El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-06-06

, for the city market on the floating
| islands i'm the lake.
Located for Defence.
The location Of the ancient city was
/ primarily for the sake OF defence. Thus
I watergirL IL was lmpreguable TO at
tack by any means which the native
tribes had at their command. II was
I connected with the mainland by three
substantially built causeWays Of stone
and lime. each Of them wide enough TO
accommodate 10 hOrSemen riding
abreast These causeWays We're f0rti-
fled and were further defended by
draw bridges one Of them lover which
the Spaniards arrived entered from the
south, and was continued By the prin-
clpal street, which terminated in a
causeWay connecting the island with
F.. the mainland on the north. The third
causeway- over which the army Of Cor
( tex made its disastrous retreat, was on
the west
The capital was in a sort Of way am
phlblOuSs part Of II being actually in the
water, with dwellings uplifted on piles
II is not surprising that the Spaniards.
In the accounts they gave Of IL. should
nave lkened IL to Venice. and they said
that the people had all the urbanity Of
the Nenetiaus-" The PRINCIPAL streets
paved with hard cement. were inter
sected with numerous Canals-the lat
ter crossed by bridges. some Of which
could be raised. and thanked by sub
srautial foorWalks At Intervals along
pied by revenue officers who collected
duties on merchandise transported by
boats.
The dwellings OF the -ooorer. classes
were mostly OF reeds ana adobe. Those
OF the well 20 do were Of brick and
stone. In most cases plastered with
gypsum and by that means rendered
50 brilliantly white that the Spaniards.
beholdinE che city from a distance.
thought the walls and rooftops must be
OF silver.
Highly Developed City.
It seems likely that the city had ut
least 100000 inha- tents one thousand
men were continually employed in wa
terlng and sweeping the streets. There
was a regular police patrol. and vases
OF stone. kept constantly supplied with
pine knots, served the purpose of street
lamps A plentiful supply OF fresh wa
ter tthat of the lake being brackisl)
was brought from the Hill OF Grasshop-
pers tChapultepec) through and earth
en- pipe along a dixie made for the
purpose BY this means a column OF
water the size of a mans body was
conducted into the heart OF the capital
openings in the pipe where IL crossed
bridges being made 90 supply canoes.
which distributed the indispensable
iluid in jars 20 all parts Of the city.
dominating the ancient metropolis OF
the Aztecs was the huge pyramidaI tenn
pie OF the war god, which crowned az
artificial hill in the middle OF the town.
II was dedicated in the year 1466-not
very long before the Spauiards saw it.
They learned that on that important
occasion 10000 captivcs had been slain
as ceremonial sacrifice. The war god
and other uiViuities required constantly
to be appeased by human sacrifices. the !
hearts OF the victims being laid while
still Dalpltaung on gold platters be-
lore the moustrous images.
In fact, the great object OF war from /
the standpoint Of the Aztecs was to /
obtain fresh victims, and on this &C !
count an enemy was never killed IN ]
battle If there was a chance to take him D
Hive. The Spauiards owed their own I
ives time and AGAIN TO this lad" OF !
Nontezuma's warriors The skulls OF Q
the ceremOuially slain were carefully }
preserved and two followers Of Cortez /
,ounted by rough estimate $4,000 of {
hem IN one building i nthe great tenn 4
lie enclosure.
Sacrifices Were Frequent.
The temple contained not only i'm
.ges of the gods. but much apparatus !
II a religious character. as well as al
ars on which burned perpetual fires.
There was also n huge cylindrical drum
If serpents skins, which was struck
lnly on extraordinary occasions. when I
{ sent forth a melancholy sound that Z
'ould be heard for miles. On the top OF I
he building was the stone Of sacrifice I
"A single block Of jaspar, on which
he victim was laid.
At suitable intervals was chosen for
pecial sacrifice a handsome youth who
or the time being was deified. being
egarded as an Incarnation Of the god
II nature. Attired in splendid gar
nents. he was attended by royal pages /
at gorgeous hauOue-s and