THE TWO REPUBLICS yOW COXXECTED BY A Direct Through Car Service BETWEEN ST. LOUIS AND THE CITY OF WIEXICO VIA lEonsr nvcoTJisrT'-A.insr EOTJTE. PULLMAN BUFFET SLEEPING CARS leave St. Louis daily at 8.30 P. M., and run through without change to Laredo, Texas, where direct connection is made with the Mexican National Railroad. Through Sleeping Cars to the City of Mexico. PULLMAN BUFFET SLEEPING CARS leave St. Louis daily at 9.30 P.M., and run through without change to El Paso, Texas, where direct connection is made with the Mexican Central Railroad. Through Sleeping Cars to the City of Mexico. WM. E. HOYT. G. K. DELAHANTY, Qtneral Eastern Passenger Agent, i New England Passenger Agent, 391 Broadway, New York. ; 2i4 Washtsgton St., Boston. Mass. S. H. H. CLARK, First Vice-President and General Manager. W. H. NE^'MAN, H. C. TOWNSEND, Third Vice President. General Passenger and Ticket Agent. ST. LOUIS, MO. 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"Only words of praise can be spoken of this work." "The best and completest." "By all odds the best Guide I have ever seen." *'And something better than a guide book." "Almost a triumph of genius in bookmaking." Part I. — Scenery, Art, History, Legends, and Myths, including de- scriptions of places, buildings, monuments, works of art, and thi historical facts, legends, and myths connected with these. Part II. — Plans and Catalogues of the Art Galleries of Europe. Part III. — Maps, Tables, and Directions for all leading Routes o_ Travel. CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS, Publishers 743 AND 745 Broadway, New York. a <:="%?w^9JS^ot53[ C9 -176 RANDOLPHS^ ChlCAGO is^^^=^'^n i4]3?MTm ' ^ THE .? y Mexican Guide THOMAS A. JANVIER WITH THREE MAPS I. — THE REPUBLIC OF MEXICO II. — THE CITY OF MEXICO III.— ENVIRONS OF THE CITY OF MEXICO Donde quiera que fueres haz lo que vieres. Tres cosas echan de su casa al hombre : el humo, la gotera, y la mujer vocinglera. FIFTH EDITION .^^^.^p^S^^ NEW YORK ^.^-H.NGTO^>^/ CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS^~ ^ 1890 Copyright, 1885, 1887, 1890, by CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS 6^ TROWS PBINTING AND BOOKBINDING COMPANY, NEW YORK, PREFACE. In the present, fourth, edition of The Mexican Guide, the changes have been noted incident to the opening of the Mexican National Railway from Laredo to the City of Mexico, the opening of the International Rail- way from Eagle Pass to Torreon, and the opening of the Guadalajara branch of the Mexican Central — changes which have involved the rewriting of a con- siderable portion of the work. I shall be very grateful for any suggestions tending to its improvement from those who use the Guide ; and still more grateful for corrections of the errors which, in spite of the care exercised to assure accuracy, may be found in it. Let- ters should be addressed in care of Messrs. Charles Scribner's Sons, No. 743 Broadway, New York. New York, January, 1889. Excepting in archaeology, where I have been guided mainly by the conclusions of Mr. A. F. Bandelier, my authorities are almost exclusively Mexican. I have drawn freely upon the works of the late eminent his- torian Senor Manuel Orozco y Berra, and upon the works of Senor Antonio Garcia Cubas. In ecclesiasti- cal history I have been guided by the chronicles of IV PREFACE. Fray Agustin de Vetancnrt, Fray Baltazar cle '-^dina, Fray Isidro Felix de EsjDinosa, Fray AIodso de i Rea, Fray Francisco de Pareja, and by the works of Sefioi' Luis Alfaro y Piiia, Sefior Manuel Ramirez Aparicio, the Canouigo Jose Guadalupe Romero, P. Francisco de Florencia, and the curious " Escudo de Armas de Mexi- co " of the Presbitero T>. Cayetano de Cabrera y Quin- tero. In matters relating to the general history and customs of the Catholic Church I have been guided by *'The CathoHc Dictionary," by the Rev. WiUiam E. Ad- dis and Thomas Arnold, M.A. ; and in church statistics and details of church organization in Mexico b^^ the works of the Presbitero, Br. Fortino Hip6lito Vera, Cura Vicario Foraneo de Amecameca, to whom I am further indebted for valuable assistance and advice. In the preparation of the summary of Mexican his- tor}^ I have been guided niaiuly by the three school histories, written from different political standpoints, of the Sefiores Julio Zarate, J. M. Roa Barcena, and Manuel Payno. In the case of the war with the United States these authorities have been collated with the sketch of that war by Mr. Brantz Mayer ; and in the case of the French Intervention with the "Mexique Ancien et Moderne " of M. Michel Chevalier, the con- temporary essays and summaries of events in the Revue des Deux 3Iondes, and various contemporary pamphlets published in Mexico and in France. Minor authorities are cited iu the text, or in notes, as thev are used. PKEFACK. V I am under great obligations to the Exmo. 6 Illmo. Sr. Dr. D. Pelagio Antonio cle Labastida y Davalos, Archbishop of Mexico, for assistance in prosecuting my ecclesiastical researches. I am under obligations also to General Carlos Pacheco, Minister of Public Works, for permission to republish the accompanying official maps of the City of« Mexico and environs of the City of Mexico ; to the late United States Envoy to Mexico, the Hon. Henry E. Jackson, for his very courteously given aid in procuring me this privilege ; to Don Guil- lermo Prieto, and to the Rev. Father Agustin Fischer, for advice and assistance in obtaining the several works of reference required in preparing the following pages. And most of all am I (very happily) under obligations to my wife, without whose assistance — not only in translating and in proof-reading, but in the difficult work of searching and collating original autliorities — The Mexican Guide assuredly never would have been prepared. T. A. J. New York, January 1, 1887. TABLE OF CONTENTS. PART I. GENERAL INTRODUCTION. PAGE I.— Mexico : Geographical Limits, Physical Feat- ures, Climate, Coasts and Harbors, Plains, Mountain-peaks, Lakes, Animal-life, Vege- table Products, Mineral Products, Manu- factures, Foreign Commerce, Political Di- visions AND Population 3 II._CoNSTiTUTioN AND Government : Constitution, Government, Taxation, Army, National Festivals 15 III.— Religion : Roman Catholic, The Religious Or- der IN Mexico, The Inquisition, Protest- antism, Protestant Missions 19 IV.— Education 32 V. — Language and Literature 34 VI.— Historical Summary: Primitive Mexico, Pe- riod op the Conquest, Viceregal Period, Revolutionary Period, Independent Mexi- co, The War with the United States, The French Intervention 4=1 Vlll TABL7: OB^ COXTENTS. VII.— Practical Information ; What to see in Mex- ico, When to go to Mexico, By Rail to Mexico, By Sea to Mexico, By Sea and Rail Choosing a Route, Expenses, Exchange Mexican Money, Mexican Measures, Kilo metres and Miles, Passports, Customs Reg ULATiONS, Lunch-basket, Eating, Exercise Porters and Stewards, Pulque, Wine Spirits, Beer, Sweetmeats, Clothing, Doc tors and Medicines, Cargadores, Servants Fees, Baths, Hotels, Restaurants, Official Permits, Church Visiting, Priestly Aid Beggars, Hackney Coaches, Postal Ar rangements. Telegraph, Express Service At El Paso, Coming Home PART IT. THE MEXICAN CAPITAL. I.— Practical Matters: Station to Hotel, Lug- gage, Hotels, Restaurants, Lodgings, Boarding-houses, Baths, Interpreters, Shopping, Tradespeople, Mending, Libra- ries, Book-stores, Newspapers, Post-office, Telegraph Offices, Railw^ay Stations and Offices, Diligence Office, Express Offices, Hackney Coaches, Saddle Horses, Street Railways, Suburban Tramways (Guada- i-upe, Tacubaya, Dolores, Mixcoac, La Cas- taneda, La Piedad, San Angel, Tlalpam, Tlalnepantla, Atzcapotzalco), Govern- ment Officials, Foreign Legations, Pro- testant Churches 101 II.— 'Streets of the City of Mexico 125 III.— Municipality of Mexico: Site, Climate, His- tory, Statistics, Diputacion, Markets, The Fi-owi:r Market. PoRTAi.Ks, Prisons 134 TABLE OF CONTENTS. IX PAGE IV.— Federal Buildings : Palacio Nacional, Ca- MARA DE DiPUTADOS, PALACTO DE JuSTICIA, Arzobispado, Ciudadela, Aduana, Casa DE MONEDA 140 v.— Public Institutions : Biblioteca Nacional, Other Libraries, Escuela Nacional de Bel- las Artes, Museo Nacional 144 VI. — Religious Foundations : The Cathedral, Ca- PILLA DE LAS ANIMAS, PARISH CHURCHES, SA- GRARIO MeTROPOLITANO, CapILLA DE LA So- LEDAD, San Pablo, San Sebastian, Santa Maria la Redonda, Santa Vera Cruz, Santa Cruz Acatlan, Santa Cruz y Soledad, Santo Tomas la Palma, San Cosme, Santa Catarina Martir, Santa Ana, Regina Cceli, San Miguel, San Jose, San Francisco, Sant- iago Tlaltelolco, Santo Domingo, Porta Cceli, San Hipolito, Espiriti' Santo, Loreto, Merced, Belen de los Padres, San Diego, Carmen, Monserrate, San Juan de Digs, San Lazaro, San Antonio Abad, Profesa, Betlemitas, Colegio de las Ninas, San Fer- nando, San Camilo, Concepcion, Balvanera, Santa Clara, Jesus MarLv, San Geronimo, Santa Catalina de Sena, San Juan de la Penitencia, Encarnacion, San Lorenzo, Santa Ines (Cor azon de Jesus), Santa Ysabel, San Jose de Gracia, Santa Teresa i-a An- tigua, Santa Teresa I;A Nueva, San Ber- nardo, Capuchinas, Corpus Christi, Santa BrIgida, Ensenanza Antigua, Ensenanza Nueva, Coli>ege of the Sisters of Charity (Caridad), Independent Churches, Jesus Nazareno, Nstra. Sra. de los Angeles, San- TisiMA, Salto del Agu A 164 VII.— Schools and Colleges : Conservatorio de Music A (UNrvERsiTY), La Mineria, Escuela DE Medicina, Escuela Prkpakatohia, Es- TABLE OF CONTENTS. ^ PAGB CUELA DE AgRICULTURA, EsCUELA DE CoMER- CIO, ESCUELA DE JURISPRUDENCIA, SeMINARIO CoNCiLiAR, Sociedad Lancasteriana, La Beneficencia, Sociedad Catolica 247 YIII. — Charitable Institutions: Hospital de Jesus Nazareno, Hospital Real, Hospital de San HiPoLiTO, Hospital Morelos (San Juan de Dios), Hospital del Divino Salvador, Hos- pital DE San Andres, Hospital Municipal Juarez (San Pablo), Casa de Maternidad, Hospital Concepcion Beistigui, Other Hos- pitals, La Cuna, Hospicio de Pobres, Monte DE Piedad, Colegio de la Paz (Viscainos), Other Charities 254 IX.