province where lie the two lakes, the immense city of Temistitan, and many other towns.

This province is called Mexico. It is surrounded by lofty mountains. As I have already said, it is in this valley that the two lakes lie, one of which is fresh and the other salt. It is said that this valley, which is seventy leagues in circumference, is largely occupied by these lakes. The city of Temistitan,' capital of the great King Muteczuma, is built in the centre of the salt lake, and is separated on all sides from the land by the distance of a league, a league and half, or two leagues. Day and night, barques come and go over the waters of the lake. The town is entered by four stone bridges, one at each

us.

2

'The religion, laws, manners, and customs of the Mexicans prior to the Conquest, as well as their architecture and the aspects of their cities, have been carefully studied and variously described by a number of learned authors. We owe the first description to Cortes, who, in his letters to the young King Charles, recorded in a terse, soldierly style what he thought would please his sovereign and at the same time vindicate his own ambiguous methods. Bernal, Diaz, Sahagun, Torquemada, Motolinia, Herrera, Oviedo, Gomara-these were the earliest students of the strange civilisation revealed by the conquest of Cortes, whose works have come down to Authors of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries were Acosta, Duran, Vetancourt, Clavigero, Lorenzana, and Solis. Besides these, Spaniards all, save Clavigero who was an Italian, there were several native Mexican writers, of whom Ixtlilxochlitl, Tozozomoc, and Camargo are the best known. Nineteenth century writers sifted and classified according to modern methods of historical criticism the masses of material, often confused and bewildering, of the earlier chroniclers. Alaman's Disertaciones sobre la Historia de Mexico, and Prescott's Conquest of Mexico are two standard works in Spanish and English respectively, full of interesting and trustworthy facts presented in the most fascinating literary style. In our own times, Mexico has produced historians of the highest order,-Orozco y Berra, Garcia Icazbalceta, and A. Chavero-whose labours have enriched the historical literature of their country and won for themselves imperishable fame. In addition to their works, the following may be profitably consulted: L. de Rosny, Documents écrits de l'antiquité Américaine; Bastian, Die Kulturländer der alten Americana; Bandelier, Sources for Aboriginal History of Spanish-America; Daniel Brinton, Essays of an Americanist; Zelia Nuttall, Old and New World Civilisations; A. Maudslay, Biologia Centrali Americana.

Meaning the causeways.

of the four sides. They are for the most part continuous and solid, with here and there openings cut across them, like gateways. Across these openings wooden bridges are laid, in such wise that the ebb and flow of the waters are free, and these bridges may also be easily raised in case of danger. The bridges are two lance lengths in breadth. We have already described one of these bridges when speaking of the interview between Muteczuma and Cortes, and the others resemble it.

An aqueduct flows along one of these bridges bringing potable water for the use of the inhabitants of the town. Here and there stations are established for the royal taxgatherers who, by means of little boats, carry water to sell throughout the town; for drinkable water in this country must be paid for. This aqueduct is divided into two channels, and when one of these channels becomes choked with weeds carried by the water, the second is opened until the first has been cleaned, in such wise that one is always clean, and the inhabitants may always drink pure water. It is said that this aqueduct is as large round as an ox.

What shall I say concerning the numerous bridges inside the town, by which neighbours communicate with one another? They are built of wood and are wide enough for ten men abreast to cross. It is claimed that they are innumerable, and this is credible, since the majority, of the streets are canals. There are, however, land streets, such as may be seen in our famous republic of Venice. It seems there are also other towns similar to Venice on these lakes, built half on the land and half in the water.

Temistitan itself numbers sixty thousand houses and, if what is told is true, one must recognise that this is quite possible. The squares are very large, especially one of them which is surrounded by porticos. Upon this square, traders of all kinds bring together their merchandise. The rented shops, where everything needed

for clothing, food, or civil and military ornaments is sold, are most convenient; sixty thousand buyers and sellers may be counted daily at this fair or market. By means of barques they bring the products of their countries to Temistitan, and return with what they do not have at home; just as our peasants come, mounted on little donkeys or other beasts of burden, or perhaps in carts, from their hamlets and farms into the neighbouring towns, bringing the products of their labour such as straw, wood, wine, grain, barley, chickens and, when evening falls, take back home what they need or desire.

There is another very convenient custom for the traders or strangers at Temistitan. There is not a square, nor a cross-roads, nor a junction of two or three streets, where a lodging house is not found, where boiled or roasted meats, birds or quadrupeds are ready at any hour of the day. They eat neither beeves nor goats nor sheep; the meats in general demand are little dogs, which they castrate and raise for food, deer, and wild boars. The people are skilful hunters, and the country produces hares, rabbits, pigeons, quails, partridges, and pheasants.

Their domestic animals are geese and ducks, and they also keep a number of peacocks, which we call hens, and which they rear as our housekeepers do their chickens. I have already somewhere said that these animals resemble our pea-hens in size and the colour of their plumage, but I have not described their habits. The females lay twenty or sometimes thirty eggs, so the number of the flock is always increasing. The cocks are constantly in rut, and consequently their flesh is always mediocre. They constantly preen themselves before their females, just as our peacocks do, and pass their days in spreading their tail in the shape of a wheel before the object of their affection. They prance before them just as do our peacocks, and from time to time at regular intervals, after taking four or more steps, they shiver like the

victims of a strong fever, when their teeth chatter from cold. They display the different coloured feathers about their necks, sometimes blue, sometimes green or purplish, according to the movements of their body; they remind one of a lover seeking to captivate his beloved. I will cite a fact, observed by a certain priest, Benito Martin, who has travelled a great deal of that country and who reported it to me. In my opinion it is hardly credible. This priest tells me that he had reared large flocks of these peacocks, giving special attention to breeding them. The cock has certain obstacles on his feet which makes it difficult for him to approach the hen; so much so that some one whom he knows, must hold the hen in his hands. It is said that the hen is not afraid to be thus held, and that the cock has likewise no fear. As soon as he sees the hen he prefers is caught, he runs to her while she is being held. Such is his tale; his companions say that this only happens rarely.

These peacocks lay a considerable quantity of eggs, as do likewise the geese and ducks. They are eaten either boiled or cooked in different fashions, or made into pies. Fish abound both in the lakes and streams; there is no sea-fish to be had, because the ocean is too far distant. The tradesmen buy fish raw, boiled, or baked as they choose.

Their fruits are cherries, plums, and apples of different kinds, just as with us; but in addition there are many unknown to us. To satisfy exacting appetites, all kinds of birds of prey are sold, either living or so cleverly stuffed with cotton, that whoever sees them might think them alive. Each trade has its special streets. The herbalists and those who deal in medicines for the body are highly

1 Marem, ait, impedimentis quibusdam cruraribus esse implicitum adeo ut captare fæmina ad coitum vix queat nisi notus aliquis feminam manu captam teneat, neque feminam, inquit, a captu abhorrere, neque marem accessu deterreri. Ubi primum teneri amatam cernit adit illico, remque suam in detenentis manibus peragit.

considered. I omit mention of the numerous kinds of vegetables, radishes, cresses, onions, and other things. They collect honey from the wax in certain trees, the bees furnishing them as they do with us. We have said enough concerning the poultry, quadrupeds, fish, and other foodstuffs. It is still more interesting to learn with what money these articles are bought. Your Beatitude already knows, because I have elsewhere written about it.