118 



MEXICO, CENTEAL AîklEEICA, WEST INDIES. 



monly known, even during the first j^ears of the Sjjanish conquest, by the name 

 of Tenochtitla)}, or " ]N"opal Stone ; " in fact, its arms, now adopted by the republic, 

 represent a stone rising- above a lake, and bearing a nopal tree, on which an 

 eagle has alighted. The European city has sprung up precisely on the site of 

 Montezuma's capital. During the siege of Mexico, Cortes systematically destroyed 

 every block of buildings, in order to deprive the advancing enemy of all cover. 

 But when he rebuilt the city in 1522, he followed exactly the original plan, street 

 for street, quarter for quarter, every Spanish harrio thus succeeding every Mexican 

 calpxdU. The centre of the ancient city in this way became the great plaza, or 

 square, and the cathedral rose on the site of the chief temple dedicated to the god 



Fig. 46. — Anciext Mexico. 



Pnale 1 : 400.000- 



i 'i Miles. 



of war. The city of TIateJoko, which had originally formed a sort of trading 

 quarter distinct from the military city of Tenochtitlau, was also absorbed in the 

 New Mexico. It stood on the ground at present occupied by the northern quarter. 

 But although standing on the site of the ancient Aztec capital, the aspect of the 

 modern Mexico has been so completely changed that its former inhabitants could 

 no longer recognise it. Tenochtitlan was essentially a lacustrine city, entirely 

 surrounded by water, and connected with the mainland by causeways and embank- 

 ments. But the waters have now subsided sufficiently to leave the new capital 

 high and dry, and even surrounded by a grassy zone. The causeways formerly 

 traversing the lake have become highways, and the canals in the interior have 

 been filled up and transformed to avenues. Seen from a distance, the federal 

 capital presents an imposing appearance. This white city, overtopped by domes 



