THE SACRIFICIAL STONE.
Having seen and described the Aztec calendar-stone, Frank and Fred were naturally drawn to the National Museum and to the sacrificial stone, which has been mentioned, and is one of the great attractions of the place.
ONE FORM OF SACRIFICIAL STONE.
"It is a block of porphyry," said Fred, "like a huge millstone, three feet high and ten feet across. All around the sides are relief figures representing captives being held by the hair of the head. There are fifteen of these groups, and they are said to represent fifteen victories gained by one of the emperors over as many neighboring States. A symbol in the corner of the panel of each group shows what city or State is represented. The stone was made about the year 1486 of our era, but its complete history is unknown.
SACRIFICIAL COLLAR.
"Tizoc was the emperor whose deeds the stone commemorates, and it is sometimes called Tizoc's Stone in consequence of this fact. The Stone of Sacrifice is sometimes confounded with the Gladiatorial Stone, which was generally placed in the courts of the temples, and was the scene of a gladiatorial combat. Mr. Charnay, in 'Ancient Cities of the New World,' says the captive, if a manof distinction, was tied to this stone and allowed to fight with several opponents in succession; and if he succeeded in defeating them all he was permitted to escape. They took good care not to let this happen very often, as the numbers were against him; and, furthermore, he had only a wooden sword ornamented with feathers, while his enemies had weapons of obsidian, which were sharp as steel. When he was vanquished, as he generally was, he was immediately stretched on the Gladiatorial Stone or on the Stone of Sacrifice. A wooden collar was placed across his neck to prevent his struggling, and five priests held his head and limbs. Then a sixth priest, who wore a scarlet mantle, opened the breast of the victim with a sharp knife of itzli, or obsidian, tore out the heart, held it up to the sun for a moment, and then cast it at the feet of the divinity to whom the temple was dedicated.
THE FORM OF SACRIFICE.
"While this was going on the multitude knelt in adoration of the divinity. The body of the victim was thrown down from the stone to the people, by whom it was divided to be served up at their feasts. The difference between sacrifice on the Gladiatorial Stone and the Stone of Sacrifice was that the latter was on the top of the temple, where everybodycould see it, while the former was in the court of the edifice, and only accessible to a select few.
SCULPTURES FROM TIZOC'S STONE.
"The same authority," continued Fred, "tells us that the Mexicans were very punctilious about this ceremony even when they were the victims of it. A soldier when captured was reserved for sacrifice. He would consider himself disgraced, and would rather suffer death than be liberated except after a gladiatorial combat. There is a story of a chief who was captured and taken before Montezuma; he had a high reputation as a warrior, and, on learning his name, the King treated him with honor, spared his life, and offered him his liberty. The chief refused the offer, and demanded that he should be devoted to the gods, according to custom. After trying in vain to have him change his mind, Montezuma ordered that the chief should be tied to the stone and permitted to fight with some of the King's best soldiers, while the King himself, accompanied by his officers, should witness the combat. The chief killed eight men and wounded twenty; but he was finally overpowered, and carried off to be sacrificed to the war-god Huitzilopochtli."
GLADIATORIAL STONE—FROM AN AZTEC DRAWING.
"But you haven't said what these knives were with which the priests killed their victims," Frank remarked, as Fred paused. "What is obsidian?"
"It is a mineral substance," replied Doctor Bronson, to whom the question was referred, "and is formed by the cooling of the lava from a volcano. When lava cools it forms into obsidian and pumice. Everybody knows what pumice-stone is. Obsidian is a substance hard enough to scratch glass, and is capable of taking a high polish and a keen edge. The Mexicans called it itzli, and used it for making knives, razors, arrow-tips, saws, and other implements."
"Did they have a knowledge of any of the metals besides gold and silver?"
