THE COLLEGIATE CHURCH, WITH THE CHAPEL ON THE HILL IN THE BACKGROUND 



This is the holiest shrine in Mexico. It stands on the site where the Virgin is reputed 

 to have appeared to an Indian, Juan Diego, instructing him to take a message to the arch- 

 bishop asking that a shrine be built there in her honor. After appearing to him several times, 

 she finally commanded him to climb to the top of the hill, where the chapel now stands, but 

 which had always been barren, and there to gather a bunch of roses to take to the archbishop. 

 This he did; but when he unfolded his serape it was found to contain, so the account runs, 

 a miraculously painted picture of the Virgin. This picture is now venerated by all Mexicans 

 and occupies the center of the altar. The features and complexion are those of an Indian 

 princess. 



few feet of us is the main canal with its 

 boats and floating water plants. The in- 

 habitants of this little house group into 

 which we have come as from another 

 sphere are interested and friendly and 

 ready to visit. 



Jose, the active leader of the family, is 

 going to take us to see the sights of the 

 lake, and soon we are darting along other 

 water streets bordered with spire-like 

 willows, turning the corners and passing 

 impressionistic gardens of cabbages, let- 

 tuce, pinks, and roses, until all sense of 

 direction is lost. Soon the waterscapes 

 become more extensive, and the bare- 

 legged Aztec boatmen bring up over Los 

 Ojos, the springs, which they call the 

 source of the lake, and hold in a venera- 

 tion inculcated by ancient lore and cus- 

 toms. Really, the spot is most impressive. 



\\ nen the Xochimilcans, in the days of 

 their idolatry, worshiped their lacustrian 



spring, they placed therein a black stone 

 image on the sparkling sand bottom of 

 the crater-like fountain, where it was 

 surrounded with plumy water plants, and 

 to this deity offerings of copal, pottery, 

 and other effects were made. 



IDOLS AND SKULLS IN SPRING 



Sahagun relates the sincere pleasure 

 which he felt when he accomplished the 

 raising of the god of the fountain from 

 his mossy bed and substituted in the place 

 a stone cross. This holy object can no 

 longer be seen ; but the litter of broken 

 pottery now there is not ancient, and one 

 suspects that the costitmbrc of oblations 

 may have come down to modern times. 



Several bleached skulls of horses were 

 also seen in the spring — why no one can 

 tell ; but probably there is a folk belief or 

 a horse worship begun with those war 

 steeds of Cortez, to account for it. The 



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