M E X 
three men may go into it to clean it; and it is alfo en¬ 
riched with lions’ heads, and other ornaments, in pure 
gold. The images of the Virgin, and other faints, are ei¬ 
ther folid lilver, or covered with gold and precious ftones. 
Befides the great central fquare, there are two others, 
each of which has a fountain in the middle. To the 
north of the town, near the fuburbs, is the public walk, 
or Alameda. A rivulet runs round it, and forms a pretty 
large fquare, with a bafon and jet d’eau in the middle. 
Eight walks, each of which has two row’s of trees, termi¬ 
nate at this bafon like a ftar. There are alfo fome other 
promenades; although the country about Mexico is 
fwampy ground, and full of canals. Facing the Alameda 
is the Quemadero, where they burn the Jews, and other 
unhappy victims of the Inquifition. It is an inclofure 
between four walls, and filled with ovens, into which are 
thrown the wretches that are condemned to be burnt 
alive ; condemned, as the author fays, by judges profefiing 
a religion whofe firft precept is charity. 
Mexico, though inland, is a place of immenfe commerce 
between Vera Cruz on the eall and Acapulco on the 
fouth ; and the {hops difplay a profufion of gold, filver, 
and jewels. In magnificent regularity it yields to few 
cities on the ancient continent. Gage fays, that in his 
time, (1640,) there were fuppofed to be 15,000 coaches, 
fome of them adorned with gold and gems; the people 
being fo rich, that it was imagined one-half of the fami¬ 
lies kept carriages. From the work of Eftalla, publi/hed 
in 1799, and quoted by Pinkerton, we derive fome fur¬ 
ther information concerning this famous city. The lake, 
it is faid, has retired a Spanifh league from the city; which 
circumftance is fuppofed to render the air lefs falubrious. 
The winter-froft is gentle, and is thought fevere when 
the ice exceeds the thicknefs of paper. The lummer- 
lieats are tempered by the regular (bowers which fall in 
the evenings. Water-fpouts often occur, but they al¬ 
ways fall in the lake; however, they have fometimes 
ruined mining-ftations. The yearly cold at Mexico, 
though juft within the tropic of Cancer, appears by ob- 
fervations on the thermometer, to exceed the heat. The 
rainy leafon extends from the middle of May to the mid¬ 
dle of September. 
The plain of Mexico is, as we have already faid, fur- 
rounded with mountains,covered with cedars, rarefhrubs, 
and medicinal plants, and containing minerals and pre¬ 
cious ftones. On thefe mountains are romantic cottages 
and farms, watered by clear rivulets. In the middle of 
this delicious plain are the lakes of Tezcuco and Chaleo. 
Great improvements have lately taken place by the clean- 
linefs and good police of the place. The city is lighted, 
the ftreets paved, and fewers and water-courfes have 
been opened; fo that Mexico has become the largeft, moft 
beautii'ul, and moft fumptuous, of the whole Spanilh mo¬ 
narchy. The cathedral is a magnificent edifice, the work 
of ninety-four years. It contains two images of the Vir¬ 
gin ; one of gold, which weighs 6984 caftellanos, or 1117 
ounces. For fourteen parifhes, there are more than a 
hundred other churches, moll of which are neat and rich¬ 
ly decorated. The religious houfes are very numerous ; 
and the nunneries amount to twenty. Among the nu¬ 
merous courts and offices of juftice eltablilhed in this city, 
are the royal audience and chancery of blew Spain $ the 
■court for (hungers, and thofe who die inteftate ; the royal 
tribunal of regifters; the royal coffers ; the royal mint; 
the tribunal of the inquifition ; the houfe of the millions 
of California; the Mount of Piety, eredted by the charity 
of the count de Regia, who gave to it no lefs than 
315,000 pefos ; the royal tribunal of mines; that of the 
defendants of Cortes ; the illuftrious chapter, juftice, 
and government, of the noble and imperial city itfelf, to 
which the ancient arms were confirmed by Charles V. 