"They had no knowledge of iron, but they made use of copper, and knew how to temper it so as to make it nearly as hard as steel. They used it for many of their implements, but they also had great skill in the use of implements of stone, flint, obsidian, and other minerals. They knew about lead and tin, but made little use of them, copper being their only metal for making into tools. Knives, scissors, and hatchets of copper were abundant. Bernal Diaz, who accompanied Cortez, mentions six hundred hatchets of copper that were paid to the conqueror as tribute by onetribe of natives. There are scissors in the Mexican museum which are said to contain tin, copper, lead, and platinum, and Humboldt says the Peruvian Indians made use of a similar alloy in making scissors and other implements."
HUITZILOPOCHTLI, THE GOD OF WAR.
Frank and Fred thanked the Doctor for the information they had received, and then turned to contemplate the statue of the god of war to whom the brave chief just mentioned was sacrificed.
"It is a hideous statue," said Fred, "about ten feet high, and appearingat first glance to be composed of heads and hands. It was found in the great square not far from the calendar-stone, and after close examination we found that it had a skirt of snakes. It was also called the God of Death, and this significance is shown by a skull which is sculptured near the centre.
"Skulls and snakes were favorite objects of adoration with the Mexicans, if we are to judge by the frequency with which we find them displayed. It is said that there was a wall around the principal temple of Tenochtitlan composed of colossal heads of snakes carved in stone; some of these have been found and are preserved in the museum. There is a coiled serpent there, covered with feathers instead of scales; it is carved in stone and is a very creditable piece of sculpture.
"They called our attention to a figure which is called the 'Indio Triste,' or Sad Indian. It seemed to us that the name was not justified, as the Indian was anything but sad. Mr. Brantz Mayer thinks this figure was set on a wall or battlement, and held a candlestick or the staff of a banner in its hand. It was found in the year 1828 in the street that is now called Calle del Indio Triste in commemoration of the discovery.
"Another interesting object was the shield of Montezuma, which has upon it the feather-work for which the people are famous, and also his cloak of the same material. It is evident that the feather-workers, wonderful as they are, have degenerated since the time of the Conquest. They used to make feather-cloth, and we have seen some curiosities in the shape of scarfs, serapes, and rebozos ornamented with feathers, and said to be very old. They make none of these things now, but confine themselves to pictures on cards, where the feathers are made to adhere by means of paste or wax. Each feather is handled separately, and none of the skin is ever applied to the card. You can give them a design and they will fill it up very quickly.
"Well, perhaps we have tired you out among the curiosities of ancient Mexico, and we will turn to more modern things. We could spend hours among the weapons which illustrate the warfare of the ancient Mexicans, and also the implements that reveal their domestic life and ways. Some of the Aztec picture-writings, which we have already mentioned, are to be seen in the museum, and after what we had heard of them we found them very interesting. One of the specimens preserved here is supposed to represent the migrations of the Aztec tribes.
"Among the modern objects is the standard raised by Hidalgo in 1810, in the revolution which ultimately resulted in the independence of Mexico from Spain. The gun, handkerchief, and cane of Hidalgo are also shown,together with other mementos of that hero. Then there are a portrait of Cortez, and the standard which was carried at the head of his columns in the conquest of Mexico; and there are the armor of some of his companions, and portraits of the successive viceroys that ruled the country by authority of the King of Spain.
"Maximilian has been repeatedly brought to our minds by the relics of his ill-fated reign. Here is his table service of silver; and they tell us that the metal is not solid, but plated. The Mexicans consider it typical of the plated empire which he undertook to set up in America through the aid of the charlatan emperor, Louis Napoleon. His state coach is also preserved and shown to visitors; evidently it is highly prized, as the doors of the room where it is kept are always locked, and a fee is required to open it. The vehicle is the finest in America, and it even surpasses, so it is said, the state carriages of many of the imperial and royal establishments of Europe.
"It is lined with white silk brocade, and the trimmings are of heavy silver thread. The wheels are so thickly gilded that you might supposethem to be of solid gold, and the body of the coach is dark red in color. The harness is in keeping with the coach, and altogether the vehicle makes an interesting show. We are told that Maximilian negotiated large loans in England to set up his empire here, and that the debt he incurred forms one of the financial burdens now resting on Mexico."
THE NATIONAL PALACE.
