DESCRIPTION OF A VIEW OF THE CITY OF MEXICO, SURROUNDING COUNTRY, NOW EXHIBITING IN THK PANORAMA, LEICESTER-SQUARE. PAINTED BY THE PROPRIETORS, J. and R. BURFORD, From DRAWINGS TAKEN IN THE SUMMER OF 1823, Brought to this Cuiuilry, by MR. W. BULLOCK. LONDON: PHINTEl) I1V J. AND C. ADLARI), BARTHOLOMEW CLOSE. 1826. Price Sixpence. DESCRIPTION VIEW OF MEXICO. The Capital of Mexico Proper, and of all Mexico, or New- Spain, (the oldest city in America of which there is any au- thentic account,) is situated in the centre of a vast plain, or table-land, called the Valley of Mexico, 7470 feet above the level of the sea; from which the Cordilleras of Mexico rise in various groups, to the height of from 14,000 to 17,000 feet; Long. 90° 0' 30" W. Lat. iu° 25' 45" N. The air of this ele- vated region is extremely salubrious: although under the torrid zone, it enjoys, from its height, all the advantages of a tempe- rate climate, and its inhabitants attain to as great longevity as those of any part of the globe. In the coldest season the mean heat of the day is from 55° to 70° Fahrenheit, and in the sum- mer never above 15° in the shade: the mean temperature is about 62°, which is similar to that of Rome. Fires are un- known, except for culinary purposes. The original, splendid, and but little known city of Mexico, or Tenochtitlan, was founded, according to the hieroglyphic picture histories* and oral traditions of its early inhabitants, about the year 1325, by several tribes who had emigrated from Aztlan, on the north borders of the Californian Gulf, about 1 160 ; and, after fifty-six years' wandering, settled in the valley at Zumpango, Tepeyacac, and Acocoia, where they remained, continually harassed by the Princes of Xaltocan, and part of the time slaves to the King of Colhuacan,! until 1325, when, in obedience to an oracle preserved amongst them, (which fixed the termination of their migration at the spot where they should discover an eagle sitting on a nopal, the roots of which pene- trated a rock,) they commenced building the city on some small islands in the midst of the Lake Tezcuco, the rock on which the oracle was fulfilled, forming the foundation of the * Fac-similies of these picture histories may be seen in the third volume of Pure! as's collection. f The Mexicans were not the first inhabitants of the plain. The kingdom of Toltecan, which is supposed to have existed four centuries, and was dis- persed about the year 1052, by four years' dearth and sickness ; the Chichi- mecs, the Nalmultecs, the Colhuacans, &c. &c. all preceded the Mexicans. — Clavigero. LEJCES. SQ. A 2 4 great Tcocalli, or Temple of Mexitli, or Huitzilopochtli.* At the arrival of Cortez, in 1520, the city (which was approached by three causeways ol" stone,) ami provinces were governed by Montezuma, the ninth sovereign; and, according to Bernal D:ez and other writers of the time, the Mexicans had attained an extraordinary degree of wealth and splendour, were consi- derably advanced in arts and manufactures, and were considered the most enlightened nation of the American continent. f The effect produced on the Spaniards by their first view of the city, is thus described by Dr. Robertson :■ — ** When, in descending the mountains of ' Chalco, the Spaniards first beheld the plain of Mexico, one of the most striking and beautiful on the face of the earth; when they observed fertile and cultivated fields, stretching farther than the eye could reach ; when they saw a Jake, resembling the sea in extent, encompassed with large towns, and discovered the capital city rising upon an island in the middle, adorned with its temples and turrets, the scene so far exceeded their imagination, that some believed the fanciful descriptions of romance were realized, and that its enchanted palaces and gilded domes were presented to their views: others could hardly persuade themselves that this wonderful spectacle was any thing more than a dream." Cortez himself speaks of the city as very beautiful, containing magnificent buildings, canals, squares, &c. and having at least (jo,000 inhabitants. The city was besieged for seventy-live days and nights without intermission, and was defended by the Mexicans street by street, with the most determined bravery: both victors and vanquished destroyed all in their power, and committed cruelties without parallel in history. On the 1 3th of August, i521, more than three-fourths of the buildings being demolished, the canals choked up, and every means of defence being at an end, the Mexicans surrendered. The fate of the capital decided that of the empire; the provinces iu.tm diately submitted; Mexico be- came a colony ol Spain, and