— Public Entertainment: Teatro Principal, Teatro Nacional, Other Theatres, Salon de Conciertos, Circus, Bull-fighting 269 X. — Public Works: Plaza Mayor, Alameda, Paseo DE LA ViGA, Paseo de Bucareli, Paseo de la Reforma, Calzadas (Causeways), Aque- ducts 272 XI. — Various Matters of Interest : Public Monu- ments, Notable Buildings, Panteones (Cem- eteries), Salto de Alvarado 283 XII.— Environs of Mexico: Guadalupe, Chapulte- PEC, MoLiNO del Rey, Tacubaya, Mixcoac, La Castaneda, San Angel, Coyoacan, The Pedregal, Churubusco, Tlalpam, Popotla (Tree of the Noche Triste), Tacuba, Atz- CAPOTZALCO, La Piedad 290 XIII.— Short Excursions from Mexico: The Viga Canal (Santa Anita, Ixtacalco, Mexical- ciNGO), The Desierto, San Juan Teotihuacan (Pyramids op the Sun and Moon), Texcoco, Tetzcotzinco, Molino de Flores, Cuatlen- chan, Tlalnepantla, Tajo de Nochistongo 317 TABLE OK CONTENTS. Xi PART III. PROVINCIAL MEXICO. PAGE I. — The Mexican Railway 333 II. — The Mexican Central Railway 343 III. — The Mexican National Railway 349 IV. — The Interoceanic Railway 356 V. — Minor Lines of Travel : Railways, Dili- gence Lines, Coastwise Steam Lines 360 VI.— Puebla de LOS Angeles 370 VII.— Cholula , 392 VIIL— Tlaxcala 397 IX. — Zacatecas 404 X. — Aguas Calientes 409 XL— Leon ^. 411 XII. — Guanajuato 414 XIII. — Queretaro 421 XIV.— Vera Cruz 429 XV. — Jalapa 433 XVI.— Orizaba 436 XVII.— Pachuca and Real del Monte 441 XVIII. — Los Remedios 445 Xll TABLE OF CONTENTS. PA OB XIX.— San Miguel de Allende 450 XX.— MoRELiA 455 XXI.— Patzcuaro and Tzintzi:tntzan 463 XXII— Monterey 470 XXIII.— Cuernavaca , 475 XXIV.— Amecameca , 479 XXV. — Minor Cities and Towns: Acambaro, Celaya, Chihuahua, Cordoba, Cuautla (Yautepec), GuAYMAS, Lagos, Maravatio, Meiuda, Sal- TiLLo, Salvatierra, Silao, Toluca, Tula, Salamanca, Ikapuato 485 XXVI.— Guadai-ajara and San Luis Potosi 50v) THE MEXICAN GUIDE. SUPPLEMENT FOR THE YEAR 1890. N". B. — The information given here siqjersedes, or amends, that given under the following titles in the body of the work. Mexican Money (p. 80). In December last the Mexi- can Government issued a decree that fixes June 30, 1890, as the date for the definite withdrawal from circulation of worn coin, and of the coins known as reales, medios, cuartillas, and tlacos. Holders of such coins may before such date exchange them at their nominal value for decimal currency at the National Bank in the City of Mexico, or at its agencies throughout the Republic. The mints will re-coin the old money into decimal pieces. After the date fixed for the ex- change of the old coinage at its nominal value it may still be exchanged at the mints ; which, however, will only redeem it according to its weight and fineness, and not according to the value stamped on it. From and after July 1, 1890, all commercial transactions must be efiected on a decimal basis, infractions of this rule being punished by a fine of $25 for the first offence and $50 for every subsequent offence. No- taries in drawing up contracts are forbidden to mention the coins of the old system, even for the sake of greater clear- ness, on penalty of a fine of from $50 to $100. Anyone who, after June 30th, shall attemj^t to pass a coin of the old sys- tem will incur the same penalties as those awarded for pass- ing illegal coinage. XIV THE MEXICAN GUIDE. Paso del Norte (p. 96). By a recent act of Congress the name of this town has been changed to Ciudad Juarez. Hotels (p. 102). I regret to state that the worthy i3ro- prieto^s of the Hotel del Cafe Anglais, the excellent M. Gatillon and his not less excellent wife, have died during the past year. The little hotel still remains in the manage- ment of the family, however, and probably continues to de- serve all that I have said in its praise. Street Names (p. 125). As the municipal authorities have removed the ancient names from the street corners, and as nobody dreams of using the new names by which the streets are known officially, the confusion in the matter of street nomenclature in the City of Mexico is increasingly harrowing. Mexican Central Railway (p. 343). On July 1, 1889, that portion of the Tampico division between Aguas Calientes and San Luis Potosi was opened for traffic. One train is run daily each way (running time about five hours) between these points, in close connection with both north- and south- bound trains on the main line. From Tami3ico westward about one hundred miles of line is operated. The company expects to have the entire division, Tampico to San Luis and thence to Aguas Calientes, in operation early in the present year. The scenery on the portion of this division that ascends from the coast to the plateau is extraordinarily fine. Mexican National Railway (p. 343). The line from Manzanillo to Colima, sixty miles, is now in operation. The branch line from Zacatecas to the suburb of Guadalupe has been extended to the town of Ojo Caliente, a distance of twenty-eight miles. Interoceanic Railway (p. 356). The Irolo division has been extended during the past year to the city of Puebla, and thence to Perote. In the course of the present year the company expects to complete this division through Jalapa to Vera Cruz. The Morelos division has been extended from Yautepec to Jojutla, a distance of twenty-four miles. Ad- mirable arrangements have been made by the management SUPPLEMENT EOR 1890. XT of this company for the sale of excursion tickets, information concerning which may be obtained at St. Hill's Agencia In- glesa (see p. 107), or at the company's central office. Lagos (p. 497). To the sorroAv of the eating public, M. Piei-re Pont has retired into private life, and the culinary glory that attached in his time to the Hotel Diligencias has passed away. M e r i d a (p. 499) . Two lines of railway now connect Merida with its port, Progreso. Of these the broad-gauge is the more desirable. Fare, by either line, 75c. ; 100 pounds of baggage free ; running time about an hour and a half. Station to hotel. Street cars connect the several railway stations with the Plaza Mayor. Fare 3c. ; carriages, seating four and carrying hand-luggage, cost four reales. Trunks are carried in carts at a charge of one or two reales. Hotels. The Yucateco is the least undesirable hotel. The rate for rooms is $1.50 a day. Meals are not served. At the Bazar the rate for rooms is the same, and meals are served for six reales. The Central, same rate, is the least desirable of the three. The best restaurant is the Lonja Meridana, one square south from the southwest corner of the Plaza Mayor. There are several /o>icZas on the north side of the Plaza Mayor at which very tolerable meals can be obtained at more reasonable prices. Baths. There are fair baths in connection with the hotels Yucateco and Bazar. The Cenotes, or cave-baths, are a dis- tinctive feature of Merida. Of these there are three ; the Geiser, Tivoli, and Uolpoch (a letter h, final, crossed like a t ; a Mayan name). The cenotes are natural caves in the calcareous rock, are about thirty feet below the surface, and have been made accessible by steps leading down to them. The water found in them is very soft and is beautifully clear. Carriages and Tramways. All carriages cost one dollar the hour. This rate is increased at night to $1.50 ; and dur- ing a rain, on Sundays, and on feast days, to $1.50 or $2. Seven lines of tramway traverse the city and extend into the suburbs. The fare within the city is three cents ; to the suburbs, six and nine cents. XVI THE MEXICAN GUIDE. Excursions. Three railway lines extend from Merida into the interior of the peninsula. None of these is completed to its destined terminal, but from the end of construction interesting expeditions may be made by wheeled vehicles, baldncoches or calesas, to Halacho, Motul, and Isamal. At Motul prehistoric ruins are found. Uxmal may be reached by taking the railway to Ticul (on the line to Peto), and thence driving eight leagues to the hacienda of Uxmal. PART GENERAL INTRODUCTION. PAET I. GENERAL INTRODUCTION. /. MEXICO. Geographical Limits. The shape of Mexico is that of a cornucopia turned the wrong way — and the relatively slow de- velopment of the extraordinarily rich region embi'aced with- in its borders emphasizes this simile. It extends from the 15th to the 32d degree of north latitude, and from the 86th to the 116th degree of longitude west from Greenwich. Its northern and northeastern boundary is the United States (Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California) ; its western, the Pacific Ocean ; its southern, the Pacific Ocean, Guate- mala, and the English colony of Belize ; its eastern, Belize, the Carribbean Sea, and the Gulf of Mexico. Its greatest length, from nortliM^est to southeast, is 1,900 miles; its greatest width, 750 miles. Its superficial area is 768,500 square. miles.* Physical Features. Saving a narrow rim of land upon its coasts, Mexico is an enormous ridge, raised by volcanic force, between tv>'o oceans. This ridge is a continuation northward of the Andes. In the Isthmus of Panama, where its dimensions are least, the ridge is a mass of granite, vary- ing from 150 to 900 feet in elevation above the sea. It runs west toward the shores of the Pacific, sending off, in Guate- * Trustworthy statistics concerning Mexico are not obtainable. The figures used in this book are from the sources (usually cited m the text or in a note) that are recognized in Mexico as most authoritative. 