6oS
Language.
Education.
Cities. - .
Mexico.
S P A N I i M D O M IN I O N S..!
produced they do not Teem to have been fuperior to thofe of Ota-
There are feveral laudable inftitutidns■ in the-Spanifh1 fettlements for
the education of the natives, and föme colleges or umverfities ; but the
fanatical fpirit of the mftruTors renders fuch foundations of little
value. 1 1 - a "
■ The chieTcity of New Spain, and all Spanifh America, is M e xico,
celebrated for the Angularity of its fituation. In a 'beautiful vale for-
rounded with mountains the lake of Tezcuco is joined on the fouth to
that of Chaleo by a {trait, on the .weft fide o f a tongue of land,- the
whole circuit of thefe lakes being about ninety miles. J In a lmall ifle to
the north of this junéHon, and- upon the weft fide of the lake of Tezcuco,
role the old city of Mexico, acceffible by feveral caufies raifed in
thé {hallow waters, but on the eaft fide there was no communication except
by canoes. It is feid by Robertfon, Trom recent SpknifH1 dbcu-
mentSj to contain ï y b ^ é inhabitants; of which probably a Öiird mart
is Spanifh. The-rooft récent account óf this-ifemarkabldTltf1 fëeöfs to
be that-gken by Chappe D’Auterocbe,* who vifited it in 1769, and informs
us that it is built upon a fen, near the banks of a lake, ancf dróffed
by numerous canals, the boufes being alf founded on1'piles. Hence it
would feem that the waters of the lake have diminifhed, fo as to leave a
fenny aefeefs on the weft.f The ground'ftill yieldb iri manyfpaCes;
an(j forae buildings, as the cathedral, have funk fix feet. The ftreets
are wide and ftraight, but very dirty ; and the houfes, refembling thofe
in Spain, are tolerably built. The chief edifice is-the viceroy s palace,
which Hands near the cathedral in a central fquare, but is father folid than
elegant. Behind the palace is the mint, in which more than a hundred
* Voyage to California, 1778, 8vo. '' This Ihort hut curious-work feems to have efcaped Dr.
Robertfon. A plan of Mexico is infeed, but injudicioufly not extended-' to the lake. The account
of-Mexico by Pagés feems only to evince that his work is a fabrication.
■ This probably happened_after 1629,-when there was a remarkable inundation, and a wide ca-,
nal was led through a mountain to drain the lakes. . The large lake is falin.e, the bottom being |g
trou5 • but that of Chaleo rather fweet. Certain it is that thé fife df tfic'-city is the Tame with the
ancient, the viceroy-refiding on the' fpot of Montezuma’s palace, in a large manfion built by C01-
tez and {tillrented at four, thoufand ducats from the Marquifes del Valle his defendants. h .
Croix, ii. 381. But compare Careri, who has given from th'e original papers a curious detail con-
cerning the procedure in draining the lakes. ; w o rkm eD
C If A P. III. C I'YTc 1 4 G E; 0 G &' AW H T: | ''6é7
workmen are employed, as the owners of the mineshere. exchange, their C r u ,
bullion for coin. ^ The other chief buildings ^rfi^e'ohujfclfe^ichapBls,
a^d which, a*e- vecy- riteh-lyfteMtoenêé'J. I The
feafhedmL is. »nfinifbed#; iis*tlWy^®iul^fth'èr'lWindatóns ; ■
thèj.higto^har a s i^ fo ^ fe e r^ ap^heréns,a I I S
1 WtoP^ciqi|s^hat: wh-fte^Malfc^p -
r^ S [ heads, and. piina|p,ë^^ .in Tk-Oi
w |% o g ^ i.fxe^p^^oneg., thore?-
are two others, each with a fountain in the middle. “ T o the north of.
p4blipr,-syal|c,{;of; Alpi$edan A-^rivuiet
i | j ËÉgf Til’f i
■ sfii# lt-wal-1§vj wit^^gh.|t^p.rows^o”fT trees, -jtermi-.
(W|, but as^hh^ i l o|.t|^e^csMp^k&(r, tiiees^,
This^is'the^Iy ^alk,4n or;
ÜQBntI7 if, is^anipy fulj of
' can| | JJgjgpgC arl^ f ^ i r r ^ e i i
tbis^tHe^ape-where,.they burn the Je\ys, and. r-unhappy^.wMimV
of the>wful tribhnaf of inquifitiomj. This^email^^^ i
^e^^ËSffeï‘r'^ra^S? an<^ with oVens, into Which are thföwnlpver
%-waifé “the ppor w;r||chos who,are condemheil|&t^'Surnt alive vMin-11
demnea by judges pfofeffing a Religion-whofe firj^*f)^pfeSfWcbaril,y.'’,,)'
Tlie Slanlfh-inhabitants; arfe'commonly^ clotlMi'infilk, their HaWb{ei%v "
adorned with belts;of gold ant} rofés-of'diamonds j for everrthe^aYés.'
hSfe bracelets and necklaces of gold, filver*yjearl8-, and- gems.
diés life diftinguifliëdfor beauty and gillahtry. Mexico,-though inland^
is fbeTëltfbf vaft• commerce: between Vera Gruzion the eaftfaod Acad-
pulcbi&n the weft; and thte ftiops difplay aptefiiffon.ofgold|fil-ver# andp
jewels, ! Iaf, magnificent regularity it yields.ta few. cities,'evön.ioanther
,co4tin.e®ts; Qagt,;.,whc4e.;attSh<pity!
QQUfttsks-ufethe materials, faks.that-iöiihis.'
•‘« P f e d p were fijppefëdi to ^fifteen thoiAh4 fi®aehea^fc!ihe70fT
the® adorned, with gold and,gems;;- ther.pec|>lp4 fNBTi^jf^Vjtf^ it
was f\|pppfed,that .one half of the families kept equipages,*
. 1 D’Auteroclie, p. qq. - * Survey of tlieWelt Indies, 1655,fol-,'p.-5&:
. Hiiloricai