HOTELS AND THEATRES. 93 



I give below a list of some of the most important, which 

 were situated near our hotel: 



La Ciudad de Mexico. The City of Mexico. 

 Abarrotes por Mayor y M'enor. Bargains for better or worse. 



A I P?-ogreso. To Progress. 

 Las Fabricas de Francia. The Manufactures of France. 



El Tigre. The Tiger. 

 Frovidencia. Providence. 

 Los Dos Amicos. The Two Friends. 

 La Diadema. The Diadem. 

 El Nacional. The National. 

 Botica de Porta Galli. Drug store of the Gate of Heaven. 

 This last is very appropriate, for the contents of a drug 

 store. 



The hotels of Mexico will not compare favorably with 

 those of the States. The Iturbide is the largest and most 

 fashionable in the city, and is patronized by nearly all 

 tourists. It is a spacious building, situated near the Plaza 

 Major, and once served as the palace of Augustin de 

 Iturbide, the first Emperor of Mexico, All the chamber- 

 maids in the hotels here are men, and very good servants 

 they make. In the selection of a sleeping apartment the 

 tourist should select one facing the east or south, thus se- 

 curing an abundance of sunshine. 



Regarding places of amusement, the city contains 

 several theatres, and a circus. The best and most fashion- 

 able theatre is the Teatro Nacional, built in 1844, having a 

 seating capacity of three thousand persons.' Here are 

 held the commencement exercises of the military school of 

 Chapultepec. A good opera company is engaged for a short 

 annual season, but French, Spanish, and Italian Opera can 

 be seen here the year round. Three other theatres, the 

 Arbeu, the Hidalgo, and the Coliseo Viejo, are very good; 

 there are also several others, open Sundays, but those are 



