The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1885-09-23
AMExloAN VALLEY.
Picturesque Scenes Out Of the Usuni Lint
of Travel.

In whatever direction one leaves the cap
ital he cannot miss a fine scenic picture.
for in any case he must ascend high up
above the plain to surmount the valleys
rim. But looking from the west and north
west one gets the best view, and the one
most frequently chosen by artists who have
painted the valley. ChApultepec, always
an object of interest to strangers, is then
brought into the foreground, with the Paseo
and park-like suburbs, while the lower and
less attractive portion of the city, with Lake
Texcoco beyond, is relocated to the back
ground, the distance lending an enchant-
ment to the latter it does not possess on
close acquaintance, aud the whole has then
the setting back of oil, of the lofty noun
tain ranges terminating in tho snow-capped
peaks of Popocatepetl and Iztaccihuatl.
On the divide we are 10000 feet above
the sea. Now look back on the vast valley.
Every detail is lost. There is only great
sweep of green, thinly yelled here and there
by streaks of mist, shading into purple and
blue. How wide the outlook is Il seems
endless, because the further limit Is undis-
tnguishable from the sky, and long way
It is, seyenty-fve miles, as the crow flies,
10 the famous volcanoes, only visible now
IS their snowy tops catch the sun, and with
difficulty distinguishable from the cloud
crests behind.
But this is not all. From our lofty van-
tage ground we command two valleys. This
to the westward is the valley of the Lerma,
one OF the longest of the Mexican rivers.
dominated by its own lofty peak the extinc,
volcano Of Nevada de Toluoa. As we wind
IN and out among the pine-covered hills,
catching glimpses first Of one and then of
the ether valley, one needs to keep his bear
ings well to know which for the moment
lies beneath him.
The descent into the valley OF the Lerma
is even more delightful than the ascent from
Mexico. The prospect is not perhaps 30
comprehensive, but one drops down more
abruptly and sees things more distinctly.
AT intervals of our long spins around mule
shoe curves cut in the face of the mountain,
in the course of which we almost completely
encircled two old towns so close that we
could fairly see down into the courtyards of
the houses. The eye took an immense
stretch of valley, cultivated to its full ca
pscity, marked off with rows OF maguey or
century plants, and alternating in plots of
red soil, freshly titled, and in green and
yellow blocks of grain. The whole city of
which we now get, with each opening of
the hills, distincter view, is Toluca The
ride over the mountains in the intervals
where the broader prospects Just described
are cut of, is wild and picturesque in the
extreme. You spin around curves aud up
and down grades which would be imprac.
ticable with any but a narrow guige, with
any engine but one all driving wheels and
the best air brake equipment. You plunge
into tunnel only to shoot out over a
spidery iron bridge in way so like leap
into the air as to startle you.
In the valley of the Lerma are great haci.
sadess with arehed gAteways aud red-tiied
roofs, and projecting rifle towers nj
the corners yeritable fortresses. You
may be sure the wealthy don who owns it,
has yassalage like feudal lord and vast
iocks and that when he visits tho market
at Toluca, he wears sombrero covered
with gold or silver lace, and full pint Of
silver buttons down the outer seam Of his
close fitting brooches, and has q heavily
chased revolver at either hip. His heavily
and richly caparisoned horse with bearskin-
covered tanks and silver mounted trap
pings, is not less gorgeous than himself. &