HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



237 



The water was at a great diftance, and the country 

 through which it was neceflary to conduct it, was moun- 

 tainous and rocky ; but every difficulty was overcome 

 by his zeal and activity, aided by the induflry and toil 

 of his converts. They conftru&ed an aqueduct of ftone 

 and lime, which, on account of the frequent turnings 

 they were obliged to make in the mountains, was up- 

 wards of thirty miles long. The greateft difficulty con- 

 fided in croffing three great precipices which intercepted 

 their progrefs ; but this was got over by three bridges, 

 the firft confiding of forty-feven, the fecond of thirteen, 

 and the third, which is the largeft and moft wonderful 

 of all, having fixty-feven arches. The largeft arch, 

 which was in the middle, fituated in the greateft depth 

 of the precipice, is one hundred and ten geometrical 

 feet in height, and fixty-one in breadth, fo that a large 

 veflel could pafs under it. The other fixty-fix arches, 

 fituated on each fide of the largeft, diminifhed gradually 

 on each fide unto the edge or top of the precipice, fo as 

 to leave the ground level with the courfe of the aque- 

 duct. This large bridge is 3,178 geometrical feet, or 

 upwards of half a mile in length. The work of it oc- 

 cupied the fpace of five years, and the whole aqueduct 

 feventeen. We have deemed it not improper to infert 

 the defcription of this fuperb fabrick; as although it 

 was the undertaking of a Spaniard, after the conqueft, 

 it was executed by the Chempoailefe, who furvived the 

 downfal of their empire. 



The ignorant Mr. de P. denies that the Mexicans had 

 either the knowledge, or made ufe of lime ; but it is evi- 

 dent from the teftimony of all the hiftorians of Mexico, 

 by tribute rolls, and above all from the ancient buildings 

 ftill remaining, that all thofe nations made the fame ufe 



of 



