THE SPANISH DOMINIONS

IN NORTH AMERICA.

CHAPTER I.

HISTORICAL GEOGRAPHY.

BOUNDARIES. ORIGINAL POPULATION. HISTORICAL EPOCHS. ANTIQUITIES.

CONCERNING the Spanish possessions in South America, consi derable information may be derived from the travels and essays of Don Antonio de Ulloa, the writings of Bouguer and Condamine the French mathematicians, and more recently from two Germans, Dobvizhoffer and Helmes. But whether from a greater jealousy of possessions adjoining to those of the English, their most dreadful enemies, or from a combination of this or other causes, any recent and precise intelligence respecting their dominions in North America rarely appeare. The visionary ideas of the abbe Clavigero, who has pretended to build a Mexican history upon paintings and symbols of most doubtful interpretation, have enfeebled the credit to be lent to other parts of his tedious production; and even recent writers concerning Mexicof hav«

* I am fir from thinking, that the Mexican paintings and symbols are, in every instance, of such doubtful interpretation," as Mr. Pinkerton imagines they are. Recent discoveries in Mexico have unequivocally shown, that much dependence may be placed upon these symbols, &c. and it is not yet too late, from the monuments that are still preserved, to elucidate many important parts of the old Mexican history. The abbf Clavigero has undoubtedly fallen into some very essential errors; but his work is, nevertheless, a very important B.

'one.

The true pronunciation is Mtthiko, from the peauliar sound of the Spa

nish x.

been forced to borrow from Gage, and other authors of the seventeenth century. Amidst such a deplorable penury of materials, recourse must unavoidably be had to authorities which might in any other case be esteemed imperfect, dubious, or antiquated. Yet the Spanish dominions in North America are more important, in every respect, than those which they hold in the southern half of the new continent.

Bounnaries. In estimating the extent of these large and flourishing possessions it will be necessary, in the first place, to consider the boundaries. That towards the South East is decidedly the eastern boundary of Veragua, the last province of North America; consisting, according to Lopez, of a ridge, as already mentioned, called Sierras de Canatagua. Towards the north the Spaniards do not readily assent to a boundary :* but even according to the English maps it ascends to the Turtle lake, one of the sources of the Missisippi, since Louisiana was surrendered by France to Spain on the peace of 1763.f On the west the English specially claim the port of Sir Francis Drake; and mark the Spanish boundary at Fort St. Francisco, to the north of the town of Monterey. Upon the whole the scources of the Rio Bravo may be assumed as a medial boundary, as there are several small Spanish settlements to the north of Sante Fe, that is about latitude 39°30′while the southern boundary is about latitude 7°30' hence a length of thirty-two degrees, or 1920 geographical miles. But the breadth little corresponds to this prodigious length of territory; though in one place from the Atlantic shore of East Florida to those of California on the Pacific, it amounts to about three quarters of that length; but the narrowest part of the isthmus in Veragua is not above twenty-five British miles in general the medial breadth can Scarcely be computed at more than 400 geographical miles.

Of this wide empire the chief part is distinguished by the name of Mexico, or New Spain; the provinces, in ascending from the south to the north, being Veragua, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, (with the Mosquito shore claimed by the English) Guatimala and Verapaz, Chiapa, Tabasco, and the Peninsula of Yucatan, Gvaxaca, Mexico proper, including subdivisions: with New Gullicia, Biscay, and Leon. What is called the empire of Mexico was in truth only a moderate kingdom, about 600 miles in length, by 140 in breadth. Nay the republic of Tlascala was within sixty miles of the capital.

BOUNDARies. The provinces further to Xhe north nre Cinaloa and others on the gulf of California, with that large CherSonese itself : New Mexico includes the most northern central settlements on the Rio Bravo; while, towards the east, Louisiana, and the two Fioridas, complete the chief denominations. But the great divisions are properly only four: 1. Louisiana^ 2. The two Florinas. 3. New MEXICO.

They in fact claim the whole north west of America, pretending a prior right of discovery to the English, or any other nation; aml appoint a Governor of New California, by which name they imply all the north west coast of America. See La Ferouse, vol. ii. chap. xi. xii.

But D'AnvilK-'s map "f Loisiana, 1752, certainly held complete, extend* only to latitude 32° 10* so that there seems 3 gratuitous addition of nearly one half the length of that country.

