AROUND THE CITY. 



387 



main road, and skirting it to San Agustin, extended high upon 

 the mountain slopes still further west near San Angel and Contre- 

 ras, whose neighboring fields were cut into deep ravines and bar- 

 rancas by the wash from the declivities. The Pedregal was a most 

 formidable obstacle in the march or mancEuvres of an army. But 

 few levels of arable land were found among its rocky wastes. It 

 admitted the passage of troops at but few points, and was entirely 

 impracticable for cavalry or artillery, except by a single mule-path. 1 

 North of San Angel and the edge of the Pedregal, at the distance 

 of about four miles, rose the solitary hill and castle of Chapultepec, 

 which had been amply prepared for defence ; and still further north 

 on the same line, frowned the stern ridges of the sierra, cut by bar- 

 rancas and profound dells, until the ring of the outer series of mili- 

 tary works was thus finally united at the pass beyond Tenepantla. 

 But inside of this formidable barrier of outworks, nearer the city, 

 another line of fortifications had been prepared to dispute the Ameri- 

 can march. The first, and perhaps the most important of these, 

 was at Churubusco, a scattered village lying midway between San 

 Agustin and the city of Mexico, directly on the road, at a spot 

 where the stream or rivulet of Churubusco runs eastwardly from a 

 point on the road from San Angel to the capital, towards the lake 

 of Xochimilco. The sides of the water course were planted with 

 the prickly maguey, and one of the most western buildings in the 

 village was a strong massive stone convent, whose walls had been 

 cut for musketry, and whose parapets, azoteas or flat roofs, and 

 windows,, all afforded suitable positions for soldiery. Large quan- 

 tities of ammunition were stored within the edifice. The enclosure 

 of the church and convent was defended by about two thousand 

 men, and mounted seven guns, while, towards the east was a beau- 

 tiful, solid and scientifically constructed tete de pont which covered 

 the bridge over the stream by which the road led to the capital. 

 In this work three heavy guns were mounted, while the neighbor- 

 hood is said to have swarmed with troops. 



We have already mentioned the garita or gate of San Lazaro, 

 which was the entrance to the city by the main road from the east, 

 passing the hill and fortification of El Penon. This garita was 

 strengthened by strong works on the road, with platforms and em- 

 brasures for heavy cannon, which would have swept che path, while 

 the marshes on the south were protected by redoubts and lunettes 

 extending to the garita or entrance of La Candelaria on the canal 



1 Ripley's War with Mexico, vol. 2, 181. 



