Hamilton's Mexican handbook; a complete description of the Republic of Mexico, its mineral and agricultural resources, cities and towns of every state, factories, trade, imports and exports ... tariff regulations, duties, &c., &c., and a commercial directory of the principal business men ...

Front matter

HAMILTON S iiP

Mexicm Handbook;

A COMPLETE DESCRIPTION

Introduction

The favorable reception accorded the publication of the " Border States of Mexico," some four editions having been sold since its first publication in San Francisco in 1881, has induced ns to enlarge and revise the work until it has assumed the form herewith presented. We have endeavored to make the volume useful for reference and information, and entirely impartial, and have had access to Mexican official records and documents, besides many works extant on Mexico in the English and Spanish languages, which we have utilized in collecting the data presented. The details have been carefully collected in many instances from inaccessible reports of mining experts and travellers, and we have sought to give only the facts as we find them without unnecessary embellishment or fanciful description. The principal object of the work has been to give reliable data to those who desire information on the business opportunities of Mexico, whether for investment in real estate, mines, railroads, or any other enterprise, as well as the opportunities for trade. With the good opportunities offered by Mexico, we have also attempted to point out the unfavorable features in order to give the facts, and allowing every one to use their own judgment. While Mexico offers great inducements to foreign capital for legitimate enterprises, it is to be deplored that her great mining industries should be injured by unworthy enterprises fostered by unscrupulous adventurers, and bad and extravagant management of inexperienced mining men. This will at last be ended and her incalculable resources in minerals and agricultural productions will be developed by energetic and prudent capitahsts.

A thorough acquaintance with Mexico and its people is what the business man wants, and no book of travel can supply the data necessary. The information must be complete in detail, giving a description of the republic, its resources, its productions, exports and imports, its business rules applicable to foreigners, its tariff regulations, a list of its principal business men, and the exact status of its trade ; the description of its cities and towns, and number of their inhabitants, its factories and various industrial establishments j and lastly, a description of its great mineral wealth, which has given the great country of the Moctezumas the foremost rank among the silver-producing regions of the world. While we have not ignored the information necessary for the tourist and tra\7eller, we have attempted to give to the public a book intended for the business man, containing practical business information.

Respectfully submitted,

Leonidas Le Cenci Hamilton.

Boston, July, 1883.

CONTENTa

Pagk.

Inteoduction 3

Physical Features oe the Republic op Mexico. «. 7

Political Divisions and Population op Mexico 7

National AND State Governments 8

Education, Colleges, Libraries, Museums, Fine Arts,

Etc 11

Resources OP Mexico. 13

Lower California '. 16

Climate op the Table Lands op the Northern Part

op Mexico 17

SONORA

Boundaries and general description; climate and productions .^ 19

Guaymas — location, harbor, streets, public buildings, plaza, principal business men, mint, distances, Sonora Railroad, population, importance of Guaymas, commerce. Alamos, Altar, stage connections 27

Hermosillo — Cerro de la Campana, aqeduct, vineyards and orchards, public buildings, hotels, beautiful plaza, ladies celebrated for their beauty and fecundity, Paris fashions, business houses, haciendas, water and wood in abundance, factories, mints leased, stage lines, Sonora Railroad 31

TJres — capital, picturesque environs, alameda, elegant residences, commercial houses, haciendas. Las Delicias, scorpions 36

Santa Cruz — beautiful valley, haciendas, Santa Cruz River, Spanish explorers, Tumacori, fertile lands 37

Bacuachi — rich, mineral region, climate, et'e., Fron-

teras, Bapispe, Bapepito River, Arispe, hacienda

of Las Delicias, Sonora River, Moctezuma, Sa-

huaripa roads, etc.. River Papigochi, Altar

mines. 38

if

Page.