from that period enjoyed an unin- terrupted tranquillity for nearly three centuries, no internal hostility having disturbed, nor the loot of a foreign enemy trod the soil, annually distributing over Lurope treasure to an al- most incredible amount. The invasion of Spain by France, the overthrow of the Spanish arms, and the great progress made towards the subju- gation of the mother-country, placed the Mexicans in rather a • Clnvi^ero. f When Cortes landed, tie rereivtd present* from Montezurnn, which, in a letter to his sovereign, be describes to consist ol *• fine cotton cl-nh, boxes at M :iris, ornaments in feathers, and various articles itl <:"l117. critical situation. Although they professed allegiance to the existing government in all its fortunes, and a firm determination not to submit to the usurped power of France, yet, under these expressions of loyalty, a party was formed, whose aim was complete independence. The flame rapidly spread ; and the crisis being hastened by a violent exercise of authority at Q.ueritaro (in the arrest of one of the members of the Cabildo), the standard of liberty was first hoisted on the 15th of Septem- ber, lSiO ; and the struggle was continued with various success until lSly, when the exertions of the patriots were almost ex- tinguished. The revolution in Spain, which followed the revolt in the island of Leon, again revived their hopes. The Viceroy Apodaca, having evaded the proclamation of the Constitution to which Ferdinand had subscribed, discontent was openly ma- nifested in every province: headed by General Iturbide, who had Jong served in the royal army, and possessed the most ex- tensive influence, the revolution assumed a formidable appear- ance. On the arrival of General O'Donoju, the new Viceroy, he found the country he came to govern an independent state, no longer subject to Spain. On the '24-th of August, 1821, he signed the treaty of Cordova, from which the Mexicans date their independence ; and their first Congress met on the 24th of tiie following February. Fifteen years of internal anarchy, with all its concomitant miseries, has wrought a melancholy alteration in the state of the country, and in the fortunes of individuals : a ^ew years, it is to be hoped, will effect as great a change for the better. Pos- sessing all the material for a most extensive exchange, Mexico offers the greatest advantages to commercial speculation : the employment of its present very numerous and unemployed population, by a combination of British talent, capital, and machinery, together with an active and unrestricted intercourse, will raise them from the lethargy and shackles in which they have been so long bound by the narrow and barbarous policy of Spain, to that rank amongst nations, which, from their charac- ter, the fertility of their soil, and the almost inexhaustible riches of their mines, they are so well calculated to maintain. The present city, commenced in 1524, occupies the same site as ancient Mexico, but is not so large; and artificial means having been employed to reduce the Lake Tezcuco,* there now intervenes between the water and the city a morass, about two * Surrounded by liigh mountains, Mexico was constantly exposed to the dangers of inundation. The most reinarkahle of these occurred in 1629, when water remained, at (he height of three feet and a half, in the st-eeis ror live years. To remedy these evils, a canal, called the Desague real de lluehuetoca, has been cut through the rock of Nochistonga, to carry off the waters of the Guuntitian and Zumpnngo. From frequent alterations and errors, this work was not completed until 1789, having been in progress nearly two centuries, at the cost of one million sterling. 6 miles in breadth, through which are five cahada, or causeways; three originally built by the Mexicans, and two by the Spaniards. Approached by the great road from Vera Cruz, the appearance of the city is not particularly striking; but, viewed from an elevation in the interior, the regularity of the streets, the beauty and extent of the public buildings, the number and variegated colours of the houses, the luxuriant appearance of the surround- ing valley,* studded with numerous towns and villages, and the extensive lakes, covered with the boats of the Indians, and bor- dered by their chinaitrpas, or floating gardens ; the whole en- closed by a vast amphitheatre of lofty mountains; form a scene magnificent and beautiful be\ond description. The circumference of the city is about eight miles; the streets, many of which are two miles in length, run nearly north and south, east and west, intersecting each other at right angles. They are well paved with