From the museum our friends went to the palace, which occupies the eastern side of the Plaza Mayor, and is said to be the largest building in the city. Before the Conquest, Montezuma's palace stood on the site which fell to Cortez when the conquerors drew lots for the possession of the city of Tenochtitlan, or, rather, the place where it stood. Cortez erected a building here which remained until 1692, when it was destroyed in a great riot, and the present palace was begun. It has been added to from time to time, so that now it is neither symmetrical nor handsome. Several departments of the Government, including the Presidency, are located in the building, and its great extent renders it of decided utility.
"We went through the palace in charge of a guide from the hotel," wrote Frank in his journal, "and found it well worth the time and trouble of a visit. In one respect it reminded us of the Capitol at Washington, as it seemed to be the resort of office-seekers, claim-agents, lobbyists, and all that sort of people which every resident of Washington knows so well and so numerously. They were in all the patios, and in the corridors in all directions. We asked how many rooms there are in the palace, but nobody whom we asked could tell us, and after repeating the question several times we gave it up.
"Some of the rooms are magnificently furnished; they represent, to a certain extent, the varying fortunes of Mexico under different rulers. One room, called the Hall of Iturbide, has its walls hung in crimson damask, and displays the Eagle and Serpent of Mexico; this room is not far fromthe Hall of the Ambassadors, the largest room in the palace. It is over 300 feet long, but is narrow in proportion to its length. In this hall we saw portraits of the principal heroes of the Mexican War of Independence, together with portraits of Juarez, Diaz, and other Presidents. They are mostly by Mexican artists, some being well, and others badly, painted.
GEN. MANUEL GONZALES, FORMER PRESIDENT OF MEXICO.
"At the end of the hall is a painting, twenty-five feet long by ten in height, representing the great battle of Puebla, of May 5, 1862, when the French were so completely defeated—the battle commonly mentioned in Mexican history as theCinco de Mayo. It is by Miranda, a native artist; and though it is not a fine specimen of painting, it is a correct representation of the ground on which the battle was fought—at least, so a gentleman says who has personally visited it. The scene illustrated in the battle is the turning-point, when a regiment of ragged Indians from Oajaca came into line, drove back the French, and gave the victory to the Republicans. This battle is regarded as the Waterloo or Gettysburg of the French in Mexico; it sealed the fate of Maximilian's empire and re-established the republic.
"Speaking again of Maximilian reminds us of a room which is on a corner of the palace, so that it has two windows at right angles. This was his favorite apartment, and in the latter part of his reign he used to pace its floor for hours. An English visitor says he could look from it two ways at once, though not the way to hold his throne. One window looksupon the market-place, and the other on the Plaza Mayor; the room is now the storage-place of relics, no one seeming to care to put it to any other use."
COLLATERAL IN THE MONTE DE PIEDAD.
From the palace to the pawn-shop may not seem a very natural step, though Frank said it had probably been taken by more people than would be willing to acknowledge it. Doctor Bronson and the youths took this step at the city of Mexico, and it was not a very long one either. The Monte de Piedad is not far from the National Palace; it corresponds to the famous Mont de Piété of Paris, and is in most of its features analogous to that French institution. Here is what Fred learned about it:
TO THE PAWN SHOP.
"It has been in operation for more than 150 years, and was founded by Count de Regia Don Pedro Terreros, whose intentions were purely philanthropic; he endowed it with $300,000 in the hope of relieving the poor, and those in temporary need of money, from the oppression of theempeños, or ordinary pawn shops.
"According to the rules of the institution, the depositor gets one-third the estimated value of his goods at an interest varying from three to twelve and a half per cent. per annum. He must renew his tickets every eight months, and when he ceases to pay interest upon his loans the goods are kept for seven months, and then offered for sale at an appraiser's valuation. If there is no offer for them in one month, the appraisement is reduced, and then they are offered for another month. The performance is repeated monthly for six months, and then the goods are sold at auction. If they do not bring as much as the appraised valuation, the appraisers must make up the deficiency out of their own pockets!
