The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-06-07
A MEXICAN VENICE.
THE PICTURESQUE CANALS AND
WATERWAYS oF XoCHIMILCo.


Beauty of Viga's Observation-Disclosures
full Voyage Through Gardens as
Economically beautiful as Those
of Granada-Rich Vegetation and
Floral Growth.
From the Mexican Herald.
Every one who comes to the City of
Mexico has his interest aroused by being
asked if he has been to the Viga caral,
while there are few who will say "go ard
see Xochimilco."
Being thus interested by the inquiry,
one goes TO the Viga, and TO see, what?
a sickly, bilous-lool1ing stream having
depth just sufficient to float scow You
are spotted right away by the canoe men
as 'slow BALI as our friends at Indianilla.
might say; that is, easy to catch-psrhaps.
"How much to with a sweep of the
hand Indicating anything, out beyond.
What, Dos pesos? so you needn't work
again for week: No, sir; net here Not 1,
But 'le dare a " cuatro reales, eh?" And
hearing a hesitating "bueno" you follow
your mana and for fifty cents you may
view the q " or down hill end of the viga
lish. a scow, and, that nothing short of a
derrick could overturn. However, there
is no local law that forbids the timd gena
tie sex from screaming a little when they
"go on board" for the water is water
though il be thickish, and the canoe-scow
is boat.
Feast Day on the Viga.
If you are fortunate you will be on me
Viga on Good Friday, or some other
grand dia de fiesta. when the ordinary
scenes thereabout will, change from the
commercial, to those of gayety and fun;
when the middle class pour out from the
city and form canoe parties by the hun
dreds all laughing and singing, with rot
a few having quite excellent amateur or-
chestras whose catchy dreamy music floats
away, blending its rhythm with the ripple
of quiet Joiiity of these fiesta loving peo-
pie.
To the tourists, all this is very fine. and
forms one of the sights for which he came.
and he will snapshot 1t mentally and
camerally and in after days develop the
snaps before the family circle at home.
But TO one who becomes Mexican fix
ture, the Viga is still the unclean Visa
when the slow monotonous traffic of the
farmer boatmen again resumes It's daily
course. 1t is then that the possibility of
something better, cleaner and more enjoy
able further out, suggests itself to one
who may have fond thoughts of past
boyhood days in the sweet rea'm o.
canoedom.
Upon inquiry l was told that the VIA
came from way, way out; and different
ones told of having been scowed to
Xochimilco. an Indian town, heaven
knows how many miles away, of being
blistered by the sun of midday, return ing
cold, hungry, cross and rain wet at mi J.
night, with big swear TO never repeat
that foolish trip again. They mad been
out on a pleasure excursion. mo- it's too
far. Don't 60" they said. That settled
ito go. But, as a canoeist. not as a.
scowist.
A Uniqpe Voyage.
A trial or two in chalupa-dugout--re
suited in determination to have some
thing better, ending with the pleasure of
own ng a lightweight decked canoe that
friends say is the dainliest and--but, real
ly, modesty forbids bcasting. However,
she has several times made the trip in
from xochimilco under sail alone, in less
than TWO hours. She affords delightful
means of going where and when one will,
drifting along under the musical dip of
the paddle out the Vigas entire length TO
where it divides, one way leading to Chal-
co, twenty miles away, and the other TO
Xochimilco. Mexico's Venice, that, while
IL may not beast of fine architecture or
claim to be town that is unique and
picturesque to a gree; town of floating
gardefs; gardens of particular size or
shape. and with nearly every garden con-
tanning an adobe dwelling, when ell Sem
or's Casa is not of matched roof and
sides. II presents scenes extremely pref
" and romantic. rather than Of grand
elegance, such as the only Venice, and
instead Of the snowy gondola. dugouts
are at every mans, dooryard, and the
town people, men. women and children,
are as much a1oat as they are on terra
firma So much afioat apparently is the
very town itself that one feels quite
apprehensive for its safety, should gale
or wind ccme up, fearing the town might
go adrlft and go shore and smash itself
on the rocks or some such disaster. But,
perhaps one need not worry. The people
do not at any rate about this, or any
thing else, for they appear as contefited.
natural and happy as the very flowers
that ever border their gardens; flowers
that sweep your canoes deck as 1t glides
by. 90
Ideal Canoeing Ground.
To the canoeist this is an ideal canoe
ing ground. where one may go Swimming
under the very caves of a matched Villa
Rustica. rounding following lovers lanes
canopied and darkeued by natures lux
utious growth where the yellow fruit OF
TIE orange trees hong within a paddles's
length. all wi h variety limited only
by nature herself and the countless num-
Ter of water streets that even extend
beyond the inhabitable portion for miles
around. where one finds every eight.