being a caftle with three towers, an eagle on a tree with 
a fnake in its beak, at the foot of the tree is the lake ; the 
whole furmounted with an imperial crown, and fupported 
by two lions. Philip V. granted to the viceroy of Mexico, 
ICO. 311 
in 172.8, all the privileges and diftinftions of a grandee of 
Spain ; and Charles III. in 1773, indulged the chapter, 
or magiftrates, with the ufe of uniforms laced with gold, 
declaring their precedence overall tribunals and bodies, 
except the royal audience and tribunal of accompts. The 
patronefs of the city is St. Mary of Guadaloupe, folemnly 
chofen 111 1737, and whofe worlhip has extended over all 
Spanifh America. The general character cf the natives, 
who have a confiderable dilpolition for the arts, and boaft 
of their eminent painters, is that of a liberal, courteous, 
affable, and charitable, people. The city has thirteen 
holpitals, and other charitable eftabliffiments. The vice¬ 
roy is commander-in-chief, and prefident of the econo¬ 
mical and political government. He relides in the royal 
palace. He is alfo prefident of the tribunal of accompts, 
which.infpe&s all thofe of the royal revenue. The city- 
council confifts of a corregidor or mayor, twelve regidorea 
or aldermen, and other officers. The common alcaldes 
judge criminal and civil cafes in the firft inftance, fubjeft 
to an appeal to the royal audience. 
The city of Mexico is amply fupplied with grain, fruit, 
and vegetables, from the environs, which are very fertile ; 
thofe on the eaft fide of the- lake of Tezcuco excepted’ 
where vegetation is impeded by the laline exhalations 
of the lake. The more populous parts of the city ex¬ 
tend from north to fouth four Engliffi miles, and from 
eaft to weft three Englifh miles. The city is furrounded 
merely by a trench or ditch, without walls or other 
defence. There are fix principal gates ; and by the °-ate 
of Guadaloupe all the pulque enters, which, being^the 
general drink of the inhabitants, yields a revenue of 
about a million of dollars to the king. The ftreets are 
well paved. ■ The manufadtory of cigars, employing more 
than 5000 perfons, is a modern and magnificent edifice. 
The confumption of cigars is very great; for all the Mex¬ 
ican ladies fmoke tobacco ; and they take their paper ci¬ 
gars from a cafe of goid or filver, hanging by a chain or 
ribbon, while on the other fide they wear little pincers of 
the lame metal. As foon as one cigar is exhaufted, an¬ 
other is lighted ; they fmoke even at the theatre, and 
only ceafe to fmoke when they eat or lleep. 
The tribunal of La Acordada was one of the moft ter¬ 
rible in the viceroyalty ; the judge, who is called Captain 
of the Holy Brotherhood, being alfo infpedtor of prohi¬ 
bited liquors ; but Charles III. ordered that the viceroy, 
with two or three judges, ffiould revife the lentences.’ 
The judge of the acordada has from eight to ten thou- 
land men difperfed through the viceroyalty, under the 
names of lieutenants, corporals, &c. This Holy Brother¬ 
hood maintains, by its vigilant police, the public tran¬ 
quillity of the city and viceroyalty, performing their 
rounds day and night, and Ipeedily punifhing every ex¬ 
cels. Capital criminals are hanged in a field, called Exido 
de Concha, from the name of a captain of this brother¬ 
hood ; and the tribunal has become more ufeful, fince the 
viceroy has obtained the privilege of reviewing fentences 
of death. The market for trifling and fecond-hand com¬ 
modities is a fquare of lliops; and the theatre is fmall, but 
handfome. 
Mexico is fupplied with water by two aquedufts. The 
moft fplendid fellivals of the Mexicans are the proceffion 
of Corpus Chrifti, and the entrance of a new viceroy. 
There are other feftivals, iuch as the anniverfary of the 
Conqueft, and the publication of the bulls of indulgence. 
Some individual artifans are very rich ; but of late pro¬ 
perty is more generally diffufed. There are, however, 
many entailed ellates, founded by the conquerors, from 
ten to fixty thoufand dollars a-year ; but the chief that 
remain are the products of commerce and of the mines. 
Within the laft twenty or thirty years, the number oF 
houfes that fell pulque is greatly increafed; they are open, 
by regulation of the police, only from ten in the morn¬ 
ing till four i 1 the afternoon, and during this interval 
they occalion quarrels, and fometimes murders. As there 
is no coined money at Mexico, the Ihop-keepers iffue 
tokens 
