ning from the mountains collect; from thence, when extraor dinary abundance of rains raised the waters of the lake of Tezcuco over its bed, it overflowed the city of Mexico, which is situated on an island in the lake of Tezcuco. These inundations happened not less frequently under the Mexican monarchy, than since it has been in possession of the Spaniards.

These two lakes, the circumference of which united is not less than ninety miles, represent the figure of a camel, the head and neck of which are formed by the lake of sweet water, or Chalco; the body, by the lake of brackish water, or Tezcuco; the legs and feet are represented by the rivulets and torrents which run from the mountains into the lakes. Between these there is the little peninsula of Iztapalapan, which divides them.

The mountains make the air delightfully cool and pleasant, with gentle breezes descending and spreading themselves all around, so that its climate is one of the finest and most salubrious that nature ever formed; so remarkably temperate, and the variation of the season so very small, that the slightest precautions are sufficient to prevent inconvenience from either heat or cold, and woollen clothing is worn there all the year round. Charles V., who was at the same time Emperor of Germany and King of Spain, asked a witty Spanish gentleman, on his arrival at court from Mexico, how long the interval was in the city of Mexico between summer and winter? "Just as long," replied the Spaniard, with great truth and humour, "as it takes to pass out of sunshine into the shade."

The circumference of the island on which the city stands, is about twelve miles. For the convenience of passing from this island to the main land, there are three great causeys, formed of earth, stone and timber, raised in the lake. The causey of Iztapalapan, towards the south, is about seven miles in length. The causey of Tepejacac, towards the north, is about three miles in length. The causey of Tlacapan, towards the west, is about two miles in length. They are each about thirty feet in breadth. Besides them, there is another, or fourth causey, a little narrower, in continuation of the double aqueduct of Chapoltepec, two miles distant, by which the fresh water is brought to the entrance of the city, and from thence distributed to the fountains, and all parts of the city, and the island.

All the water which collects in the lake of Tezcuco, is sweet when it first enters; but it afterwards becomes so very brackish and unwholesome, that if drank, or used in cooking,

by the inhabitants, it gives them fluxes and complaints in the bowels. This bad property arises from the salt and nitrous bed of this lake; hence the island entirely depends on this double aqueduct of Chapoltepec for its supplies of fresh

water.

The churches and houses are built of stone and of bricks, and the houses in general, where the ground will bear their weight, are three stories high. The foundations of the large houses of the capital, as at first built by the Mexicans, were laid upon a floor of large beams of cedar, fixed in the earth, on account of the want of solidity in the soil, which example the Spaniards have found it necessary to imitate and adopt. The great square is in the centre of the city, from whence the streets run quite through the whole in a direct line, either north and south, or east and west, crossing each other at right angles, so that the length and breadth of the city may be plainly discerned at the corner of any of the streets, all of which are wide and well paved. There is a public walk with a jet d'eau, where eight avenues meet, which is very grand, and the principal squares have each a fountain of water in their centre.

Every morning at sunrise, innumerable boats, canoes, and craft of various descriptions, laden with a vast variety of fruits, herbs, flowers, garden-stuff of all kinds, fish, fowls, turkeys, geese, ducks, venison, game of all kinds, fleshmeat of all kinds, and a variety of other provisions, are seen arriving by the lake at the great market-place of the city, where the inhabitants are supplied with the greatest abundance, and at moderate prices.

The natural strength of the city is great, there being no approaches to it but by the causeys, which may easily be obstructed, by breaking them down at intervals, or by destroying the whole of the causeys, if necessary. All other modes of capture must be by boats, canoes, &c. and cutting off their supplies of provisions, and fresh water, &c. which they receive by the aqueduct of Chapoltepec.

Mexico is an archbishop's see, and contains one most magnificent cathedral, thirty-four public churches, thirty-six monasteries of men, and twenty-nine nunneries of women, with each a church. The cathedral possesses a revenue of ninety thousand pounds sterling per annum, of which the archbishop receives thirty thousand pounds, besides casual fines, which make him fifteen to twenty thousand pounds a year more. The remainder, amounting to sixty thousand pounds, is divided amongst the dignitaries and other clergy.

belonging to this cathedral, which amount to upwards of four hundred, without including organists, musicians, singers, &c.

The cathedral is built in the form of a cross, is lofty and spacious, the windows numerous, the paintings, gilding, and carving, are in a heavy style, and it contains a great number of chapels and superb altars. The high altar stands in the middle of the choir; the riches and treasures therein are great beyond description. The custodia is made of silver, and contains thirty thousand ounces of that metal; it took sixty-four ounces of pure gold to gild it. It contains a great number of silver pillars, and one hundred little images of different saints, all of most rare workmanship. In the centre of the cathedral stands the image of St. Hypolito, the patron of Mexico, as large as life, made of pure gold, and placed on a shrine of silver. In another silver shrine stands an image of the infant Jesus, made of pure gold, and adorned with eight hundred precious stones; likewise a grand silver throne, on which is placed the image of the Blessed Virgin, made of silver, wearing a superb crown, and adorned with a profusion of valuable and precious stones, the whole weighing sixty arrobas of silver, which, at twenty-five pounds in each arroba, make fifteen hundred pounds weight. In the chapel of the Blessed Virgin is a beautiful altar, made of silver and richly inlaid with gold, worked in the most curious manner, by an ingenious artist.