4 .MEXICAN GUIDE. mala a branch northeast through the peninsula of Yucatan. On entering Mexico it trends northwest and acquires a greater breadth. The State of Oaxaca may be said to occupy the summit of a single ridge, 150 miles wide, that falls rap- idly on one side to the shores of the Pacific, and on the other side descends by a succession of terraces to Tabasco and A^'era Cruz. To this elevated, comparatively narrow plain succeeds the so-called table-land of Mexico, spreading al- most from ocean to gulf, and having an elevation of between 4000 and 8,000 feet above the level of the sea. Above this plateau rise the crests of the great volcanic ridge, still con- tinuing northward. The main chain of mountains is known 1 as the Sierra Madre. North of the 21st f)arallel three well- defined ranges extend. The middle range joins, finally, the Rocky Mountains ; as does also the western, after making a wide loop to the westward ; the eastern sinks away gradu- ally as it apiDroaches the Kio Grande. Humboldt's fancy for striking statement led him to write that a wagon could be driven along the elevated plateau from the City of Mexico to Santa Fe, This is true ; but what a desperately up-and- down time of it the driver of that wagon would have may be seen by reference to the following table of elevations above sea-level on the line of the Mexican Central Railway — a line that has far easier grades than would have been possible on Humboldt's theoretical route. Stations. Feet .>/ Fray Francisco de Torral, who was consecrated August 15, 1562. 22 MEXICAN GUIDE. 1571 the Archbishop of Mexico was made Primate of New Spain. In the consistory held by Pius IX. , March 16, 1863, it was decreed that the Mexican Church should be divided into three Archdioceses : The Eastern, or that of Mexico ; the Central, or that of Michoacan ; the Western, or that of Guadalajara. To these Archbishoprics the several Bishop- rics of Mexico are suffragan. The more important of the events leading to, attendant upon, and succeeding the very great curtailment in modern times of the prerogatives of the Church will be found in the Historical Summary. Dioceses. Archb. Mexico Bish. Puebia " Oaxaca "• Chiapas ' ' Yucatan " Tabasco " Tulancingo " Vera Cruz " Chilapa " Tamaulipas Archb. Michoacan . . . Bish. S. Luis Potosi . ' ' Quere'taro " Leon " Zamora Archb. Guadalajara.. Bish. Durango " Linares " Sonora " Zacatecas " Colima V. A. Lower California Erected. Jan. 31, 1545.1 .Sept. 19, 152(5. June 2, 1.535. March 19,1.539. Aug. 1.5, 1562.-^ May 25, 18S0. March 16,186.3. June 1, 1850. March 16.1863. Oct. 4, 1869. March 16, 1863 3 Aug. 30, 1854. Jan. 26, 1863. Jan. 26, 1862. Jan. 36, 1862. March 16, 18634 Sept. 28, 1620. Dec. 25, 1777. May 7, 1779. Jan. 26, 1862. March 15.1883. March 28, 18.550 Seat. Mexico. [ Puebia. Oaxaca. San Cristobal. Merida. San J. Bautista. [Tulancingo. Jalapa. Chilapa. Ciudad Victoria. ^Morelia. jSan Luis. iQueretaro. Leon. 1 Zamora. Guadalajara. I Durango. Monterey. Culiacan. Zacatecas. Colima. Totals 8,820 9,861,000 2 1,654 2,513 +1,000 500 234 134 400 -flOO 3791 41 +300 171 107 +100 +100 376 250 135 200 +100 23 3 1,328,000 900.000 700,000 119,000 468,000 140,000 400,000 46.5,000 300,000 200,000 680,000 570,000 280,000 570,000 220,000 1,100,000 490,000 275,000 283,000 337,000 36,000 J Erected a bishopric, September 2, 1530. 2 xhe erection of January 27, 1518, lapsed. ^ Erected a bishopric, August 18, 1536. ■* Erected a bish- opric, July 31, 1548. s included with Guadalajara. ^ The bishopric of California was erected April 27, 1840, under the advocation of San Francisco. The Vicariate Apostolic of Lower California is the see of the titular bishop of Anastasiopolis, KELIGION. 23 The foregoing table is compiled from the " Catecismo geografica-historico-estadistico de la Iglesia Mexicana" of the presbitero Br. Fortino Hipolito Vera, vicar foraneo of Amecameca. In this work the number of ordained priests is not stated. According to Senor Garcia Cubas the parish priests alone number 1,349. The Religious Orders in Mexico. A brief reference to the history of the religious orders in Mexico is indispen- sable to a good understanding of the history of the coun- try itself. As they severally came to the Spanish colony, chitr'ches, monasteries, convents, hospitals, were built, and throughout Mexico their work survives everywhere : visibly in the buildings which they erected and in the street nomen- clature, and morally in the impress that they have left upon the life of the nation. Their suppression, on the other hand, broughc in its train the absolute destruction, or the deflec- tion to secular purposes, of many of their foundations, and the acquisition by the State of all that remained ; while the opening of new streets through what had been Church prop- erty, and the names which these streets received — as the Calles Independencia, Cinco de Mayo, and Lerdo, in the City of Mexico — mark, in a very striking manner, the end of the old and the beginning of the new order of things. To the Franciscans in great part belongs the honor of having fixed firmly in Mexico the power of Spain ; for their zealous missionary work among the Indians, and the hold that they had upon their Indian converts, most powerfully strengthened the position that the Spaniards conquered and in part sustained by military power. To the Dominicans, in some small part, at least, is due the collapse of the Spanish domination ; for the feeling against the Inquisition unques- tionably had much to do with fixing many waverers on the side of independence. To the several orders of hospitallers was due the establishment of (for the times) admirably ap- pointed and zealously administered hospitals in every city of the colony. To the Jesuits belong the honor of liaving fostered learning in this new land. Broadly speaking, the influence of the religious orders upon the colony was bene- 24 MEXICAN GUIDE. ficial during its first century ; neutral during its second ; harmful during its third. In this last ei30ch so considerable a portion of the wealth of the colony had come into posses- sion of the Church that the locking up of capital blocked the channels of trade. Leaving all other questions out of con- sideration, the suppression of the religious orders was an economic necessity in Mexico for many years before there was found, in the person of Juarez, a statesman bold enough and strong enough to institute so radical a reform. That the reform was executed with a certain brutal sever- ity is less discreditable to Mexicans in particular than to humanity at large. When evil social conditions, long-fos- tered, at last are broken down, the radical element in the body-politic that asserts the right never fails to commit on its own account a very liberal amount of wrong. Yet all uu- l^rejudiced travellers in Mexico cannot but keenly deplore, because of the violence done to art and learning, to the romantic and to the picturesque, that in the course of the Eeformation so much of value to learning and art perished, and that so many buildings, dee^^ly interesting because of their historic or romantic associations, or in themselves pict- uresque, were diverted utterly from their primitive purposes or utterly destroyed. In point of fact, many of the religious orders in Mexico disappeared before the Laws of the Reform were promulgated. The Jesuits were suppressed June 25, 1767 ; re-established in 1816 ; again suppressed in 1821 ; again re-established in 1853 ; and finally expelled from the country in 1856. The Antoninos were suppressed by a bull of Pius VI. of August 24, 1787. By a decree of the Spanish Cortes of October 1, 1820 (following the re-erection of the Constitution of 1812). executed in Mexico in 1821, the following named orders were suppressed : Agustinos recoletos, Hipdlitos, Juaninos, Betlemitas, and Benedictines. The Cosmistas (Franciscanos recoletos) having dwindled to but a few members, were ab- sorbed into the Franciscan order proper in 1854. All of the remaining orders were extinguished by the law of July 12, 1859, given in Vera Cruz under the Presidency KELIGION. 25 of Juarez. Actually, however, this law did not become oper- ative in the City of Mexico until December 27, 1860, upon the entry into the capital of the Liberal forces. Although the law provided only for the extinction of the monasteries, the partial suppression of the nunneries began almost im- mediately. At midnight of February 13, 1861, at a precon- certed signal (the tolling of the bell of the church of Corj^us Christi) the nuns were removed from twelve convents to the ten convents remaining for the time being undisturbed. The law of February 26, 1863, declared the suppression of the female religious establishments (excepting that of the Sisters of Charity), and required the several convents to be vacated within eight days. In a few cases slight extensions of time were granted, but the actual suppression of the orders dates from March 6, 1863. Finally, the Laws of the Eeform being incoi*iDorated into the Federal Constitution (December 14, 1874), the last remaining religious order, that of the Sis- ters of Charity, was suppressed. The fact must be borne in mind that the sui^pression of the orders was not accompanied — as it was in the case of the Jesuits in 1856 — by the expulsion of their members from the country. The religious orders were suppressed as communities, but their members were tolerated as in- dividuals. In point of fact, the priests ministering in the conventual churches which remain open usually are mem- l)ers of the orders by which, severally, these churches were founded. The Inquisition. As early as 1527 the influence of the Si:)anish Inquisition was perceptible in New Spain in the promulgation of a royal order in that year by which all Jews and Moors were banished from the Province. About the year 1529 a council was held in the city of Mexico composed of the most notable