New-York tribune., 1868-11-11


THE MIL OF TEzCOSINGO-KiNG OF nnHNmo No.
ALCOYOFT-THE CHICIiIMhC ,'nIr,-
.YCIpNT p,rus CAVES, AND IDOiS-hoUN-
T.,x -, ,o,yVrs-IIFE AND TRAVEL ON THE
LAKE. .r,oxr,
tpnOM OUR OwS CORRESPONDENT
TrZcoCo Sept ia league hoi|'-"
-. = Tho crave of Contador only less admia
ble than Chapultepec for It's giant cyPi'''''' w
roI;cs of a kings garden in blossom an ago ago
. .s ~ which may be found the remains OF an
ot;oue tank for clear water similar to one IN which
mncteyuma used to take his delightful spring-water
hath among the great cypress druds of Chapnltepec
Rat tbe nroudest antiquities of 1ezc0co are to De
seen after some search on the royal hill oi IeHco
singo between two and three leagues from the town.
Tho road thereto contains but few crosses marking
the scene of old crimes; passes the village OF hue
iutla where are remains of an ancient Indian mousse
or palace; and leaves our vohcle on inns slue 0i
rocky mountain stream. which toward the emu Oh
afternoon becomes mpassably swollen oy thc raliS
Crossing il on foot we have haf-anhours walk
among stones and bushes before We ascend the hl III
company with an Indian guide Just drafted ont ol
COrnheld for our expedition. ne Is oiu any any
barelcgged pronOunces bad Spanish, but
gives sign of understanding Otonhte aoou'
as well as the Indians We have heard gaD-
bling this very ancient language on their way to
the lake of Tezcoco. At the first brcathing-place
upon the hill are shown the characteresS runs ol
what was supposed to have been peasule-hodse Ill
the time of the CnlcnimcCS. AZ iulH pOlhl 'hO ~
mains of well-engneered old aqucduct connect
Pezcosingo with opposite hills, among winch had
been hewn or placed stone basin III days long gone
The ascent round the hill from the ruined pleasure
house il finely marked out by rock-boideTed walk
as GOOD now for the pedestrian. If not so picturesque
as it was when the King of Iczcoco but II. az a
turn of the hill, and passing what looks as II u
| might have been an old grOtto We reach the Desl
| known antiquity which Iezcoslngo OoaSts' ~ Sa
space of level stone around small Dasn lhe woi9 %
| ncloscd by stone seats now broken somewhat ana
ohScured by bushes The seats, the BASIN, thc lcve
are all of one piece, and were cut out OF the sollu
rock Altogether they make up the features OF ah
| old kings bath-a place for aOutons Iather than
ful bathing perhaps for the space OF The basin IL
not sufficient for ablebodicd king TO lie down IN
The guide points out places where attendants might
have sat and soap have been escOnced ana thcic iS
a special seat where the bathcr might nave rested
the while his imperial shins were being cooled or
rubbed. Not far from the kings basln steps tWehiy
feet or more cut regularly out of one mass OF rock.
let down into the space of an ancient garden lart 3
the walls of which are yet standing. now u Is al
wild with rock growing magueyS, brush shluDs ana
small cactuses but there are signs ABOVE ana peloW
that the whole of the high hillside may have formed
at one time rude terraccd eardon.
No palace-owner of these days has had the enter
prise of converting semi mountain into garden:
though remember that the bOtanlst 81. Pierre had
the good fancy to recommend IL to the klng oi
France. At turn on the other side OF the hui we
come upon similar bath to the ono just described.
