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flooded in the rainy feafons, and extremely unwhole fome. The inland couritry, however, affumes a better afpect, and the air is of a milder temperature; on the western fide, the land is not fo low as on the eaflern, much better in quality, and full of plantations. The foil of Mexico, in general, has much variety, and would not refufe any fort of grain, if the induftry of the inhabitants correfponded with their natural advantages.

Like all the tropical countries, Mexico is rather more abundant in fruits than in grain. Pine-apples, pomegranates, oranges, lemons, citrons, figs, and cocoa-nuts, are here in the greatefl plenty and perfection. Mexico produces alfo a prodigious quanity of fugar, efpecially towards the Guif of Mexico, and the province of Gauzaca and Guatimala. Cedar trees and log wood flourish much, about the bays of Campeachy and Honduras, as does the maho tree, which hath a back with frong hbres, which they twift and make ropes of. They have also a tree which they call light-wood, being as light as a cork, of which they make floats to carry their merchandize on the fea coaft.

But the chief advantage of the country, and what firft induced the Spaniards to fettle upon it, are the mines of gold and filver. The chief of the former are in Veragua and New-Granada, bordering upon Darien and Terra Firma. Thofe of filver, which are much more rich and numerous, are found in feveral parts, but chiefly in the province of Mexico. The mines of both kinds are always difcovered in the most barren and mountainous part of the country; nature making amends, in one refpect, for her defects in another. The working of the gold and filver mines depends on the same principles. When the ore is dug out, compounded of feveral heterogeneous fubflances, mixed with the precious metals, it is broken into small pieces by a mill, and afterwards wafhed, by which means it is difengaged from the earth, and other foft bodies which adhere to it. It is then mixed with mercury, which, of all fubflances, has the firongeft attraction for gold, and likewise a ftronger attraction for filver than the other fubflances which are united with it in the ore. By means of the mercury, therefore, the gold and filver are fit feparated from the heterogeneous matter, and then, by ftraining and evaporation, they are difunited from the mercury itfelf. Of the quantity of gold and filver, which the mines of Mexico afford, opinions have been various. Thofe who have enquired moft into the fubject, compute the revenues of Mexico at twenty-four millions fterling; and it is well known, that this, with the other provinces of Spanish America, fupply the whole world with filver.

The other articles next in importance to gold and filver, are the cochineal and cocoa. The former is an infect peculiar to this country. It adheres to the plant called opuntia, and fucks the juice of the fruit, which is of a crimfon colour. From this juice the cochineal derives its value, which confifis in dying the finest fcarlet, crimson, and purple colours. It is also used in medicine as a fudorific, and as a cordial; and it is computed that the Spaniards annually export no less than nine hundred thousand pounds weight of this commodity. The cocoa, of which chocolate is made, grows on a tree of a middling fize, which bears a pod about the fize and fhape of a cucumber, containing the cocoa. The Spanish commerce in this article is immenfe. This country likewife produces tilk, but not in fuch abundance as to make any remarkable part of its export. Cotton is here in great abuudance, and, on account of its lightnefs, is ufed in the manufacture of moft of the articles in the common wear of the inhabitants.

The prefent inhabitants may be divided into Whites, Indians, and Negroes The whites are either born in Old-Spain, or creoles, i. c. natives of Spanish

America. The former are cheifly employed in government or trade, and hav nearly the fame character with the Spaniards in Europe, but only a greater proportion of pride; for they confider themselves entitled to great diftinctions, as natives of Europe, and look upon the other inhabitants,as many degrees beneath them. The creoles are faid to have all the bad qualities of the Spaniards, from whom they are defcended, without that courage, firmness and patience, which make the praife worthy of the Spanish character. Naturally weak and effeminate, they are charged with dedicating the greateft part of their lives to inactive pleafures. Luxurious without variety or elegan e, and expensive with great parade, and little convenience, their general character is no more than a grave and fpecious infignificance, From idlene's and conftitution, their chief business is amour and intrigue; and many of their ladies are not diflinguished for their chaflity or domeflic virtues. The Indi ans, who notwithstanding the devallations of the first invaders, remain in great number; are become by continual oppreffion and indignity, a dejected, umorous, and miferable race. The blacks here, like all thofe in other parts of the world, are stubborn, hardy, and adapted for the grofs flavery they endure.