men, religious, military, and civil, then in the Province — including Bishop Fuenleal, who was Presi- dent of the Audencia, together with all the members of that body ; the Bishop of Mexico (Zumarraga) ; the heads of the Dominican and Franciscan orders ; the municipal authoii- ties and two prominent citizens. As the result of its delib- 26 MEXICAN GUIDE. erations, this council solemnly declared : *' It is most neces- sary that the Holy Office of the Inquisition shall be extended to this land, because of the commerce with strangers here carried on, and because of the many corsairs abounding upon our coasts, which strangers may bring their evil cus- toms among both natives and Castilians, who by the gra<;e of God should be kept free from heresy." Following this declaration several functionai'ies charged with inquisitorial powers visited the Province during the ensuing forty years, suitably discharging the duties of their office by keeping heresy and crimes against the canon law well trodden under foot. The full fruit of the declaration of the council ripened in 1570, when, under date of August 16th, a royal order issued, aj^pointing Don Pedro Moya de Contreras (afterward Archbishop, and some time Viceroy of the Province) Inquisi- tor-General of New Spain, Guatemala, and the Philippine Islands, with headquarters in the City of Mexico. The chronicler Vetancurt wa-ites with jhous joy : " The tribunal of the Inquisition, the strong fort and Mount of Zion, was founded in the City of Mexico in the year 1571 ; " and later he adds: "They have celebrated general and particular autos de la fe with great concourse of dignitaries, and in all cases the Catholic faith and its truth have remained victo- rious." The fact should be noted that the royal order under which the Inquisition was established in Mexico expressly exempted the Indians from its jurisdiction ; a politic ar- rangement that gave it from the outset a strong popular support. For the accommodation of the Holy Office the small monastery at first occupied by the Dominicans was placed at the disposition of the Inquisitor-General. This presently was rebuilt, to make it more in keeping with the dignity and the needs of the business carried on in it, but no record of the structure then erected remains. The existing building in the city of Mexico, now the property of the Escuela de Medicina, was begun December 5, 1732, and was completed in December, 1736. The hrasero (brazier), or quemadero (burning-place), whereon the decrees of the Holy Office were executed, was a short distance eastward of the church of San RELIGION. 27 Diego, upon land since inclndecl in the Alameda.* It was a square platform, with wall and terrace arranged for the erec- tion of stakes to which the condemned, living or dead, were fastened to be burned. Being raised in a large open space, the spectacle could be witnessed by the entire population of the city. When the ceremony was ended, the ashes of the burned were thrown into the marsh that then was in the rear of the church of San Diego. Fray Vetancurt, describing the pleasing outlook from the door of San Diego, writes : "The view is beautified by the Plaza of San Hipdlito and by the burning-place of the Holy Office." As in Spain, so also in Mexico, the Dominican order and the Inquisition were closely associated, though nominally they were inde- pendent organizations.! The first auto de fe % in New Spain was celebrated in the * There was arother hrasero in the plazuela of San Lazaro that served for the burning of criminals whose crimes did not come within the jurisdiction of the Holy Office. The principal crimes of which the Holy Office took cognizance were heresy, sorcery, witchcraft, polyg- amy, seduction, unnatural crime, imposture, and personation. The extreme penalty, death by burning, was visited only upon criminals of the first order, as heretics or sorcerers. In the majority of cases the criminals were strangled before being burned. t ''St. Dominick is said to have first proposed the erection of such a tribunal to Innocent HI. , and to have been appointed by him the first Inquisitor. . . . The majority of inquisitors employed have always been Dominicans, and the commissary of the Holy Office at Rome be- longs, ex offlcio, to this order" (Catholic Dictionary, article Inquisi- tion). X The auto de /(?, or act of [the profession of the] faith, was the public ceremony that followed the secret trial of criminals brought before the Inquisition. The ceremony began by the avowal by the members of the tribunal, and by all assembled with them, of their be- lief in Christianity and the doctrines of the Church. This act of faith, or profession of faith, being ended, the tribunal announced the crime for which each criminal had been tried, and the measure of guilt adjudged to attach to him ; after which announcement, with a per- functory recommendation to mercjf, it relinquished him to the secular arm {i.e.^ to the civil authorities) for punishment. Hence, the mito de fe should not be confounded, as it usually is, with the burning or other punishment that followed it, and that, in theory, was the work of the secular power alone. 28 MEXICAN GUIDE. year 1574 : as its result, as is mentioned with much satis- faction by the chronicler Fray Baltasar de Medina, there perished "twenty-one pestilent Lutherans." From this time onward, until the Inquisition was suppressed, these edifying ceremonies were of very frequent occurrence, some- times taking place annually (as in 1646-47-48-49) for several years in succession. Frequent though they certainly were, and large though the number of those who perished in them undoubtedly was, the number of those actually burned to death was comparatively small. In the majority of cases, even when the body of the offender was burned, grace was shown in first granting death by strangulation. Thus, in the memorable auto de fe of April 10, 1649, when (April 11th) fifteen persons perished, only one — Thomas Tremino, of Sobremonte in Castile, who had " cursed the Holy Office and the Pope " — was burned alive. The remaining fourteen were burned after strangulation. When the Liberal con- stitution of 1812 was adopted in Spain the end of the In- quisition began. One of the first reforms introduced by the Cortes was the decree of February 22, 1813, by which the Holy Office was suppressed throughout Spain and the Spanish deioendencies. This decree was promulgated in Mexico on the 8th of the ensuing June, and by proclamation of the Viceroy the property of the Inquisition was then de- clared forfeited to the royal treasury. Another Viceroyal proclamation ordered to be removed from the cathedral the tablets on which, according to usage, were inscribed the names of those whom the Holy Office had declared criminals. But with the overthrow of the Liberal constitution in Spain, and the return to the throne of Ferdinand VIL, the decree of suppression was rescinded, and the Holy Office once more possessed its property and continued its work. The tribunal of the Inquisition was established again in Mexico, January 21, 1814. This re-erection was for only a little time. Fol- lowing the revival in Spain (March, 1820) of the constitution of 1812, the decree issued by which the Inquisition was sup- pressed forever. The decree became effective in Mexico, May 31, 1820. There is a certain poetic fitness to be found ■RELI0IIO1N-. 29 in the fact that the last years of the Inquisition in Mexico were spent in combating strenuously the spread of Liberal- ism ; that the last notable auto de fe (November 26, 1815) was that at which the ac^sed was the patriot Morelos. The finding against him was a foregone conclusion. " The Pres- bitero Jose Maria Morelos," declared the inquisitors, '' is an unconfessed heretic (liereje formal negativo), an abettor of heretics, and a disturber of the ecclesiastical hierarchy; a profaner of the holy sacraments ; a traitor to God, to the King, and to the Pope." For which sins he was " con- demned to do penance in a penitent's dress " (after the usual form), and was surrendered to the tender mercies of the secular arm. He was shot, December 22, 1815. But it was the Inquisition that died. Protestantism. In the year 1770, under the auspices oi the then Archbishop of Mexico, Francisco Antonio Loren- zana, the then Bishop of Puebla, Francisco Fabian y Fuero, published in Puebla his "Missa Gothica seu Mozarabica"— the liturgy in use among the Gothic Christians in Spain be- fore the liturgy of the Roman Church was introduced into the Peninsula.