STATE OF MECHOACAN—BOUNDARIES—ELEVATIONS—VOLCANO OF JORULLO—THEORIES OF HUMBOLDT AND LYELL—PRESENT CONDITION—RIVERS OF MECHOACAN—CLIMATE—HEALTH—INDIANS—DEPARTMENTS—AGRICULTURE—TOWNS—MINES—JALISCO—BOUNDARIES—POPULATION—RIVERS—LAKES—DIVISIONS—MANUFACTURES—AGRICULTURE—FACTORIES—GUADALAJARA—TOWNS—SAN JUAN DE LOS LAGOS—TEPIC—SAN BLAS—MINES—ISLANDS—MINING REGION—INDIANS—CHARACTER AND HABITS—CHURCH AND SCHOOL—EDUCATION—BISHOPRIC—TERRITORY OF COLIMA—EXTENT—CLIMATE—PRODUCTIONS—TOWNS.
THE STATE OF MECHOACAN.
THE State of Mechoacan is the old Spanish Intendencia of Vallodolid, and includes a great part of the ancient Indian Kingdom of Mechoacan, or Mechoacan of the Tarascos. It is bounded on the north by Guanajuato, north-easterly of Querétaro, south-easterly by Mexico, westerly by Jalisco, and south-westerly, for a short distance, by the Pacific.
This State lies chiefly on the western slope of the Cordillera, and is cut up by hills and genial vallies. The highest point within its limits is the Peak of Tancitaro, which, in all probability, is an extinct volcano. East of this, and south of the village of Ario, the Volcano of Jorullo burst forth on the night of the 29th of September, 1759.
The great region to which this mountain belongs has been already described in our account of the geological structure of Mexico. The plain