182 • Ten Years of wlij Life. 



more civilized than in the xapital, and "^ne does not see so 

 many poor people either. 



'The view of the city is fine from all sides, and is rendered 

 still more so by the great mountain forming the background. 

 Whether the fortifications are very strong I do not know ; the 

 city was, however, taken in 1847 by the Americans, and in 

 1863 by the French, after a siege of two months. 



We le'"t Puebla on the 3odi of August, at three o'clock a.m., 

 tor Mexico. We had to pass a mountain lying between the 

 plateau of Puebla and that still higher of Anatruac. This road 

 is not only very bad, but also in very bad repute on account of 

 the many robbers frequenting the neighbourhood of Rio Frio. 



In an hour or two we reached the region of fir trees, and 

 passed through splendid woods of cedars and fir species of 

 which I do not know the name, but which look extremely pretty, 

 tiieir very long light-green needle foilage hanging down in 

 bundles from the branches. Very soon we saw before us the 

 ]">jatcau ot JNIexico, which is eighteen leagues in length and 

 twelve and a half leagues in width. It is surrounded by the 

 most picturesque range of mountains, among which are seen 

 towering towards the pure blue sky the stupendous snow- 

 covcrcd volcanoes. 



The panorama presenting itself to the eye is one of the finest 

 and most pleasing in the world. The vast plain is studded 

 with fine fjrms and gardens, and here and there with sheets of 

 water. Here and there, abruptly rising from the green plain, 

 are to be seen hills which 1 was told were extinct volcanoes. 

 It is said that the Spaniards have done much harm by their 

 reckless destruction of woods, which before their arrival cover- 

 ed to a great extent the plateau of Anahuac, and that in con- 

 sequence of this the fine lakes have diminished very much, the 

 springs which once led them beiijg dried up by the sun, against 

 which they were formerly protected by the trees. 



The view of the city of Mexico is splendid. That is all I 

 will say, tor though T have it vividly before my eye, and could 

 perhaps j)aint it if \ had the mechanical skill, I cannot describe 

 it in words in suci\ a manner as to give the reader a fair idea. 

 I always found even the finest and most skilful descriptions of 

 views and landr.capes insufficient, and never succeeded in 

 forming a disiincl jiicture from them, if I had not seen the 

 landscapes myself before. 