porphyry, and are kept ex- tremely clean by means of sewers running through the centre of each. At night, they are lighted with convex lamps. Water can always be procured at the depth of three feet, but of a bad quality, the same as that of the Lake Tezcuco. An abundant supply of good water is, however, brought to the city, by the means of two aqueducts ; the one from Santa Fe, 3S»404 feet in length; the other from Chapultepec, 10,826 feet in length; and is conveyed from the reservoirs to the houses by the water- carriers, (a numerous body,) in large jars. The houses are regular, and strongly built with a porphyry of vitreous felds- path, or a porous amygdaloid, called ttlzontli: they are square, with an open court in the centre, usually filled with flowering shrubs in china vases. They seldom exceed three stories in height, and the roofs, being flat, form an agreeable terrace. Externally, they are painted of various bright colours, or co- vered with porcelain, according to the taste of the owners; and have one or two balconies of light Biscayan iron, gilt or bronzed. Some have passages from Scripture painted on their fronts. The apartments (the upper of which are the principal,) are usually from ten to filteen feet in height : they arc gaudilv painted, but the vast wealth displayed before the revolution has disap- peared : the various utensils of gold, the solid silver picture- frames, chandeliers, &c. then to be found in almost every house, are now no more; having neatly all passed through the mint, for the service of the state. There are fifty six monasteries, nunneries, and churches, in the city; all of which are remarkable for the beauty of their architecture, or the richness and value of their internal decora- tions. There is but one theatre, which is of large dimensions, * The valley of Mexico is of an ovnl form, 18j leagues in length, by 12f in breadth; of which the lakes of Tezcuco, San (Jhribtoval, Zumpango, Xochi- anko, anil Clialco, occupy about 22 leagues. 3 and contains four tier of boxes; but was so badly attended, that, during Mr. Bullock's visit in 1823, its final close was announced. The shops are not numerous; neither is their appearance at all attractive, the fronts being open, and the articles sold mostly manufactured in sight, without the least indication of wealth ; few have even the name of the owner painted on them. The barbers and the pulque-sellers* make the greatestshow : the for- mer being decorated with the various utensils of the trade, intermixed with large gilt basins and pictures of saints ; the latter neatly arranged with bottles of various coloured spirits. Confectioners and coach-makers are numerous, as are the milli- ners, in which twenty or thirty young men are usually em- ployed, making caps and other articles of female finery. The bakers have large establishments, and their journeymen are absolutely slaves, being never permitted to leave the place in which they work. During the revolution this system was for a short time abolished, and the city remained for several days without bread. The resident inhabitants are estimated at between 150,000 and 1 60,000; of these, nearly two thousand are monks and nuns, and about te thousand more are attached to religious houses and colleges. The number of white Europeans does not exceed two thousand ; of these, the females are in the proportion of only one to one hundred ; the remainder are mixed castes and Indians. There are about thirty thousand persons, chiefly Indians, destitute of any habitation : they are called Guachi- nangos, and much resemble the Lazzaroni of Naples: their chief employment is carrying water, sweeping the streets, or beg- ging ; and, as very little work enables them to buy pulque, they are frequently intoxicated, when they are removed by the police; thus passing their time pretty equally between work, drunkenness, and imprisonment. PLATE I. No. 2. — Delos Viscaynas. A large manufactory for lace. The tower contiguous is part of the ruin9 of the monastery of St. Philip, now used as a stable for the Count de Regla, one of the richest men in Mexico. His stud is remarkably fine, all stallions of the Andalusian breed ; the best he values at two thousand dollars; they are each kept in a separate room with a boarded floor, and are carefully groomed, but not allowed straw or litter of any kind. * Pulque, the favourite drink of the Mexicans, is extracted from the Manguey, or great American aloe : at the time of throwing up its flower-stem, it is hollowed in the centre, and the juice, which should have supplied the flower, taken from it daily for about two months; which juice, when fermented, is immediately fit for drinking. A very strong brandy is also obtained by distil- lation. So great is the consumption, that the duty collected at the city-gates amounts annually to 600,000 dollars. 