135 



CHAPTER IX. 



Origin of the City of Mexico — The Alameda — The Paseo Nuevo- A 

 Mexican gentleman on horseback — Promenade de la Viga — The float- 

 ing islands— Theatres— Place d'Armes— The Cathedral— The Sangra- 

 lio — Disputacion Iturbide — Aqueducts — The National Museum — The 

 Sanctuario de Guadakipe— Its wonderful origin — The Creole Virgin— 

 Chapultepec — Humming-birds — Mexican houses and life — Mexican 

 ladies — The Indians — A Ranchero — Mexican market. 



There exist, of course, many traditions in reference to the 

 early inhabitants of Mexico. We should know more of the 

 history of the country if the fanatic first Spanish Archbishop 

 had not carefully collected throughout the whole country all 

 written records of the Indians, and burnt them as heathenish 

 abominations in the principal square of Mexico. 



About a thousand years ago the country was inhabited by a 

 very industrious, highly civilized, and good-natured people, the 

 Toltekes. They disappeared, however, and were replaced by 

 ' the Chichimekes, a barbarous people of hunters, whose de- 

 scendants are to be found still in several provinces of Mexico. 



In the twelfth century seven tribes of the Nahuatlakes came 

 from the north and occupied the country. One of these 

 tribes was that of the Aztekes. These wandered for a long 

 period from one place to the other without deciding on a final 

 settlement, on account of an old oracle ordering them to con- 

 tinue their peregrinations until they should find a cactus (nopal) 

 growing from a rock and an eagel sitting on it Arrived on the 

 plateau of Anahuac and on the banks of a lake, their priests 

 really saw an eagle sitting on a nopal plant growing from a 

 rocky mould. They now decided on remaining here, and 

 called their cown Tenochtitlan, which means, ' nopal on a rock.' 

 From this the Mexican arms derive their origin. 



