142 Ten Years of my Life. 



flimsey at all ; most of theiu are made of solid gold, and some 

 set with diamonds, rubies, sapphires, &a One golden cibor- 

 ium is embellished by 1,676 diamonds. One of these vessels 

 — I really do not know how it is called — which is a yard high, 

 and weighs eighty-eight marks in gold, has on one of its sides 

 5.872 diamonds, and another 2,653 emeralds, forty-four rubies, 

 eight sapphires, &c. The value of this altar must be enormous, 

 and I only wonder that the different Revolutionary Govern- 

 ments, which frequently were in want of money, did not 

 borrow from the church. One golden statute, weighing 6,984 

 golden castellanos (an old coin), and set with precious stones, 

 has, however, found its way to the crucible. 



Close to the cathedral, and spoiling somewhat its effect, is 

 the parish church of Mexico, called the Sangrario. On that 

 place stood the oldest cluirch in Mexico, which was burned 

 down, and was rebuilt at the end of the seventeenth centurv 

 in rococo style — which in Germany is sometimes railed pigtail 

 style. The faQade is, however, very neatly and elaborately 

 made, but spoilt by some statutes of extremely ugly saints. 



Opposite the cathedral, forming the southern side of the 

 Place d'Armes, is the town hall, or Disputacion. The old 

 building was destroyed in a riot caused by a famine. The 

 Viceroy had bought all the Indian corn to be had everywhere, 

 it is said, to distribute it to the people ; but, the people said, 

 to sell it at high prices for his own benefit. The damage done 

 at this riot was estimated at three million piastres. The new 

 building is a fine substantial structure of two stories, with 

 arcades on the ground floor and balconies to each window of 

 the first floor. 



One of the two other sides of the square is occupied by the 

 National Palace, the official dwelling of the Viceroys, as also 

 ot" the Emperor Iturbide. It is no particular ornament to the 

 place. 



At the opposite side we find the most elegant shops of 

 Mexico, and also coft'ee-houses and restaurants. 



One ot the finest buildings in Mexico is the Mining School 

 — II Colegio de IMineria— built of green porphyry. Mexicans 

 also much admire the house of Iturbide, so called because this 

 general lived here, when one fine night — i8th May, 1822 — a 

 sergeant had the idea of proclaiming General Iturbide Em- 

 peror of Mexico. The people caught up this cry, and the 



