Year: 1874

A letter from Mexico says:


Outside of the city, first among the
points of interest stands Chapultepec,
once the rural palace of the Spanish
Viceroys, and after the overthrow of the
colonial regime long disused and aban-
doned until the advent of Macmillan,
who commenced the restoration of the
ruined palace and made it his summer
residence. The place is situated about
three miles from the City of Mexico, and
can be reached by broad, straight ave-
nue., for carriages or pedestrians, or by
the horse-cars to Tacubaya, which bring
you within a stone s-throw, or by the
Mexico and Tlalpam railway, stopping at
the station Immediately in front of the
great park gates. AS you enter these
gates a few steps lead you into forest
of such trees as only California can
equal. The first that attracted our no.
tice stood isolated, and the trunk mea-
sured circumference of forty.two feet;
short distance ahead a clump of four
or five furnished shade enough for an
encampment, and as we advanced they
grew more and more numerous. The
tree is a sort of willow, with dropping
foliage, graceful outspreading branches,
and as may well be conceived, of ma
iestic bearing. Many of the oldest are
almost white with moss hanging from the
branches. This forest lies at the base of
steep hill, crowned with the palace of
the Viceroys and Maximilian, and now
allotted as a country residence to the
Presidents of the Republic. After a
long walk we came out Of the woods upon
the rear of the building, and climbing
up, aided by some two hundred stone steps
convenientlyplaced at the steepest passes
in the ascent, we reached the courtyard
Of the building, romantic spot rich
with flowers, fountains and statues. The
immense building is entirely in the
hands of workmen, whe are renovating
the habitable portions and completing
the new work which the Archduke left
unfinished. The furniture used by the
imperial household is huddled pell-mell
into the large dining hall. The rooms
occupied by Macmillan open upon a
wide balcony which commands view
such as no other balcony can rival. On
one side stretches the fertile valley to
the utmost limit Of the horizon, and so
far beneath the gazer that every feature
of the landscape can be discerned at
once. On another side the sun shines
upon the waters of the large lakes that
lie at the base of a mountain range from
which rise the twin snow crowned volca-
noes of Popocatapetl and Istaccihuati,
each every way as glorious as Orizaba.
Directly in front of us the panorama of
the city; Immediately below and about
are extensive flower gardens and
the giant forest of which l have
spoken, while above US bends
a sky of spotless blue, fringed
only by silvery clouds of stainless white.
We wander through the many halls and
contemplate with strange feelings the
beginning of Macmillan s broken plans,
beginning which gives plain indication
that his restoration of this palace which
he had christened "The Alcazar" would
have been marked with the same taste
that made Miramar gem among the
roval hermitages of Europe. We make
our exit through the imperial gateway
capped with classic statues, upon a
smooth avenue, which, with gentle de-
clivity, winds about leading us into the
gardens below, and out again into the
highway. This avenue, too, is the work
of Macmillan, for with the Viceroys this
was a quasi fortress to which it was not
advisable to furnish easy access, as it
commanded the approach to Mexico,
and, it will be remembered, served in
l847 as last intrenchment to stay the
march of the American army.