In this cathedral, there are forty-eight candlesticks, all made of silver, each measuring six feet in height, and of curious workmanship. There are three hundred masses said every day in this cathedral. They consume annually at the altars and in the processions, eight hundred arrobas of oil, making 2,500 Spanish gallons; twelve hundred arrobas of wax, making 30,000 Spanish pounds; one thousand arrobas of wine, making 3,125 Spanish gallons. Ten large gold lamps, and thirty large silver lamps, burn oil both night and day. The vestments and other ornaments of the archbishop and the rest of the clergy, as likewise the ornaments exhibited on the altars, are beautiful beyond description, and as rich as can be made, with gold and silver, covered with diamonds, rubies, emeralds, pearls, and other precious stones of dazzling lustre gold and silver stuffs, embroidered velvets, satins, silks, &c. are the richest and most valuable that money can purchase and procure, in any part of the world, and were brought from Europe by the register ships. The rest of the churches, the monasteries, and the nunneries, are proportionably rich and splendid, and their revenues are great.

Their warehouses and shops, from their great display of

precious metals and massive jewellery, are the richest and most valuable that can be imagined, though art has done little for their arrangement. Many of their household utensils are made of gold and silver.

The great market-place is a superb and spacious square, in the centre of the city; on one side of it runs an arcade, under which are some of the richest shops, and on the other side stands the magnificent palace of the viceroy of Mexico, built with a large square in the centre, so that it forms four magnificent fronts; the grand front presenting itself to the market-place.

In this city there is a royal mint for the coining of dollars and other silver coins, as likewise of gold coins. There is also a royal university, conducted by some of the most able and learned clergy, masters, and instructors, sent out from Old Spain, which contains upwards of three thousand students, sent from all parts of Mexico, Peru, and the other Spanish settlements. It has eleven hospitals and houses of asylum, all most amply and richly endowed; amongst the rest is an asylum for the reception of young female orphans, who are maintained and educated in a very decent and handsome manner, whilst they remain therein unmarried; and they have five hundred dollars each, given to them as a portion, when they leave this asylum, and marry to a decent, proper person, approved of by the managers.

There is a beautiful park, well planted with trees, and ornamented with fountains and water-works, where the nobility, gentry, and gay part of the inhabitants assemble every evening, some in coaches, great numbers of gentlemen on horseback, with multitudes of men and women on foot; and it is here that the young bucks, cavaliers, and majos, endeavour to attract the notice and favour of the ladies, by feats of activity, and the superb fancy dresses, in which they make their appearance, when mounted on their lively and beautiful horses. Several hundreds of coaches, drawn by two or by . four mules or horses, parade here every fine evening, attended by numerous retinues of black slaves, dressed out in the richest liveries, and in which they keep up great state and form; the carriages move very slowly and gently along, in order that those within them may see and be seen the better. The ladies within the carriages make their appearance without veils, in their richest dresses, decorated out, and ornamented with gold, pearls, jewels, diamonds, emeralds, rubies, and other glittering ornaments in their hair, ears, round their necks, and round their wrists, with superb gold watches and equipages, fitted up in the highest style. They take great VOL. I. New Series. 3 R

pride in having fine heads of hair, which they preserve with the greatest care and attention, in order to make it very thick and very long behind; they wear it plaited down their backs, and in general so long, even when pendant, it reaches down to their feet. They wear no caps, but in their tertulias, or visits, they have ornamental head-dresses. The Mexican ladies, in general, are about the middle stature, very few of them are tall; the greatest part of them have beautiful black hair, fine eyes, and the most regular sets of teeth, remarkably white and even, which they take great pleasure in showing when they laugh; they are remarkably lively in their manner and address, talk a great deal, dance remarkably well, enter a room in the most graceful manner, and no women whatever, in any country in the world, not even those of Cadiz, walk better. They are fond of music, singing, and dancing; the Spanish guitar, in particular, is universally played by them. Their favourite dances are el fandango, which is as much the rage here as in Old Spain; the young, the old, the brisk, the grave, the gay, nay, even the most stupid and dull people, become all alive, and put themselves into motion the very moment the guitar strikes up and begins to play. Las seguidillas, or couplets, are in great vogue, as songs; and minuets, boleros, waltzes, &c. as dances.

The Mexican ladies, in general, are handsome, polite, genteel, and particularly attentive to strangers. Great numbers of them have naturally fair complexions. They are not inferior to the ladies of Old Spain in personal charms: they speak the Spanish language remarkably well, their minds and ideas are clear and comprehensive, their expression pure and just, their manners and their behaviour inimitably graceful

and affable.

One of the favourite diversions of the citizens of Mexico is fishing in boats on the lake, whither they carry with them cold provisions, wine, liquors, &c. with which to regale themselves on the water. The neighbourhood of this fine city is rendered remarkably pleasant and beautiful by the numerous palaces, country seats, monasteries, nunneries, churches, large and beautiful towns and villages, which are within view of the city, and built upon the banks of the lakes, to which the citizens go in boats, when they are inclined to retire from the hurry and bustle of the town. Mexico is the most populous city of all those which the catholic king has in his vast dominions, and contains upwards of two hundred thousand inhabitants, which are comprehended under five different classes.

Those who invariably hold the first rank are Spaniards,