The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1874-10-09
CHAPULTEPEC.
THE HoME OF MExIco's RULERS.
A letter from Mexico says:

THE HoMEoF MExico's RULERS.
A letter from Mexico says:
Outside of the city, first among the
points of interest stands Chapultepec,
once the rural palace of the Spanish Wee
roys, and after the overthrow of the colo
NAL regime long disused and abandoned,
until the advent of Macmillan, who com
menced the restoration of the ruined pal
ace and made 1t his summer residence.
The place is situated about three miles
from The City of Mexico, and can be
reached by q broad, straight avenue, for
| carriages or pedestrians, or by tho horse
cars TO Tacubays, which bring you within
q stone's-throw, or by tho Mexico and
r"ilTsss IiopP roe. at the the
grost park gato,. AZ you enter these
gates few steps lead you into forest OF
such trees rs only California can equal
The first that attracted our notice stood
isolated, and the trunk measured cir
cumference of forty-two feet; a short dis
lance ahead q clump Of four or 1--WE fur
nished shade enough for an encsmpment,
and as we advanced they grew moro aud
more numerous, The tree Ia d sort of
willow, with dropping foliage, graceful
outspreading branches, and, MS may we'll
be conceived, of majestic bearing. Many
of the oldest are almost white with moss
hanging from the branches. This forest
lies at the base of s.eep hill,
crowned with the palace Of the
Viceroys and Macmillan, and now
allotted as residence to the presidents of
tho republic. After long walk wo came
out OF tho woods upon the rear OF the
bai!ding, and climbing up, aided by some
two hundred stone steps conveniently
placed AZ tho steepest passes in the ascent,
| we reached the court yard OF the building z,
a romantic spot rich with flowers, foun.
tains and statue. The Immense building
is entirely in the hands of workmen, VIII,
are renovating tho habitable porti 1ns and
completing the new work which the arch
duke left unfinished. The furniture useC
by the imperial household is huddled reli
nell into the large dining hall. The room
occupied by Macmillan open upon a wild,
balcony which commands view such u
no other balcony can rival. On one sid
stretches the fertile valley to the utmos
limit OF the horizon, ana so far beneath
tho gazer that evory feature OF the land
scApe can be discerned at once. On an
other side the sun shines upon the wAter
OF the large lakes that lie ut the base OF
mountain range from which rise the twill
snow crowned volcanoes of Popocats pet
and IstRecihuati, each every wa,
AS glorious IS Orizaba. Direct,
in front Of us the panorama O
the city; Immediately below and abou
are extensive flower gardens and the gisn
forest of which / have spoken, Will
above us bends a sky Of spotless blue
fringed only BY silvery clouds of stain
le,s white. We wander through the man,
halls and contemplate with strange feel
ings the beginning of Msxmillian's bro
ken plans, beginning which gives plair
indication that his restoration of this pa
ace which he had christened "The Alca
Ear" would have been marked with
the Same taste that made Mira
mar gem among tho roya
hermitages of Europe. We maxi
our exit through the imperial gatews,
capped With classic statues, upon u smooth
avenue, which, with gentle declivity
winds about leading us into the garden
below, and out again into the highway
This avenue, too, is the work of Maxmil
ian, for with the Viceroys this was
quasi fortress TO which it was not advisa
BILE 10 furnish easy access, as it com
manded the approach to Mexico, and, i
will be remembered, served in IS47 as
last intrenchment to stay the march o
the American army.