The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1863-08-22
]Jublil affairs.
The New Empire of Mexico.

years, we have an imperial neighbor on
our Western frontier. Mexico, after
being Spanish colony, an iuiunt empire
under urbide, republic on the model
Of the. United States, dictatorship
under Santa Anna, and an anarchy all
the time, becomes once again, under the
political maneuverings Of Louis Nopo.
leon, an empire, though as yet without
ruler.
Extinct, PHYSICAL FEATURES AND cL1-
MATE.
The new Empire Of Mexico is bounded
along s entire northern limit by the
United States, the Rio Graude del Norte
being the dividing line on the Texan
frontier, while the line that was estab.
lishea under the Gadsden treaty sepa-
rates it from California, New Mexico and
Arizona. Its southern point tends down
into Central America, including tho 18TH
mus of Tehuan epec and its whole ter
ri oral extent is embraced between the
waters of he Gulf of Mexico on the
East and of the Pacific Ocean on the
West
In its greatest length it measures one
thousand niue hundred and eighty-scven
miles, and in its greatest breadth one
thousand one hundred and twenty-eght
miles. comprising en- arear of eight hun
dred and twenty-nine thousand nine hun
dred and sixteen English miles. Its
frontier measures eight thousand one
hundred and twelve miles, of which five
thousand eight hundred and thirty miles
is sea coast. 1T is traversed Throughout
its whole length by an immense range
of mountains called the Cordil!eras,
some Of the highest peaks of which rise
to an elevation of between seventeen and
eighteen thousand feet above he level
of the sea. That of Popocatepetl is at
nm elevation of II, 735 fee, Orizaba
1892 feet and Yx accihuatl 1900
fec. These are all active Volcanoes
Owing to this mountainous formation,
TIE country is divided in three well
defined belts or zones of climate.
The lands lying along the coasts, and
up to an elevation of two thous and feet,
are called the t,erras cuiientes, or hot
region, where the mean temperature is
seven y-seven degrees Fahrenheit.-
Here such productions as sugar, cotton,
indigo, bananas, &c, fcu i.h. The
region from two thousand to five thou
sand feet elevation is known as The tier
ras templn dns signitying temperate
climate, where the mean temperature
throu ghout the year is from sixty EIGHT
to seventy degrees Fahrenheit. The
rest of the region, from an elevation of
five thousand Ices to the line Of perpet-
uaf snow is called the !aearas ,frluS, or
cold lands, where the mean temperature
is s,xty-two degrees Fahrenheit.
The city of Mexico lies within this
latter zone, its elevation being 74OO feet
above the ocean level /; but there the
mercury seldom falls in The thermometer
below the, freezing point. The great
traveller Humbolt says that on the
ascent from Vera Cruz the climates sue
cccded each other in layers, and the
traveller passes in review, in the course
of two days, the whole circle Of vege a
ton, from the parasitic plants Of the
tropics to the pines of the Attic regions.
Although the coast is for the most part
uuhcal by, and although the serports
aTC SuuJcCb W NlSlGutIOuS VI Tue NOilIttO
and yellow fever, still the climate may
be gardcd on the whole as favorable to
human life.
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS.
The cotton plant is indigenous to the
soil. The Mcxicans, at the time of the
Spanish invasion under Cortiz, possessed
the art of spinning cotton to very high
degree of fncness, and of imparting to
it beautiful and brilliant colors--arts
which have since been lost-and cotton
fabrics then formed almost the only fab
rio for clothing. The average yield in
late years has been set down at seven
millions of pounds; aud, of course,
under all improved system Of society
that product Is capable of an indefinite
expansion.
The other principal agricultural pro-
ducts are coffee, tobacco, indigo, vanilla,
jalap, coehineal, fax and hemp. The
export of eochineal amounts to a million
dollars annually. There is also large
export of dyewoods, vanilla, indigo and
coffe, aud even some manufactured linen,
cotton and woolen goods have entered
INTO the export llst.
THE PRECIOUS METALS.
But that for which Mexico is chiefly
priced is her vast mineral wealth. There
are said to be over one thousand silver
mines in Mexico; yielding an annual pro-
duct of between thirty-Gve and forty
millions of dollars. There are besides
twenty-five mines of quicksilver, which
yield from two hundred and fifty to three
hundred thousand pounds weigh annual
ly. Gold is also founsi in considerable
quantities, ated variously at from three
millions Of dollars upwards. A British
authority sets it down at thir y-two mil
lions FIVE handled thousand, but that is
evidently mistake. The mines are
generally located either on the top or on
the western slope of the Cordilleras.-
They were wrought Coz ages before the
Spanish invasion,
Gold and silver vases of great value
and beauty of workmanship were sent
back to Spain by the first conqucrors as
spoils of war Iron and copper are also
produced in great abundance The grea: