The Columbia Democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1837-1850, 1846-06-13

stood
The following description of the Halls
Of Monezume, will be interesting al the
present time.
MonIezuma IL. assembled the Mexican
throne A. D. 1902, at the age of 23, before
Mexico had been discovered by The Euro
pesnS. He died 3OIh June 1920, in the
42d year Of his age, Of wounds inflicted by
he spanish discOverers whom he had invi
led to his royal palace. Historians agree in
adnirng his character.
On ascending the throne,not content with
The spacious residence Of his father, he e.
recied him another, much more magnificent
fronting on the plaza major Of the present
city Of Mexico. SO vast was this great
structure, that. as one of the historians in
forms US, the space covered by lis terraCed
roof might have afforded room for thirty
knights 10 run their courses in regular
lou!nay, His fathers palace, although mol
so high, was so extensive that the vislters
were TOO much faligued in wandering
through The apartments, ever to see the
whole Of it.
The palaces were bulk Of red stone, or.
namCnied with marble, the arms of the
Montezuma family Gan eagle bearing tiger
in his Ialons) being scuIpsnred over lhe
main entrance. Crystal fountains, fed by
great reservoirs on the neigbboriHg hills,
played ia the vast halls and gardens, and
supplied water 10 hundred Of marble baths
in the interior OF the palaces. Crowds OF
mobiles and tributary chicflains were conlin-
uaIIy sauneTing through the halls, or Ioier.
ing away their hours in attendance on the
court. Rich carvings in wood adorned the
ceilings, beautiful mats of palm leaf covered
the floors. The walls were hung with cot
ton richly stained, the skins of wild animals
OF gorgeous draperes Of feather work
wrought in imitation of birds, insects and
flowers, in glowing radiance Of coors
Clouds of incense from golden censOrs diff,
fused intoxicating odors through splendid
apartments occupied by the nine hundrcd
and eighty wives and five rhousand slaves
| Of MOnIezuma.
lie encouraged science and leaning, and
public schools we're established throughout
The greater part of his empire. The city
Of Mexico in his day, numbered twice as
many inhabitants as al present, and one
thousand men were daily employed in wa
lering and sweeping its streets, keeping
them so clean that man could traverse
The whole city with as lillIe danger Of soil
,ng his feet as his hands. A careful police
guarded the city. Extensive arSenas gran.
aries, warehouses, an aviary for The mos
beautiful birds, menagerjes, houses for rep
tiles and selpanls, collection of human
monsters, fshsponds built Of marble, and
museums and public libraries, oil on the
most extensive scale, added their attractions
to the great city of the Az,ocs, Gorgeous
,emples--ln which human viCtlws were sac
rIfced, and their blood baked in bread OF
their bodies dressed for food TO be devoured
| by the people at religious IesiivaIs--reared
lheir pyramidial alIars far above the hjgh>
est edtices. Thousands Of their brother
men were thus sacrificed annually. The
temples Of MaXlIli, their war god was so
CONSTRUCTED that its great alarm gong,Sound.
ing to battle, reused the valley for three
eagues around, and called three hundred
Thousand armed Aziecs TO the immediate re-.
| lief Of their monarch.
So vast was 'he collection OF birds Of
prey, in building devoted 10 them, that
500 turkeys, the cheapest meat in Mexico,
were allowed for their daily consumption.
Such were The Halls OF the MonIc2umasn
| The summer residence of the monarch, on
the hill Of ChaPoIepec, overlooking the city
was surrounded by gardens Of several miles
in extent, and here were preserved until the
middle Of the last century, two statues Of
| the Emperor and bis father. The great
Cypress trees, under which The Azlec So
cerejgo and his associates once held their
moonlight revels, still shade the royal gar,
dens. Some Of them, fifty feet in cIrcum-
ference, are several thousand yesrs, Old,bul
ale yet as green as in the DAYS of Montczu-
ma, whose ashes, or those Of his ancestors,
Il, 80 nf thn potirn l.,