HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



173 



feet broad, and forty paces long ; this was the fpace 

 between the two extremities of the wall, the one of 

 which encircled the other, forming two femicircles, with 

 one common centre. This will be better underftood 

 from the figure of it which we prefent to our readers. 

 There are (till fome remains of this wall to be feen. 



There are alfo to be feen ftill the remains of an ancient 

 fortrefs built upon the top of a mountain, at a little dis- 

 tance from the village of Molcaxac, furrounded by four 

 walls, placed at fome diftance from each other, from the 

 bafe of the mountain unto the top. In the neighbour- 

 hood appear many fniall ramparts of flone and lime, and 

 upon a hill, two miles diftant from that mountain, are 

 the remains of fome ancient and populous city, of which, 

 however, there is no memory among hiflorians. About 

 twenty-five miles from Cordova, towards the north, is 

 likewife the ancient fortrefs of ^uauhtocho^ (now Gua- 

 tufco\ furrounded by high walls of extremely hard flone, 

 to which there is no entrance but by afcending a number 

 of very high and narrow fteps ; for in this manner the 

 entrance to their fortreffes was formed. From among 

 the ruins of this ancient building, which is now over-run 

 with bufhes, through the negligence of thofe people, a 

 Cordovan gentleman lately dug out feveral well-finifhed 

 flatues of (tone, for the ornament of his houfe. Near 

 to the ancient court of Tezcuco, a part of the wall which 

 furrounded the city of Coatlichan, is flill preferved. 

 We wifh that our countrymen would attend to the pre- 

 fervation of thofe few remains of the military architec- 

 ture of the Mexicans, particularly as they have fulfered 



fo 



and with a bitumen fo ftrong it was neceffary to ufe pick-axes to undo it. 

 Cortes, on the other hand affirms, that it was built of dry ftones. We are dif- 

 pofed rather to give credit to Bernal Dias ; becaufe he afferts, he had attentively 

 examined this wall, although like an illiterate perfon, he gives the name of bitu- 

 men to the morter or cement made ufe of by thofe nations. 



