JOURNAL OF AN EXCURSION TO 
T EZCOCO, 
THE PYRAMIDS OF TEOTIHUACAN, 
THE HILL OF TEZCOSINGO, 
&c . & c . & c . 
I LEFT Mexico on the seventh of October, with some friends, to visit the 
ancient city of Tezcoco, and the Pyramids of St, Juan Teotihuacan. 
There are two routes ; one by the road around the southern margin of the 
lake, and another by the Indian canoes across the lake itself. We selected 
the latter, and rendezvoused at the gate of San Lazaro, where the canal 
enters the city. There was some difficulty in finding a boat, as we had 
delayed beyond the hour when the vessels usually leave the city, on their 
return to Tezcoco ; but L , who was well acquainted with the neigh- 
borhood, beat up the usual haunts of the Indians about the pulque shops, 
and, by dint of persuasion and clacos, induced a couple of stout rowers to 
launch their vessel. 
In half an hour we found ourselves on board a flat-bottomed scow, under 
an awning of mats stretched over saplings, and reclining at full length on 
the bedding with which we had luckily provided ourselves, against the 
wants of Tezcoco. 
For nearly a mile from the city gate, the canal leads through a tangled 
marsh, tenanted exclusively by mosquitos. The stings of the annoying 
insects were not idle on' our skins,- and I scarcely ever suffered so much 
as in reaching the waters of the lake through these foul and desolate fens. 
We, however, soon found our way out of them, stopping for a moment at 
the Peiion Viejo, a small volcanic hill or pustule rising from the plain, 
