The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-09-20

wW 19.-(SpeciaL )-When peace once
more broods over Mexico and
the See America First campaign is
made to embrace the wonderful scenic
beauties of the southern republic one of
the most popular resorts for tourists Will
probably be 1.-THE Venice of the Valley,
graphically described in a communica-
ton from Walter Hough to the National
Geographic society, part of which is is
sued today in the following bulletin
zone of the pleasurable experiences
among those that delight the traveller in
Mexico is a visit to the home of the Az
tee lake jewellers. Much of the charm OF
the great valley of Mexico. where they
live, is due to the stretches of water
among the trees and verdant fields in
lanscape framed in beautiful mountains
and bathed with clearest air of heaven.
Their lakes-Texcoco Xochimilco, Yum
pango and Chalco-do not reveal them
selves except from the high mountains
ercircing the valley. They are shallow
bodies of water in the midst of extern
siye marshes, unapproachable and lacking
the effect of our lakes with their definite
never been highways of civilized COM
merce nor has navigation flourished IN
their shallow waters; but they were from
these very hindrances destined to be jeal-
ous mothers of ancient and remarkable
states, whose people, protected IN the
fens, dug out canals and developed an
indigenous commerce and transportation
IN the fullest extent.
Long before Cortez came the Indians
of the valley worked in the Doggy lakes
lands and dug canals hither and tmther
main canals between the lakes and TO
the great city of Tenochtitlan ana
smaller canals between the felds.
Through this maze of waterways, then
as now, they sent their boats and in the
fens built their matched houses
sPere Sahagun, the Franciscan, RECORDS
that the City of Mexico is like another
Venicve and the people themselves are
comparable to the yenetians in urbanity
and sayoir. This was written in the six
teenth century, but in the lapse OF sew
eral hundred years the city's wonderful
water environment has become ory
ground and the seeker for lake jewellers
will have to look farther atield in the
enhancing valley of the sky.
THE way to the present Aztec Venice
which bears the name of Xochimilco In
the field of flowers is through one OF
these ancient canals-a prehistoric water
road from Tenochititlan to the capital
and seat of one of the group of seven
Actez tribes, which long ago came from
remote Aztlan to the rich valley OF Mex
leo.
THE life on the canal, vivid and pic
turesque, is as striking now as 1t was
then; it may even be suspected that the
change from that time to this has not
been very great. 1t is hard to get start
to the land of the fens in more ways than
one-the negotiations for passage in
barge with boatmen VINO display the
characteristics of that tribe known the
world over; and the conflicting claims
also of all the costumes, incidents, SNIP
ping and so forth, of the boiling, squirm-
ing kaleidoscope canal and shore popu-
lation on its mutifarious quests bewllder
the beholder and make him forget that
ne is on a journey to see the lake dwell
ers in their primitive homes. Tardily,
!
then. the barge comes into the clear pool
in front of the medieval toll-gate for
| tress, where all shipping must go under
| low bridge and where the old-time toll
collector armed with pike could threat
| en- the recalcitrant without much ef-
, fort.
beyond the gateway begin more Wis.,
tas of new world! On this canal bor-
dered with trees and spanned with quaint
bridges, is a perfect stream of craft,
from the slender dug-out chaloupe to the
square-bowed flat boat hurrying on with
everything to feed. repair and aGorn
| the great city. Freight is of all descrp-
! lions, but one looks curiously on the
small bundles of grass and other green
forage for animal feed the pulque bar
rels. vegetables and flowers. The Indian
boatmen, clad in white cotton shirt anu
trousers. are working with WILL some-