The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1846-06-13
Miscellaneous.
From work by Waddy Thompson,
EXTCO,

built city on the American continent. In
some respects il certainlyis so. In the prin-
clpal streets the houses are all constructed ac-
cording 10 the strictest architectural rules
| The foundations ofthe city were laid, and
the first buildings were erected by Cortes,
who did everything well which he attempted
from the building n house or writing n
couplet TO conquering an empire Many of
the finest horses ia Mexico are still owned by
his descendants. ... ......T.I ..., ...... =
The public square is said TO be unsurpass-
ed by any in the world II contains some
twelve or fifteen acres paved with STONE
The cathedral covers one entire side, the pal
ace another, the western side is occupied by
a row ofvery high and substantial houses,
the second stories ofwhich project into the
street the width of the pavement; the lower
stories are occupied by the principal retail
merchants Of the CITY, The most of these
houses were built by Cortes, who with his
characteristic sagacijy and avarice equally
characterized him III the latter part ofhis life,
selected the best portion ofthe city for him
self ..f. ..- ..... ... .... ',..... ....
The Presidents Palace, formerly the pal
ace of the viceroys, is an immense building
OF three stories high, about five hundred feet
IN length, and three hundred and fifty wde
II stands on the site ofthe palace of Monte
yuma. 1t Is difficult 10 conceive of so much
stone and mortar being put together in n less
tasteful and imposing shape, 1t has much.
more the appearance of n cotton factory or a
penitentiary, than what it really is the wind
ows are small aud parapct wall runs the
whole length ofthe building, with nothing to
relieve the monotony ofits appearance except
some very indifferent ornamental work in the
centre; there are no doors in the front either
OF the second or third stories-nothing bnt
dlSproportionately small windows, and too
many Of them; the three doors, and there are
only three in the lower story, are destitute of
all architectural beauty or ornament. Only
very small portion ofthis palace is appro-
priated to the residence ofthe President; all
the public officers are here, including those of
the heads of the departments; ministers of
war, foreign relations, finance and justice,th
public treasury, &C., &c. The halls of the
house of deputies and of the senate are also
in the same building, and last aud least the
botonc garden. After passing through all
sorts offilth and dirt on the basement story
you come TO dark narrow passage which
conducts you TO massive door, which, when
you have succeeded in opening, you enter an
apartment enclosed with high walls on every
side but open mt the top and certainly not ex-
ceeding 80 feet square, and this is the botonic
garden of the palace of Mexico: few shrubs
and plants aud the celebrated manila tree, are
all ttnt II contains. have rarely in my life
seen, a more gloomy and desolate looking
place. Ii Is much more like prison than
garden. A decrepit, palsied old mnn, said TO
be more than hundred years old, is the SUI
perinrendent Ofthe establishment; no one
could have been selected more in keeping
with the general dilapidaton and dreariness
OF this melancholy affair."
Rt,t Tho Eafha1rol ,,l, rho CIT
of the great idol temple Montezuma, Offers a
striking contrast 1t is five hundred feet long
by 400 wide. 1t would be superfluorIs to add
another to the many descriptions of this fam
Gus building which have already been publish
ed. Like all the other churches in Mexico, it
is built in the Gothic style. The walls, of
several feet thickness are made of unhewn
stone and lime. Upon entering it, one is apt
to recall the wild fictions of the Arabian
Nights; it seems as if the wealth of empires
was collected there. The clergy in Mexico
do NOT, for obvious reasons desire that their
wealth should be made known TO its full eX-I
ient they arc, therefore, not disposed to give
very fun information upon this subject, or TO
exhibit, the gold and silver vessels, vases,
precious stones, and other forms of wealth;
quite enough is exhibited to strike the behold !
err with wonder. The first object that pre-
sents itselfo entering the cathedral is the al
tar, near the centre Of the buildng;it is made
ofhighly wrought, and highly polished silver,
and covered with a profiIsion of ornaments
ofpure gold. On each side of this altar runs
4 balustrade, enclosing space about eight
eet wide and eighty or a hundred feet long
The balusters are about four feet high and A
inches thick in the largest part; the handrai
rom six to eight inches wide. Upon the top
Of this handrai, at the distance off six or eight
eet apart, are human images, beautifully
wrought and about two feet high. All ofthese
he balustrade, handrail, and images, are
made of a compound of gold, silver, and cop
)er-more valuable than silver. was told
hat an offer had been made to take the balus-
rade, and replace itwith another of exactly
he same size and workmanship ofpure sill
yer, and to give half a million of dollars be-
sides. There is much more of the same balus-
rade in other parts the church; | should
link in all, not less than three hundred feet.
AS you walk through the building, on eth
or side there are different apartments all fill
I'd from the floor to the ceiling,with paintings
statues, huge candlesticks, walters, and a
thousand other articles made of gold or sill
YER This, too, is only the every day display
ST articles of least value; the more costly are
stored away in chests and closets. What
must it be when all these are displayed, with
he immense quantities of precious stones
which the church is known to possess?
do not doubt that there is enough of the
precious metals In the different churches of
Mexico to relieve sensibly the pressure upon
he currency of the world, which has result
I'd from the diminished productions of the
mines, and the increased quantity which has
been appropriated to purposes ofluxury, and
o pay the cost of much more tasteful 'decora-
ions in architecture and statuary, made of
mahogany and MARBLE ...... ...,-.i
But the immense wealth which is thus col
ected in the churches, is not by any means
Ill or even the larger portion of the wealth 1