"Anything and everything of any value may be pawned here, and the vaults have contained at different times money, jewels, and precious metals sufficient to endow an empire. Not all the property here stored has been pawned. Many valuables are brought here for safety, as the place is a sort of fortress in its way, and most carefully guarded.
"They showed us through the vaults where the diamonds, pearls, rubies, and other precious stones are kept, and we saw more of these costly baubles than we ever looked at before in a single hour. We glancedthrough the vaults where pictures, silver plate, watches, clocks, porcelain, and kindred things were stored, and then were taken to the money vaults, which at times have contained millions of dollars in silver and gold. The Monte de Piedad was, until a few years ago, a regular banking institution, and its notes were 'good as gold' all through Mexico. Its credit was impaired by the withdrawal of its reserves by the Government, and its banking business received a severe blow.
OCCASIONAL PATRONS OF THE MONTE DE PIEDAD.
"Money is not loaned on real estate, or on anything else that cannot be deposited within its vaults. They tell us that a foreign merchant once came here to borrow money for business purposes, and was accompanied by two friends who were to indorse his paper and 'go his security.' Theofficial into whose hands they fell said the establishment would make the loan at the usual rates, but before completing the transaction he showed the 'securities' the room in which they would be locked up until the note was paid. We did not ask further particulars, but presume the loan was not made.
"The profits of the bank formerly went to the Church, but latterly they have been used for establishing branches elsewhere in the city and all over the country. The Monte de Piedad is a national institution and of great value to the people. One dollar is the smallest amount loaned, and the largest is $10,000, and the loans are said to average, large and small, about sixteen dollars each. The number rarely falls below 200 loans in a day, and sometimes rises to 2000. About one-third of the articles deposited in the bank are never redeemed.
"Sales of clothing are held on certain days of the month, of precious stones on other days, and of pictures and statuary on others. While we were looking through the room devoted to sales, Doctor Bronson saw an article which he desired, and he at once offered to buy it at the price which was marked upon the card attached to it.
"'I must first offer it for sale,' said the official in charge of the place. 'The law requires that I shall do so.'
"So he held up the article and asked if anybody present would give more.
"It happened at the time that there was no one in the room but ourselves and the officials of the bank. The chances of any other offer were not great, as neither Frank nor myself was likely to make a higher bid. After a brief pause he handed the article over to Doctor Bronson and received the money—rather, I should say, he received the money and handed over the article, as the bank does not let anything out of its possession until the cash has been paid into the proper hands."
A GIFT TO FRED.
"We have been much impressed and amused," said Fred in a letter to his mother, "with the Mexican, or, rather, the Spanish, forms of politeness. Whenever we are introduced to anybody, he immediately says, 'Remember that your house is at No. — on —— Street,' notwithstanding that we may have told him we are comfortably quartered at the hotel. In one day a dozen or twenty houses were offered to us; and ever since then, if no more than two or three are tendered between sunrise and bed-time, we think it is a very poor day for business. Sometimes the form is varied by saying, 'My house and all it contains are yours.' It would be better if they would send us the title-deeds to the establishment, with a bill of sale of the furniture acknowledged and receipted before a notary; but thus far nobody has gone as far as that.
"It is a form of politeness, and nothing more," the youth continued, "and the people who offer us their houses are about as sincere as Americansare when they say, 'Delighted to see you,' or, 'Happy to meet you,' to the people they are introduced to in their own country; or as the New York hostess who says to a departing guest, 'Must you go so soon?' when she has really been wondering to herself why the visitor tarried so long.
"It seemed very odd until we got used to it and learned the real meaning of the words, to be told on entering the dwelling of a man we had not known five minutes, 'You are in your own house;' or that we were the masters, and he was the humble guest. Doctor Bronson says they really mean to have us make ourselves at home, and they certainly show great hospitality; but it would be a sad mistake to take them literally and act as though the place belonged to us.