8 No. 4. — Chapultepec. The palace of the Viceroy Go I vex, on die Lull of Chapultepec, although it has externally ihe appearance ftf a merely ornamental building, i>> strongly fortified towards the city, with salient walls and parapets for cannon. There are also vaults capable of containing many months' provisions. About one and a half millions of livres were expended on thi9 building, which is now going fast to ruin. In the gardens are some immense cypruses: Mr. Bullock esti- mates ihe trunks at sixty feet in circumference. There is a manufactory of arms belonging to the government at this place. No. 5. — La Cigar ros. A very large buildinir, where above six hundred persons are constantly em- ployed in making cigarros and puros. The monopoly of tobacco, where smoking is so much indulged in by both sexes, was a profitable branch of the revenue, and produced the old government 4,500,000 dollars annually. Oritaba and Cordova were the only districts in which it was allowed to be raised. All that was gathered was obliged to be sold to the government, and, when manufactured, was retailed at the royal Estaneos. No. 6. — Espiritu Santo. This church is the most gaudy in Mexico, being profusely covered with or- naments of every description in the worst possible taste. No. 8. — St. Francisco. The Franciscan convent is an immense establishment, with an income of £21,000 per annum, principally from alms The church, cloisters, &c. are covered with pictures, descriptive of the life and miracles of its patron. Immediately opposite the convent is a national establishment for lending money on plate, jewel>, &c. The property remains a certain time at a sm ill interest, and, if not then redeemed, is sold to the highest bidder; and, after deducting the interest and expences, the overplus is leturned to the original owner. No. 9. — La Profaso. The church belonging to this convent is one of the most modem in Mexico, and is next in size to the cathedial. There arc a series of pictures in it, reprc. senting the heart of man possessed by the devil and the deadly sins, and the regeneration of it to religion and virtue. No. 10. — La Alameda. A large park, planted with a variety of tree* in lines diverging from different centres, and laid out with paved walks. In the middle is a large bat in, from which water is supplied to all parts. The I'asseo, near the Alameda, is a broad road, about two miles in length, raised three feet above the surrounding meadow, and planted on each side with tall still" willows, resembling Lombardy poplars. These places are much frequented on Sundays and holidays, and the varied and splendid costumes of the various classes in Mexico are here seen to the greatest advantage. The usual dress of ladies and children is black, the head being covered by a veil only. On holidays their dress is more gay, artificial flowers being abundantly used. The European costume, or a light jacket of printed calico, is the dress of the higher classes of males; the long cloak is universally worn. The dress of the Pasanos, or country gentlemen, is the most showy and expensive : an embroidered shirt; a jacket of printed calico; a manga, or cloak, df cloth, velvet, or calico, embroidered or laced with gold; breeches of coloured leather, open at the knee, ornamented with silver lace and a profusion of small silver buttons; shoes or hoots of soft leather, over which are tied gaiters of ciuiia- inon-coloun il leather, curiously carved in relief, which generally cost fortv or fifty dollars per pair, and, when embossed with gold or silver, from 100 tc 150 ; and a large tint hat, with a gold band. When they ride, their horses Me, equally splendid: the large Spanish saddle and stirrups are covered with gold and silver; ami the hinder part ol the animal is usually enveloped in a covering of 9 stiff jacked leather, called a Cortea shield, terminating in a fringe of iron chain. Their ladies appear in a woiked shift, a light open jacket, and a petti- coat of some bright colour, embroidered and spangled. The lower classes wear linen, woollen, or leather jackets and trowsers, and straw hats ; many only a blanket worn as a toga. The women in jackets and petticoats of calico. No. 1 1 . — Miner ia. The School of Mines, recently „ Cathedral 3i S Yl.l.tri, o Lafa ot / Via i Ira I Banoi s' lo/zafo • la ' .i """ Trinidad 'ad I. Santa Grm g i 'dlly dt i / dt Moneda U I 1 1 I'I'IV i3 Fate* ><> ii I., i Mcreea •J Penan Vieqiu in l:/,i,,ll,n,itl imped Procefiior, Iff Licra »■> -A «*".■•: 111!! IBl