HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



IS 



grccs. The river of the Jopi waters the country of 

 that nation, and flows out fifteen miles to the eaftward 

 of the port of Acapulco ; forming in that quarter the 

 dividing line between the diocefes of Mexico and Ange^ 

 lopoli. 



There were befides, and ftill are, feveral lakes, which 

 did not lefs embellifh the country than give convenience 

 to the commerce of thofe people. The lake of Nica- 

 ragua, of Chapallan, and Pazquaro, which were the 

 moft confiderable, did not belong to the Mexican em- 

 pire. Amongfl the others, the moft important to our 

 hiftory, are thofe two in the vale of Mexico, which we 

 have already fpoken of. The lake of Chalco extended 

 twelve miles from eaft to weft, as far as the city of Xo- 

 chimilco, and from thence taking, for as many miles, a 

 northerly diredlion, incorporated itfelf by means of a 

 canal, with the lake of Tetzcuco ; but its breadth did 

 not exceed fix miles. 



The lake of Tetzcuco extended fifteen miles, or ra* 

 ther feventeen from eaft to weft, and fomething more 

 from fouth to north ; but at prefent its extent is much 

 lefs, for the Spaniards have diverted into new channels 

 many rivers which formerly ran into it. All the water 

 which aflembles there is at firft fweet, and becomes fait 

 afterwards, from the nitrous bed of the lake where it 

 is received (h), Befides thefe two great lakes, there 



were 



(h) M. de Bomare fays, in his Didlonary of Natural Hiftory, that the fait 

 of the Mexican lake may proceed from the waters of the ocean in the north 

 being filtered through the earth ; and to corroborate his opinion he quotes Le 

 'journal des S^avans^ of the year 1676. But this is truly a grofs error, becaufe 

 that lake is one hundred and eighty miles diftant from the ocean ; befides, the 

 bed of this lake is fo elevated, that it has at leaft one mile of perpendicular 

 height above the level of the fea. The anonymous author of the work enti- 

 tled. 



