Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-02-10

of hundred or more in mum
Der around 1.-The ancient rock of
Chapultepec. Beneath them many
deadly battle had been fought and
five Emperors have walked in sorrowful
meditation. The two Montezunas,
and the great and good Guatemozin had
their country palace here, while both
lturbide and Macmillan found rest in
the shadow of these famous trees. The
trees appear to have been planted in
regular order on either side of the
/ broad avenue, which is crossed at right
angle by a shorter one. At the junction
the trees, instead Of forming four cor.
ners, have been planted SO that they
stand in all exact circle. They are hung
with long dropping festoons of gray,
weird-looking Spanish moss, that gives
them sad and venerable air, at the
same time imparting both grace and
dignity. Like the long beard of an old
man, it impressesses you with ave.
They are all of immense size and still
vigorous and sound. The largest are
from twelve to twenty feethigh. Their
trunks for many feet from the ground
are SCARED and torn by shots and shells
taken place in the immediate neighbour
hood. The. limbs of these trees COM
mence branching out about twenty or
thirty feet from the ground, and the
tops of some of them are over 100 feet
in diameter. This grove of gigantic
trees is certainly one Of the
most remarkable in the world, and it is
very strange to me that it is not more
known Emerging, we found ourselves
in the rear of the castle, and began to
climb up the hill toward it over a beau
tiful gravel road that wound around it
before reaching the summit. In doing
SO we saw the ruins of the summer
palace of Montezuma. Like all the old
Aztec antiquities, they are covered with
carved grotesque and fantastic hero
glyphics, representing hideous reptiles,
hobgoblins, and demons. At the top
of the rock stood the castle, a fine
large structure, half fort, half resi-
dence, composed of two oblong build
ings standing parallel at either
nected by a long, marrow build
Spanish style of architecture, painted
in bright colors, and ornamented with
arabasque holdings around all the doors
and windows. The central building
has a long arcade on either side, above
which the outside walls are supported |
by Moorish columns and arches. Thel
whole is built of porphyry, marble and
sandstone. 1t contains fine scientific
library and conservatory, not covered
with glass, however, as none is needed
The whole rock beneath it is honey
combed with passages, stables, cellars,
dungeons, store-rooms, and powder
magazines, some of which were exca-
waited by the Montezumas over three
centuries and half ago. At the north
ern end of the building are two very
handsome buildings, from the highest
OF which droops the red, white and
banner of Mexico. It also has fine ter
race that looks down the road to
town. Chapultepec is the Windsor
Castle of Mexico The original build
Montezuma l., thenby his two nephews,
all of who lived here in barbaric splen-
dor and luxuriousness, which, accord |
ing to Prescott, could only have been
surpassed by the magnifcence of the
Orient. After the conquering Spaniards
possessed themselves of the fair valley
of Anahuac they built the present |
castle, always using it as a fortress and |
palace. The Emperor Iturbide occu-
pied it, then the usurper Macmillan oc-
cupied it, after his life was no longer
safe in the capital. To Carlotta is due
the credit of having embellished Chap
ultepec with everything we now see in
the way of art, she having left nothing
undone that nature had neglected in
order to form the charming palace and
college that it now is.