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Show l)ISSER T. liT. '--v--1 H H T 0 R Y 0 F M E X I C 0 . Paw read in the hiftol'y of Gumilla that which tho author fays about the method which the lddians of Oroonoko had of preparing the terrible poifon of their arrows ; and in the hiftory of Herrera, or other authors, that the Canibals, al')d othe1• barbarous nations, made ufc of poiloned arrows; and this was enough for him to f~y, that the new continent produces a greater nui11ber of poifonous herbs thai) a11 the rcft of the world. He read that neither corn nor the fruits of Europe grow in very hot conntrics; and that was fufficient for him to fay, that peaches and a1 ricots have only borne fruit in the iOand of Juan Fernandez (e), and that corn and barley have not .thriven but in a {! w countries of the North. Such is , th~ logic tadopted by' M·r. de Paw through all his work. But of all that he fays againft America, ncithin.g holds true with refpett to Mexico. · There are certainly very lofty mountains in Mexi· co, eternally covered with fnow: there are large woods, and alfo foO)e madhy places in it; but the' fertile a11d cultivated foil forms beyond comparifon. the far greater part 'of it, ' as is well known to all thofe who have vifited that country. In all that immenfe fpace of land, where 'Wheat, barley, maize, and other kind of grain and pulfe with which that country abounds, are fown at prefent; they formerly fo)wed maize,' p'epper, b ans, cacao, chia, cotton, and fuch like plants, which ferved for the fufienance, clothing, and luxuries of thofe people, who having been fo ' numerous .. as we have already mentioned, and fhall clfewhere demonfiratc, could not have been able to have provided for their neceffities, if the country had boen nothing but jmountain, wood, and mlrlh. Mr. de Buffon, who)in his firll: vol. f.1ys, that America is nothing but a ontinued marih, and in vol. v. affirms, that the inacceflible mountains of America fcarcely leave any fmall fpaces for ngriculture, and the habitation of men, in the fame vol. v. confeil~s ( t ) In order to /hew flow extremely dinant Mr. de Paw is from the truth, we mull: here obfcrve, that ou the mifcmhlc ifi,,nd of Juan Fcrnnndc1,, where he fitys thnt pcnch s ril'cn 'II ell, the}' on the contrary nre fmnll, and very indifierctlt, accor.ti11g to the information wo l1avc had ft·om A hbc D. G. Om·cin, who wns there fcvet\ months, nnd particularly while the feafon of fruit 1:\0cd. On the other hnnd, in nlmo!t nll the tcrnl'erate nnd cuhl ountriea of Spnnilh Americn, where he imagines peaches do not grow, they thrive fLlrprit~ ingly ; nnd i1\ m:~ny places, p. rt.ic,darly of Chili, nnd in fomc of N~w ·Spain, they Dipetl bemr tb:tn in Europe. · that H I S T 0 R Y 0 F M E X I C 0. .ffiat t'he people of Mexico and Peru we_te· very tlumerous. But if DISs.ER T. thofe peopl~ who occl:lpied a very laL·ge part of America were very nu- ~ merous, and lived as he fays in !ocieties, and under the oontroul of 1.aws, Ame.rica is ' certainly not a continued marlh ~ if tbofe people 1Uppotted themfelves, as 1s certain thcty did, on corn and fruits which they cuHiv<1ted, lthe fpaces are not fmall which ,the nl~>Untains leave for agriculture, and the habitation of men. 1 · ; • r " , · The multituac, variety and cKcellcnoe of the plant ,of Mexico, :leave us iri no doubt' of the ve!iy" fingu lnr fertility of its lands.' The • I ' )?aft~re grounds, fays Acofta, of New Spain are excelJent, and bre,ed, accordingly an innumerable quantity of horfes, cows, fheep, 'and other animals. It is alfo as abul')da·nt in fruit as i.Jl any kind of grain. In fhort, thel'e is no grain, pulfc, kitchen-herbs, or fruit, "which' qoes not 'thrive in that foil. The wheat, which Mr. de Paw I "fcarcely 'allows t6 fome countries of the North, does not gl'ow in ge-neral in the· hot lands of New' Spain, as it it does not in the gr~atec ' . 'part 6f Africa, and many other parts of . the old continent; but •ih. 'the cool and terhpcraie lands of that kingdom it 'th1·ivcs . well, anl:l is in6re 'abundant than it is in Europe. , It is fufficient to fay, that the quantity gathered in "the diocef~ of Angblopoli is fo great, ~hat with what remained, after all .its ·numerous inhabitants were provided, they f.l:lpplied th¢ AntHJqs, and the fleet of fhips which formerly came to Havanna, under the name o£ Armata de Barlovento. In Europe· there is but one feed .. time, and one harveft. In New Spain th re are feven\1. u In thofe " lands," fays the European author Torqucmada,. wJ1o was there n1any years, and travelled through the whole kingalom, H where they •u ctllt'ivate 'wheat, in every feafon of the yea-r may be fcen one, ~rap " reaping, another ripening, anQther ftill green, and ~notbdr ·[owing," which plaioly dc:monftrates the wonderful fertil;ity of tJ1e foiJ. The fame nut'hor makes mention of (everal .lands which yt.ielded ·{eventy~ ciglity, or an hundred for one; and as great a multjpljcation · of wheat'has been •feen in fome fields .o.£ thofe couutri~s by ~~ ,ff) 1; ·wliid1, (j) We have been in n country of America, where c-he land yielded commonly fifty for one, and fometirncs an hundred for one. In Cinaloa, nlthpugh it is .n cold .couQtry, rhe t ltm41, we have been credibly informed, yields two bundr~ d for one. Our learned fri"nd, . the , |