Elvers Yaqui and Mayo, course and length; fertile lands, irrigation, high water, flour mills, oyster beds, settlements; Mayo — narrow valley, settlements; pearl divers, sharks, whales, mantua or

blanket fish 42

Indians and presidios, character of the Yaqui Indians — Velasco gives them a bad character; Mayos; Ceris, their character, location, pelican-skin dress; Opatas, anecdote of the Opatas, Papajos; "Pitaya-syrup" Apaches, warlike, personal appearance, habitation; comparative peace 46

Discovery op Gold — A natural phenomenon; gold

everywhere 56

Mines op Sonora 57

Mining Districts — Location and description of mines

of Sonora 58

SiNALOA 102

Roads of the State 106

Mazatlan — coast, harbor, streets, wholesale and retail houses, description of houses, streets, government buildings, composite architecture, public plaza, market place, principal trade, Mazatlan Eiiver, richmerchants, hacienda of Piastla, principal business men of Mazatlan, hotels, trade with Boston, Philadelphia, New York and San Francisco; iron foundries 108

Rosario — town located in a ravine, Rosario River, excellent roads, distances, the great Tajo mine a source of wealth to the city 114

Culiacan — capital of the State, productions of this locality, cotton factory, stage road, principal business houses, Presidio of Mazatlan, ladies of Culiacan 115

Cosala — flower gardens, mining town, peculiar disease, principal business of the State, legend of Estacata mine, a mine lined with ebony, hacienda of La Labor 116

Mining Districts and mines of Sinaloa 117

CmauAHUA

General description, rivers, deserts, and grazing districts; soil and productions, and grazing; climate 134

Chihuahua — capital, its origin, city well laid out, Plaza Mayor, famous cathedral, Convent of San

Francisco, aqueduct, mint, trade, patriot Hidalgo 138

Las Casas Grandes and its legend 139

From El Paso to the City of Chihualiua . . . . 142

Los Medanos 145

From Chiliualiua to Durango 146

El Paso del Norte 148

Mining Distkicts and Mines of Chihualiua .... 149

DuEANGO, boundaries, physical features, etc 161

City of Durango, Cerro de Mercado 163

A Grand View 166

The Devil's Backbone 168

Short Route to Mazatlan 169

Rancho de Morteros 170

Iron Mines of Durango 175

Curious Caves of Durango 182

COAHUILA DE ZaEAGOZA 184

Cities, towns and factories 185

NuEvo Leon 190

Cities and Towns and Mineral Resources . . . 191

Tamaulipas . . . .^ 194

Zona Libre and Regulations therefor 195

Vera Cruz 199

San Luis Potosi 203

Queretaro 20T

Guanajuato 210

Zacatecas 213

Aguas Calientes 218

Jalisco 219

COLIMA 222

MiCHOACAN 225

Guerrero 231

Mexico 233

Hidalgo 236

MoEELOS 239

Tlaxcat.a 240

PUBBLA 241

Oaxaca 243

Chiapas 245

Tabasco 246

Campeche 247

Yucatan 248

Federal District 249

City of Mexico . 250

Eatlroads 252

Mexican Taeiff and Teadb Regulations . . 254

Manneh of Acquiring Real Estate 263

Mexican Mining Law 264

Trade with Mexico, Imports and Exports . . 266 How TO secure Mexican Trade, Business Rules

FOR Foreigners 274

Importance of Matriculation 277

Importance op Securing Patents for Inventions

AND Improvements in Mexico 277

Treaties between Mexico and the Uitited States 280

In Important Decree 280

Appendix :

Commercial Directory of the Principal Merchants i

Federal District, City of Mexico vi

GEN'L MANUEL GONZALEZ, President.

GEN'L PORFIRIO DIAZ, Ex-President of the Repub;:c.

GEI^TEEAL, DESOEIPTIOIS

Off THE

REPUBLIC OF MEXICO.

Physical Features.

The Mexican Republic is a land of marvels for the scientist, and, with its grand gorges, deep iarrancas, lofty mountain peaks, beautiful valleys, elevated mesas, and ancient cities nestling among unrivaled scenery, will always be an object of interest to the traveler. Within its 1,224,996 square miles of territory, the shores of which are washed by two oceans, may be found a greater variety of scenery, climate, productions in agriculture, and minerals than in any equal area. Its series of mountain chains and elevated plateaus, extending from the northwest to the southeast the entire length of the Republic, have yielded immense mineral wealth, and contain within them deposits of all the known metals. These two great ranges of mountains, one on the eastern and the other on the western boundary, form a continuous chain with the great mesas in the center, and slope gradually down toward the Pacific Ocean on one side and the Mexican Gulf on the other, interrupted by plateaus, on which towns are to be found on the lakes, rivers, and amidst luxuriant vegetation. The varying altitudes produce a diversity of climate, ranging from the cold through the temperate to the torrid, and a wonderful variety of fruits and flowers of every description, from the European apple and rose to the Cuban guava and cactus, beside other species unknown to any other country.

