asientos de Ibarra; Villa de la Purificacion, to the north-west of

* Pike's Exploratory Travels, p. 326.

† Notes on Mexico, p. 110. Major Pike carries the estimate to 75,000.

the port of Guatlan; Lagos, to the north of the town of Leon, in Guanaxuato, near the frontier of that intendancy, on a plain fertile in wheat" (a part of the Baxio); and Colima, situated two leagues south of the volcano of the same name.

The volcan de Colima is the most western of the volcanoes of Mexico, which are placed on the same line in a parallel direction. It frequently throws up ashes and smoke. Its elevation is computed to be upwards of 9,000 feet above the level of the sea. "This insulated mountain," says a native writer cited by Humboldt, "appears of only a moderate height, when its summit is compared with the ground on which Zapotilti and Zapotlan are built,—two villages elevated 5,500 feet above the level of the coast it is from the small town of Colima that the volcano appears in all its grandeur. It is never covered with snow, except when it falls in the chain of the neighbouring mountains from the effects of the north-wind. On the 8th of December, 1788, the volcano was covered with snow for almost two-thirds of its height; but this snow remained for only two months on the northern declivity of the mountain towards Zapotlan. In the beginning of 1791, I made the tour of the volcano by Sayula, Tuspan, and Colima, without seeing the smallest trace of snow on its summits."

Such is all the information to which we have at present access respecting this important province. Neither Humboldt nor any other modern traveller appears to have visited any part of it, except the small portion between San Blas and Tepic. The capital, the fertile banks of the Santiago, the lake Chapala, the mines of Bolaos, the hot springs of Aguas Calientes, and the volcano of Colima,—all remain undescribed, and invite the attention of future travellers. We have still less information with regard