50 SIX MONTHS IN MEXICO. 



large casks or vessels ; the crocodiles in ponds, 

 which were walled round. There were also 

 various ponds for fish, two of which, that are 

 remaining and still beautiful, we have seen in 

 the palace of Chapoltepec, two miles from 

 Mexico. 



" Montezuma, who was not satisfied with 

 having every sort of animal in his palace, also 

 collected there all irregularly formed men, 

 who, either from the colour of their hair or of 

 their skin, or some other deformity in their 

 persons, were oddities of their species. A 

 humour this, however, not unattended with 

 beneficial consequences, as it gave mainte- 

 nance to a number of miserable objects, and 

 delivered them from the inhuman insults of 

 their other fellow-creatures. 



" All his palaces were surrounded with 

 beautiful gardens, where there was every 

 kind of beautiful flower, odoriferous herb, 

 and medicinal plant. He had likewise woods, 



