Meteorological Observations made by Captain Pike during a Tour through the Internal Provinces of New Spain, in the year 1807.[III'-24]

Date.[Réaumur's] Thermometer.Sky.Wind.
sun-rise.3 p. m.sun-set.Course.Force.
Mar. 34........cloudy and snowWfresh
41....2snowEdo.
54........clearN Wgentle
6........2cloudy and snowNdo.
71........hailN....
8........3cloudyW....
93....4clearW....
100....6hail and snowS W....
111....6....Wfresh
123....3....Wgentle
131............Nfresh
143....6cloudyS W....
150....6....W....
167....2clearS Wgentle
17....7....E....
186....6....Efresh
192....7............
20................E....
219........clear and cold........
22............snow and hailS E....
23........................
242....6clearEgentle
25............do.........
261....6do.Egentle
271........do.Sfresh
282....8do.Sgentle
292....9....Nfresh
301144....N....
315....11....Wgentle
Apr. 4131615............
5141715....S....
6151614............
7131516cloudy........
8141617............
9131715............
10141614............
11151815............
12131917............
13141718light snow........
14151915............
15142018............
16131816............
17162015............
18171916............
19181815............
20151816............
21141315............
22161816............
23151919............
24131916............
25151916clear........
26141817............
27151917............
28141716............
29152420............
3015....20............
May 111....................
2122417............
3152316some rain........
4142417clear........
5172316....W....
61728½16....S....
7142915....S W....
8122715....W....
992620............
10112417....W....
11....25................
121527................
132720........E....
14103020....S W....
151132½....clearS E....
16....25....cloudyS....
17....2320some rain........
18292421½rain........
1920½....15cloudyEgentle
201324....some rain........
21....2219cloudy........
22....24....rainy morning........
23152315clearW....
24142221............
25162423............
26152322cloudy and rainW....
27142118rain........
28152315cloudyS....
2919........do.........
30....3020do.........
31222725do.S....
June 1172................
2....25....cloudyS E....
3....26................
4....30................

CHAPTER IV.
OBSERVATIONS ON NEW SPAIN.[IV'-1]

The kingdom of New Spain[IV'-2] lies between 16° and 44° N. lat., and 96° and 118° W. long. It is divided into two separate and independent governments, and these again into various subdivisions.

I. The viceroyalty includes:

1. The administration of Guadalaxara,[IV'-3] which lies between 18° 30´ and 24° 30´ N. lat., and 104° and 109° W. long., and is bounded south and west by the South Sea, north by the provinces of Biscay [Nueva Viscaya] and Sinaloa; N. E. by the administration of Zacatecas; E. by the administration of Guanaxuato, and S. E. by that of Valladolid. It is 350 miles in length from northwest to southeast, and 250 in width east and west. Its population may be estimated at 100,000. It is one of the most luxuriant and rich administrations in the viceroyalty; and is watered from east to west by the great river de Santego [Rio Grande de Santiago], which receives most of its waters from Lac [Lago] de Chapala. Guadalaxara, the capital, was built by one of the Gusman family in 1551, and in 1570 the bishopric was removed from Compostela to that place. It is the seat of the audience of Guadalaxara, which includes Guadalaxara and the administration of Zacatecas. The population of this city may be estimated at 75,000; it stands in N. lat. 20° 50´, W. long. 105°.

2. The administration of Valladolid[IV'-4] lies between 22° 10´ and 18° 12´ N. lat., and 102° and 105° W. long., and is bounded south by the South sea [Pacific ocean] and part of Mexico, east and northeast by the latter, and north by that of Guanaxuato. Its greatest length from northeast to southwest is 230 miles, and its greatest width, east and west, 190 miles. Its population may be estimated at 360,000. Its capital of the same name is situated in about 20° N. lat., 103° 25´´ W. long. Population unknown.