THE SUN CHILD OF THE SIERRAS 



295 



take the outside turn, in an opposite 

 direction, and in this manner face each 

 other at all times. It is not customary 

 for a Mexican maiden to go about unless 

 attended by some member of her family, 

 and it is most amusing to witness the 

 small brother, when pressed into service 

 as an unwilling escort, trudging along 

 hand in hand with his laughing, bright- 

 eyed sister. 



The Cortez Palace, built in 1531, 

 where the patriot Morelos was confined 

 as a prisoner of war, and which is now 

 used as the capitol of the State of More- 

 los ; and the Cathedral, built in 1535, 

 whose tower contains a clock from the 

 Cathedral of Segovia, bear silent testi- 

 mony to the noble and quiet manner in 

 which Hernando Cortez spent his life 

 after the Conquest. He made Cuernavaca 

 his residence and personally managed 

 the vast estates in the vicinity which had 

 been granted to him by Charles V of 

 Spain. One of these estates, the Haci- 

 enda de Atlacomulco, is still intact and 

 contains a sugar plantation and refinery 

 under active operation. 



During the second empire Maximilian 

 and his consort, Carlotta, made Cuerna- 

 vaca the summer capital of their court, 

 and spent the few tranquil and happy 

 days of a stormy career at their country 

 residence, Olindo, in the suburbs of the 

 town. They also paid frequent visits to 

 the Borda gardens. 



These gardens of world-wide fame 

 were laid out by Don Jose de la Borda 

 in 1762 with the idea of reproducing, 

 on a grander scale, the gardens of Ver- 

 sailles. In order faithfully to carry out 

 his plans, he sent to France for land- 

 scape gardeners and expended over a 

 million dollars in the work. The natural 

 springs on the estate were transformed 

 into lakelets, cascades, and luxurious 

 baths. Sloping terraces, bowers and 

 trellises of roses, groves of laurel and 

 mango, costly fountains and vases, casi- 

 nos and pavilions, formed part of the 

 adornment. Birds of gorgeous plumage 

 made their nests and sang in the trees 

 that shaded the fern-lined walks. Plants 

 and flowers of the rarest varieties were 



brought from all parts of the world and 

 arranged with the most artistic skill, aud- 

 it has been aptly said that even today 

 the place lacks but an apple tree to con- 

 vince the visitor that it might have been 

 the original Garden of Eden. 



Don Jose was extravagant with the 

 millions dug from his rich mines, the 

 great "Asturiana" at Zacatecas, the Tlal- 

 pujahua, and the Tasco. During his 

 lifetime he performed many acts of 

 charity and gave generously to the arts 

 and sciences. Many of his institutions 

 have survived him, and the shrine at 

 Tasco, which he built of virgin silver, 

 has been classed among the most sacred 

 of Mexico. 



The Morelos baths, with their gardens 

 of roses and tropical plants, owned by 

 the governor of the State, remind the 

 traveler of a bit of Granada. Then there 

 are the gardens of the Bishop's palace, 

 which faithfully typify a courtyard of 

 the middle ages. 



Like Boston, the streets of the town 

 appear to have been laid out by the cows. 

 The Calle Nacional, the principal street, 

 with its quaint shops, offers many attrac- 

 tions to the lover of antiquities. There 

 are also a number of interesting public 

 buildings, including the palace of the 

 governor, the Porfirio Diaz Theater — 

 which also contains the public library — 

 the literary institute, the post and tele- 

 graph offices, the barracks, and a number 

 of public schools, hospitals, and chari- 

 table institutions. 



It appears to matter little whether 

 buildings are old or new in Cuernavaca. 

 They have all taken on the mellow color- 

 ing of antiquity and harmonize with 

 surrounding nature. 



The town is unique in another respect : 

 it is the home of Isabel Belaunsaran, 

 maker of the smallest dolls in the world. 

 She is called "Queen of the Needle" and 

 is most affectionately regarded by all the 

 natives of the village. They will tell 

 you that no cleverer Mexican Indian 

 maiden has ever been known, and that 

 she has restored a certain style of needle- 

 work long supposed to have been lost. 

 Besides the more serious work of 



