384 



ROUTES TO THE CAPITAL EL PENON, 



marshes of Lake Tezcoco on the north, thence it passes over a 

 causeway built across an arm of Tezcoco for two miles, and, by an- 

 other causeway of seven miles finally strikes the city. The road is 

 good, level, perfectly open and comfortable for ordinary travelling, 

 but the narrow land between the lakes of Chalco and Tezcoco, com- 

 pressed still more by broken hills and rocks, admits the most perfect 

 military defence. At the end of the first causeway over the arm of 

 Tezcoco which we have just described, is the abrupt oblong vol- 

 canic hill styled El Penon, four hundred and fifty feet above the 

 level of the lake, its top accessible in the direction of Ayotla at only 

 one point, and surrounded by water except on the west towards 

 Mexico. It is a natural fortress ; yet Santa Anna had not neglected 

 to add to its original strength, and to seize it as the eastern key of 

 his defences. Three lines of works w T ere thrown up, at the base, 

 at the brow, and on the summit of the eminence. The works at the 

 base, completely encircling El Penon, consisted of a ditch fifteen 

 feet wide, four and a half feet deep, and a parapet fifteen feet thick 

 whose slope was raised eight and a half feet above the bottom of the 

 ditch. Ample breastworks formed the other two lines of the brist- 

 ling tiara. In addition to this, the causeway across the arm of 

 Tezcoco, immediately in front, had been cut and was defended by a 

 battery of two guns, while the fire from all the works, mounting 

 about sixty pieces, swept the whole length of the causeway. 



The second road to the capital was by Mexicalzingo. After 

 leaving Ayotla the highway continues along the main post road for 

 six or seven miles and then deflects southwardly towards the village 

 of Santa Maria, whence it pursues its w T ay westwardly towards Is- 

 tapalapan, but, just before reaching Mexicalzingo, it crosses a marsh 

 formed by the waters of Lake Xochimilco, on a causeway nearly a 

 mile long. This approach, dangerous as it was by its natural im- 

 pediments, was also protected by extensive field works which made 

 it almost as perilous for assault as the Penon. 



The third route lay through Tezcoco. Leaving Chalco and the 

 Hacienda of Buena Vista, it strikes off from the main route directly 

 north, and passing through the town of Tezcoco, it sweeps west- 

 wardly around the shores of the lake of that name until it crosses 

 the stone dyke of San Cristoval, near the lake and town of that 

 name; thence, by a road leading almost directly south for fifteen 

 miles, through the sacred town of Guadalupe Hidalgo, it enters the 

 capital. It is an agreeable route through a beautiful country, yet 

 extremely circuitous though free from all natural or artificial obsta- 

 cles, until it reaches Santiago Zacualco within two miles of Guada- 



