This is one of the small but populous provinces of New Spain, and is situated on the great ridge of the Mexican Cordillera. Its length is fifty-two, and breadth thirty-one leagues. The highest land is the mountain De los Llanitos, 9325 feet above the sea.
The value of this province consists chiefly (although great part of it is very fertile) in its mines. They are the richest of North America, and exceed in produce and value that of Potosi in South America, or indeed, any mines in the world.
The population of this province consists of 517,300 souls, of which, 180,000 are Indians.
The cities of Guanaxuato are three in number, with four towns, thirty-seven villages, and numerous settlements.
Guanaxuato, or Santa Fé is the capital; it was founded in 1554. It is surrounded closely by the silver mines, six principal ones of which have been enumerated. The height of Guanaxuato is 6836 feet above the sea; some of the mines have their entrance shafts even higher, the one called Valenciana, having its mouth as high as 7856 feet above the level of the ocean.
In the city, and mining villages surrounding it, the population is estimated at 70,600; the other towns of most note are—
Salamanca, at the height of 5762 feet, Silao or Celaya, which has a very fine church, still higher, and Villa de Leon, celebrated for its neighbourhood producing fine maize and corn.
INTENDANCY OF MEXICO.
This province is the most important, though not the most extensive of those which form the viceroyalty of New Spain; its historical relations, its splendid capital, extraordinary and beautiful appearances and situation, give it, independently of its chief place being the metropolis of New Spain, an advantage over the other states of this widely extended region; we shall accordingly enter more at large into its history and description, than what the limits of this work will allow to be allotted to the other provinces.
Mexico is bounded on the north by the intendancy of San Luis Potosi, on the east by the province of Tlascala, or Puebla, and Vera Cruz, on the west by Mechoacan, or Valladolid, and Guanaxuato, and on the south by the Pacific Ocean. The government of the royal audience, in the capital, is the richest and most extensive of the three royal audiences established in North America.