268 Statistical Betes on 



thus it is recorded by Prescott in his History of the Conquest of Mexico : 

 "In 1510 the great lake of Texcoco, without the occurrence of a 

 tempest or earthquake, or any other visible cause, became violently 

 agitated, overflowed its banks, and, pouring into the streets of Mexico, 

 swept off many of the buildings by the fury of its water." 



When Cortez arrived in Mexico from Spain in 1519 to take posses- 

 sion of the country in the name of the King of Spain, he found, to his 

 great surprise, the defense of the city admirably arranged, and an 

 almost enchanting view of flowering islets forming the floating capital. 

 Little towns and villages lay half-concealed by the foliage, and from 

 the distance these looked like companies of wild swans riding quietly 

 on the waves. 



A scene so new and wonderful filled the rude heart of the Spaniard 

 with amazement. So astonished was he at the extent of the water of 

 Lake Texcoco that he describes it as " a sea that embraces the whole 

 valley," but upon hearing that it was a lake, with a mean depth of a 

 few yards, he gave orders to cut a way through the dike and destroy 

 the aqueduct of Chapultepec. The central dike dividing the fresh 

 from the salt water lake was of such dimensions as to serve Cortez as a 

 roadway for his army. 



Prescott, in the work before alluded to, page 297, says: " Leaving 

 the mainland, the Spaniards came on the great dike or causeway, which 

 stretches some four or five miles in length, and divides Lake Chalco 

 from Xochimilco on the west. It was a lance in breadth in the 

 narrowest part, and in some places wide enough for eight horses to ride 

 abreast. It was a solid structure of stone and lime, running directly 

 through the lake, and struck the Spaniards as one of the most remark- 

 able works they had seen in the country. ' ' 



Having cut the dikes and drained the lake, the " floating city " was 

 at once besieged, and where originally stood the great temple of the 

 Aztecs a Christian temple was afterward raised. The Spaniards, 

 finding themselves in complete possession, proceeded to erect the new 

 City of Mexico, and building on the plan adopted by them at home, 

 they cut down the points of the floating islands and by gradual exten- 

 sion soon placed the town below the mean average level of the lake. 

 Hence arose the great difficulties of the drainage of the Valley of 

 Mexico. 



One of the immense dikes built by King Netzahualcoyotl was ten 

 miles long. It divided Lake Texcoco into two parts. Of the two lakes 

 thus formed one was allowed to remain salt, but the other was fresh- 

 ened by letting only fresh water enter by the streams flowing in, 

 the water for the use of the city being taken from this latter. Little by 

 little the waters have subsided since that period, and have been fought 

 back, until now they are confined to six great lakes Chalco, Xochi- 



