The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1880-02-11

9 is this chlnampas. wherein man might BID
y glad to retreat from the world for here he hAe
r tasteful to him, a good bamboo cane viii
9 push him over the shallow lake to some more
y favorable and inviting spot.
There Is visitor to this ehinampa to-day,
: q trader, q sort Of ltinerant merchant or
| from the city to exchange them for the pro-
8 auctions fruits. flowers and vegetables--of
! this floating garden. His canoe or pirdgud
ID fastened to the shore, and he 10 Inviting tho
> fair denizens OF the island for the gentleman
Of the house has gone out fishing and left the
, ladies alone at home-toa glance at his stock,
rows OF cages OF birds OF the most brilliant
} hnes. parroduets, macaws and humminR
birds, richly eolored cottona, and fruits and
vegetables. girl who Ia trafficbing with him
offers In exchange for his goods u bouquet che
has just made. The other inhabitants OF the
Island are too busy to buy from or gossip with
the peddler for they have before them the
dutyof preparing the tortila bread that con-
Ftltutes their main food. One is seated be-
loren stone whereon the grain l. being beaten
into -four while the other lights the fire, and
having formed the dough into round cakes,
| cooks It,.
G. MARRIAGE.
| From the beating OF drums and the noise
OF trumpets 1t j. evident that some interest,"
| Ing ceremony Ia going on inside the house be-
fore which we stand. Our curiosity is thor
0ughly excited, and we glance In the door, In
Visible witnesses OF II marriage feast. The
house is divided into two rooms. In the front
ts company, friends and relatives OF the
BRIDES father, who are enjoying themselves
over the wedding FEAST. In the back room the
marriage ceremony itself Is being performed
In the presence Of a gigantic Image OF the
household goddess she who presides over
the Aztec home, cares for the wife and pro-
tects the child. The priest carries swung
round his neck rs n symbol Of his Office q skull.
which some might think Inappropriate for as
festive an affair as wedding. The household
Hnnr rhstnn nfVt RuAn
looked on approvingly at the happy couple.
Is deGked with flowers. q pretty symbol OF
married life. On either side OF her image
stands an altar, also flower crowned. The priest
advances with q torch In his hands, and grasp
Ing an edge Of the hridegroom's long tets
mantli or white cotton cloak. ties It to the end
OF the brides dress, thus signtfying that the
pair are tied together for life, are man
and wife, until separated by decree OF the
divorce court.
In the front room, the guests are having
high old time OF 1t. The hall Is scented with
per fumes and etrewed with odorlferous herbs
and iowers. Five guests are seated around
the dinner. There are substantial meats, es-
pecially game; therels turkey also. and vege~
tables and fruits of every kind, tomatoes,
melons. potatoes and bananas; but the grand
piece re resistance is a cooked man, who ie
seated, unskinned and stuffed, ia the centre Of
the table, but slightly changed Ia looks from
life. From vases of silver and gold OF the
most delicate workmanship, rs we'll as drink
Ing cups Of tortoise she'll the old gentlemen
around the table are drinking for be it known
that al Of them are old people, the Aztec lay
furnishing young drunkard with
g as much puIque as he cared for. Besides
his cups oil chocolate favored with vanilla
ire being passed around, aud pipes Of tortoise
she'll or silver. filed with tobacco mixed with
herbs
Around the dlning-hal are ranged speci..
mems OF the Aztec pottery-vases, urns and
,ups OF every shape and variety
7. PuLQUE.
But we must not forget the drink which
heered the ancient Aztec, patlque, a taste for
which his descendant, the Mexican, has not
plantation. field Is filled with the maguey
Agava mericana)or American aloe. Awoman,
! field laborer, is seated on the ground before
me OF these plants She has made an In
lsion Ia Its leaves, from which the juice,
8 trickltng freely into a vase she
lolds. A faster, or, as we would style him, q
ampler, ID standing near samp'ing some OF
he liquor che has just prepared. This is
tOred in q long horn, and, instead OF drinking
as Wa would, he holds the horn high In the
'r, so rs to allow the liquor to slowly trlckle
ut and fall invtlngly into his throat. A
arrer, one or those hardy, Heet-foote ma
Ives who supplied the place OF beasts Of bur-
len In Anahuac, has jar OF pulque strapped
n his back, and IL just about to start of
With 1t for the city market
Upon an elevation In the rear OF the ma
luey field Is growing 81 large cactus bush
severed with the sweet fruit IL that veReta-
lie porcuplne. Despite It's thorns host OF
cumming birds Of the richest and most va
led colors have gathered here and are greed
~ devouring this, their favorits fruit
Such WAS the Aztecs four centuries ago.
We have seen how from rude tribe they
rev up into people, II only semt-civilized,
" far the most advanced of the North Amer
can continent. We have seen their religious,
heir marriage ceremonies, what they eat and
best points whereby to judgea
eople-and. having told us this much,
Jo1nus now goes on to tell us how the Aztec
mpire and the Aztec civilization was utterly
rushed out and destroyed under the iron
eel Of the Spanard.
8. CORTEz IN MEXICO.
1t Is a March morning In the year 1919 A
eet Of Spanish galleons has put into q bay
II the coast OF Mexico and landed a little
old. In their chief. q grave looking man,
With large black eyea, heavy beard and pale
deep chest, broad shoulders
nd muscular although slender form, clad
s left hand banner which. like the Laba-
UNI of Constantine, bears red cross upon
black ground, with the words: I'm Hoe
'igno Vinces" Gin this sign you shall con-
uer), and in his right his good sword, we
II recognize the celebrated conquis tabor,
fernando Cortez.
Under a cactus bush that affords slender
hade lies Bernal Daz, one Of his lieutenants
nd the historian OF the expedition a rough
ut honest Spanish adventnTer who has come
. America to seek Ills fortune, and who boasts
having fought In one hundred and nineteen.
attles and been wounded seventeen times.
,Iaz has removed his helmet and taken off
ortion Of his armOr to ease himself, and is
,ritlng out come potes. His squire, arQue-
US In hand, is eagerly scanning the horizon
} see Ii any Indian scouts are lowering near.
Father Olmedo. the priest and confessor OF
ne expedition, has wandered off q short dis
ance. Suddenly he stops with an exclama-
on Of surprise before cross, the first he has
8rn not Of Christian origin. # Is d mont
rent to the rain god OF the natives-in whose
onOr many thousand babes are each year
acrificed-but to the priest it is convincing
roof that Christian has been here before the
parish discoverers of the country and taught
ne aborigines some OF the principles OF Chris-
anitY. So astOnlshed Is OmedO at the crOaa