MODERN MEXICO. 



The primary object that arrests the attention of the visitor, on his en- 

 trance into the gallery, is the Panoramic View of the City of Mexico, 

 the first that was ever exhibited in Europe; taken at the distance of 

 six miles; from an eminence above the Bishop's garden, at Tacubaia. 

 The view embraces a portion of the salt water lake of Tezcuco, and the 

 mountains of the Cordillera, which surround the celebrated valley of 

 Mexico. This superb City, (one of the finest and most regularly built 

 in the world, with its beautiful churches, palaces, and noble streets two 

 miles in length, all crossing each other at right angles,) from its site 

 being flat, appears, from the distance, much less than it really is. 

 The high building in the centre, with a dome and two towers, is the 

 Cathedral, built on the foundation and ruins of the great temple of 

 Mexico ; to the right of the city/ near the lake, is the little hill called 

 the Penal de los Banos, with its church and hot baths, near which 

 passes the road to Vera Cruz. To the left of the city, near the lake, 

 the white church of our Lady of Guadaloupe is just seen ; aijd, nearer, 

 the spectator, passes the fine aqueduct of Chepultepec, which supplies 

 the city with water from a distance of nearly fifteen miles; it leads 

 to the palace of that name, on an elevated rock in the corner ; this is a 

 pleasant ride of about one league from Mexico. 



In this view care has been taken to give the Atmosphere, the distant 

 Mountains, &c. as much of verisimilitude as possible. 



But, in order to produce a still stronger and more lively impression, 

 to show things with perfect accuracy, which a picture can only faintly 

 shadow forth, there is in front of the panorama a native garden, 

 modelled in bulk from actual existence, and flanked by a Mexican 

 Cottage, such as is found in the country, and inhabited by the abo- 

 riginal Indians :v- -these objects leave nothing for the imagination. 



The strange shapes of the vegetation, the uncouth stems bursting 

 from the earth like architectural columns, the mixture of the 



