H4- 



<d M E%I C A. 



Chap. V. 



The Tempe- 

 rature of the 

 Air. 



Bdruah Cafa 

 his Dcfcrx- 

 ption of 



Mtx'uo. 



ty Suburbs about the fame, of which, fome boafl five thoufand, and others ten 

 thoufand Houfes : Nay, the Suburb Tefcuco, in former times was no way inferior 

 to Mexico in bignefs , fince the Spaniards have been Mafters of this City, t hey ftopt 

 up many Moats, to inlarge their narrow Streets. 



Befides three publick Markets, every open place affords all forts of ^Provifions 

 daily • the Indians call the Markets Tunguyftly, and the Spaniards, Tiangue^. the firft 

 and chiefeft ftands in Tatelulco, adorn'd with Galleries on three fides . in the mid- 

 dle of this Square, which is accounted the biggeft in the World, ftands next to the 

 place of Execution, a ftately Fountain . the Tents which are every Week pitch'd 

 up here for Trade, amount to above thirty thoufand. The fecond Market call'd 

 St. John's, is in Mexico, and fwarms continually with People. The third is call'd 

 Hipolito, from the Guardian-Saint of the City, whither every Wednefday and Thurf- 

 day comes fuch a multitude of People , that this fpacious Market is too little for 

 them j for the fale of every Commodity , a peculiar corner is allotted } but great 

 Packs'are left to be difpos'd of in Boats, which lie near the fhore. 



At the four corners of the City, at prefcnt call'd St. John, St.Maria la %otonda, 

 St. fablo, and St. Sebajlian, are above four thoufand Spanijh Families, and thirty 

 thoufand Indians, befides what inhabit Tatelulco, now St. Jago. 



The Air in this place is very ftrange ; in the day time, the Sky is generally Se. 

 rene ; the North Wind againft the Evening brings Rain, of which the Mountain 

 Tepeaquilla lying a little League beyond the City, gives certain Teftimonies; for 

 when a black Cloud appears on the top thereof, it is certain to be blown from 

 thence over Mexico with Rain : After a moift Evening follows a Star-light Night, 

 and a pleafant Morning : From September till May, it is generally dry Weather here, 

 but if it chances to Rain, the Rain is attended with a Storm, which occafions 

 a fulphurous Fogg , very unwholfom, and fo dark , that one Man cannot di- 

 fcern another, and caufes a pain through all the Limbs, nay fometimes Death it 

 felf ; wherefore, whenfoe're it approaches, every one keeps clofe in his Houfe, or 



goes into the Countrey. 



Moreover, it is worthy of obfervation, how ftrangely this City is alter'd fince 

 its being Conquer'd by the Spaniards, and efpecially when Anno i6i 9 . it was over- 

 flow'd by a mighty Deluge ; which alteration by !Sarnabe Cabo, in a Letter to the 

 Jefuite Hernande Leon, is thus fet forth: 



Mexico, fays he, lying in a Valley between high Mountains, hath feventy 

 Leagues in circumference : The Valley being Oval, is for the moft part inter- 

 fpers'd with Lakes, which the Indians, and after them the Spaniards have digg'd,only 

 the Lake which waflies Mexico is natural , and to ftop the Water-falls, there arc 

 Banks and Sluces every where : The Flood before Mexicalcingo flows a Fathom and 

 a half higher than before Mexico. The four other Lakes to the Northward have 

 much more Water than the Mexicalcingo , of which, fome have fcarce four, others 

 but three Leagues in circumference ; when as Mexicalcingo s Lake reckons fifteen, 

 and Mexico's fixteen. On the breaking of the Banks, Mexico hath often fuffer'd great 

 damage, wherefore the Vice-Roy de Valefco took fpecial care to make a vent for 

 the Water through the loweft Mountains; whereupon the Countrey being Sur- 

 vey'd, the Northern Coaft nea'r the Village Guegucnoca , was found to be the moft 

 convenient. But about the manner of letting the Water out, the Surveyors could 

 no ways agree; moft of them were of opinion to dig Channels, into which the 

 Lakes might difcharge their Waters . others, thought beft to make a Gutter under 

 Ground, which laft Velafca put in hand with unhappy fuccefs, becaufe the Labo- 

 rers who under-min'd the Ground, were choak'd w ith the falling in of the Sand, 



or 