Such is the general character of the inhabitants, not only in Mexico, but the greatest part of Spanish America. The civil government is adminilered by tribunals, called audiences, which bear a faint refemblance to the former parliaments of France. In thefe courts, the Spanish viceroy prefides. His employment is the greatest truft and power which the king of spain has in his difpofal, and is perhaps the richest government entrufled to any fubject in the world. The greatnefs of the viceroy's office is diminifhed by the fhortnefs of its duration. For as jealoufy is the leading feature of Spanish politics in American concerns, no officer is allowed to maintain his power for more than three years, which no doubt may have a good effect in fecuring the authority of the crown of Spain, but is attended with unhappy confequences to the miferable inhabitants, who thereby become a prey to every new governor. The clergy are extremely numerous in Mexico: and it has been computed that priefts, monks and nuns of all orders, make a fifth of the white inhabitants here and in the other ports of Spanish America. The people are generally, fuperftitious, ignorant, rich, lazy and licentious: it is not therefore extraordinary that the church fhould enjoy one-fourth of the reverLES) O the whole kingdom.

Commerce, Cities and Shipping.

THE trade of Mexico confils of three great branches, which ex

tend over the world. It carries on a traffic with Europe, by La Vera Cruz, fituated on the Gulf of Mexico; with the East Indies, by Acapulco on the South Sea; and with South America, by the fame port. These two feaports, Vera Crux and Acapulco, are well fituated for the commercial purposes to which they are applied. By means of the former, Mexico pours her wealth over the whole world: and receives in return the numberlefs luxuries aud neceffaries, which Europe alfords her, and which the indolence of her inhabitants will hardly ever permit them to acquire for themselves. At this port the fleet from Cadiz, called the flota, confifting of three men of war, as a convoy and fourteen large merchant fhips, annually arrive about the beginning of Novem ber. Its cargo confifts of almoft every commodity and manufacture of Europe and feveral other nations have more concern in it than the Spaniards, who fend out little more than wine and oil. The profit of thefe, with the freight

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and commition to the merchants, and duty to the king, are the chief advanta ges which Spain, derives from her American commerce. When all the goods are landed and difpofed of at La Vera Cruz, the fleet takes in the plates, precio is is fiones, 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 meet the galeons, 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 fleer for Old Spain.

Acapulco is the fea-port, by which the communication is maintained between the different parts of the Spanish empire, in America and the Eaft. Indies. About the month of December, the gr at galeon, attended by a large thip, as a convoy, annually arrives here. The cargoes of thefe fhips (for the convoy, though in an underhand manner, likewife carries goods) confilt of all the rich commodities and manufactures of the Eaft. At the fame time, the annual fhip from Lina, the capital of Peru, comes in, and is computed to bring not lefs than two millions of pieces of eight in lilver, befides quickfilver and other valuable commodities to be laid our in the purchate of the goods from the East. Several other hips, 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 battered for one another, lafts thirty days. The galeon then prepares for her voyage, loaded with filver and fuch European goods as are thought neceffary. The Spaniards, though this trade is carried on entirely through their hands, and in the very heart of their dominions, are comparatively but imali gainers by it. For, as they allow the Dutch, Brinja, and other commercial ilates, to furnish the greater part of the cargo of the flota; to the Spanish inhabitants of the Philippines, tainted with the dane indolence which ruined their European ancellors, permit the Chinese merchants to furnith the greater part of the cargo of the galeon. Norwichstanding what has been laid of Vera Cruz and Acapulco, the city of Mexico, and the capital of the empire, ought to be confidered as the center of comrerce in this part of the world; for here the principa merchants relide, ard The greatcil part of the bulinefs is negociated. The Eaft-India goeds from Icapulco, and the European from Vera Cruz, alfo país through the city. Hither all the gold and filver come to be coined; here the king's fifth is depotted; and here are wrought all thofe utenfils and ornaments in plate, which are every year font into Europe. The city ifelf breathes the air of the higheft magnificience; and according to the Left accounts, contains about eighty thoufand inhabitants,

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