* The avowed purpose of this work was the re- vival of the Mozarabic rite in Mexico. This purpose was not * The Mozarabic Liturgy is the ancient communion-office of the Spanish Church. It belongs to the Gallican family of liturgies, and can, therefore, be traced back to the Ephesine type, on which all the Western liturgies, except the Roman, were framed. The name is a cor- ruption of the term A7-ab Mosta' ribeh, meaning naturalized Arabs. The liturgy, however, is much older than the time of the Arab occupa- tion of Spain. Dr. Neale concludes that its groundwork is coeval with the introduction of Christianity into the country. It was supplanted in Spain by the Roman liturgy in the eleventh century. The first mass according to the Roman form was celebrated in Aragon, in the monas- tery of San Juan de la Pena, March 21, 1071. This primitive liturgy never wholly ceased to be used in Spain, and even now is in use in three churches in Toledo — its maintenance in this city being due to the strong effort made to compass its general revival by Archbishop Ximenes, of Toledo, in the year 1495. The fact should be noted that Archbishop Lorenzana, before coming to Mexico, was Vicar-General of Toledo ; and that Bishop Fabian y Fuero, before coming to Mexico, was Abbott of San Vicente in this diocese. so MEXICAN GUIDE. immediately accomplished, buff a decided tendency toward independence of tlionglit in religious matters was created. The successful revolt against the authority of Spain tended still further toward the growth of liberal ideas. Finally, the positive measures taken by Comonlort, and later by Juarez, to diminish and to circumscribe the jDower of the Koman Catholic Church in Mexico, gave the opportunity for the seed that had been sown by Fabian y Fuero and Lorenzana to ripen. In the year 1868 a positive movement toward the for- mation of a Christian Church distinct from the Christian Church of Rome began in Mexico. A representative of this movement came in that year to the United States asking the aid of Protestants in making the movement effective. The aid desired was giveij, and in 1869 " The Church of Jesus in Mexico " was organized. The essential fact in regard to this Protestant Church in Mexico is that it was not the result of missionary work, but of a spontaneous movement originat- ing among members of the Roman Catholic Church in Mexico. The distinct claim is made that it is not a new de- parture, but a reversion to the original creed and liturgy of the Christian Church in Spain, on the part of ex-members of the Roman communion who desire " a greater liberty of con- science, a purer worship, and a better church organization " (see Church of San Francisco). The communing membership of this church rapidly increased under the direction of Bishop Henry C. Riley (ordained by the Protestant Episcopal Church of the United States) until it was officially stated to be 6,000. Owing to causes which need not be detailed here this mem- bership has been very greatly reduced. In 1886 * this church had a membership of about fifteen hundred ; had two large, church buildings, San Francisco and San Jose de Gracia, in the City of Mexico ; three other imj^ortant church buildings outside of the city, and several mission chapels ; maintained two orphanages and several schools. Protestant Missions. Aid has been extended by the Protestant Episcopal Church of the United States and by * Statistics furnished by letter, under date of October 4, 1886, by H. C. Riley per J. R. Heath. RELIGIO^^. 31 the Clmrcli of England to the indigenous Protestant Church of Mexico. Missions also are maintained in Mexico by the three Protestant denominations named below, in the order in which their mission work in Mexico was begun : The Presbyterian Mission* begun in 1872. Central stations are maintained in the City of Mexico, Zacatecas, San Luis Potosi, Jerez, Saltillo, and Lerdo, attached to which are numerous out-stations. The effective strength of the mis- sion is : Ordained missionaries, 8 ; ordained natives, 27 ; licentiates, 19 ; female missionary teachers, 6 ; Bible- women, 3 ; a total native force of 79. Churches, 89 ; communicants 3,916 ; boarding-schools, 2 ; pupils in boarding-schools, 50 ; day-schools, 28 ; gii'ls in day-schools, 192 ; boys in day- schools, 492 ; students for ministry, 31 ; sabbath-school pupils, 1,734. The Methodist Mission,^ begun in 1873. The following circuits are maintained : City of Mexico, Miraflores, San Vicente, Puebla, Sierra, Orizaba, Pachuca, Queretaro, Guana- juato. The effective strength of the mission is : Foreign mis- sionaries, 8 ; assistant missionaries, 8 ; foreign missionaries of Women's Foreign Missionary Society, 6 ; native workers of Worn. For. Miss. Soc, 13 ; native ordained preachers, 8 ; native unordained preachers, 25 ; native teachers, 22 ; foreign teachers, 1 ; other helpers, 16 ; members, 728 ; probationers, 633 ; adherents 3,873 ; average attendance on Sunday wor- ship, 1,431 ; high-schools, 1 ; teachers in high-school, 2 ; pu- pils in high-school, 50 ; day-schools, 19 ; day-scholars, 918 ; sabbath-schools, 21 ; sabbath scholars, 862 ; churches and chapels, 14; halls and other places of worship, 22 ; i^arson- ages, or "homes," 14; volumes issued from the mission press during the year, 474,740, with a total of 2,595,591 pages. * From the Forty -ninth Annual Report of the Board of Foreign Missions of the Presbyterian Church, 1886, the current report at the time of going to press. + From the Sixty-seventh Annual Report of the Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church, for the year 1885, the report cur- rent at the time of going to press. 32 MEXICAN GUIDE. The Baptist Mifision* "The Baptist churches organized in Mexico are as follows : Under the Home Mission Society of New York, a church organized at each of the following places, Monterey, Salinas, Garcia, Santa Rosa, Montemorelos, Ebanos, Cadereyta, Apodaca, in State of Nuevo Leon, and one in the City of Mexico — nine in all, with a membership of about 300. Under the Southern Baptist Convention, churches as follows : Saltillo, Patos, Progreso, Muzquiez and Juarez, in State of Coahuila. There are about 300 members in these. There are church edifices in Monterey, Saltillo, and Patos, and $18,000 raised, which will be increased to ^25,000, for the building of a house in the City of Mexico. There are thirteen ordained Baj)tist ministers and five schools. Missions have been established in Matamoros and the City of Mexico (and probably at other points) by American Friends. IV. EDUCATION. Within the past twenty years very astonishing and very gratifying changes have been wrought in the educational condition of Mexico. As yet, the system of public instruc- tion is by no means perfect, but it constantly is being im- proved. It is alive and growing, and affords substantial proof of the vitality and progressive tendencies of the nation. With very few exceptions free schools, sustained by the State or municipal governments, the church or benevolent societies, are found in all the towns and villages; and in all the cities and' larger towns private schools are numerous. In the more important cities colleges and professional schools are found. Thirty years ago illiteracy was very general. At the present time, probably the majority, cer- tainly a large proportion, of Mexicans can read and write. All of the Mexican States have recognized the necessity of * Statistics received by letter from the Rev. P. C. Pope, D. D. , gen- eral superintendent Church Edifice Department, under date of October, 4. 1886. educatiojS^. 33 obligatory, free primary instruction, and, as seen in the sub- joined table, ai^propriate annually very considerable sums for the maintenance of free schools. Included in the general scheme are free night-schools for men and women, as well as schools in which trades are taught. The annexed table States. Approximate school attendance. School appropriation. Agnascalientes 6,500 4,500 2,500 4,500 7,500 3,000 5,000 20,000 15,000 19,000 42,000 50,000 11,000 14.000 14,000 21,000 67,000 10.000 14,000 9,500 4,000 3,500 4,000 9,500 27,000 11,. 500 21,000 31,000 1,000 $10,000 Campeche 15,000 Chiapas 10,000 Chihuahua 28,000 Coahuila 26,000 Colima 18,000 20.000 Guana] uato 81.000 35,000 Hidalgo 82,000 Jalisco 100,000 Mexico 187,000 Michoacan 53.000 Morelos . . ..... . . 23.000 Nuevo lieon 68,000 Oaxaca ... . . 51,000 Puebla 153.000 Quere'taro , 30,000 San Luis Potosl 40,000 Sinaloa 58,000 Sonera 20,000 Tabasco 20,000 10,000 Tlaxcala 20,000 219,000 50,000 Zacatecas , 12,000 Federal District 202,000 10,000 Total 452,500 1,711,000 shows, a;gproximately, the annual school attendance at the free schools in the several States. To the sum total of this attendance should be added at least half as many pupils more whose education is obtained in private schools and in the free schools maintained, as above noted, by the church and by benevolent societies. 34 MEXICAN GUIDE. Education is further encouraged by the existence of ex- tensive libraries — largely, however, composed of the wrecks of the monastic libraides, and notably lacking in modem works of reference— in all the principal cities. The best of these is the National Library (which see), that is wonderfully rich in theology and Spanish American history, and also contains a large number of modern works. Excellent work- ing libraries are attached to the several technical and profes- sional institutions. Museums are maintained in the city of Mexico, in Guadalajara, in Oaxaca, and in Puebla, all of value. Numerous learned societies are found in the principal cities. Astronomical and meteorological observatories are main- tained by the Federal government. Newspapers are pub- lished in all the cities and larger towns. V. LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE. Language. Excepting the Indian dialects, the language <"poken in Mexico is Spanish. The genius of the Spanish language is such that it does not readily admit of perversion. The Spanish of Mexico, therefore, with a few slight eccen- tricities— e.