"Every time we admire anything—a piece of furniture, a garment, an article of jewellery or bric-à-brac, or anything else of value—we are immediately told that it belongs to us, and, if it is portable, that we can carry it away with us. If we should be so boorish as to accept the offer, the person who made it would not display any annoyance, however much he might feel; he is too polite for that.
"'What would they do under such circumstances?' I hear you ask. I can best answer by telling a story we heard yesterday.
"An English lady who had just arrived, and had not learned the forms of Mexican politeness, one day admired a set of jewellery, which included a very costly necklace of diamonds and other precious stones that had belonged to the family for two or three hundred years. She was told that the set of jewellery was hers, and believing they meant what they said, she took it away with her when her call was ended.
"Of course the story was at once told to the friend who had made the introduction, and the latter at once went to the guileless stranger and explained the situation. She returned the jewels immediately, with the explanation that, on reaching home, she had found they did not match the dress with which she expected to wear them. She added that she had a fine set of jewellery which she thought would be an appropriate present for one of the young ladies of the family, and she would send it with great pleasure. A polite message was returned declining the offer, and hoping it would be in the power of the family to render the English visitor some distinguished services during her stay in the city. In this way the whole difficulty was bridged over, and the parties were good friends.
"A similar story was told us regarding an American lady who visited Mexico several years ago, and, through her ignorance of the local forms of politeness, accepted the offer of a rare and beautiful shawl. Mutual friendsarranged the matter amicably; but the fair American was greatly mortified when she learned the mistake she had made.
"MY HOUSE AND ALL IT CONTAINS ARE YOURS."
"Doctor Bronson says there used to be a harmless lunatic in San Francisco, and afterwards in New York, who went about the streets dressed in the old Continental costume. With his long and snowy hair, and quaint costume, he was a noticeable figure. He was under the belief that he resembled Benjamin Franklin, and he used to exhibit a photograph representing himself standing at the base of the Franklin monument in Boston.
"His passage by steamer was paid from San Francisco to New Yorkby some friends, and during the voyage the vessel spent a day at Acapulco. 'Uncle Freddy,' as he was called, went on shore with other passengers, and was introduced to the Governor. The Governor made him the usual offer of his house and everything it contained, and when the hour came to go on board the steamer the recipient of the offer refused to accompany the other passengers. He declared that the Governor had given him the house, and he was going to remain and enjoy it for the rest of his life. Explanations were useless; and after vainly trying to induce him to change his mind, the passengers seized Uncle Freddy and carried him bodily in their arms to the boat which lay in readiness to take them to the ship. It was necessary to lock him in his room until they had left their anchorage and were steaming outside the harbor.
SEEING AND BEING SEEN.
"Of course you will naturally infer that the Spanish people are insincere in their politeness, and certainly appearances are against them. But they do not mean anything by it any more than the people of the United States do in their polite ways of speaking. There is this difference, that we do not go as far as the Spaniards in saying empty words, and that is about all. Doctor Bronson says there's a good deal of hollowness in society everywhere; that people could not get along at all together, and there would be no society at all if everybody spoke exactly what he thought at all times.
"Think what would happen if Mrs. Smith should remark to Mrs. Brown when the latter is leaving the house after a prolonged visit, 'I'mglad you're going; you've staid too long,' instead of saying and acting exactly the reverse; and think, too, what would happen if Mr. Jones, on being introduced to Mr. Robinson, should say, 'I don't care a straw whether I know you or not,' instead of 'Glad to make your acquaintance,' or something of the sort."
THE MARKET-PLACE, CITY OF MEXICO.
One of the attractions of the Mexican capital is the market-place. There are severalmercados, or markets, in the city, the principal one being the Volador, which is close to the National Palace, and overlooked, as already mentioned, by one of the windows of the room which was Maximilian's favorite apartment. History says it was for a long time the property of the family of Cortez, as it happened to be on a portion of the land which he secured at the division of the spoils of conquest. For nearly two hundred years the city paid rent to the heirs of the conqueror, and only in comparatively recent times bought the site, and now owns it in fee simple.
