58 jlccount of Travels leliveen the Tropics^ 



of Giichila<|iui, to the capital (if Mexico. Tliis cit\-, wliich 

 has 1 j0,0()O inhabitants, and stands on the site of the old 

 3 enochlitlan, between the lakes of Tezcuco and Xochiniilo, 

 wliich have decreased in size .since the Spaniards, to lessen 

 the danacr of inundations, have opened the mountains of 

 Sinc(-c, "is intersected by broad straight streets. It stands 

 in sio;ht of two snowy moiuitains, one of which is named 

 Popocatcpec ; and of a volcano still btirning ; and, at the 

 heiiiht of 1 lOo toiscs, enjoys a temperate and agreeable cli- 

 mate : it is surrounded by canals, walks bordered with trees, 

 a mtdiifude of Indian hamlets, and without doubt may be 

 coniparcd to the lincst cities of Europe. It is distinguished 

 also by its large scientific establishments, which may vie 

 with several of the old continent, and to which there are 

 none similar in the new. 



The botanical garden, directed by that excellent botanist 

 T^I. Cervanlt's ; the expedition of M. Scsse, who is accom- 

 pifuied bv able draftsmen, and whose object is lo acquire 

 a knowlcdgeof (he plants of Mexico ; the School of Mines, 

 established by the liberality of the corps of miners and by 

 the creative genius of M. d'Elhuyar; and the Academy oi" 

 IVuitinsr, Engraving, and Sculpture; all tend to difl'use 

 laste and knowledge in a country the riches of which 

 seem to oppose intellectual culture. 



With mstrimients taken from the excellent ccdleetion of 

 tile School of Wines, M. Mun)boldt determined the lon- 

 gilude of Mexico, in which there was an error of nearly 

 tuo deorees, as has been confirmed by coiresponding ob- 

 acrvations of the saVellites made ai the ilawituiah. 



After a stay of some months in that capital^ our travellers 

 \isiud the celebrated mines of Moran and Keal-del-Montc, 

 V licve the vein of La Biscayna has given uiillioiis of piastres 

 to the counts De Hegki; they exammed the obsidian stones 

 <d Ovanjcl, which lorm strata in the pearl stone and por- 

 •phyry, and served as knives to the antient Mexicans. The 

 whole of this cormtry, tilled with basaltes, amygdaloids, 

 and calcareous and secondary formations, from tlie large 

 cavern of Danto, traversed by a river to the porphyritic 

 rocks of Aetopan, presents pluenon)('na interesting to the 

 srcoloiiuc, which have been already examined by M. del Kio, 

 tiic pupil of Werner, and one of the most learned minera- 

 logists of {he pres-ent day. 



Ow iheu- return from their excursion to Moran in July 

 lb03, tiicv undertook another to the northern part of the 

 kintrdom. At first they directed their researches to Hue- 

 hucloca, uhcre, at the expense of six millions of pia6lre§, 



an 



