49 



VIEW 



OF THE 



GREAT SQUARE OF MEXICO. 



PLATE III. 



The city of Tenochtitlan, the capital of Ana- 

 huac, founded in the year 1325, on a small group 

 of islands, situate on the western part of the salt 

 lake of Tezcuco, was totally destroyed during 

 the siege carried on by the Spaniards in 1521, 

 which lasted seventy-five days. The new city, 

 which contains nearly 140,000 inhabitants, was 

 rebuilt by Cortez on the ruins of the old. The 

 streets were ranged in the same lines, but the 

 canals, which crossed the streets, were filled up 

 by degrees ; and Mexico, greatly embellished by 

 the Viceroy, count of Revillagigedo, may at 

 present vie with the finest towns of Europe. 

 The great square, represented in the third plate, 

 is the spot on which formerly stood the spacious 

 temple of Mexitli ; which, like all the teocalli y 

 or houses of the Mexican divinities, was a pyra- 



VOL. XIII. E 