Political Divisions and Population.

The present population of the Republic, as near as can be estimated from the work of Antonio Garcia Cubas of the city of Mexico, is somewhere in the neighborhood of

9,525,000, in round numbers, taking into account an increase since 1876: divided among the different states, as follows :

Coahuila „ 115,000 Chiapas 200,000

Chihuahua 190,000 Durango 185,000

Few Leon 200,000 Zacatecas 420,000

Tamaulipas 180,000 Aguas Calientes. . . . 100,000

Vera Cruz 550,000 San Luis Potosi 555,000

Campeachy 95,000 Queretaro 170,000

Jalisco 980,000 Morelos 150,000

Michoacan 620,000 Tlaxcala 130,000

Guerrero 350,000

With the territory of Lower California, which Antonio Garcia Cubas, in his geography of Mexico, places at 23,195, in 1874, the population of the whole repubhc may be estimated at about 9,525,000, allowing an increase in Lower CaHfornia, up to 1880, or about six years, of about 2,000 more.

National and State Governments.

Under the present Constitution of the Republic, adopted February 5th, 1857, the Government was organized with three branches: Legislative, Executive, and Judicial — Congress, President and Cabinet, and Supreme and Circuit and District Courts.

The supreme legislative power is vested in the Congress of the Union, composed of a Senate and Chamber of Deputies. The members are elected by secret ballot, deposited by Electors chosen by the people. One Elector is chosen for every five hundred inhabitants, and one for every fraction thereof, in each Congressional district. The Senators are elected at the same time as the Deputies — two for each State and one for the Federal District and Territory of Lower California respectively. A Deputy is chosen for each 40,000 inhabitants and one for every fraction over 20,000. Substitute Senators and Deputies are chosen at the same time and in the same manner. In order to be eligible for the officer of Senator it is requisite to be a Mexican citizen in the full exercise

• 9

of his rights, thirty years of age at the opening of the session, resident of the State or Territory he represents, and not to be an ecclesiastic. The Deputies must be of tlie age of twenty-five years and possessed of the other quahfications demanded from Senators. Each Chamber of Congress decides with regard to the election of its members, and determines any doubts that may occur regarding the same. Over one-half the total number constitutes a quorum in the Chamber of Deputies. The quorum of the Senate consists of two-thi rds of the members elected. Two ordinary sessions are held each year. The first commences on the 16th of September and terminates on the 15th of December; thd second commences of the 1st day of April and ends on the last day of May.

The President is elected by secret ballot by Electors, in the same manner as Senators and Deputies, takhig his seat on the 1st of December, for the period of four years, and he is ineligible to a re-election to a second term without another intervening. To be eligible to this office he must be a native citizen, thirty-five years of age at time of election, and not to belong to the ecclesiastical state, and a resident of the Repulic. The Cabinet is appointed by the President, and consists of Secretaries of Foreign Eelations, Treasury, War and Navy, Interior and Public Works. Eligibility to these offices require the candidate to be a native citizen and twenty-five years of age. The President and Cabinet constitute the Executive branch of the Government.

The Judicial power is vested in a Supreme Court and Circuit and District Courts. The Supreme Court is composed of eleven Judges Proprietary, four Supernumeraries, one Attorney-General and one Solicitor-General. The term of office is for six years. This body is also chosen by Electors. To be eligible it is necessary to be a native citizen, "instructed in the science of law in the opinion of the Electors," and over thirty-five years of age. The Judicial Circuits are eight in number, presided over by Circuit Judges, appointed by the Executive at the request of the Supreme Court. These Circuit Courts convene at the following cities: Mexico, Mazatlan, Celaya, Durango, Guadalajara, Monterey, Merida, and Puebla. There are thirty-one District Judges, distributed as follows: Two in Mexico, two. in Taraaulipas, and one in each of the other States and Territory, appointed in the sarne manner as the Circuit Judges. The District- Attorneys of each District and Circuit are appointed by the Executive, also.

The State Governments are divided into three parts — the

Executive (Governor), Legislature, and Judiciary." The The Governor and Legislature are elected by the people and the Judiciary is appointed. The State Judiciary consists of a Supreme Tribunal and Courts of the First Instance and Municipal Courts; the latter are presided over in some cities by Prefects and Sub-Prefects, and in others by Alcaldes and Justices of the Peace.

In relation to reMgious belief, Article 123 reads as follows: "It belongs exclusively to the Federal power to exercise in matters of religious belief and discipline the intervention which may be prescribed by the laws." The Constitudou, laws of Congress, and treaties are, by the Constitution, declared to be the supreme law of all the Union.

It will thus be seen that much of the Mexican Constitution is modeled after our Federal Constitution, and even, in some instances, contains improvements on the same.

N^ominally all religions are tolerated in the Republic, although the Roman Catholic predominates for the most part. In the large cities some of the Protestant denominations have obtained a foothold. On the overthrow of the Church party all the real estate held by the Church was confiscated, and by the Constitution of 1857 this class of property was forbidden to ecclesiastical corporations. Each State of the Federation is declared sovereign, and all the powers not expressly delegated to the General Government by the Constitution was reserved to the States, respectively. The Federal district and Lower California are, however subject to the General Government, and controled entirely by Federal laws. The Codes originally adopted by the Federal Congress for the Federal District and Lower California have since, with Bome slight modifications, been adopted by most of the several States, and the laws may therefore be said to be uniform in their main features throughout the Eepublic.

The Republic was declared independent February 24th. 1821; estabhshed as an Empire, under Iturbide, in 1822, an t^ proclaimed a Republic December 2d, 1822, by Santa Anna. Iturbide abdicated March 20th, 1823, The Republic contains 27 States, 1 Territory, and 1 Federal District. The present Constitution was adopted February 5th, 1857.

Education.

The principle of obligatory education is now in force in the greater part of the states of the republic, penalties having been decreed for those who contravene the law, and rewards for those who voluntarily observe the same. Primary instruction in the schools of the republic consists of the following branches: Reading, writing, Spanish grammar, arithmetic^ tables of weights and measures, morality, and good manners; and moreover, in the girls' schools, needlework and other useful labors. In some of the states the study of geography, national history, and drawing are also obligatory; whilst, in the schools that are not supported by the government, a knowledge of algebra and geometry is taught, with the elements of general and natural history, ornamental and lineal drawing, and the French language. The number of primary schools in the whole of the republic reaches 8,103. Of the number referred to, according to the work of Senor Diaz Covarrubias, 603 are supported by the state governments, 5,240 by the municipal authorities, 378 by private corporations or individuals, 117 by the Catholic clergy, besides 1,581 private establishments that are not gratuitous, and 184 not classified. These schools are attended by scholars of both sexes. Secondary instruction, as well as professional education, are under the charge of the state, with subjection to the programmes estabUshed by the law, which prescribes as a mandate the liberty of education and professions.

In the republic there are 105 establishments of secondary and professional instruction. These embrace preparatory schools, civil colleges of jurisprudence, schools of medicine and pharmacy,(no one can practice medicine or keep a drugstore without a diploma from the government) schools for engineers, naval schools, commercial schools, academies of arts and sciences, agricultural schools, academies of fine arts, conservatories of music and oratory, military colleges, conciliatory seminaries supported by the Catholic clergy, blind school, deaf and dumb school, and secondary schools for girls. In these latter, mathematics, cosmography, geography, domestic medicine, history and chronology, book-keeping, domestic economy, and duties of women in society, natural, figured, and ornamented drawing, manual labors, horticulture and gardening, music, the French and Italian languages — certainly, a young lady who graduates in these schools may ba said to be accomplished, and our female seminaries might find some suggestions in a finished education. The whole number of edacational establishments is 8,208, with 364,809 pupils. Besides these are eight model schools; 285,509 males and 79,300 females receive instruction, and this does not include the education under private tutors. There are 20 public libraries in the state, containing, in the whole, 236,000 volumes; and private libraries, containing from 1,000 to 8,000 works, are innumerable; and there are some with as many as 20,000, and collections of manuscripts and books upon history and travels, literature, law, biography, eloquence, encyclopedias, classic authors, mathematics, physical sciences, and antiquities, relating to America, Asia, Egypt and Nubia.

