midal edifice, resembling the Babylonian monu- 
ment dedicated to Jupiter Belus. The palace 
of the Viceroy of New Spain is on the right ; a 
building of simple architecture^ belonging origi- 
nally to the family of Cortez^ which is that of the 
Marquis del Valle de Oaxaca^ Duke of Monte - 
leone. In the middle of the engraving is the 
cathedral, part of which (el sagrario) is in the 
ancient Indian or Moorish style, vulgarly called 
Gothic. Behind the cupola of the sagrario, at 
the corner of the street Del Indio Triste and 
that of Tacuba, stood formerly the palace of the 
King of Axajacatl, where Montezuma lodged 
the Spaniards on their arrival at Tenochtitlan. 
The palace of Montezuma was on the right of 
the cathedral, opposite that of the present Vice- 
roy. It appears to me useful to point out these 
localities, since they may be interesting to those, 
who study the history of the conquest of Mexico. 
The Plaza Mayor, which must not be con- 
founded with the great market of Tlatelolco, 
described by Cortez in his letters to the Emperor 
Charles the Fifth, is ornamented, since 1803, 
with the equestrian statue of Charles the Fourth, 
executed at the expense of the Viceroy, the 
Marquis of Branciforte. This statue of bronze 
is in the purest style, and highly finished ; it was 
drawn, modelled, cast, and erected by the same 
artist, Don Manuel Tolsa, a native of Valentia in 
Spain, and director of the class of sculpture in 