Sec appendix to the article America.

B.

which contains Coaguilla, New Estrcmadura, Sonnra, Texas.* New Navarre. 4 Mexico or Ntw Spain, which includes the other provinces and seems to extend to the river of Hiaqui, but the boundaries between Old and New Mexico do not seem to be indicated with any precision. Original Population. The original population of these extensive regions was various, consisting of Mexicans, and other tribes, considerably civilized in the centre, while to the north and south were savage races. The origin of the Mexicans is still involved in obscurity, notwithstanding the researches of many ingenious, learned, and laborious men. Their language appears to bear but little affiniuity to that of the Peruvians: but it must be confessed that the Mexican vocabularies have not been examined with sufficient attention.† Some progress has been made in the difficult task of comparing these two languages with those of northern Asia. Very striking affinities havo already been discovered; sufficient to authorise the conclusion that the Mexicans and Peruvians are of Asiatic origin. The learned Camper proceeded upon a very feeble foundation in supposing, that the Mexicans were derived from Europe. Upon a foundation still more feeble has it been supposed, that these Americans were emigrants from Africa. The traditional history or paintings of the Mexicans, their physical appearance, as well as their language, and even their shocking system of religion, are all favourable to the idea that they sprang from Asia. It is not yet too late to determine with much more certainty to which of the Asiatic nations they are most intimately allied. This may be done by an extensive examination of the Mexican languages. In the meanwhile it is certain that not a few of the Mexican words are

The Spanish x is pronounced b or sh as Xab Tamas is Shah Tamas. The ' is also pronounced as h.

In the travels of M. de Pages tound the world, it is asserted that New Mexico is further to the south than our maps bear; which is indeed far more probable than the credit of that author. Clavigero, p. x. regrets the defects of the maps of Mexico. Two maps of the coasts of Spanish North America were published at Madrid, 1797.

Mr. Pinkerton says "the Mexican vocabularies are very imperfect. They are much less imperfect however than has been supposed. It appears from Clavigero that there have been published many vocabularies and grammam if the Mexican language. The writer of this note is in possession of an exten. sive work on the subject, under the title of Vocabulario en Lcngua Castellans y Mexicans, &c. &c. printed in Mexico, in 1571.

B.

For this opinion, however, there does not arpear to be any very solid foundation. Dr. Forster, in his history of voyages in the North, p. 43, supposes that the Mexican and Peruvian empires were founded in the thirteenth century by the troops contained in some of the ships sent by Kulbai Khan from China to subdue Japan; that great ileet having been scattered, and supposed to have been lost in a severe tempest. It is highly probable that America owes some of its inhabitants to the event just mentioned: but it is not likely that either the Mexicans or Peruvians were thrown into America at this late period. The tradition of some of the Mexican nations ascends to a period much more remote than that at which the fleet of Kubla) is said to have been dispersed. That some of the Carolina tribes came into America several hundred years nfitr the commencement of the Christian era, 1 have rendered somewhat probable in the first part of my Collections for an essay towards a materia medica of the United Stales, p. 50—53. Philjdclphia 1801. B.

to be found among the Tatar, and otherAsiatic nations.* Itis much to be regretted that the Mexican and Peruvian empires were destroyed; as, not to mention the cause of humanity, they would have afforded curious objects for philosophic observers of human nature. The general pinion seems to be that the Mexicans and Peruvians were a distinct race from the other Americansf; and amidst a variety of conjectures it might be inquired if they did not proceed from Japan, or be haply of the same race with the people of the large island of Tchoka, or Sagalian, whose features, as described and delineated by La Perouse, and the literary men who accompanied him, bear no resemblance to the Tataric. In this case we may conceive that they are remains of a people in eastern Asia, who were expelled by the Mandshurs on their progress from more western settlements.}

Historical Epocrs. The historical epochs of Mexico have been of little moment since it was conquered by the Spaniards in 1521, when the last monarch Guatimozin perished, Montezuma having died in the preceding year. According to the Mexican traditions their ancestors consisted of several savage tribes, who about the tenth or eleventh century of the Christian era moved in successive migrations from unknown regions towards the north and north-west, and settled in Anahuac. About the beginning of the thirteenth century a tribe more polished than the rest, advanced from the borders of the Californian gulf, and took possession of the plains adjacent to the great lake near the centre of the country.** They were for a time governed by

