Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1894-08-08
Ihus he spoke to me- but to tho others
he said nothing, casting no reproaches at
them.
Then I tainted away.
CHAPTER XII.

| ley or uenOCGltlan. NexU 1uOrIlLuB Ne
took the road again before 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 Guatenoc
desired if it were possible to reach tho 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 mo lay vast
bowl Of land and water, Of which, howev-
er, could see nothing for the shadows
of the night still filled it. But before me,
piercing the very Clouds lowered the crests
of two snow clad mountains, and on these
the light of the unrisen sun played, already
changing their whiteness to the stain OF
blood. Popo or the Hill that Smokes, Is
tho name of the one, and 1xtac, or the
Sleeping Woman, that Of the other, and
no grander sight was ever offered to tho
eyes Of man than they furnished In that
hour before the dawn. From the lofty
summit of Popo went up great columns
of smoke. which, what with the lire In
their heart and the crimson of the sunrise,
looked like rolling pillars of flame. And
for the glory of the glittering slopes below,
that changed continually from tho mystic
~ of white to dull red, from rcd to Grim
son and from crimson to every dazzling
hue that the rainbow holds, who can toll
it, who can even imagine its None indeed
except those that have seen the sun riso
over tho volcano of Tenoctitlah.
When had feasted my eyes on Popo, l
turned to Ixtac. She is not SO lofty as her
husband, " for so tho Aztecs name tho
volcano Popo, and when first I looked
could see nothing but the gigantic shape
of q woman fashioned in snow and lying
like a corpse upon her lofty bier, whose
hair streamed down tho mountain side.
But now the sunbcams caught her also,
and she seemed to start out in majesty
from veil of rosy mist, wonderful and
thrilling sight But, beautiful Us sho was
then, still I love the Sleeping Woman best
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 I gazed the light began to creep
down the sides Of tho volcanos, revealing
the forests on their flanks. But still tho
vast valley was filled with mist that 10y
in dense pillows resembling those of tho
sea, through which hills and temples tops
started up like islands. BY slow degrees
as we passed upon our downward road tho
yapors cleared away and the lakes OF Tcz-
cuco Chalco und Xochicalco shonc In tho
sunlight like giant mirrors. On their
banks stood many cities. Indeed the
greatest of these, Mexico, seemed to float
upon the waters. 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 journcycd swiftly through
this fairyland. We passed through the
cities of Amaqucm and Ajotzinco, which l
will not stay to describe, and many "A love-
ly village that nestled upon the borders of
Lake Chalco Then wo entered on tho
great causcway of stone built like road
resting on the waters, and with the after
| noon we came to the town of Cuitlahuac.
| Thence we passed on to 1ztapalapan, and
| here Guatemoc would have rested for the
night in the royal house of his uncle Cult
lahua. But when we reached the town we
| found that Montezuma, who had been ad-
vised of our approach by runners, had sent
orders that we wero to push on to Tenoc-
titlan, and that palanquins had been made
ready to bear us.
So we entered the palanquins, and leav-
ing that lovely city of gardens were borne
swiftly along the southern causeway. On
we went past towns built u ~ piles fixed
| in the bottom of tho lake, t gardens
that were laid out on reeds Ind foated
over the waters like boat, past teocallis
and glistening temples without number,
| through fleets Of light canoes and thou
| sands Of Indians going to and fro about
their business, till at length toward sun
| set we reached the battlemented fort
| that is called Xoloc, which stands upon
the dixie. say stands, but, alas, it stands
no more! Cortes has destroyed It, and
with it all those glorious cities which my
eyes beheld that day.
| At Xoloc we began to enter the city of
| Tenoctitlan, or Mexico tho mightiest city
| that ever had seen. The houses on the
outskirts indeed were built Of mud or
adobe, but those in tho richer parts were
constructed of redstone. Each house sur
rounded q courtyard and was, in turn
surrounded by a garden, whilo between
them ran canals, having footpaths on ell
ther sidc Then there were squares, and
in the squares pyramids, palaces and tenn
pies without end. gazed on them till I
was bewildered, but all seemed as moth
ing when at length saw the great tenn
pie, with its stone gateways opening to
the north and tho SOUTH the east and the
west, its walls carven everywhere with
serpents, its polished pavements, its teoc-
allis decked with human skulls thousands
upon thousands of them, and its vast sur
rounding ttanqueZ, or market place. /
caught but glimpse of 1t then, for the
darkness was falling and afterward we
were borne on through the darkness, I did
not know whittier.
Awhile went by, and saw that we had
left the city and were passing up steep
hill beneath the shadow Of mighty cedar
trees. Presently we halted in courtyard,
and hero was hidden to alight. Then
the Prince Guatemoc led mo into Won
drous house. Of which all the rooms were
rooted with cedar wood and Its walls hung
with richly colored cloths, and in that
house gold seemed as plentiful as bricks
and oak arc with us in England. Led by
domestics who bore cedar wands in their
hands, wo went through many passages
anu TOOIub Gul dG lcuSIu W. chlIe W d
chamber where other domestics were
awaiting us, who washed us with scented
waters and clothed US in gorgeous ap-
parel. Thence they conducted us to door,
where we were bidden to remove our shoes,
and coarse colored robe was given to
each of US to hide our splendid dress. Tho
robes having been put on, We were suffered
to pass the door and found ourselves in a
vast chamber in which were many noble
men and some women, all standing and
clad in coarse robes. At the far end OF
this chamber was gildcd screen, and
from behind it 1oatcd sounds of sweet
music.
Now, as we stood in the great chamber
that was lighted with sweet smelling
torches, many men advanced and greeted
Guatcmoc, the prince and noticed that
all Of them looked upon me curiously.
Presently woman came, and I saw that
her beauty was great. She was tall and
stately, and beneath her rough outer robe
| LII