Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1811-09-16

me ether as far north as the Rio E6rico,o
1 he narrowest part Of the continent is fixed
by the Baron Hum6oidt from Tecoa,,tHoc, a
port on the Pacific ocean, tn Vera Cruz,
on the Mexican Guiph; but if we take the
limits OF New Spain, IS laid down bv othsr
geographcis, we shall find the narrowesl
part to be under the parallel cf the 9th deg.
seven degrees further south, where the dis
lance trom sea to sea is not more than seven
~ miles. Various schemes have been form
cd, according to the different views of travel
lers, fer uniting the two great hiyh roads of
the world by means of canal somewhere a.
cross the isthmus, none of which appcar more
visionary than some Of those noted by our
author lie mentions nine points which at
different times have fixed the attention of
statesmen and merchants -the first of
which IS situated in the 5Ath degree Of
Norm latitude. ana the last is between the
4Sd G 44tli degree of South latitude. a range
or more than 1000 miles of coast Pat the
immense chain of mountains, extending from
the 10th degree of n. lat almost without in
terruption TO the extremity Of the southern
continent, and in the most Taprarently1 eli
gl5lc places OF communication not les. than
or 10000 feet (nearly two miles) high, will.
It is presumed, forever present an insuDera-
bic barrier to the accomplishment of so great
q design. "Should canal of commemorate
on, says our author, "between the two oce-
ans DC opened, the productions of Nootka
Sound and of China, viii be brought more
tnan 1000 leagues nearer to Europe and the
united states. Then only can great changes
De effected IN the political state of eastern
Asa; for this neck of land, the barrier a :
gainst the waves cf the Atlantic ocean. has
been many ages the bulwark of the indepcn-
dence OF China and Jahau
The whole surface of Mexico contains a.
bout l4S, AS square leagues. About one half
IS situate under the scorching sky of the tro-
PICS; the other belongs to thesfemperate
Zone. The latter, very thinly inhabited, is
generally called the Internal hrouinces-the
former from the elevation of the country.
three tiths of the land, even the great plains,
being from 5000 to 5000 feet above the level
oithe sea, rather enjoys n cold or tempe
rate than burning climate't-Indeed a
large part OF the country may be considered
as a great plain situate on the top of a NIGH
ty ridge of mountains, on which are piled o.
ther mountains of prodigious heights. The
descentsto the ocean are very gradual ira
Yelling is not much interrupted by these fear
tul ravines and precipices usually found in
mountainous countries. The region of per-
petusl snow commences at the height of 49,
ooo reet. In the vicinity or the city of Mex.
ico Is group of tremendous mountains the
tour greatest OF which, Popocateptl, Iztacce-
nauit, Cltiatepetl, and Nauhcampatepetl, are
respectively, 1915, 1900, 1851 and 49,
4l4 feet high, according TO the most accurate
The ports alcng the coast of New Spain
possesses warm climate like the West In
dies, and are subject to the like diseases:
some OF them are extremely unhealthy.S
Acapulco, is particularly so, through the
grand emporium of vast trade to Asia, Pc
rn, Chill, &C. The city of Mexico has de-
lightful clmate-the mean heat of the cold
est day IS given at go of Fahrenheit, and of
the warmest, 75o. The general tempera-
ture CIT stable land" of Mexico is 62o-
1t produces wheat, corn and other vegetables
IN great abundance; while the land on the
coasts are fertile in cane, indigo, cocoa, COT
ton, &c. The provinces called internas have
climates similar to the United~States. The
richest veins of silver are situate from 5000
to $500 feet above the level of the sea.
Mexico with all it's advantages, has We
ry few navigable rivers, the chief of which
are, the river of the North ( Rio del Norte
which has course of 512 leagues, and dis
charges much water into the sea, but ira
verses country very thinly Inhabited and
sterile. The Rio Brars and the Rio Cokora-
do both take their rise in the Cordillera I'M
der the 400 of latitude and discharge them
selves into the Mexican Gulph-the former
under the parallel of the 40 and the latter
under the go N. of latitude The Colora-
do is formed by the ZaguGHanas and the Ma
6disd, which derive their sources from two
small rivers which empty into the Gulph of
California, and thus constitute one of the Ba-
ron Humboldt's probable points Of communi-
ton between the two seas. The Rio San IN
an and the Rio Quito both arise from a small
ravinc in-the province of Ch0co; the juno
ton eI the Quito, the .Andageda and the Ii
tara, forms the Rio dAfraEo which dischar-
ges itself into the Atlantic Ocean, while the
Kin san Juan empties into the South Sea,
these two rivers therefore form another
point of the probable communication and
indeed, as the same indefatigable research
or tells as, a real communication has been
opened there since the year 1888 for loaded
canoes, which by means of small canal cut
in the ravine, readily pass during the prcvar
lencc OF heavy rains, from sea TO sea. Besides
these there arc many other considerable rivers
The lakes, and Mexico abOunds with them,
Of which we shall have occasion to sneak
hereafter, care merely the remains Of i'm
mensebasins of water, which appear, to have
Formerly existed on the high and extensive
plains OF the Cordillera," and, for the most
part, seem to be annually on the decline
(Io be Continued
+ The highest Of the Alps is about IS, 900
uaf- IS 4 m r.. 4