city of Mexico, and to be literally scorched by the rays of the sun on
the other. Changes are upon record of 55° of Fahrenheit within three
hours, on one of the mountain-plains at the same height with the
valley of Mexico.

Notwithstanding the volcanic character of Mexico, earthquakes are by
no means so frequent there as in some of the neighbouring countries.
One of the most memorable on record occurred on the 14th of September,
1759, when the volcano of Jorullo, with several smaller cones, forced
the surface of the soil, destroying all before it.

The infinite variety of climate and soil fits this country for the
production of the fruits of all regions, from those of the hottest
within the tropics to those of the severest cold, where cultivation
can be carried on. But the want of ports, and of navigable rivers on
the Atlantic, opposes the advantages that might result from this
variety of production, though on the Pacific there are a few admirable
ports, such as Acapulco. The prevalence of the "Nortes," or northerly
winds, at certain seasons, seriously affects the navigation on one
side, while that of the "papagallos" is as inconvenient on the other.

The Mexican population is commonly divided into seven classes:--1.
European Spaniards, commonly called "_gachupines_." 2. White Creoles.
3. Mestizos, descendants of Whites and Indians. 4. Mulattoes,
descendants of Whites and Blacks. 5. Zambos, from Indians and Negroes.
6. Pure Indians. 7. African Blacks. But this classification may be
reduced to four:--1. Whites. 2. Indians. 3. Blacks. 4. Mixed Races,
the various gradations of which may be considered almost infinite.

The Indians consist of a considerable number of distinct tribes,