Puebla de los Angelos, 70 miles ESE. of Mexico, is situated on a plain elevated upwards of 7,000 feet above the level of the sea. The streets are wide and straight, and

the houses mostly of stone, elegant and lofty.

Guanaxuato, 140 miles NW. of Mexico, is famous for its silver mines, which are the richest in the world.

Zacatecas, 240 miles NNW. of Mexico, is situated in a very mountainous country, and has very rich silver mines. Vera Cruz, on the Gulf of Mexico, is the port through which almost all the commerce between Europe and Mexico is carried on. }

Acapulco, 240 miles S. of Mexico, is the principal port on the Pacific ocean.

Population. The population was computed, in 1820, at 7 or 8 millions, more than one third civilized Indians. Religion. The religion is Roman Catholic. The higher clergy are very rich. The archbishop of Mexico has a yearly income of 130,000 dollars.

Education. There is a university in the city of Mexico, composed of 150 doctors in all the faculties. There are also colleges in several places.

Rivers. Mexico suffers in many parts for the want of water and navigable rivers. The largest rivers are the del Norte, which flows into the gulf of Mexico, and the Colorado and Gila, which flow into the Pacific ocean.

Face of the country. A remarkable peculiarity of the country is its great elevation. The lands on both coasts are low. Thence there is a gradual ascent till the country attains the elevation of 6,000 or 8,000 feet above the level of the ocean, when it spreads out into extensive plains, called table land. This elevated land is estimated to comprise three fifths of the whole country. On these plains, mountains occasionally rise, whose tops are cover ed with perpetual snow.

Mountains. The Cordilleras of Mexico are the highest mountains in North America. Popocatepetl, the most elevated summit, is 17,710 feet above the level of the sea.

Climate. The climate on the sea coast is hot, and in general unhealthy. On the table land at the elevation of 4, or 5,000 feet, the air is very mild and salubrious; at the elevation of upwards of 7,000 feet, it becomes cold

Mines. Mexico is celebrated for its silver mines, which are said to yield ten times as much silver as is obtained from all the mines in Europe. The 3 principal mines are Guanaxuato, Catorce, and Zacatecas. The whole annual produce of the gold and silver mines is estimated in favourable years, at upwards of 30 million dollars.

Soil and Productions Much of the soil is very fertile. The productions consist of maize, wheat, sugar, indigo, tobacco, agave, fruits of different kinds, bananas, manioc, vanilla, cocoa, cochineal, logwood, and mahogany.

History. Mexico was subdued by the Spaniards under Cortez in 1521, and it has since been a province of Spain, governed by a viceroy. In 1821, it declared itself inde pendent.

Population. This country is said to be the most popu lous part of Spanish America, and to contain 1,200,000 in

habitants.

Chief towns. Guatimala, the capital of the country, is situated near the Pacific ocean, and has a good harbour. It is a magnificent place, adorned with churches and monasteries, and contains a university, and about 20,000 inhabitants.

Rivers and Lakes. The rivers are numerous, but small, The lakes are those of Nicaragua and Leon.

Face of the country. The country is mountainous, and there are as many as 20 volcanoes, some of them terrific. Soil and Productions. The soil is generally very fertile, and the productions are similar to those of Mexico. In some three crops of maize are produced in a year The bay of Honduras is celebrated for log-wood and mahogany, Climate. The climate is, in some parts, sultry, hot, and unhealthy; in others agreeable and salubrious. It is bet ter in the western parts than in the eastern.

CARIBBEAN ISLANDS.

WEST INDIES.

The West India Islands are divided into several groups. The most considerable islands are exhibited in the following table.

Lesser Antilles.

14,000 Asuncion
8,500 Curaçoa

Margarita Curaçoa Buen Ayre Possessors. Of the above islands, St. Domingo is inde pendent; Cuba and Porto Rico belong to Spain; St. Thomas and Santa Cruz to Denmark; Guadaloupe, Martinico, and Mariegalante to France; St. Eustatia, Curaçoa, and Buen Ayre to Netherlands; St. Bartholomew to Sweden. Margarita forms a part of Venezuela; the remainder belong to Great Britain

Inhabitants. The population of the West Indies amounts to about 2,400,000; more than three-fourths blacks. The white inhabitants are mostly planters, many of them wealthy, having large plantations cultivated by slaves.

Principal Islands. The most considerable islands are the 4 Great Antilles, Cuba, St. Domingo, Jamaica, and Porto Rico.

St. Domingo, or Hispaniola, now called by the blacks Hayti, was formerly divided between France and Spain; but the blacks have driven out the white inhabitants, and established an independent government.

Chief towns. Havannah, the capital of Cuba. is situated on the north coast. It has one of the best harbours in the world, and is a place of great trade and opulence. Popu lation about 60,000.

St. Jago, in Cuba, and St. Juan, in Porto Rico, are large towns.

Kingston, the capital of Jamaica, is the principal town in the British West Indies. It has an excellent harbour, and a great commerce. Population 33,000.

St. Pierre, in Martinico, is the most considerable town in the French Islands.

Cape Henry, St. Domingo, and Port au Prince, are the principal towns in St. Domingo.

Climate. The climate is generally hot and unhealthy; but the heat is much tempered by sea and land breezes. Seasons The seasons are divided into wet and dry. The wet or rainy seasons are two, one in the spring, but the principal one is in autumn, when the quantity of rain is very great. Snow and ice are unknown.

Hurricanes. From the beginning of August to the latter end of September, these islands are subject to dreadful hurricanes, which rage with great fury, and often do extensive injury.-Earthquakes and violent thunder and lightning are also common.

Soil. The soil of most of the islands is very fertile.

Productions. The most important production is the sugar cane, which affords great quantities of sugar, also rum and molasses. Other productions are coffee, colton, ginger, indigo, pimento, cocoa, tobacco, &c.; also excellent fruits, as oranges, lemons, limes, pomegranates, pine apples, melons, &c. The mountains abound in valuable trees, as cedars, lignumvitæ, and mahogany.

SOUTH AMERICA.

Divisions. South America includes New Grenada, Venezuela, Peru, Chili, Buenos Ayres, Guiana, and Patagonia.

Political condition. New Grenada, Venezuela, Peru, Chili, and Buenes Ayres, have long been provinces of Spain, but have lately declared themselves independent. All of them, except Peru, have formed republican gov

ernments.

Brazil, which includes Amazonia, belongs to Portugal. A part of Guiana, is included in Venezuela and a part in Brazil; the remainder is divided between the Dutch, English, and French.

Patagonia is inhabited by independent Indians.

Population. The population, exclusive of independent Indians, is estimated at about 10 millions. The inhabitants are composed of various races, as whites, civilized Indians, Negroes, Mestizos, Mulattoes, and Samboes.

The civilized, or subdued Indians, are numerous and many of them are slaves. The Mestizos are descendants of the whites and Indians, and the Samboes of the Indians