^^., sounding the // as y, the z and c as s instead of as th, which really are not Mexican peculiarities afc all, but are found also in Spain— is singularly pure. There are interpolated into the language many proper names — of places, mountains, fruits, flowers, trees, animals, articles of household and field use— which are derived from the primitive dialects. These usually are softened in the transfer. Nearly all of the words, for instance, ending in tl are softened into te. Thus coyotl becomes coyote ; chocolatl, chocolate, and so on. The X, in Mexican proper names usually has the sound of s. Thus, Xochimilco is pronounced Sochimilco — the j^h, as in Spanish, having the sound of ch in chair. The more impor- tant of the native dialects now in use (according to the clas- sification of the eminent philologist Don Francisco Pimen- tel) are : Mexican, spoken by 1,750,000 persons ; Tarascan, 250,000 ; Mixteco Zapotcca, 500,000 ; Maya-Quiche, 400,000, LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE. 35 and Othomi, 704,000. Together with these, other dialects are spoken by many smaller families. The total of Mexicans speaking native languages is estimated by Seiior Pimentel at 3,970,234:. A very large proportion of these also speak Span- ish. Literature. Of primitive Mexican literature * very little survives ; but the existing fragments are of a quality that al- most temj)t one into believing the picturesque romance that various writers of distinction have given us so freely in the guise of alleged Mexican history. It is hard to believe that a man capable of uttering sentiments at once so lofty and so truly poetic as those exi^ressed by Netzahualcoyotl, chief of Texcoco, in the fifteenth century, should not have been the le- gitimate product of a high state of civilization ; instead of being, as he assuredly was, merely an accidental interpolation of intelligence and refinement in the midst of barbarism. Poetry, however, is less a gift pertaining to civilization than to humanity. A tolerably close parallel, indeed, to the life of the poet- chief of Texcoco may be found in the life of the poet-chief of Judea — though to the poetical fervor of David the Mexican ruler united also much of the enlightened wisdom of Solomon. Texcoco was the centre of this primi- tive literature ; perhaps it extended no farther than the little circle that the Texcocan chief drew around him. But it is certain that literary qualities of a high order are inherent in the Mexican race, and need only favorable conditions in order to manifest themselves in work of exceptional excel- lence. This fact was demonstrated in the years immediately succeeding the Conquest— before a severe censorship of the press was established in Mexico — by the numerous works written in Spanish by native Mexicans, men and women ; to which works much of our scant knowledge of primitive Mexico is due. Succeeding this short period the prostration of letters in Mexico was absolute ; saving only the theologi- cal writings in the monasteries and — for the most part in the * It is with extreme diffidence that this very imperfect sketch of Mexi-« can literature is offered at all. The only excuse for it is that to the ma- jority of English readers the subject is absolutely unknown. 36 MEXICAN GUIDE. seventeenth century — the chronicles of the several religious orders. These latter are of very great historic value, and, as a rule, they are very entertaining reading. Fray Augustin Betancurt, to be sure, although abounding in valuable facts, is desperately stupid reading. On the other hand, a more delightful book scarcely can be found than the chronicle of Fray Baltazar de Medina ; and only less delightful are the chronicles of Fray Torribio de Benevente, called "Moto- linia," of Fray Geronimo Mendieta, and of Fray Alonzo de la Eea. ^Yet works of this nature cannot be regarded as lit- erature. They simj^ly were histories written to order for ecclesiastical purposes. That some of them chanced to possess also literary value was nothing more than a happy accident. During the seventeenth century, however, there were two writers in Mexico, whose work is of admirable lit- erary quality, and entitled to all respect. These were : Carlos de Sigiienza y Gongora, poet (though a stilted one), philosopher, mathematician, historian, antiquarian, and critic ; and Sor Juana Ynez de la Cruz, a nun in the convent of San Geronimo, whose writings, in verse and in prose, attracted deserved attention not only in Mexico but in Spain. The works of a third notable Mexican of this period, the dramatist Alarcon, scarcely can be regarded as belonging to Mexican literature at all ; for while Alarcon was born in Mexico, and received his early education in that country, his literary life was passed in Spain. The revival of Mexican literature may be said to have begun in the latter part of the seventeenth century, with the notable writings of the historians Clavigero, Veytia, and Gama. It is true that Clavigero wrote in exile, having been expelled with the Jesuits, and that Veytia also wrote in foreign coun- tries, but both were born and educated in Mexico, and both devoted themselves to writing, as did Gama, the history of that country. The poets Navarete and Tagle enlightened the early years of the present century, the former with poetry of a religious or semi-religious character, showing genuine feeling and a certain elegance of versification ; the latter with various odes of a fervid rather than scholarlv cast — tlK LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE. 37 best being his celebrated ode addressed to the Army of the Three Guarantees (commanded by Yturbide), in which he hails the advent of Mexican Indei^endence. Two other famous patriotic poets of this period were Ortega and Quin- tana-Roo. Between the years 1810 and 1820 appeared in parts the "Periquillo Sarniento" of Jose Joaquin Fernandez de Lizardi (over the nom de guerre of "El Pensador Mexi- cana"), a work that very well might be styled " The Mexi- cian Gil Bias," and that to this day remains one of the wittiest and most delightful books in the whole range of Mexican literature. This has been republished again and again, and, although several other of Lizardi's works still survive, will be the work by which he will be enduringly known. The drama- tist Gorostiza also belongs to this period immediately pre- ceding the achievement of independence. His writing is clever, and a considerable ingenuity is shown in his plots. Some of his plays still hold the stage. Succeeding the war of independence Mexico was plunged for a long period in civil v/ars that ahnost wholly crushed the nation's literary life. Only a few names — those of the i)oets Carpio and Pesado, and of the poet and dramatist Galvan, with one or two others — rise conspicuously above the turmoil of civil strife. But during this time the generation was maturing that in our own day has raised Mexican literature — though as yet the fact scarcely is known to the outside world — to an honorable and even commanding position. The great figure of this period, the figure that always will be great in the literary history as well as in the patriotic annals of Mexico, is that of thei)oet Guillermo Prieto. Born about the year 1810, almost his whole life has been passed in an atmosphere of civil war. Primarily, he is a statesman, and while the varying fortunes of the cause which he has espoused have placed him at times in extreme personal peril, and have proved his jDcrsonal bravery, his fighting has been done with his tongue and pen. He is a Liberal, and much of the success of the Liberal party has been due to his wise counsel and to his sagacious management of its aifairs. He has served in the higher offices of the government, and 38 MEXICAN GUIDE. always to the profit of the country and to his own honor. As a writer upon political economy and finance he has mani- fested a solidity of mind and a soundness of judgment such as poets are not popularly supposed to have. For the use that he has made of these several qualities in his country's service he is honored ; but as a poet he is not only honored but loved. In the intervals of his serious labors he has made time in which to write the songs and stories in verse, by which he is best known throughout the Republic. As an author of whimsical verse, as a poet of sentiment, and, above all, as a poet of patriotism, his work justly is esteemed as of the best that Mexico has produced. And still, in his young and vigorous old age, his poet life continues. In 1886 was l^ublished his " Romancero Nacional," that delightfully com- plements the delightful "Musa Callejera" (Curbstone Idyls) of his earlier years. Seiior Altamirano, the highest critical authority in Mexico, writes: "Guillermo Prieto has closed with his book [El Romancero Nacioual] the cycle of x)urely lyric poetry in Mexico ; and whether this cycle does or does not begin again, he has acquired a new title to immortality." In the troublous times during which Prieto began to write, other important literary work, though in a very small way, was going on. Roa Bitrcena, though now best known as an historian, then was known as a poet ; Ijilcas Alaman, Zavala and Carlos Bustamante were engaged upon their admirable histories ; in the north. Dr. Eleuterio Gonzalez was Avriting his fascinating " Life of Dr. Mier " and his ex- cellent historical works relating to Northern Mexico ; and various writers of high quality were aiding in the general revival of letters. The eminent historian Orozco y Berra, whose death in 1881 still is a living sorrow to those whose happiness it was to know him, has left us what henceforth must be the standard history of primitive Mexico and the Spanish Conquest, a worlv that deals calmly and judicially with the facts which Prescott to a certain extent has ob- scured by tinting them with the glow and color of romance. The centre of the present literary life of Mexico is the Liceo Hidalgo, a literary society founded in the cai^ita],, LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE. 39 September 15, 1849, and within the past few years — after a period of quiescence — renewed with a vigorous vitality. The present i^resident of this organization is Senor Ignacio Manuel Altamirano, one of the most charming of living waiters. He was born November 13, 1834, in the village of Tixtla, in Oaxaca (now in the recently erected State of Guerrero), and, like Juarez, is of pure Indian blood. His re- markable intelligence as a child gained for him a scholarship in the gift of the authorities of Tixtla, in the College of Toluca, and his career at this institution, and subsequently at the (now extinct) College of San Juan de Letran, in the City of Mexico, was a series of brilliant triumphs. He was admitted to the Mexican bar in 