From the Boston Gazette.

Humboldt’s Hiſtory of New-Spain.

“The vally in which the city of Mexico ſtands, is upwards of 6500 feet above the level of the ſea.

It is of an oval form, encompaſſed on all ſides by mountains.

It contains ſeveral lakes.

The largeſt is ſalt.

Formerly it ſurrounded the city, which was approached only by cauſeways, conſtructed in the water.

But, at preſent, the extent of this lake is diminiſhed, and the city is now on the land, at ſome diſtance from the water’s edge.

The circumference of the valley is 67 leagues.

“Mexico is undoubtedly one of the fineſt cities ever built by Europeans in either hemiſphere.

With the exception of Peterſburgh, Berlin, Philadelphia, and ſome quarters in Weſtminſter, there does not exiſt a city of the ſame extent, which can be compared to the capital of New-Spain, for the uniform level of the ground on which it ſtands, for the regularity and breadth of the ſtreets, and the extent of the public places.

The architecture is generally of a very pure ſtyle, and there are even edifices of very beautiful ſtructure.

The exterior of the houſes is not loaded with ornaments.

“The Balluſtrades and gates are all of Biſcay iron, ornamented with bronze, and the houſes, inſtead of roofs, have terraces like thoſe in Italy, and other ſouthern countries.

“Mexico has been very much embelliſhed, ſince the reſidence of the abbe Chappe there in 1769.

The edifice deſtined to the School of Mines, for which the richeſt individuals of the country furniſhed a ſum of more than three millions of francks, would adorn the principal places of Paris or London.

Two great palaces [hotels] were recently conſtructed by Mexican artiſts, pupils of the academy of fine arts of the capital.

One of theſe palaces, in the quarter della Traſpana, exhibited in the interior of a court a very beautiful oval periſtyle of coupled columns.

The traveller justly admires a vaſt circumference, paved with porphyry flags, and encloſed with an iron railing, richly ornamented with bronze, containing an equeſtrian ſtatue of king Charles the fourth, placed on a pedeſtal of Mexican marble, in the midſt of the Plaza Major of Mexico, oppoſite the cathedral, and the viceroy’s palace.

However, it muſt be agreed, that notwithſtanding the progreſs of the arts, within theſe laſt thirty years, it is much leſs, from the grandeur and beauty of the monuments, than from the breadth and ſtraitneſs of the ſtreets, and much leſs from its edifices, than from its uniform regularity, its extent and poſition, that the capital of New Spain attracts the admiration of Europeans.

“Nothing can preſent a more rich and varied appearance, than the valley, when, in a fine ſummer morning, the ſky without a cloud, and of that deep azure which is peculiar to the dry and rarefied air of high mountains, we tranſport ourselves the top of one of the towers of the cathedral of Mexico, or aſcend the Hill of Chapoltepeck.

A beautiful vegetation ſurrounds this hill.

Old cypreſs trunks, of more than 15 and 16 metres in circumference, raiſe their naked heads above thoſe of the ſchinus which reſemble, in their appearance, the weeping willows of the eaſt.

From the centre of this ſolitude, the ſummit of the porphyritical rock of Chapoltpeck, the eye ſweeps over a vaſt plain of carefully cultivated fields, which extend to the very feet of the coloſſal mountains covered with perpetual ſnow.

The city appears as if washed by the waters of the lake of Tezeuco, whoſe baſin, ſurrounded with villages and hamlets, brings to mind the moſt beautiful lakes of the mountains of Switzerland.

Large avenues of elms and poplars lead in every direction, to the capital; and two acqueducts, conſtructed over arches of very great elevation, croſs the plain, and exhibit an appearance equally agreeable and intereſting.

The magnificent convent of Nueſtra Sornora de Guadaloupe, appears joined to the mountains of Teypeyacack, among ravines, which ſhelter a few date and young yucca trees.

Towards the ſouth, the whole tract between San Angel, Tacabaya, and San Augustin de las Cuevas, appears an immenſe garden of orange, peach, apple, cherry, and other European fruit trees.

This beautiful cultivation forms a ſingular contraſt with the wild appearance of the naked mountains which encloſe the valleys among which the famous volcanos of La Puebla, Popocatepetl, and Iztaccicichuatl are the moſt diſtinguiſhed.

The firſt of theſe forms an enormous cone, of which the crater, continually inflamed, and throwing up ſmoak and aſhes, opens in the midſt of eternal ſnows.”