"The animals of America (says Mr. Pinkerton) are mostly distinct from those of the old continent; and could in no case have descended from them. If it cannot be allowed that the great Creator, in like manner, ordained a distinct race of men for this continent, it will be necessary before this curious question be determined to collect vocabularies of the African languages, as there are in that continent several nations of a copper colour, resembling the Americans." Many of the animals of America are specifically the same as those of the old world. This observation applies to the quadrupeds and other mamalia, the birds, the amphibia, the fishes, the insects, &c. It is certainly easy to conceive in what manner these animals, common to both continents, may have passed from the old to the new world, or from the latter to the former. It is not attempted to be denied, that America possesses many apecies of animals, as well as of vegetables, which appear to be exclusively confined to this portion of the globe. See New Views, &c. preliminary discourse, ci—civ. With respect to the human inhabitants, it has already been observed, that they are of Asiatic origin.

B.

The honest missionary Dobri/hoffer, after residing twenty-two years in America, and a formal examination of this question, declares that he cannot trace any resemblance of the Americans, or their language, in any other part of the glebe; and that he should incline to believe, were it not from the apprehensions of ridienle, that they have dropped from another planet. There seems a shadow of resemblance between some of the Mexican words published lv Dr. Iorster ann tne Tchoka published by La Perouse, as tche, three, is in Ttcir^n jei, &c. This origin will singularly coincide with the Mexican traditions.

Careri has published a curious Mexican drawing of the progress of the colony,

Robertson's America, v. iii. p. 356.

For some account of these monarchs, and those of the neighbouring tzibes, the reader may consult Clavigero.

chiefs or judges, till the territories becoming more extensive, the supreme authority centred at last in a single person. Even from the most extensive accounts the monarchial government had not lasted above 187 years; that is, it commenced about A. D. 1324, the first monarch being Acamapitzin. Wars and rebellions, famines and inundations, constitute the chief features of Mexicanhistory; and the Spanish government presents few events of moment, the natives being confined between the two seas, and more easily checked than in South America where there is a wide extent of territory for retreat and conspiracy.

The extensive peninsula of California was discovered by Cortez in 1536, but was so completely neglected, that in most charts it was represented as an island§ The jesuits afterwards explored this province, and acquired a dominion there as complete as in Paraguay. On their expulsion in 1766 it was found to be a not unfertile region, with some mines of gold and a valuable pearl fishery. The countries of Cinaloa and Sonora, on the east side of the Vermillion sea or gulf of California, as well as the immense provinces of New Navarre, and others of New Mexico, never were subject to the Mexican sceptre, but now acknowledge the power of Spain though the settlers Ue few*. In 1765 a war broke out with the savages, which ended in their submission 1771. During their marches the Spaniards discovered at Cineguilla, in the province of Sonora, a plain of fourteen leagues in extent, in which vast quantities of gold were found in large lumps, at the depth of only sixteen inches. Before the end of the year 1771 above two thousand persons were settled at Cineguilla; and other mines, not inferior in wealth, have been discovered in other parts of Sonora and Cinaloa. It is probable that these discoveries have instigated other settlements in the northern parts of New Spain, and in New Mexico. These colonizations, and the settlement of Santa Fe, and others in that vicinity, are important events in the history of the Spanish territories. It is however to be lamented that the progress of these settlements has not been explained with more care and accuracy, for no small obscurity attends their chronology.

The wide territory on the north-east called Louisiana, was first explored by Soto, but afterwards neglected till 1682, when from some intelligence conveyed to the French settlers in Canada, M. de la Salle was induced to sail down the Missisippi, which was afterwards to give name to the noted scheme of Law. New Orleans was afterwards founded in 1717, on the Missisippi, and when the wide navigation of that river is considered, this city must become of great consequence. By the treaty of peace, 1763, that part of Louisiana which lies to the

New Mexico was disclosed in 1553 by Antonio d'Epejo. Gage, p. 55, mentions a city of that name as lately built.

The ancient monuments of the Mexicans were not merely symbolical paintings, but also extensive carvings in stone, some of which have lately been discovered. The Mexican century has been found under ground, and affords a striking proof of the verucity of some of the early historians of

America. B.

Robcrtson's America, iii. 228.