194: LIFE OF A TREE. 
tree is very abundant, and reaches its utmost size 
in America, particularly in Mexico. In the 
Magazine of Natural History, an account is 
given of one which is known by the name of the 
Cypress of Montezuma, because it was, at the 
time when that prince ascended the throne, in 
full vigour and luxuriance of growth. Its cir- 
cumference at the bottom of the trunk is forty- 
one feet, and it still exists flourishing and ve- 
nerated in its old age. The Baron Humboldt 
speaks of one of the same species, which is one 
hundred and eighteen feet in circumference; but 
it seemed to him that this monstrous trunk was 
composed of three trees, which had grown into 
one. This tree is still flourishing near Oaxaca, 
surrounded by five or six others of great size. 
The large tree is one hundred feet high. It is re- 
lated that the army of Cortes once reclined under 
its shadow. It is highly venerated by the super- 
stitious natives of Mexico. This Cypress has been 
supposed to be at least four thousand years old. 
The celebrated traveller Von Martius, in one 
of his beautiful botanical works, has a passage 
which is so striking that we shall transfer it to 
these pages. The learned traveller is speaking 