1859, but almost immediately entered the Liberal army, (he had already, taking a military vacation, served with distinction in the rising of Ayutla) , and for two years, until Liberalism had triumphed, was a gallant and successful soldier. He was eleatcd to the Chamber of Deputies in 1861, where he immediately made his mark as a powerful orator, and as a singularly acute and logical de- bater. UiDon the invasion of Mexico by the French he again entered the army, and as a general officer gained a number of brilliant victories, which materially advanced the Mexican cause. At the close of the war he was elected an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, of which he subsequently be- came the President Justice. His more important works are : " Rimas," a collection of charming poems ; *'Movimiento lit- erario en Mexico " (" The Literary Movement in Mexico "), a work both historical and critical of very high value ; " Drama- turgia Mexicana" (Mexican Dramaturgy), that supplements the previous work, and " Clemencia," a novel of singular grace and power. To these must be added a number of other novels of high merit ; critical writings at once deli- cate, trenchant, and astute, and many inimitable descrip- tive sketches — as that of his own early life in his native vil- lage—that are full of poetry and grace. Seiior Altamirano has been not merely a most important contributor to Mex- ican literature ; to him, more than to any other single writer, Mexican literature of the pi^esent day owes its existence. By 40 MEXICAN GUIDE. his associates, and by the younger literary men of Mexico he is called, lovingly and reverently, "The Master" — and this title is well deserved. Of other living Mexican writers it is difficult to speak with- out making (from lack of knowledge) what may seem to he in- vidious distinctions, and without omissions (also from lack of knowledge) which may seem capital. Of the i^osition of 3e- nor Riva Palacio there can be no doubt. As an historical nov- elist, combining extraordinary historical accuracy and archae- ological correctness, with a Dumas-like dramatic power and story-telling faculty, he cannot be too warmly praised ; nor can he be too warmly thanked for his lucid accuracy as an editor of historical and general literature. With him may be grouped, as living writers of high merit, the poets Juan de Dios Peza, Jose Maria Vigil (who by his admirable arrangement and ordering of the National Library, of which he is librarian, has done much to advance the cause of liter- ature in Mexico, and has conferred a great favor upon all students of Spanish-American history) ; the archseologist and, to quote Bandelier, "great documentary historian of Mexico," Joaquin Garcia Icazbalceta ; the archseologist Al- fredo Chavero ; the philologist Francisco Pimentel ; and the philosopher Eamon Manterola. In certain aspects the l^hilosophical writings of Sefior Manterola are the most not- able literary products of Mexico. His philosophy is not of the antiquated mystical and objectless sort, but belongs to the modern and eminently practical school that considers abstract subjects in the light of their direct bearing upon existing social institutions and the actual needs and affairs of human life. Work of this elevated sort necessarily im- plies the existence of precisely the enlarged intellectual conditions and advanced intellectual culture that in this last quarter of the nineteenth century Mexico enjoys. HISTOKICAL SUMMARY. 41 VI. HISTORICAL SUMMARY. Primitive Mexico. Into the interesting region of primi- tive Mexican history there is no need (fortunately) to enter here. The general opinion may be expressed, however, in regard to the writings concerning this period that, as a rule, a most gorgeous superstructure of fancy has been raised ui^on a very meagre foundation of fact. As romance, infor- mation of this highly imaginative sort is entertaining ; buG it is not edifying. Seekers after substantial information concerning primitive Mexico should consult the '* Historia antigua y de la conquista de Mexico " of Manuel Orozco y Berra, or, in English, the even more satisfactory, but less comprehensive, publications of A. F. Bandelier. As show- ing the degree of civilization to which the Mexicans had attained at the time of the Spanish conquest, the following paragraph may be quoted from the history of the author first named : " It is to be regretted that from the wreck of this primitive civilization some of the arts peculiar to it were ^lot saved : the methods by which its astronomers succeeded in determining the apparent motion of the sun and the length of the solar year ; of working and polishing crystal and other stones ; of manufacturing delicate articles of use and orna- ment of obsidian ; of casting figures of gold and of silver in one piece ; of making filagree ornaments without solder- ing; of applying to pottery even and transparent glazes, such as are used by makers of fine ware, with colors that, after remaining for centuries underground, still are fresh and brilliant ; of weaving extremely delicate tissues of cotton mixed with silky feathers and rabbits' fur." Period of the Conquest. The coast of Yucatan was discovered by Francisco Hernandez de Cordova, March 4, 1517, in the course of a voyage of adventure from Cuba. In the ensuing year, Velasquez, the Governor of Cuba, sent out an expedition of like nature under the command of Juan de Grijalva, who sailed along the coast of Mexico, and 42 MEXICAN GUIDE. landed on the island of San Juan de Ulua, fronting the exist- ing port of Vera Cruz. The result of his trading was so good, and Jiis report of the country — sent back by one of his captains, Pedro de Alvarado, subsequently a famous caj^tain under Cortes — was so promising, that Velasquez at once be- gan fitting out another expedition, on a much larger scale, for the conquest of the newly discovered land. And the command of this expedition was given to Hernando Cort6s,* then thirty-four years old. * Cortes was born in the town of Medellin, Province of Estra- madura, Spain, 5n the year 1485. He was the son of Don Martin Cortes de Monroy by his wife Doiia Catalina Pizarro Altamirano. He came to Cuba when about nineteen years old. As the reward of his services as conqueror of Mexico, he was made Marquis del Valle de Oaxaca, by a royal order given by the Emperor Charles V. at Barcelona, July 6, 1529, and received great grants of land. He died December 2, 1547, in the town of Castelleja de la Questa, in Spain. (See Church of Jesus Nazareno.) Cortts married in Cuba, under compulsion, Dofia Catalina Ju- arez ; and there is reason for believing the tradition preserved in Coyeacan that in that town he murdered her. Seiior Orozco y Berra, in his *' NoticiahistoricadelaConjuracion del Marques del Valle " (Mexico, 1853), incidentally supplies the following facts concern- ing the descendants of the Conqueror : After the conquest, Cor- tes married Dona Juana de Znniga, daughter of the Conde de Aguilar, and niece or cousin of the Duque deBejar. Of his issue by his lirst wife no record survives, and it is probable that the one child that certainly was born of lier died in infancy. By the In- dian La Marina he left one son, Martin. By three other Indian Avomen of rank he had three daughters. By Antonia Hermosilla he left one son, Luis. By his second wife he left three daughters and one son, also named Martin, who was the second Marques. This son returned to Mexico from Spain, in 1563, and engaged in a conspiracy (in which his illegitimate brother, Martin, also was involved) to make himself ruler of the Province. For this crime of treason his property was confiscated (but was restored in 1574) and he was sent to Spain. Don Martin, after cruel torture, was banished forever from Mexico. The second Marques married Doiia Ana Ramirez de Arellano, by whom he left a son, Hernando, HISTORICAL SUMMARY. 43 Before the preparation of the force was complete, Velas- quez determined to remove Cortes from his command ; and this fact being discovered to Cortes, he sailed hurriedly and secretly in the night from Santiago de Cuba, November 18, 1518. He refitted his fleet and augmented his force in the Cuban ports of Macaca, Trinidad, and San Cristobal de la Habana, from which latter port he sailed February 10, 1519. Off Capo San Antonio he was Joined by two more vessels ; and finally sailed thence toward the coast of Mexico, February 18, 1519. "With him went as interpreters the two Indians, Mcl- chor and Julian (see page 20), brought from Yucatan by Her- nando de Cordova two years before. Most fortunately, as events turned out, the services of these Indians — whose thin veneer of Christianity presently became wofully cracked — were not required. The expeditionary force consisted of a fleet of eleven sail, including shallops ; 110 mariners ; 16 cavalrymen with their horses ; 553 foot-soldiers ; 200 Cu- ban Indians ; a battery of ten howitzers and four falconets. On board the flagship was raised the standard of the con- quest, a black ensign emblazoned with the arms of the Em- peror Charles V. (the double-headed Austrian eagle with the castles and lions of Castile and Leon) having at the sides the crimson cross surrounded by blue and white smoke or third Marques, who married Dona Mencia de la Cerda y Bobadilla —a marriage that gained for the family the return of its feudal rights in Mexico. Pedro, the fourth Marques, son of Don Her- nando, came to reside upon his estates in Mexico, and died in that country in tlie year 1629. In his person the legitimate male line of the Conqueror became extinct. Through the female line the property of the family passed to the Neapolitan family Pignatelli, Dukes of Monteleone. Such of the property as remains intact, still a vast estate, now belongs to Jose de Aragon Pignatelli y Cor- tes, Duque de Terranova y Monteleone. The illegitimate sons of the Conqueror, Martin and Luis, were recognized by their father. Don Martin married Dona Bernaldina de Porras, by whom he had one son, Hernando. With the record of his banishment all trace of him and his descendants is lost. The descendants of Don Luis are known as Cortes-Hermosilla. 