Spanish America, Vol. 1 (of 2)Bonnycastle, Richard Henry, Sir
History
Spanish America, Vol. 1 (of 2)
Bonnycastle, Richard Henry, Sir
Latin America -- Description and travel; Latin America -- History
The air in this district is exceeding hot, and the general state
of the climate either rainy or sultry; the rains last from April
till September, and violent storms are very frequent. Soconusco is
neither a healthy nor a pleasant country, and the soil is not so
fertile as in some other parts of Guatimala, the corn and maize
not growing so abundantly; but to compensate for this, it produces
pimento, indigo, and cacao, in great quantities, and with these
articles it carries on a great trade with the other North American
colonies of Spain. The Spaniards are not numerous in Soconusco,
it being chiefly inhabited by Indians, but the few Spaniards
who reside there are very rich. The capital of this province is
_Soconusco_, or _Guevetlan_, which is situated in 18° 30ʹ north
latitude, and 120° 40ʹ west longitude, on a small river which runs
into the Pacific Ocean; Soconusco is 460 miles south-east of the
city of Mexico.
SUCHITEPEC is a small district to the southward of Soconusco, and
whose capital is _St. Antonio de Suchitepec_, which is situated on
a river running into the Pacific, in 14° 44ʹ north latitude, 93°
36ʹ west longitude, and 60 miles west-north-west of Guatimala. Its
population amounts to 1480, all Indians of the Suhutil nation.
SANSONATE is another small district of Guatimala, to the southward
of Suchitepec, having for its capital _La Trinidad or Sansonate_,
situated on the river Sonsonate, at its mouth; this town is a
sea-port, and is situated 120 miles south-east of the city of
Mexico, with about 2000 inhabitants, of whom 400 are whites. The
population of the district is about 40,000 souls, consisting almost
entirely of Indians, Mulattoes and Negroes.
ST. SALVADOR is also a small district of Guatimala to the southward
of the former, which produces sugar-canes and indigo in great
abundance, the soil being very fertile; the capital of this
province is _Cuzcatlan_ or _St. Salvador_, which is situated in
13° 40ʹ north latitude, 89° 20ʹ west longitude, twelve miles from
the coast of the Pacific Ocean, and 140 miles east-south-east
of Guatimala; it has a little trade, and is the residence of a
governor: many maps have absurdly made this town the capital of
Spanish North America. Its population is about 5,000 Indians,
whites and Castes.
ST. MIGUEL, to the southward of the former, is another small
district, having for its capital _St. Miguel_, which is situated
fifty miles east of St. Salvador or Cuzcatlan.
TIGUESGALPA or TIGUAZALPA, is also a small district of the same
country, situated near the province of Nicaragua, whose capital of
the same name is situated on a river which runs into Amapalla Bay;
eighty miles north of Leon de Nicaragua, in 13° 50ʹ north latitude,
and 87° 36ʹ west longitude.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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