Frank and Fred visited the market-place several times during their stay in the city; in fact, it was one of their principal sources of amusement. They were never tired of studying the ways of the natives who throng the place and offer their wares for sale, and they realized the force of what they read in one of the descriptions of Mexico, that the markets had changed very little since the days of Montezuma and the Aztec rule.
INTERIOR OF A HOUSE NEAR THE MARKET-PLACE.
Here is what Bernal Diaz wrote of the market as he saw it in 1519:
"We were astonished at the crowds of people and the regularity which prevailed, as well as at the vast quantities of merchandise which those who attended us were assiduous in pointing out. Each kind had its particular place, which was designated by a sign. The articles consisted of gold, silver, jewels, feathers, mantles, chocolate, skins dressed and undressed, sandals, and great numbers of male and female slaves, some of whom were fastened by the neck, in collars, to long poles. The meat market was stocked with fowls, game, and dogs. Vegetables, fruits, articles of food ready-dressed, salt, bread, honey, and sweet pastry made in various ways, were also sold here. Other places in the square were appointed to the sale of earthen-ware, wooden household furniture (such as tables and benches), firewood, paper, sweet canes filled with tobacco mixed with liquid amber, copper axes and working tools, and wooden vessels highly painted. Numbers of women sold fish and little loaves made of a certain mud which they find in the lakes, and which resembles cheese. The makers of stone blades were busily employed shaping them out of the rough material, and the merchants who dealt in gold had the metal in grains as it came from the mines, in transparent quills, and the gold wasvalued at so many mantles, or so manyxiquipilsof cocoa, according to the size of the quills. The entire square was enclosed in piazzas, under which great quantities of grain were stored, and where also were shops for various kinds of goods."
MEXICAN BIRD-SELLERS.
"The description of the market by Bernal Diaz," wrote Fred in his journal, "would answer very well for to-day, so far as the appearance of the sellers and many of the buyers is concerned. They bring the produce of their farms and gardens to market just as they brought it before Columbus discovered America, and the chief difference to-day is that slaves, gold, silver, feathers, and some other things named by Diaz are not now offered for sale. The Indians bring fowls and vegetables just as of old and in the same way—in baskets carried on their shoulders or on those of their family. Since the introduction of the railway some produce comes to Mexico by train, and in course of time the old custom may disappear, but it will not do so in a hurry.
VIEW ON THE CANAL.
"There is a canal from the lake to the city," wrote the youth, "and it comes directly to the market-place, so that the natives bring their boatsclose to where they sell their wares. Much of the dealing takes place on board the boats or close to them, and the crowds that gather around while a bargain is in progress are very interesting. Some of the shops and stalls are at the very edge of the canal, so that the prows of the boats stick in among them, and you realize what a serious matter it would be to the market-people if by any accident the lake and the canal should be dried up and disappear. The whole system of local supply would be radically changed, and until a new order of things could be established the inhabitants of the capital might run the risk of starvation.
"The busiest day of the market is on Sunday, and the noise of the place is almost deafening. The ordinarily silent Mexican becomes very voluble in the market-place when there is a prospect of making something by talk.
"The description we have given of the market of Monterey will answer for this one, with the exception that you must multiply everything by ten or twenty, and add several things we did not see there. One part of the market is devoted to the sale of coffins; they are made on the spot, and had a specially sombre appearance to us, as they are all painted black. The shops in which they are made are in a narrow alley, and the workmenengaged in the dreary industry seemed as unconcerned as did the makers of furniture or picture-frames.
"We hired a canoe and took a short ride on the canal. Its banks are low and marshy; they are devoted to the culture of vegetables, and the gardens had a luxuriant appearance, as though the soil was prolific. The lake, as before said, is brackish and shallow; formerly it contained the famouschinampas, or floating gardens, but when we asked for them we were told they did not now exist, though the name is retained. We will say more about them later on.
"Disappointed in one of the objects of our journey, we settled down to an enjoyment of the sights of the canal; but our pleasure was a good deal marred by the number of smells the boatmen stirred up from the bottom.
RESIDENCE ON THE BANKS OF THE CANAL.