The most remarkable museums of the Republic are those of antiquities in Mexico, Campeche, Puebla and Merida; those of paintings in Mexico, Oaxaca and Puebla; those of natural history in Guadalajara and Mexico. The l^Tational Museum of Mexico, to which is annexed that of Natural History, contains a rich collection of Mexican antiquities, hieroglyphics, manuscripts, arms, utensils, idols, jewels, and every species of ornaments.

The Museum of Natural History at the Mining College, now the School of Engineers, is composed of two cabinets. In the first, there is a well classified colleation of geological specimens, and another of zoology, which contains a large assortment.

In the second, are found two collections of minerals from Europe and Mexico, arranged according to the chemical miueralogical system of Berzelius.

The Academy of San Carlos, named in honor of Carlos the Third, of Spain, is one of the most notable institutions of the City of Mexico. It contains several galleries, where numerous original and valuable old Spanish and Italian paintings are to be seen. Among others, are works of Leonardo de Vinci, Murillo, Yernet, Coglietti, Canova, Van Dyck, Cortona, Perugino, Ingres, Decaen, Reni Marko, and other works of Podesti and Silvagni, and several of the Flemish and Dutch schools. In the other saloons are to be seen the paintings of some of the most proficient students of the Academy; also, many remarkable paintings of* ancient Mexican artists, as Cobreza, Aguilero, the Juarez family, Ybarra , Arteaga, Vallejo, Echave, and others.

In the republic there exist 73 institutions dedicated to

INTERIOR OF THE CATHEDRAL OF MEXICO.

the cultivation of arts and sciences, of which 29 are scientific, 21 literary, 20 artistical, and three of a mixed character.

Resources of Mexico.

There are now being established, in the greater part of the states of Mexico, cotton, woolen, silk, earthenware, glass, and paper factories, which will add to her present prosperity. If all this great territory were populated, even in proportion to Guanajato and its territory, the census of the republic would reach 58,000,000 to 60,000,000, instead of only 9,000,000 to 10,000,000. This scarcity of population is the one great cause of the undevelopment of the vast agricultural resources of Mexico; and when they are fully developed, they will constitute an element of enormous wealth.

Within the territory of the republic, there are more than 6700 haciendas, (landed estates) and 13,800 farms, (ranches) and not a few other locations, of immense extent. The value assigned to lauded property, based simply on its valuation for taxes, is $161,397,311. The real value may be said to be double that amount, or about $323,000,000. The maize which is grown all over the territory, the wheat in the upper table-lands, the rice in the warm and damp sections, the coffee, vanilla, toba<3co, sugar, and cotton in the hot countries, and many other articles, among which may be mentioned the "agave Mexicano," with its abundant returns, constitute the principal branches of national agriculture, and the annual products may be safely estimated at $100,000,000. If colonies were settled in this vast territory, employing their activity and intelligence in making such rich and extensive lands productive, under the influence of the varieties of climate, the benefits derived to Mexico are almost incalculable.

The rich and varied mineral productions of the republic have placed its mines in the niche of fame; and were it not for the scarcity of population before mentioned, they would produce a revenue that has never been dreamed of, in the imaginations of their Spanish conquerors.

The mines of Guanajato, which have been the most worked, and yielded enormously, still present immense wealth, with no signs of their being exhausted. The soil of Guerrero has been pronounced, by a Spanish mineralogist as one extensive crust of silver and gold. This seems like exaggeration, yet it has in a mefisure proved to be true in the immense deposits there found. In Sinaloa the wate>«^ have submerged rich treasures, some of which have been rediscovered.

