source, from thence to the source of the Platte river, in 42° N. latitude, and thence almost due W., till it strike the coast of the Pacific at Cape Mendocino, in 40° 29′ N. lat. and 124° 24′ 3′′ W., all S. of these points being included in Spanish America, agreeably to the treaty of 1821, which fixed the above boundary lines. For a long time the viceroys of Mexico affected to regard the whole N.W. coast of America as comprehended within their government, making New Spain border on Tartary and Greenland. On the W. the shores of Mexico are washed by the Pacific; and on the S., the boundaries are the Pacific, and a line drawn from the port of Tehuantepec to the Bay of Honduras. The breadth of this country is very irregular. It is contracted to 130 British miles, in the isthmus of Tehuantepec; but gradually expands to the breadth of 280 British miles, between Acapulco and Vera Cruz. From thence, the isthmus of New Spain gradually swells in width, till it joins the main land of North America, in N. lat. 29°, increasing from 300 miles to 600, in the parallel of 20° N. lat., -to 725 miles in the parallel of 26°, between the mouth of the Rio del Norte and the eastern shore of the gulf of California,―to upwards of 900 miles in the parallel of 28°,—and 1,200 miles in that of 30°. The greatest inland breadth is in 33° N. lat., namely, from 94° E. long. to 118° W., or 1,400 British miles. From thence it gradually diminishes to 900 British miles, between the parallels of 37° and 41° N. lat., or from the hamlet of Taos, to Monterey; and from the Snowy mountains that divide the course of the Rio del Norte from the Arkansaw, to Cape Mendocino, on the Pacific ocean.

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From the irregularity of its form, the sinuosity of its coast, and the deep indentings of its numerous gulfs and bays, it is impossible, without a very minute survey, to determine with precision the superficial contents of Mexico. Humboldt estimated the superficies as follows: Guatimala, including Nicaraand Vera Paz, 26,152 square leagues,—the Viceroyalty of Mexico Proper, including the Californias, 51,289 square leagues,—the internal provinces, vulgarly denominated New Mexico, 67,189 square leages: total, 144,630 square leagues of 25 to the degree, or 1,108,998 B. square miles. It is to be observed, however, that Humboldt does not include in his statement the space occupied by the gulf of California, which embraces at least a space of 100,000 square miles, nor the vast tract of unexplored and unoccupied country to the N. of Sonora, and extending from the mouth of the Colorado, in the head of the Californian gulf, and from the mountains of New California, to the Snowy mountains. This tract is at least 630 B. miles from N. to S.; and from 600 to 840 from E. to W., for the greatest part of its extent northwards: so that the superficies cannot be much short of 300,000 B. square miles. Neither is the unexplored tract to the N.W. of the province of Texas, and extending S.W. from the upper valley of the Arkansaw to the range of Namhi and the Rio del Norte, containing at least 100,000 square miles, included in Humboldt's statement, which merely

"The N. W. coast of America," says Humboldt, "furnishes to this day no other stable settlements than Russian and Spanish colonies. Before the inhabitants of the United States, in their progressive movement from east to west, could reach the shore between the latitude of 410 and 500, that long separated the Spanish monks and the Siberian hunters, the latter had established themselves south of the river Columbia. Thus, in New California, the missionaries of San Francisco, men estimable for their morals and their agricultural activity, learnt with astonishment that Greek priests had arrived in their neighbourhood; and that two nations who inhabit the eastern and western extremities of Europe were become neighbours on a coast of America opposit to China."

source, from thence to the source of the Platte river, in 42° N. latitude, and thence almost due W., till it strike the coast of the Pacific at Cape Mendocino, in 40° 29′ N. lat. and 124° 24′ 3′′ W., all S. of these points being included in Spanish America, agreeably to the treaty of 1821, which fixed the above boundary lines. For a long time the viceroys of Mexico affected to regard the whole N.W. coast of America as comprehended within their government, making New Spain border on Tartary and Greenland. On the W. the shores of Mexico are washed by the Pacific; and on the S., the boundaries are the Pacific, and a line drawn from the port of Tehuantepec to the Bay of Honduras. The breadth of this country is very irregular. It is contracted to 130 British miles, in the isthmus of Tehuantepec; but gradually expands to the breadth of 280 British miles, between Acapulco and Vera Cruz. From thence, the isthmus of New Spain gradually swells in width, till it joins the main land of North America, in N. lat. 29o, increasing from 300 miles to 600, in the parallel of 20° N. lat.,-to 725 miles in the parallel of 26°, between the mouth of the Rio del Norte and the eastern shore of the gulf of California, to upwards of 900 miles in the parallel of 28°,—and 1,200 miles in that of 30°. The greatest inland breadth is in 33° N. lat., namely, from 94° E. long. to 118" W., or 1,400 British miles. From thence it gradually diminishes to 900 British miles, between the parallels of 37° and 41° N. lat., or from the hamlet of Taos, to Monterey; and from the Snowy mountains that divide the course of the Rio del Norte from the Arkansaw, to Cape Mendocino, on the Pacific ocean.

From the irregularity of its form, the sinuosity of its coast, and the deep indentings of its numerous gulfs and bays, it is impossible, without a very minute survey, to determine with precision the superficial contents of Mexico. Humboldt estimated the superficies as follows: Guatimala, including Nicaragua and Vera Paz, 26,152 square leagues,-the Viceroyalty of Mexico Proper, including the Californias, 51,289 square leagues,-the internal provinces, vulgarly denominated New Mexico, 67,189 square leages: total, 144,630 square leagues of 25 to the degree, or 1,108,998 B. square miles. It is to be observed, however, that Humboldt does not include in his statement the space occupied by the gulf of California, which embraces at least a space of 100,000 square miles, nor the vast tract of unexplored and unoccupied country to the N. of Sonora, and extending from the mouth of the Colorado, in the head of the Californian gulf, and from the mountains of New California, to the Snowy mountains. This tract is at least 630 B. miles from N. to S.; and from 600 to 840 from E. to W., for the greatest part of its extent northwards: so that the superficies cannot be much short of 300,000 B. square miles. Neither is the unexplored tract to the N.W. of the province of Texas, and extending S.W. from the upper valley of the Arkansaw to the range of Namhi and the Rio del Norte, containing at least 100,000 square miles, included in Humboldt's statement, which merely

"The N. W. coast of America," says Humboldt, "furnishes to this day no other stable settlements than Russian and Spanish colouies. Before the inhabitants of the United States, in their progressive movement from east to west, could reach the shore between the latitude of 41° and 50°, that long separated the Spanish monks and the Siberian hunters, the latter had established themselves south of the river Columbia. Thus, in New California, the missionaries of San Francisco, men estimable for their morals and their agricultural activity, learnt with astonishment that Greek priests had arrived in their neighbourhood; and that two nations who inhabit the eastern and western extremities of Europe were become neighbours on a coast of America opposite to China."