The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1882-05-20
The City of Mexico.

almost unknown land Of romance rather
than of reality 1t was the seat of the
highest civilization on this continent; the
capital of the great Indian Empire, which,
after subduing the valley, spread over the
Sierras down to the shores of the Gulf.
Here were enacted the deeds recorded IN
the charming pages of Prescott. No more
interesting spot existed on the Western
Hemisphere. and how strong has always
been the desire 10 visit it Hallowed by
such associations, and beautiful as it is in
teresting, the location well deserves the en-
comiums passed upon it by travellers.
Few cities can boast the surroundings OF
Mexico Hills rise on every side, brown
and rugged for hundreds Of feet. Plains,
lakes. mountains-all are here, and in the
grandest proportions. In the clear atmos-
phere how near and distinct do the distant
mountains appear There are times when
one can imagine himself at their feet. 50
sharp cut are the proiles against the deep
blue of the sky; and vet some Of them are
thirty or forty miles away. The Great
Plain; level as a prairie, extends to their
very feet, Nothing breaks the abruptness
with which they rise from the plain. The
effect of the one enhances that Of the other.
But look To the east There i the great
feature of the valley. Other places can
show mountains. but few can show snch
grand. whitc-cruwned monarchs A. these,
which appear to stand guard over the scene.
The southernmost. Popocaiapetl, rises in a
snow-eappcd cone 10 the height Of $4,000
feet above the level OF the sea. '"wer IN
reality. but apparently higher, since nearer,
is Iztaccihuitl the White Lady. The
name significant. for how striking Is the
resemblance 10 . woman shrouded IN white
aud stretched on her catatalque. so many
thousand feet above With a ,upers;itlnus
dread were thesc mountains regarded by
the simple natives The stories ot the In
dianS asserted that PopoeaiaPetl was IN i"ng
age, past king Of the valley, hut that be-
coming Jealous sf his wife, lEtaccIhuItl. he
PRAYED the god, a. turn her into a noun.
tain. Both were changed into volcanoes
and ~ a. guard the valley throagh al
coming ar,~. The luye oi the latter fol
her husband. they stated. had departed, III,
had b,come extinct. His hove has nov
about disappeared al-o. and P"roeaiapril
-<mokin. mountain has about best Ih,
rieht to ii. uame Three huudrcl year.
aa-a. however. the mountain was very a.
tive
Let IA, take --lnlc central. elevated posi-
tiau. say the tower uf the Cathedral, ant
wha, a view 3o We have sVresd ou; bytor,
Us The plain stretches uD every sl,.'.
4 league away. a. the east. the blas wa,er
Of Lake Texcoco, bathing apparently tbs
fest of the great SNOW peaks. daD.e ln th'
sun To- the -ouih appear "uly mountains
brown. bare and lutty What igur,> d
the profile. form There truugaissl cnu,
shows she crater of an ola yuleana NoR
der Ee> CherubusS,5. uhile jus. 'o ths w'e
stand ChapulleIcy, Ike sa uid meiiUya
castle. ir1wniu. down upon ibe valley
Alone !, stands IN . Parphyriiic r.-.k. jut
ting far out on she plain ouc % the usos
p71mincut features in the hnd,saPe Th
Position j. strons. and essS t,yu Scutt >on
hari fighting Ia take tsn the sam. -pa
-sood one of the Islacss ol NonteHuma
then washed hy she salt waters ot LAX
/ Texcoco. Beyonsl lies Noiiuu Del Rey
while further ou. ani hjtic O. iha south
, an the rising -aupe ~ the biil can hc sczl
. Tacubaya a .uburban village IT the eaP,ial
, fanou. for semc dur estate, uf NeNisai
a miIlionAir,s.
From ChapalteFsa the city draws Il
= Gie-blood, the sparkling waicr, through tw
{ immense aque,igci-- Stained. n,oSs grawI
, and dripping, how pictaEesluc. how n
! mantic arc tliese row. Of high .-mi-Cirrala
arches The northernmm,t ao4ueduct I'd
{ lows the line of San Co-mc street, th
r western eauseway If the American \ enIct
: mad, ~ sadly fatal 60 Cortez oa the tsrr
1 bic night Of the repulse from NeXioo-th
2 night III Noche tri>;e. iusr beyond q
i near Tacuhaya. stands an old, csretGll,
+ protected. bui now half-,iead trce--she tre
y % Nache trists--undeT which, ii Is sai,
p the general sat and wrps over the shasterc
= remnant Of bis army. which but few day
}. before swelIed by the reeruits uf Nawas
b and elated with victory bad So proud
{ entered the Axtcc capital The line oi th
{ retreat can bc traeed out fer miles alon
: the northern side of the plain. IN very uea
! IL the direction now taken by the Vel
e Cruz Railroad
Il To the north Of the city, a cluster
e buildings. closely husging small hii
j which stands oui byi,seli indicates the ~
O Of Guadalupe, one Of the most saeret spo'
i in Mexico. aud the place where the treat
= Of peace was signed with the | 'nired S.aica
{ There are here three churches, the large,
/ uf which Is one Of the richest IN the worl'
C Having now spanned the valley let d
l. glance for a moment downward Atouri ie,
{ lies the city, with It's regular pian Tor Wild
2 straight streets, extending nearly from nori
c te south and from east 10 west, with lIS 10
# plasterel buildings with fat brick root
o The few chimneys remind u> that We al
Sc in a land 6f' perpetual spring, where fires n
.s little needed tu furnish warmth. lilo
% picturesque appear the groupings Of Il
/ many domes and towers BONES appe
" on every side. and, constructed often
r blue aud white tiles. they are very pleasiI
lie in their effect. What beauty, what ASK
e. atoms, are here The beauty Of the sp
e, could not be destroyed by either the raw
ges of war or the vandalism OF man. IL
a. permanent and indestructible a q
hills themselves. Marred, however, 1t h
been. The absence Of trees Is an eyeso
"A feature which Is lacking in the pictuI
There is a feeling Of sublimity in the ere
= rugged hills. but there Is a sternness abo
- it calculated to bring up feelings Of sadne'
" This condition, brought about by the Spa
~ ish conquerors, harmonizes with the ster
y iron-heeled power with which for 300 yea
- they kept down the poor natives.
:! The peaceful beauty Of great wood
:. hills is wanting. The retirement Of {
/ waters has left great stretches Of fiat marSI
: land. broken only by the lines Of tre
:. which mark the four or FIVE driveways lea
- ing in different directions from the cit
10 Such has not, however, always been I
case. Noble forests, of which a remna
:, - still remains in the woods of Chapultep'
- once overshadowed the land. The watt
= once covered the plains, bathing the feet
- the hills. Strange taste of the Spaniar'
s which led them TO prefer the present bi
= rem appearance to that in which they tou
~ >, the valley. But it reminded them OF th'
,s native land.
.; nv -. .l.,,. = f,ravar crnna i