Towns and Villages.
The chief Towns of the Province are 1. Tlascalla it self, which denominates the whole Countrey as the Metropolis, and where the Bishop’s See was at first, till in the Year 1550. it was remov’d to Puebla de los Angelos. It is a fair Town, and commodiously seated in the midst of a large and fertile Champain of threescore Miles in compass. It consisteth of four large and beautiful Streets or Quarters, and in the midst of them where they all meet, hath a Piazza, or Market-place, equal to that of Mexico, and able to receive twenty or thirty thousand Persons conveniently, to Buy and Sell in it; and whose Shambles seldom shew less than fifteen thousand Sheep, four thousand Oxen, and two thousand Hogs.
2. Puebla de los Angelos, or The City of Angels, a Town built by Sebastian Ramirez, a Church-man, and he that was the first President, or chief Governor of Mexico, under the Crown of Castile. It was built in the Year 1531. almost in the Road-way from Vera Crux to Mexico, and seated in a very delicate and fertile Countrey, and of a good Air. It is a Bishop’s See, and valu’d at twenty thousand Ducats of yearly Rent, the City it self suppos’d to contain about fifteen hundred Families; where there is abundance of excellent Cloth made, and for fineness not yielding to the best of Spain. Its chief Edifices are, the Cathedral and four stately Cloysters, belonging to the Dominicans, Franciscans, Augustines, and Capuchins; as also a Free-School for five hundred Indian Children, endow’d by Ramirez with a yearly Revenue.
3. Zempoallan, seated upon a River of the same Name.
4. Napalaca, in the Valley Ocumba, ows its original to an Indian call’d Juan, who at first had onely one House, and a Herd of Hogs there, till upon his invitation, all the neighboring People came from the tops of the Hills; insomuch, that in a short time, the place was Peopled by thousands of Families.
5. Guaxacingo, all hitherto great and ancient Towns of the Natives.
6. Segura de la Frontera, a Spanish Town, built by Cortez presently upon the Conquest of Mexico, for the securing of the Confines, as the Name importeth.
7. Vera Crux, a Town built by Cortez and his Companions, at their first Landing, and where afterwards, by a Stratagem, and out of a resolution either to Conquer or Die in the Countrey, he caus’d all his Ships to be burnt, that his Soldiers might not so much as think of returning back from whence they came. The Town was at first built five or six Leagues up within Land; but the place being found not to be so healthful, the Inhabitants in a short time deserted it, and seated themselves upon a Bay of the Sea, right over against St. John D’ Ullua.
8. Medellin, another Spanish Town, built likewise by Cortez, in memory of his own Birth-place, which was Medellin, a small Town of Estramadura, a Province of Spain, but was afterwards destroy’d by some Spanish Commanders, out of malice to Cortez.
Lastly, St. John D’ Ullua, a noted, and the most usual Port to all this Province, and likewise to the City of Mexico it self, from the North Sea: but of difficult entrance, especially to such as are not well acquainted with the Passage, or want Guides, by reason of certain Rocks and Quicksands, wherewith the Mouth of the Haven is said to be bar’d; but within, the station is more safe. It hath likewise two strong Bulwarks or Forts rais’d, on either side of the Entrance one, to defend the Passage; besides a strong Castle, built since Captain John Hawkins surpris’d twelve Ships richly Laden within the Haven, and thirteen others that arriv’d with a new Vice-Roy from Spain, valu’d at near sixty Tun of Gold, of which he might easily have made Prize, had he not trusted to the Vice-Roys Promise, to give him all satisfaction he should require, by which being deceiv’d, he lost all his Fleet but two Ships.