100 



SIX MONTHS IN MEXICO. 



tive to strangers, than those of Puebla de los 

 Angeles. 



The windows of this, as of many of the mo- 

 nasteries and churches, are formed of a large 

 single slab of very hard and transparent alabas- 

 ter, which admits a mild pure light, resembling 

 the best effect of moonlight, and quite adapted 

 to the studious and devotional aspect of the 

 place. The baptismal font and other sacred 

 vessels used in the churches, which are in 

 general very large, are composed of a single 

 piece of this stone, which being cut very thin, 

 is thus rendered transparent, and admits the 

 light through the sides. It is found a few 

 leagues from the city, and blocks of it could 

 be transported to Vera Cruz at a trifling ex- 

 pense: thence exported, it would certainly 

 be a valuable commodity in England, in 

 France, and particularly in Italy. For the 

 windows of a library I know of no sub- 

 stance through which the light is more 



