’Tis needless to be particular in describing the Birds and Beasts of this Country; they having been so often done by others, I shall only say, they have enough for Provisions, Mexico Described. and many of both sorts unknown to us. ’Tis the like as to their Fruits and Plants, which serve them for Food and Physick; but I have not room to be particular.
Mexico is the Capital City of this vast rich Country, and lies in N. Lat. 19. 40. in the Middle of a Valley, which is 14 Spanish Leagues long, and 7 broad, encompass’d by a Ridge of Mountains. The City is surrounded by a Lake, and is square, with long, wide, and well pav’d Streets, cross one another. ’Tis 2 Leagues round, and the Diameter half a League. There are 5 Causeys or Banks through the Lake into the City, which vies with the best in Italy for noble Structures and beautiful Women, who prefer Europeans to their own Country-men; this occasions irreconcilable Prejudices betwixt them, so that an European can scarce pass the Streets without being insulted. The Inhabitants are about 100000, the major part Blacks, and Mulatto’s, because of the vast Number of Slaves carried thither. Europeans seldom marry there, because finding no way to get real Estates, they generally become Clergymen, which takes up most of those that come from Old Spain. There are 22 Nunneries and 29 Friaries of several Orders within the City, and all richer than they ought to be, says Gemelli. The Cathedral is exceeding rich, maintains 10 Canons, 5 dignify’d Priests, 6 Demi-Canons, 6 half Demi-Canons, 1 Chief Sacristain, 4 Curates, 12 Royal Chaplains, and 8 others chosen by the Chapter, besides many others nam’d by the King. The Revenue of the Cathedral is 300000 Pieces of Eight per Annum. The Climate here is uncertain, as through all the Country, being for most part both cold and hot at the same time, viz. cold in the Shade, and hot in the Sun, but is never excessive either way; yet the Inhabitants complain of the Cold in the Mornings, and of the Heat from March till July; from thence to September the Rains cool the Air, and from that time till March the Rains are but small. The Indians reckon those Nights cold, but the Europeans like the Climate well enough. Their Water is very cool. The neighbouring Country produces 3 Harvests per Ann. one in June, the 2d in October, and the 3d uncertain, as the Weather proves. Maiz or Indian Corn is their chief Grain, the earliest being sow’d in March, the latest in May. It yields a wonderful Increase, and other Provisions being plentiful, one may live well here for half a Piece of Eight per Day, and all the Year round there’s Fruit and Flowers in the Market. There’s no Brass Money here, and the least Piece of Silver is Three-pence; so that they buy Herbs and small Fruit with Cocoa Nuts, 60 or 70 of which, as the Time goes, are valu’d at 6d. I cannot insist on the particular Description of the Churches and Monasteries. The Archbishop has 11 Suffragans under him, whose Revenues in all amount to 5160000 Pieces of Eight. The Cathedral founded by Fernando Cortez, who conquer’d this Country, was not finished in 1697. ’tis carried on at the King’s Charge. They have admirable Conveyances to let the Water run out of the Lake by Canals, to prevent its overflowing the City, as sometimes it has done. The Expence of these Canals is so prodigious, that it seems incredible; the Curious may find it in Gemelli, as also an Account of the Royal Palace and other Structures. I say nothing of the fabulous Accounts which the Natives give of the Foundation of this City.
