Baedeker, The United States and Mexico. Leipzig. 1899. Bancroft, A Popular History of the Mexican People. London. 1887. Bancroft, Resources and Development of Mexico. San Francisco. 1893. Baianconi, Le Mexique. Paris. 1899. Brocklehurst, Mexico To-day. London. 1883. Chevalier, Le Mexique Ancien et Moderne. Paris. 1886. Congling, Mexico and the Mexicans. New York. 1883. Garcia, Mexico, &c. Mexico. 1893. Lummis, The Awakening of a Nation. New York. 1893. Ober, Travels in Mexico. Boston. 1884. Martin, Mexico of the Twentieth Century. London. 1908. Gadow, Travels in Southern Mexico. London. 1908. Tweedie, Mexico as I Saw It. London. 190? Tweedie. Porfirio Diaz. London. 1905. A. H. Noll. A Short History of Mexico. Chicago. 1903. Romero, Mexico and the United States. New York. 1898. Statesman's Year-book. London. Camp Fires on Desert and Lava. Hornaday. London. 1909. And numerous others in French, German, and English, including various guide-books and pamphlets, scientific and otherwise. The Mexican Year-book, London, 1908, is published by McCorquodale & Co. The work is written under the auspices of the Mexican Government. It is full of statistics and information, and forms a very useful work of reference. _Modern Mexico_, a monthly illustrated paper of high-class, issued in Mexico and St. Louis. _The Mexican Herald_, a daily paper published in English in Mexico, is an excellent journal of current events. INTRODUCTION "From what I have seen and heard concerning the similarity between this country and Spain, its fertility, its extent, its climate, and in many other features of it, it seemed to me that the most suitable name for this country would be New Spain, and thus, in the name of your Majesty, I have christened it. I humbly supplicate your Majesty to approve of this and order that it be so called." Thus wrote Hernan Cortes, the greatest natural leader of men since Julius Caesar, to the sovereign whom he endowed, as he subsequently told him bitterly, with provinces more numerous than the cities he had inherited from his forefathers. From the first appearance of the Spaniards upon the vast elevated plateau upon which the Aztec empire stood the invaders were struck by its resemblance in climate and natural products to their European homeland. In his first letter to the Emperor Cortes wrote: "The sea coast is low, with many sandhills.... The country beyond these sandhills is level with many fertile plains, in which are such beautiful river banks that in all Spain there can be found no better. These are as grateful to the view as they are productive in everything sown in them, and very orderly and well kept with roads and convenience for pasturing all sorts of cattle. There is every kind of game in this country, and animals and birds such as are familiar to us at home.... So that there is no difference between this country and Spain as regards birds and animals.... According to our judgment it is credible