"How old the canal is nobody can tell; it was in use long before the Conquest, for when Cortez came here the boats of the Aztecs were plying on its waters, and he observed the activity of the local commerce when he walked along the banks while he was the guest of Montezuma. There are little villages near the canal; they are the homes of the people who till the gardens and supply the markets of the city with vegetables, and with grass for horses and other quadrupeds.
SUNDAY DIVERSIONS AT SANTA ANITA.
"To see the chinampas it was necessary to go to Santa Anita, or better still, to the lakes Xochimilco and Chalco. Santa Anita is a sort of Coney Island without its ocean, a place of recreation for the middle and lower classes, especially on Sundays and feast days. We went there on a week-day, when it was comparatively quiet; a gentleman who lives here says that on Sunday the place is crowded with people, all bent on amusing themselves. The first thing they do on arriving is to deck themselves with wreaths of poppies and other flowers, which are sold for next to nothing and grow here in great abundance. After obtaining a supply of flowers they dance, drink pulque, eat tamals and other Mexican delicacies, and have a thoroughly good time as they understand it. There are other villages of the same sort farther along the canal,but they are not so well patronized by the Sunday excursionists as Santa Anita.
"We seemed to 'take our lives in our hands' in starting on our journey to the lakes, as we had a scene with the boatmen at the bank of the canal which was anything but agreeable. We had been told that we ought not to pay more than two dollars for a boat for the entire day; the men began by demanding five or six dollars, and as all talked at once, and each tried to persuade us to patronize him, and leave the others to look elsewhere for patronage, we had an active time for a while. The men would not abate their demands, and we walked away; then they reduced their figures, and after ten or fifteen minutes spent in bargaining, we secured a craft. It was about twelve feet long and four wide, flat-bottomed, had an awning over the centre where we could sit in the shade but could not stand erect, and was propelled by means of two boatmen working poles in the bow. They pushed with their poles against the bottom or sides of the canal, and thus sent the craft along, at the same time stirring up the mud and several dozens of vile smells.
"We met and passed other boats of the same kind, and also smallchalupas, or canoes, containing one or two persons, and resembling narrow dugouts more than anything else. Then we met cargo-boats of various kinds, some piled high with grass, and others with heaps of baskets or sacks in the centre, and propelled by several men who patiently poled the craft along.
CREW OF A CARGO-BOAT.
"Frank made a sketch of the crew of one of the cargo-boats at their work. While going forward they carried the poles horizontally above their heads; on reaching the bow of the boat, each man fixed his pole in the mud at the bottom, and then rested his shoulder firmly against the upper end; this done, he walked slowly aft, thus propelling the boat; and as one set of men went aft while the other was going forward, the boat made steady progress through the water. Doctor Bronson said it was a reminder of the navigation of the Mississippi before the days of steam-boats.
CHINAMPAS, OR FLOATING GARDENS.
"The chinampas as they exist to-day are in the neighborhood of Santa Anita and along the sides of the canal all the way to the lake. The ground is low and marshy, and in ancient times was probably a part of the lake or of the great body of water that covered most of the valley. The chinampas are masses of vegetation, reeds, and bushes covered withsoil above, and they are so loosely fastened that they rise and fall with the changes of the height of water. They are said to have been formerly drifted about by the winds and waves, and were then really chinampas; now they are made fast by means of poles, and their owners know where to find them. An excellent description of these marvels is to be found on page 159 of Mr. Brocklehurst's book, and we take the liberty of copying it:
"'When a tract of vegetation, composed of reeds, water-plants, and bushes interwoven and laced together, becomes so dense that it will bear a superstructure, strips of turf twenty to thirty yards long by two yards wide are cut from some suitable firm place, floated to it down the canal, and laid upon it. This is repeated several times, and thus an island is securely raised two to three feet above the level of the water. A little soil is spread over it, and it becomes achinampa, or floating garden, on which Indian corn, vegetables, and flowers are grown. The gardens vary in size from one to two hundred feet in length, and from twenty to a hundred feet in width, according to the nature of the vegetation which supports them.
