St. Juan del Rio, south of Lake Parras, 10,200 souls.
Saltillo, situated to the west of Monterey, in New Leon, on a barren dry soil; 6000 people.
Pasquaro, south of Rio de Nasas; 5600.
Batopilas, west of Rio Conchos, 8000, formerly a place of great repute for its mines.
Parral the seat of a council of mines, 5000, and the mining station of Guirisamey, 3800.
The population of this government is concentrated entirely in these towns and in the mining stations, as in New Mexico, the warlike Indians rendering this method of living necessary; even the forts are well peopled, as the settlers choose to live under their protection, in preference to possessing large tracts of land at a distance from any defence.
INTENDANCY OF SAN LUIS POTOSI.
The intendancy of San Luis Potosi, comprises the provinces of Coaguila, New Leon, Texas, and the colonies of New Santander; and forms the western captain-generalship of the interior provinces.
It is bounded on the north by desart countries, inhabited by tribes of wandering Indians; by the Bolson de Mapimi, an unconquered desart on the west, as well as by part of New Biscay and Zacatecas; on the south by the intendancies of Guanaxuato, Mexico, and Vera Cruz. On the east its limits are not defined; by the Spaniards they are considered to reach to the river Mexicano or Mermento, between the sixty-fifth and sixty-sixth degrees of west longitude, but the American congress deny this being the boundary of Louisiana, and extend their claims as far as the bay of St. Bernardo.