Part 20 (1/2)

The city was divided into four _quarters_: this division is still preserved, in the lined to the quarters of St Paul, St

Sebastian, St John, and St Mary; and the present streets have, for the ives to this city a peculiar and distinctive character is, that it is entirely on the continent, between the extremities of the two lakes of Tezcuco and Chalco This has been occasioned by the gradual draining of the great lake, and the consequent drying up of the waters around the city Hence Mexico is noo miles and half from the banks of the former, and five miles and half from those of the latter

Adorned with numerous _teocallis_, (or temples,) like so many Mahometan steeples, surrounded ater and embank, hourly, in its streets, thousands of boats, which vivified the lake, the ancient Mexico, according to the accounts of the first conquerors, must have resembled soypt

As reconstructed by the Spaniards, it exhibits, at the present day, perhaps a less vivid, though a ust and majestic appearance, than the ancient city With the exception of Petersburg, Berlin, Philadelphia, and some quarters of Westminster, there does not exist a place of the same extent, which can be compared to the capital of New Spain, for the uniforularity and breadth of the streets, and the extent of its public places The architecture is, for the most part, in a pure style; and many of the edifices are of a very beautiful structure The exterior of the houses is not loaded with ornas an air of solidity, and sonificence There are none of those wooden balconies and galleries to be seen, which so ure all the European cities in both the Indies The balustrades and gates are all of iron, ornamented with bronze; and the houses, instead of roofs, have terraces, like those in Italy, and other southern countries of the old continent

Mexico has, of late, received many additional embellishments An edifice, for the School of Mines, which was built at an expence of , would adorn the principal places of Paris or London Two great palaces have been constructed by Mexican artists, pupils of the Academy of Fine Arts One of these has a beautiful interior, ornaress of the arts, within the last thirty years, it is randeur and beauty of the htness of the streets; and ularity, its extent and position, that the capital of New Spain attracts the admiration of Europeans M De Humboldt had successively visited, within a very short space of titon, Paris, Roest cities of Ger unavoidable coeous to the capital of Mexico, there was left on his randeur, which he principally attributed to the majestic character of its situation, and the beauty of the surrounding scenery

In fact, nothing can present a more rich and varied appearance than the _valley of Mexico_, when, in a fine su, a person ascends one of the towers of the cathedral, or the adjacent hill of Chapoltepec A beautiful vegetation surrounds this hill From its summit, the eye wanders over a vast plain of richly-cultivated fields, which extend to the very feet of colossal mountains, that are covered with perpetual snow, The city appears as if washed by the waters of the lake of Tezcuco, whose basin, surrounded by villages and has to mind the e avenues of elms and poplars lead, in every direction, to the capital; and two aqueducts, constructed over arches of great elevation, cross the plain, and exhibit an appearance equally agreeable and interesting

Mexico is remarkable for its excellent police Most of the _streets_ have broad pavehted Water is, every where, to be had; but it is brackish, like the water of the lake

There are, however, two _aqueducts_, by which the city receives fresh-water, fros Some remains of the _dikes_ or _ereat paved causeys, across round; and, as they are considerably elevated, they possess the double advantage, of ad the overflowings of the lake This city has six principal _gates_; and is surrounded by a ditch, but is without walls

The objects which chiefly attract the attention of strangers, are 1 The _Cathedral_, which is partly in the Gothic style of architecture, and has ters, ornamented with pilasters and statues, of very beautiful symmetry 2 The _Treasury_, which adjoins to the palace of the viceroys: fro of the 16th century, old and silver coin, have been issued 3 The _Convents_ 4 The _Hospital_, or rather the two united hospitals, of which one ht hundred children and old people 5 The _Acordada_, a fine edifice, of which the prisons are spacious and well aired 6 The _School of Mines_

7 The _Botanical Garden_, in one of the courts of the viceroy's palace

8 The edifices of the _University_ and the _Public Library_, which, however, are very unworthy of so great and ancient an establishment 9

The _Academy of Fine Arts_

Mexico is the see of an archbishop, and contains twenty-three convents for monks, and fifteen for nuns Its whole population is estimated at one hundred and forty thousand persons

On the north-side of the city, near the suburbs, is a _public walk_, which forht walks terminate

The _markets_ of Mexico are well supplied with eatables; particularly with roots and fruit It is an interesting spectacle, whichat sunrise, to see these provisions, and a great quantity of flowers, brought by Indians, in boats, along the canals

Most of the roots are cultivated on what are called _chinaardens” These are of two sorts: one moveable, and driven about by the winds, and the other fixed and attached to the shore The first alone ardens

Simple lumps of earth, in lakes or rivers, carried away froiven rise to the invention of chinaardens, of which very many were found by the Spaniards, when they first invaded Mexico, and of which many still exist in the lake of Chalco, were rafts formed of reeds, rushes, roots, and branches of underwood The Indians cover these light and well connected materials with a black mould, which becomes extree of the Indian, who acts as guard for a group of floating gardens When removed from one side of the banks to the other, they are either towed or are pushed with long poles Every chinath, and eighteen or nineteen feet broad

Narrow ditches, co symmetrically between them, separate these squares The mould fit for cultivation rises about three feet above the surface of the surrounding water On these chinampas are cultivated beans, peas, pireat variety of other vegetables Their sides are generally ornaes of rose-bushes The promenade in boats, around the chinareeable amuseetation is extreorous, on a soil which is continually refreshed ater

The _Hill of Chapoltepec_, near Mexico, was chosen by the young viceroy Galvez, as the site of a villa for himself and his successors The castle has been finished externally, but the apartments were not co cost the king of Spain reat _lakes_, Tezcuco and Chalco, which are situated in the valley of Mexico, one is of fresh water, and the other salt They are separated by a narrow range of mountains, which rise in the ether, in a strait between the hills On both these lakes there are nues, which carry on their co the continent

FOOTNOTES:

[3] Froh St Antonio, in a north-westerly direction, to the territories of the United States; and he terminates the account of his travels at _Natchitoches_, on the southern bank of the Red river

Twenty-first Day's Instruction

MEXICO CONCLUDED

_A Description of some of the most important Places in Mexico_

In an easterly direction from the city of Mexico lies _Tlascala_, a tohich, two hundred years ago, at the time of the Spanish invasion, had a nu state

The inhabitants of this place were implacable enemies of the Mexicans, and aided the Spaniards in the conquest of their country It is noever, littleabout three thousand inhabitants Some parts of the ancient walls still remain, and are coues south-west frohtful valley, watered by a river which runs south-west to the Pacific Ocean, stands _Puebla_, the capital of an intendancy, and the see of a bishop