CHARACTERS. 



599 



132.'j, and is, beyond a doubt, 

 much the largest and most beau- 

 tiful city in the New World. It 

 is situated in latitude 20° 2' north, 

 and in longitude 100" 34' west, 

 from the meridian of London. 



The finest district in the king- 

 dom of Mexico is the vale itself 

 of Mexico, crowned by beautiful 

 and verdant mountains, whose 

 circumference, measured at their 

 base, exceeds one hundred and 

 twenty miles. A great part 

 of this vale is occupied by two 

 lakes; the water of Chalo, the 

 upper lake, is sweet; that of Tez- 

 cuco, the lower lake, is brack- 

 ish. They communicate by a ca- 

 nal. In the lower lake (on ac- 

 count of its lying in the very bot- 

 tom of the valley) allthe waters 

 running from the mountains col- 

 lect ; from thence, when extraor- 

 dinary abundance of rains raised 

 the waters of the lake of Tezcuco 

 over its bed, it overflowed the 

 city of Mexico, which is situated 

 on an island in the lake of Tez- 

 cuco. These inundations hap- 

 pened not less frequently under 

 the Mexican monarchy, than since 

 it has been in possession of the 

 Spaniards. 



These two lakes, the circum- 

 ference of which united is not less 

 than ninety miles, represent the 

 figure of a camel, the head and 

 neck of which are formed by the 

 lake of sweet water, or Chalco ; 

 the body, by the lake of brackish 

 water, or Tezcuco : the legs and 

 feel are represented by the rivu- 

 lets and torrents which run from 

 the mountains into the lakes. Be- 

 tween these there is the little pen- 

 insula of Iztapalapan, which di- 

 vides them. 



The mountains make the air de- 



lightfully cool and pleasant, with 

 gentle breezes descending and 

 spreading themselves all around, 

 so that its climate is one of the 

 finest and most salubrious that na- 

 ture ever formed ; so remarkably 

 temperate, and tiie variation of 

 the seasons so very small, that the 

 slightest precautions are sufficient 

 to prevent inconvenience from 

 either heat or cold, and woollen 

 clothing is worn there all the year 

 round. Charles V., who was at 

 the same time emperor of Ger- 

 many and king of Spain, asked a 

 witty Spanish gentleman, on his 

 arrival at court from Mexico, how 

 long the interval was in the city of 

 Mexico between summer and win- 

 ter ? " Just as long," replied the 

 Spaniard, with great truth and 

 humour, " as it takes to pass out 

 of sun-shine into the shade." 



The circumference of the island 

 on which the city stands, is about 

 twelve miles. For the conveni- 

 ence of passing from this island to 

 the main land, there are three 

 great causeways, formed of earth 

 stone, and timber, raised in the 

 lake. The causeway of Iztapala- 

 pan, towards the south, is about 

 seven miles in length.' The cause- 

 way of Tepejacac, towards the 

 north, is about three miles ia 

 length. The causeway of Tlaca- 

 pan, towards the west, is about 

 two miles in length. They are 

 each about thirty feet in breadth. 

 Besides them, there is another or 

 fourth causeway, a little narrower, 

 in continuation of the double aque- 

 duct of Chapoltepec, two miles 

 distant, by which the fresh water 

 is brought to the entrance of the 

 city, and from thence distributed 

 to the fountains and all parts of 

 the city und the island. 