The present Habit generally wore by the Natives of this Country is a short Doublet and wide Breeches, a Cloak of several Colours on their Shoulders, which they cross under the Right Arm, and tye on the Left Shoulder by the 2 Ends in a great Knot: Some wear Sandals, the rest go bare footed and bare-legg’d, and all wear their Hair long, which they will by no means part with. The Women wear a fine white Cotton Cloth, and under it a thing like a Sack; they wear another upon their Backs, with which they cover their Heads when abroad or in Church. The Natives adorn their narrow Coats with Figures of Beasts, Birds and Feathers. Both Sexes are of a dark Colour, but endeavour to make themselves fair with pounded Herbs. They daub their Heads with thin Clay, to refresh them, and make their Hair black. The Mestizzo, Mullatto, and black Women, are most in Number, but not being allow’d to wear Veils, or the Spanish Habit, and despising the Indian Garb, they wear a thing like a Petticoat a-cross their Shoulders, or on their Heads, which makes ’em look like so many Devils. The Blacks and Mullattoes are very insolent, and so much increas’d, that if it ben’t prevented, they may at one time or other endanger the Country. The Indians of most Parts of Mexico are nothing so industrious as formerly, and the Spaniards say they are cowardly, cruel, Thieves, Cheats, and so beastly, that they use Women in common, without regard to the nearest Relations, lie on the bare Ground, and are nasty in their Way of living, which perhaps may proceed from the Slavery they are kept under, being worse treated than those
Mexico Described.
in the Mines. He adds that there’s scarce one fair dealing Man to be found among 100 Mullattoes.
Acapulco lies in Lat. 17. bating some few Minutes, he says it is rather like a poor Village of Fishermen, than fit to be the chief Mart of the South Sea, and Port for China. The Houses are mean, built of Wood, Mud and Straw, it is cover’d by high Mountains on the East side, and very subject to Distempers from November till the End of May, during which time they have no Rain, or very little. ’Tis as hot here in January, as in our Dog-days; they are much pester’d with Gnats and Earthquakes. He observes that it never rains in New Spain in a Morning. This Town is dirty, and ill furnish’d with Provisions, so that a Man can scarce live for a Piece of Eight per Day. Most of the Inhabitants are Blacks and Mullattoes, for the Spanish Merchants are gone as soon as their Business is over at the Fair, for Goods brought hither from China and Peru. It has nothing good but the Harbour, which is surrounded with High Mountains, and the Ships are moar’d to Trees that grow on the Shore. It has two Mouths, the small one at N.W. and the great at S.E. The Mouth is defended by 42 Brass Cannon. The Castellan, who is chief Magistrate during the Fair, has 20000 Pieces of 8, from the Duties paid in the Harbour, and the Comptroller and other Officers as much; the Curate has 14000 per Ann. tho’ the King allows him but 180, but he exacts terribly on Baptisms and Burials, so that he will scarce bury a rich Merchant under 1000. The Trade of this Place being for many Millions, every one, in his Profession gets a great deal in a short time; for a Black will scarce work for less than a Piece of 8 per diem, All the Dependance of the Inhabitants is on the Port, which also maintains the Hospitals, Monasteries and Missionaries.
During the Fair, this Town resembles a populous City, because of the great Concourse of Merchants from Peru and Mexico; then the miserable Huts, in which there was nothing before but a few nasty Mullattoes, are fill’d with gay Spaniards, and rich Merchants, and the very Porters do generally earn 3 Pieces of 8 per Diem, by loading and unloading of Goods, &c. but when this Trade is over, the Porters make a sort of a Funeral, carry one of their Number about upon a Bier, and pretend to bewail his Death, because their Harvest for Gain is then at an End, till the next Year.
I shall not here say any thing further of the Seaports of Mexico, because the Reader will find them in the Appendix, which gives a full Account of all the noted Harbours in the South Sea, but shall add, that the Trade of Mexico, on this Coast, is very little, compar’d with that of Peru, because those of the former have their Goods brought to their chief Ports in the N. Sea, directly from Europe; so that except when the two Ships come yearly from Manila to Acapulco, they have little Commerce in this Sea. I must here observe, that the Ships which come from Manila use to be much richer than our Prize; for she waited a long time for the Chinese Junks to bring Silk, which not arriving, she came away with a Cargo mix’d with abundance of coarse Goods. The Prisoners told me, that the Manila Ship did often return from Acapulco, with 10 Millions of Dollars, and that the Officers never clear’d less than from 20 to 30000 Dollars each in a Voyage; and the Captain, whom they call General, seldom got less than 150 or 200000 Pieces of 8; so that it would have been an extraordinary Prize, could we have met with them at the Time.