a state, formerly an intendency, of Mexico, is bounded on the north by San Luis Potosi, on the east by Mexico, on the south by Michoacan, and on the north-west by Guadalajara and Zacatecas. It lies wholly on the ridge of the Cordillera, and, according to Humboldt, its length from the Lake of Chapala to the north-east of San Felipe is fifty-two leagues, and its breadth from Celaya to Villa de Leon is thirty-one leagues. It is one of the finest and most populous states in Mexico, and is famous for its rich mines. It comprehends three cities, four or five towns, thirty-seven villages, and thirty-three parishes. Guanaxuato has a surface of 911 square leagues, and the number of inhabitants are estimated at about half a million. Santa Fe de Guanaxuato, the capital, is romantically situated amidst a labyrinth of porphyritic hills, which environ it completely, and also intersect it. A narrow defile leads into the city, and when first entered no idea of its extent can be formed. When viewed from some neighbouring heights, in some places it is seen spreading out into the form of an amphitheatre, in others stretching along a narrow ridge, whilst the ranges of the houses, accommodated to the broken ground, present the most fantastical groups. The city is well built of hewn stone, and contains three convents, a college, two chapels, and five hermitages. The mines in the district of Guanaxuato are the most productive in the world. Those of Valenciana were famous for the extent of the excavations and quantity of precious metal which they produced. Guanaxuato is also an agricultural district. The lands are fertile, and cultivated to the base of the mountains. The city, however, suffers from two evils. The only water which can be had is that collected in cisterns by the wealthy inhabitants; and those who do not possess these private tanks have to purchase the water, at rather a high rate, from individuals who gain a livelihood by bringing it from a large reservoir distant about two miles from the city. During the rainy season, also, the city is liable to be injured by the torrents which rush from the mountains down the ravine in which the city stands. According to Humboldt, the population of Guanaxuato in 1802 was within the city 41,000, and in the suburbs and mines surrounding it 20,600, making a total of 70,600 inhabitants. From a census taken in 1822, however, the inhabitants of the city amounted to 15,379, and the total population was only 35,733. The town or suburb of Valenciana alone formerly contained a population of 22,000 souls. It is now in ruins, and does not contain more than 4000 inhabitants. Guanaxuato is situated in long. 100° 55' W. and lat. 0° 21' N.