Lei Cervito. 147 



Obedient to the order of the J^Iother of God, the Bishop 

 erected first a hermitage of adobes — air-dried unburnt bricks — 

 v>'here the miraculous picture was transported in 1853. Juan 

 Diego built for himself a little house close by, and died there 

 after seventeen }'ears, at the age of seventy-four. His uncle, 

 eighty-six years old, died, and was buried in the chapel. 



This chapel was, in the year 1663, replaced by a more 

 worthy building, which cost 800,000 piastres, and the many 

 worshippers behaved so liberally, that the sanctuary could soon 

 be ornamented with sacred vessels richer than even those in 

 the Cathedral. Many, however, had to go to the crucible 

 during the war. The Cathedral, standing now at the foot of 

 the still sterile and bare hills, is a very extensive building, Avith 

 six towers. Higher up the hill, at the place where the Virgin 

 appeared for the first time, has been built also a chapel called 

 Del Cerrito, and around the sanctuary has sprung up a place, 

 which, since the declaration of independence, has been created 

 a town. 



The people of the highet classes worship there every 12th of 

 each month, but on the 12th of December takes place the great 

 festival, in which partake the Chief of the Government and all 

 the authorities. It is celebrated with a splendour which is 

 scarcely surpassed in Rome. The Indians have still another 

 festival, at which they dance old Indian dances, and much dis- 

 order takes place. 



In 1 82 1, the Emperor Iturbide instituted here the Mexican 

 order of Guadalupe, which was abolished for a time, but re- 

 established again in 1853 by Santa Anna. It is the highest 

 Mexican order, and Salm was very proud when he received it 

 from the Emperor IMaximilian, in Queretaro. 



There are connected with Guadalupe several historical remi- 

 niscences, but I cannot exactly remember them, and will only 

 mention that here the peace with the United States was con 

 eluded on Frebruary 2, 1848. 



Having seen from- the new promenade Chapultepec, my 

 curiosity was roused, and the more so as the Emperer Maxi- 

 milian and Empress Carlotta seemed to have a particular liking 

 for that place, which was once the residence of the Viceroys. 

 The blood-sucking Viceroys had disappeared from there but it 

 seems that they left behind a legion of not less blood-thirsty 

 though small substitutes, which even dared attack the Imperial 