"'The Lakes Chalco and Xochimilco are covered with this sort of vegetation. The lakes have a varying depth of from ten to fifteen feet, and to secure the gardens in their proper places long willow poles are driven through them into the ground below, where they soon take root. The poles also throw out roots into the bed of the floating gardens, and so hold them steady.'
"It is said that thieves pursued by soldiers or the police have been known to dive under these chinampas and come up on the other side. Any enterprising citizen of the United States who thinks of coming to Mexico for a life of crime would do well to become an expert swimmer and diver before venturing into this country.
PEON'S HOUSE ON A CHINAMPA.
"These gardens become firm enough in a few years to support men, dwelling-houses, and even horned cattle and horses, although the water continues to circulate freely beneath them. The Government taxes the inhabitants or owners sufficiently to pay the expense of maintaining an inspector and several assistants. The chinampas are separated by narrow canals, and the duties of the inspecting party are to keep the canals free from weeds, and see that the islands are properly fastened so that they cannot drift about with the wind."
We may add to the story of the youth that at the time of the Conquestthere were thousands of these chinampas, and they annually paid a good revenue to the Aztec authorities. The Valley of Mexico appears to have been more densely peopled at that time than it is to-day, as every inch of solid earth was tilled to its fullest capacity, and the necessity arose for utilizing the marshes and also the surface of the lakes. In the days of Cortez the floating gardens covered Lake Tezcoco, but as time has gone on they have disappeared from that brackish sheet, and are now practically confined to the two lakes we have mentioned and the canals leading to them.
CACTUS GROWTHS NEAR THE HILL OF ESTRELLA.
Our young friends kept a sharp watch for the Hill of Estrella, and there was a good-natured rivalry between them as to who should be the first to discover it. Frank was the fortunate one in this instance, for he caught a glimpse of the conical peak while Fred was looking in the wrongdirection. It is of porphyritic sandstone, and about 500 feet in height; the sides are steep in some places, and here and there it is possible to discover some of the old masonry which converted the hill into a huge teocalli like the Pyramid of Cheops.
ROCK INSCRIPTIONS MADE BY ANCIENT AZTECS.
The modern village is at the base of the hill, and there the youths landed and engaged horses to carry them to the summit. The view is quite extensive, and shows a wide area of lakes and valley, and the mountains that engirdle them. But they would hardly have made the ascent of Estrella for the view alone; it was rather because the place has an ancient fame, and was at one time the most sacred in Mexico.
"We have mentioned elsewhere," said Frank, "that the Mexicans had ages, or cycles, of fifty-two years, and at the end of each cycle they had an unusual ceremony, the Festival of Fire, which was not repeated till the end of another cycle. Well, this hill was the scene of the ceremony, which was held on the evening that the constellation of the Pleiades approached the zenith. According to Prescott's history of the conquest of Mexico, a procession of priests on that evening led a noble victim, a captive of thehighest rank, to be sacrificed on the hill of Estrella. For five days previous the people had extinguished all their fires in their temples and dwellings, broken their idols, and given themselves up to despair, as they were taught that the world was coming to an end.
"After the Pleiades had passed the zenith the victim was slaughtered, and a new fire was kindled by the friction of sticks in his wounded breast. Then couriers stood ready with torches, which were lighted at the new fire, and from the hill of Estrella it was carried all through the kingdom. For thirteen days following this event there was general festivity everywhere; and the Festival of Fire may be considered the national carnival of the Aztecs."
Frank and Fred were naturally eager to ascertain what kind of fishes were to be found in the lakes, and they learned in a very practical way. Near Estrella they saw some men fishing with rod and line, and at their suggestion one of the boatmen obtained some of the fish, which proved to be a species of trout. They were not more than three or four inches long, and in order to cook them the boatman made a charcoal fire in the bottom of his craft. The fish were fried on the coals, and were remarkably fat and juicy. The youths thought they had not in a long time tasted anything so delicious, but the Doctor reminded them that they were hungry, and since early in the morning had been out in the open air.