The states of Zacatecas, Sonora, Chihuahua, Durango, San Luis Potosi, Hidalgo, Mexico, and Michoacan contain within their mountain ranges veins of gold and silver in inexhaustible riches. Although the best portion of the mineral district lies in the northern states of the republic, yet throughout its whole territory metaliferous deposits are found. Silver and gold are mostly worked, while the other metals and mineral substances, such as copper, iron, zinc, lead, magistral, antimony, arsenic, cobalt, amianthus, and copperas are almost neglected. The mountain of Popocatapetl is said to be one vast pile of sulphur. Salt mines are found at Penon Blanco, in San Luis Potosi, Tamaulipas, south of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, and in the islands of the Gulf of Cahfornia. The Lake of Texcoco and its adjacent lands possess an extensive supply of carbonate of soda. In every state there exist quarries of white and colored marble. The alabaster of Tecali, in the state of Puebla, has attracted great attention, and the extensive coal-fields, platina, and quicksilver mines all add to the wealth of this great territory. Precious stones are not unknown; the opal with as varied and beautiful hues as those of Hungary, the turquoise, garnet, topaz, agate, and amethyst besides, are found extensively in many places. Building stone of a great variety is plentiful, from which magnificent structures may be built. Aside from the amount of ores that are worked outside of the republic on account of the law permitting free exportation of mineral ores, the annual coinage in gold, silver, and copper is on an average of $20,500,000, and the whole umouut of coinage since the establishment of the mints up to 1875 being $3,001,237,281.62. In the colonial period (1537 to 1821): Silver, $2,082,260,657.44; gold, $68,778,- 411; copper, $542,893.37— total, $2,151,581,961.81. Since the independence, or establishment of the republic (1822 to 1875): Silver, $797,055,080.71; gold, $47,327,383.11"; copper, $5,272,855.93 — total, $849,655,319.84. Total silver, $2,879,315,738.21; gold, $116,105,794.11; copper, $5,815,- 740.30. Grand total, $3,001,237,281.62.

Within the last five years, since the investment of additional foreign capital, the amount additional, on the average of twenty and one-half millions a year as the lowest estimate, would reach $102,500,000 more, which would make the sum total in 1880, $3,103,737,281.62 as the amount coined by the republic of Mexico.

To show the increase of production, from the records of the mints, we herewith give the amount coined up to 1865, to compare with the amount coined in 1875, from of&cial records, the first being taken from "El Minero Mexicano" of December 2ud, 1880, and the second or latter from Cubas' valuable work, which he claims to have obtained from the records at the mints.

Amount of Money Coined in the Republic of Mexico from 1772 to 1865.

In the Mints of

BUver.

Gold.

Total.

Mexico

$2,168,836,764

1,821,545

15,626,400

12,795,505

35,294,581

28,288,333

164,591,216

48,745,584

910,927

204,234,941

2,063,958

1,661,249

959,116

$77,753,472

1,286,695

4,735,286

8,139,889

754,487

15,094,529

"236,120

650,008

2,311,104

* *20'3,534

$2,241,590,237

1,321,545

16,912,495

17,530,791

38,434,470

29,0-42,820

179,685,746

48,745,684

1,147,046

204,784,949

4,376,062

1,651,249

1,162,650

Catorce

Chihuahua

Culiacan

Durango

Guadalajara .j.

Guanajuato

San Luis Potosi

Oaxaca

Zacatecas

Guadalupe y Calvo

Sombrerete

!rialpam

$2,680,220,119

$106,064,534

$2,786,284,654

1876 — ^Total amount coined from 1772. 1866— " " deducted

Increase in 10 years

(or about $21,495,262.76 cents annually.)

$214,952,627 62

The average annual production of the mines of Sonora, from 1835 to 1842, was given by Francisco Velasco at a rough estimate of 11,500,000 annually, or 110,500,000 during the period of seven years. In 1828, Don Juan M. Eiesago estimated the annual production at |2,000,000.

The laws originally demanded that all bullion should be brought to Mexico to be coined, and the cost of carrying v^as so great that the rich mines in these- border States became almost neglected by capitalists, and the poorer ones nearest to Mexico City were mostly worked. This resulted in the smuggHng of bullion out of the mines in the northern states of the republic, and no record could be kept at the mints, of those mines — ^in fact, there are no reliable records that give any account of the exports of bulhon either from Mazatlan or Guaymas, although sonie records exist covering the last few years; while it is well known that the mines in those States have been extensively worked in certain localities for over a century.