only that its stone bench Is circular and that one of
its sides is topped by the torso OF large frog sup
posed to be an idol. but perhaps only an ornament
Further up the ruins OF shrine, said 10 nave
been dedicated to god. a fragment OF whose giaht
stature is Mt feet Mictlantcotli was the name Oi
this battered omnipOtence. insists our baIe-legged
Aztec This will serve about a. well n some other
Aztec stories but as Micanteoih was no better thah
the God of He'll aud was celebrated by his priests IN
CimmeTian gloom, it would have seemed daring
snubbery of the supreme Geou TO have advanced The
| worship of the devil 80 far heavenwafd. Our last
memorabilia of Tezcosingo relate to two caves opened
little more than half way up the hill and to reach
which the traveller almost loses himself In the
bushes One of the caves picrces the rock seventy
five feet but our progress stopped at one third
of the distance by water. The second both the ma
tves with Obstinatey refused to enter fearful oi
common town rumOr of robbers and al all events OF
some other wild beasts. Experience however. hay-
ing enabled US to disregard some kinds of vulgar
hearsay, we led the way with candle and walking
stick the natives at last bringing up the a
bat flew by at our approach, and some creeping
things avoided the light. and AT the end OF 20 or 40
pacea tins haunt of ladrOneS and tiger cats ended IN
well circle, not unlike that found IN the cave OF
the moon n-pyramidi at Teotihuacan. but only five
| or six feet deep. Notwithstanding this harmless
revelation assured that the cave was never
entered on account Of its bad reputation; but perhaps
the silver seeker has been there before Ms. for
other parts of the hill there unmisakablc miners
cuttings That the caves are ancient, seems patent
from the steps leading down into them aud dispo-
sition TO probe the mystery of their bygone
havo led TO their enlargement at last IN the interest
of the dsgusted Orehunter or treaslre-seeker The
historic hills of Mexico a. full OF fancyireasuro
| as Hartz mountain; but have never heard Of
native who has yet made penny out of them in the
| pursuit Of mystery. TezcOsinco has IA rich wild
| fora associated with such names "a the maidcn's
/
| panllla nghtshade wild bean, the bright blue
chicken blossom. and edrayed mirasol floral belle
of the hills Beside these are such shrubs and herbs
as little broom wild ounce frog herb and the pretty
| yellow flower called tghtng-cock, showing that the
popular botany is about the same in style the world
| over. Near the last cave visited, we saw cactus
| about 40 feet high The summit view of the valley
near with its deep barranca. the far.o sight of the
airy hills and dreamy lake TezcocO distant and the
city of Mexico scarcely perceptbe-in short all the
Turneresque quality of the picture OF anci ent le-
| nochtNlan-will not be forgotten.
| IL has been common Ignorance to ascrlbe the
| ANTIQUITIES of Tezcoco To Moctezuma. Several
writers speak in manifest of the curious stone
| work on the hill as MOctezumas bath, whereas the
favorte hill and baths of that monarch at Cha
| pultepec all the glory and shame of the renowned
| IndiO Triste being connected with the great city
across the lake The fame of ezcoco once the large
capital of hourishing kingdom of that name. be-
| longs to NezahualcOyOtt, king less known nova
days than Moctezuma, but IN truth the most illus
triOus character of the old Mexican annals Ii s
| corded that he dared much suffered much, and was
wise that he recovered the throne which his father
lost and in short the Alfred and Solomon OF the
Chichmec ancients, regning with lnster III the l9th
| century of the vulgar The Indians OF IeZcOcO
speak according to veritabe tradition IN assoclatlng
the wonders of the place and nelgborhood with old
NezahuacoyOtt instead of Moctezuma. To his con
| tempative disposition q mountain retreat would
have been congenial, and he sh0uld have delighted
i'm the cool grottoes and the terraced gardens of TeZ
cosng0. The poems which he has left MS show the
kings love for the imagery OF flowers, and sometimes
seem to take breath from the regretso dying Sum
| mer and the pains OF exile:
| Oye enchanted blooms
! Ye overflow with hight the serene day.
BE heard meodous song,
flushed be the faithful thrOng
TO listen 10 the music OF my lay.
NY God how grieyes the heart distressd.
Oft IN the forest green,
Giving 10y song To the vain air,
I've passed the Summer noon,
And all the flowers in bloom
With magic beauty cheated my despair
My God, how grieyes the aged breast.
Thus sang the great Chlchilnec. for report of
whose muse | am indebted to the Spanish versions
of Jose Joaquin PesadO once Minister Of State to
tba hos nf her