3. The administration of Mexico[IV'-5] lies between 21° 30´ and 16° 30´ N. lat., and 99° and 105° W. long., and is bounded south by the South Sea, east by the governments of La Puebla and La Vera Cruz, north by that of St. Louis, and west by Valladolid and Guanaxuato. Its greatest length, north and south, may be 360 miles, and its greatest width, which is on the Western Ocean, is 200 miles. Its population may be estimated at 1,500,000 souls. The capital of this administration, and of the whole kingdom, is Mexico; a particular description of which is deemed unnecessary. From every information I could obtain from persons who had resided in it for years, it does not contain more than 200,000 inhabitants. Its being the residence of the viceroy, whose court is more splendid than that at Madrid; its central position as to the ports of Acapulco and Vera Cruz; together with the rich and luxuriant vale which surrounds it, will, whenever the Spanish Americans burst the present bonds of slavery in which they are bound, give to Mexico all those advantages which great wealth, a large population, and a commanding situation concentrate, and assuredly make it one of the greatest cities in the world. In point of population, it is now in the second rank, and in beauty, riches, magnificence, and splendor, in the first.
4. The administration of Oxaca [Oaxaca or Oajaca[IV'-6]] lies between 18° and 16° N. lat., and 98° and 112° W. long., and is bounded south by the South Sea, west by the government of La Puebla, north by Mexico and Vera Cruz, and east by the province of Gualamalia [Guatemala]. Its greatest length, east and west, is 230 miles, and its width, north and south, 175 miles. Its population may be estimated at 520,000 souls. Its capital is Oxaca, in 17° 30´ N. lat., 99° 25´ W. long.
5. The administration of Vera Cruz[IV'-7] lies between 17° and 22° N. lat., and 98° and 101° W. long., and is bounded north and east by the gulf of Mexico, south by Oxaca, west by Puebla and Mexico. Its greatest length, N. W. and S. E., is 430 miles, and its width, E. and W., not more than 60 miles. Its population may be estimated at 220,000. Its capital is Vera Cruz, which is the sole port of entry for all the kingdom on the Atlantic ocean, as that of Acapulco is on the Western. Its population may be estimated at 30,000 souls, and is in 19° 10´ N. lat. and 98° 30´ W. long. This city was taken and sacked by the English on the 17th of May, 1683, since which the works for its defense [present Castle of San Juan de Ulúa] have been made so very strong as almost to bid defiance to an attack from the sea.
6. The administration de la Puebla[IV'-8] lies between 20° and 16° N. lat., and 100° and 102° W. long., and is bounded south by the South sea, east by Oxaca and Vera Cruz, north and west by Mexico; it is near 300 miles in its greatest length from north to south, and 120 in its greatest width from east to west. Its population may be estimated at 800,000 souls. Its capital is the city of La Puebla, estimated at 80,000 souls, which is in 19° 12´ N. lat., and 100° 50´ W. long.
7. The administration of Guanaxuato [or Guanajuato[IV'-9]] lies between 21° 30´ and 23° 30´ N. lat., and 103° and 105° W. long., and is bounded south by Valladolid, east by Mexico, south by St. Louis [and] Zacataca, and west by Guadalaxara. Its greatest extent, from north to south, is 75 miles, and from east to west, 85. Its population may be estimated at 500,000 souls. Its capital city is Guanaxuato, in lat. 21° N., long. 103° W.
8. The administration of Zacataca [Zacatecas[IV'-10]] lies between 21° 20´ and 24° 52´ N. lat., and 103° and 105° 30´ W. long., and is bounded north by the internal province of Biscay, east by St. Louis, west by Guadalaxara, and south by Guanaxuato. Its greatest length is 210 miles, north and south, and its greatest width is 145 miles, from east to west. Its population may be estimated at 250,250 souls. The capital, Zacataca, stands in 23° N. lat. and 104° W. long.
9. The administration of St. Louis [San Luis Potosí[IV'-11]] lies between 21° 20´ and 28° 50´ N. lat., and 99° and 102° W. long., includes Texas and St. Ander [Nuevo Santander] in this dimension, and is bounded north by New Leon, east by the province of St. Ander, south by Guanaxuato and Mexico, and west by Zacataca. Its greatest length from north to south is 200, and its width from east to west is 170 miles. Its population may be estimated at 311,500 souls. Its capital is St. Louis de Potosi, the population of which is 60,000; it stands in 22° N. lat., 103° W. long., and was founded in 1568 [1576].
II. The province of Nuevo San Ander [Santander[IV'-12]] is bounded north by the province of Texas, west by Nuevo Leon and Cogquillo [Coahuila], south by St. Louis, and east by the Atlantic Ocean; from north to south it is about 500 miles in length, but from east to west not more than 150. Its population may be estimated at 38,000 souls. The capital, New San Ander [Nuevo Santander], is on the river of that name [also known as the Rio Jimenez, and Rio de las Palmas], about 40 miles from the sea, in 23° 45´ N. lat. and 101° W. long.
III. The kingdom of New Leon [Nuevo Leon[IV'-13]] is bounded east by New San Ander, north by Cogquilla, west by Biscay, and south by St. Louis and Zacataca; its greatest length north and south is 250 miles; width, east and west, 100 miles. Its population may be estimated at 30,000 souls. Its capital, Mont El Rey [Monterey], is situated on the headwaters of Tiger river, which discharges into the gulf of Mexico. The city of Mont El Rey contains about 11,000 souls, and is the seat of the bishop, Don Dio Premiro, who visited the port of Natchitoches when it was commanded by Captain Turner, of the 2d U. S. regiment of infantry. His episcopal jurisdiction extends over Nuevo San Ander, New Leon, Cogquilla, and Texas, and his salary is equal to $100,000 per annum. Mont El Rey is situated in 26° N. lat. and 102° W. long. There are many rich mines near the city of Mont El Rey, whence, I am informed, there are taken to be coined 100 mule-loads of bullion in silver and gold monthly, which may be presumed to be not more than the three-fifths of what is taken from the mines, as there are many persons who prefer never getting their metal coined, as then it is not so easily ascertained what they are worth, which is an all-important secret in a despotic government.
The foregoing nine administrations or intendencias, the province of Nuevo San Ander, and the kingdom of [Nuevo] Leon, are included in the two audiences of Guadalaxara and Mexico, and form, as I believe, the whole political government of the viceroy of Mexico; but I am not positive whether his jurisdiction does not include the audience of Guatimalia [Guatemala], which lies to the south, and includes the province of that name, that of Chiapa [Chiapas], Yucatan, Veraqua [Veragua], Costa Rica, and Honduras. An audience is the high court of appeals in which the viceroy presides and has two votes; it is intended as a check on his power and authority.