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Rh the great centre of radiation. On the table-land, however, excellent facilities are offered, and the interior is intersected by innumerable roads and mule-trails. During the war of independence, they fell into disrepair, and for a lengthened period were chronically bad, and the traveller, besides being exposed to the danger of robbery and assassination, incurred no little risk of a broken neck.

Unsatisfactory as was the condition of the Mexican highways for a long period, the tolls were exceptionally high, and both merchandise and passengers were subject to extortionate charges made by contractors for the peaje dues.

The opening of free trade to foreign countries entailed changes in the system on which internal commerce had been previously conducted. The foreign traders who invaded the country, being all commission merchants, abolished the custom of employing intermediate agents between themselves and their customers,