The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1894-08-15
CHAPTER XII
TIE COURT OF MoNTEZC3fA.


Now, for week was so i'll from my.
wounds that was unable to be moved,
and then must be carried in a litter till
we came to within three days journey OF
the city Of Tenoctitlan, or Mexico.
One night we camped in rest house,
Of which there were many built along the
roads for the use of travellers, that was
placed almost on the top Of the sierra or
mountain range which surrounds the val
lev of Tenoctit,an. Next morning we
took the road again bc:crc dawn, for.the
cold was so sharp at this great height that
we, who had Travelled from the hot land,
could sleep very little, and also Guatemcc
desired if it were possible to reach the city
that night.
When we had gone few hundred PAGES,
the path came to the crest Of the noun
tain range, and halted suddenly in Won
der and admiration Below me lay vast
bowl Of land and water, of which, howcv-
er, coul6 see nothing, for the shadows
of the night still filled it. But before me,
piercing the very clouds, lowered the crcsts
of two snow clad mountains, and on these
the light of the unrisen sun played, already
changing their whitencss to the stain Of
blood Popo, Or the Hill that Smokes, is
the name of the one, and Ixtac, or the
Slecp;ag Woman, that Of the other. end
no grander sight was ever offered to trc
eyes of man than they furnished in that
hour before the dawn. From the lofty
summit Of Pcpo went up great columns
of smoke. which, what with the fire in
their heart and the crimson of the SUNRISE
looked like rolling pillars Of fame. And
for the glory of the glittering slopes below,
that changed continually from the myste-
~ of white to dull red, from rcd to GRIM
son and from crimson to every dazzling
hue that the rainbow holds, who can tell
it, VINO can even imagine it? None indeed
except those that have seen the sun rise
over the volcano of Tcnoctitlan.
When I had feastcd my eyes on Pope. l
turned to Ixtac. She is not so lofty as her
husband, - for so the Aztecs name the
volcano Popo, and when first looked l
could see nothing but the gigantic shape
of a woman fashioned III snow and lying
like corpse upon her lofty bicr, whose
hair streamed down the mountain side
But now the sunbeams caught her also,
and she seemed to start out in majesty
from veil OF rosy mist, wonderful anu
thrilling sight. But, beautiful as She was
then, still love the Sleeping Woman bess
at eve. Then she lies a shape Of glory on
the blackness beneath and is slowly swal-
lowed up into the solemn night as the dark
draws its veil across her.
Now, as gazed the light began to creep
down the sides of the VOLCANOES, revealing
the forests on their fanks. But still the
vast valley was filed with mist that lay
in dense pillows resembling those Of the
sea, through which hills and temples top;
started up like islands. By slow degrees
as we passed upon our downward road the
vapors cleared away and the lakes Of Tez-
cuco, Chalco and Xochicalco shone ID the
sunlight like giant mirrors. On their
banks stood many cities. Indeed the
greatest of these, Mexico, seemed to float
upon thewaters. Beyond them and about
them were green fields Of corn and aloe
and groves Of forest trees, while far away
lowered the black wall Of rock that hedges
in the valley.
All day we journeyed swiftly through
this fairyland We passed through the
cities Of Amaquem and Ajotzinco, which
will not stay to describe, and na"r"s'""'-