Lo-wer California.

This embraces a territory or peninsula, washed on its western shores by the Pacific Ocean, and east by the Gulf of California. Its area is over 60,000 square miles. Its capital is La Paz, which is the principal town. The whole of the center is traversed by a volcanic range of mountains of the Sierra Nevada. It is bounded on the north by California and north-east by the Colorado Eiver, dividing it from Sonora.

The soil is generally not productive, though, at the base of the mountains and in small valleys, where the decomposition of lava has been going on for ages, it possesses an incredible fecundity. The formation of the whole State is volcanic, and the coast subject to storms. The scarcity of rivers bars much of its prosperity.

The productions are maize, manioc, wheat, beans, etc. ; grapes, from which wine of a very rich flavor is produced; oranges, limes, lemons, citrons, prunes, dates, figs, pineapples, bananas, plantains, and other tropical fruits; stock of various kinds graze in the valleys, consisting of horses, sheep, cattle, goats and hogs. Fish, in its waters, abound to a great extent, such as halibut, salmon, turbot, skate, pilchard, large oysters, thornback, mackerel, cod, lobsters, etc., and pearl oysters.

The pearl fishery is much pursued at La Paz. In this region, a gold mine has been worked to some extent. There are about 80 towns in the state, six bays on the east coast and ten on the west, twelve islands in the gulf, and eight west of the coast.

The territory of Lower California is divided into eight municipalities — La Paz, San Jose de Comondu, Mulege, Santo Tomas, San Antonio, Todos Santos, Santiago, San Jos^ del Cabo. Population, 25,000.

La Paz, the capital, has about 3,000 inhabitants

This territory is about to be colonized, as we learn from the " Diario Official ' that a contract has been signed by the Acting Secretary of Public Works, in virtue whereof, Messrs. J. Kelly & Co., of Mazat'an, engage themselves to colonize 36 000 hectares of public lands in Lower California.

lY

The Climate of the Table Lands of the Northern Part of Mexico.

The altitude of the table lands of Mexico has a marked eflect upon the climate. In the summer the thermometer records a mean temperature of 85 degrees at El Paso, 3800 feet above the sea. It sometimes reaches 105 degrees in July. The constant breezes, however, make the heat more bearable. In December — the middle of the winter season — the mean temperature is about 48 degrees, the mfercury falling sometimes to 5 degrees below zero. ' Snow falls sometimes two feet in depth, and ice forms a solid sheet on the Rio Grande, andthe streams are sometimes frozen to a considerable depth, strong enough to bear a heavy mule team and loaded wagon. The frosts are severe, therefore, and grapevines at El Paso and other points have to be protected by burying in the earth from eighteen inches to two feet beneath the surface. The Eio Grande generally freezes so as to make the fording an impossibility during the coldest weather. The whole of the table lands is subject to extremely cold weather, and travelers not only often sufter severely but actually perish from the cold when not carefully protected. In the mining region of Jesus Maria, in Chihuahua, the ice frequently forms to a considerable thickness in the houses. The rainfall reaches from six to fourteen and fifteen inches, and when accompanied by sleet and snow makes traveling anything but pleasant in the face of some of the winter storms that sweep over the elevated plains. Travelers recount some very disagreeable experiences in midwinter traveling. Mr. Ruxton speaks of riding through one of these storms when his blanket, used as a protection against the storm, froze stiff and hard as a board while he he was in the midst of a storm of sleet and rain. His feet were frozen, and he came near perishing. Stopping and squatting upon the ground, having lost his way in the night, he drew his blanket around him as best he could, and remained till near morning in that position, with his blanket over his head. He says that before morning he was completely snowed in, the snow being over his head on a level. From this we should judge that the cHmate of these table lauds may be said to be somewhat similar to the climate of the Mississippi Valley, bordering Illinois, Indiana and Iowa. The statement, therefore, that the chmate of Mexico is tropical will not apply to these table lands. In most of tFe mining regions of this portion of Mexico snow falls and ice forms. 2