44 MEXICAN GUIDE. clouds, and bearing the motto: Amid, seqttamnr crucem et si nos fidem habemus vere in hoc signo vincemus—'' Friends, let lis follow the cross, and, if we have faith, by this sign we shall conquer." Bearing this flag, and under the patronage of the Apostle Peter, the fleet put out to sea. The first halt was made (for missionary and marauding purposes) on the island of Cozumel. Here the Spaniard Geronimo de Aguilar, shipwrecked in those parts in the year 1511, Joined the expedition, and, having acquired the language of the coast, was most useful thereafter as an in- terpreter. The famous interpreter to the expedition, how- ever, was the Indian woman La Marina. Sailing from Coz- umel March 13th, and coasting around Yucatan, a landing on the mainland was made on the shores of the river Ta- basco, or Grijalva, March 20th. Here there was battling with the Indians, that resulted in victory for the invaders ; and as a result of the victory presents were made to the Spaniards of precious things, and of male and female slaves. One of the slaves thus obtained was La Marina. This woman was a native of Jalisco, whence she had been sold into slavery, and understood the language spoken on the Mexican pla- teau. She understood also the coast language, and so could communicate with the Spanish castaway, AguiJar. Thus Cortes was enabled to hold converse with the people whom he had come among. La Marina quickly acquired also the Spanish tongue, and through all the period of the conquest she was the faithful ally and interpreter of the conquerors. By her Cortes had a son, Don Martin, who not infrequently is confounded with his legitimate son bearing the same name— given to each because it was that of their grand- father, Don Martin Cortes de Monroy. Leaving the river Grijalva, the expedition came again to land, April 21st, at the spot where now stands the city of Vera Cruz, Here Cortes remained, treating with the natives, for a considerable period. His efforts to secure the submission of the Mexican ruler peacefully were unavailing ; and dis- content arose among his own men. To silence this latter, by making their only safety lie in their success, he destroyed HISTORICAL SUMMARY. 45 liis ships, and, Angnst 16th, began his march toward the Mexican capital. After four sharp battles with the Tlas- calans, the members of this tribe became his allies, and marched on with him toward Mexico. In Cholula a con- sj)iracy against the Spaniards was discovered by La Marina, and, turning upon the Cholulans suddenly the Spaniards put a great number of them to the sword. The march was continued, and, without armed resistance on the part of the Mexicans, the invaders entered Tenochtitlan, tlie x)resent City of Mexico, Tuesday, November 8, 1519. The Aztec chief, Montezuma, came out to meet Cortes ; and this meeting took place, according to tradition, in front of the spot where now stands the Hospital de Jesus. The tradition adds that in founding the hospital Cortes selected this site because of its association with his entry into tho city. The aggressive acts of the Spaniards, their insults to the persons and religion of the Mexicans, their imprison- ment of Montezuma, their massacre in the name of Christi- anity, caused a rising against them. They were driven out of the city, over the causeway leading to Tlacopan (Tacuba), ^ toward the un- doing of much, or all, that had been accomplished toward the establishment of popular government. The result of his act was a revolution that placed the defeated (Liberal) can- didate, General Vicente Guerrero, in power. A further effect of this movement was the decree of Congress (March 20, 1829) by which all Spaniards were banished from Mexico. The banishment of the Spaniards caused an acceleration of the preparations that Si3ain had been making in a leisurely fashion for the re-conquest of the country. A Spanish force, fitted out in Cuba, landed at Tampico in July, 1829. This invasion aroused a vigorous spirit of patriotism all over the country. General Santa Anna, without orders, fitted out a force in Vera Cruz and went against the invaders; and, before Tampico, effected a junction with the force sent by the Central Government under General Mier y Teran. A vigorous action began on September 9th, and on the 11th the Spanish commander capitulated — surrendering his arms, ammunition, and colors, and agreeing to take back at once to Cuba his disarmed soldiers. This was the end of the Spanish attempt at re-conquest. Spain formally recognized the Republic in a treaty concluded in Madrid, December 28, 1836. In this place it is impossible, and useless, to follow the series of revolutions by which Mexico for many years was kept in ferment. It is expedient to note, however, certain 62 MEXICAN GUIDE. events which were important in themselves and which show the tendency of the times. The ultra-Liberal congi-ess that began its sessions in March, 1833, proclaimed (June 28th) the first law aimed directly at the power of the church — the direct result of a pronunciamento in Morelia (May 31st) in favor of clerical rights. This law (called del caso) withdrew the right of enforcing payments of tithes by an appeal to civil tribunals, and the right of maintaining in civil tribunals the binding force of monastic vows ; declared the religious of both sexes free to abandon their convents ; excluded the clergy from teaching in educational institutions supported by national funds. This law was annulled by Santa Anna within a year. The War with the United States. In 1835 the re- bellion of Texas, under the leadership of Houston, occurred. This rebellion was more American than Mexican. A large portion of the population of Texas had migrated from the Unites States, and this was the element that took the lead in the revolt against Mexican rule — a revolt precipitated by many arbitrary acts on the part of the Mexican Government. A crisis was reached in 1835, when the Federal Government abrogated the State constitution. The excesses of Santa Anna's army, sent to enforce obedience — notably the mas- sacre of the Alamo and the affair of Goliad — aroused thor- oughly the Anglo-Saxon fighting s^^irit, and made peace impossible. The Republic of Texas maintained its separate existence until 1844. It was recognized by the United States, France, England, and Belgium. During the administrations of both Jackson and Van Buren earnest but ineffectual efforts were made by the Texans to have their republic admitted as a State into the American Union. President Tyler, made of baser stuff, concluded a treaty (x\pril 12, 1844) with Texan representatives, by which Texas was admitted into the American Union . This treaty was ratified by the American Congress in March, 1845. It was characterized by General Almonte, the then Mexican Minister at Washington, as an act of aggression, "the most unjust which can be found in the annals of modern history." Bearing in mind the fact HISTORICAL SUMMARY. 63 thai Texas was an independent power, and was recognized as snch by the Mexican Government, and consequently had a perfect right to annex itself to the United States, this sweeping condemnation obviously is not borne out by the facts. But every fair-minded American will concede that our national action at this juncture, while it may have been justified by selfish expediency, was not justified by the laws of honor and international good faith. The war that followed had no formal beginning. Each country massed troojDs upon the frontier, and a general conflict was precipitated (April 24th, 1846) by a Mexican ambuscade, on the Texas side of the Eio Grande, by which was routed a reconnoitring party of dragoons commanded by Captain Thornton. In this skirmish sixteen Americans were killed and wounded, and the remainder of the force was captured. After the affairs of Palo Alto (May 8th) and Resaca de la Palma (May 9tli), both in Texas, and both defeats for the Mexicans, General Taylor crossed his forces to Mexico (May 18th) and occupied Matamoros. In the meantime (May 13, 1846) the American Congress had approimated 810,000,000 for the prosecution of the war, and 50,000 volunteers were ordered to be raised. The facts should be noted here that (1) the revolt of Texas probably would not have occurred had Mexico been governed in an orderly manner in con- formity with its constitutional law ; and (2) that a i)eace- ful settlement of the Texas difficulty unquestionably would have been reached had there been a stable government in Mexico to treat with the Government of the United States. In point of fact, Mr. Slidell, the special envoy sent to Mexico by the United States Government, agreeably to an intimation on the part of the President, Herrera, that a special envoy would be received, was refused an audience by General Paredes, who had usurped the presidential ofiice (December 30, 1845) while the envoy was on his way to Mexico ; and (3) had the Mexicans held together as a nation and united in fighting the Americans, instead of weakening their forces by fighting also among themselves, while the result of the war would have been the same, it would not 64 MEXICAN" GUIDE. have been, as it was, almost a walk-over for the invading army. All through this wretched business the United States had a colorable excuse for each of its several oifensive acts ; but its moral right to attack a nation infinitely weaker than itself, to conquer that nation and to strip it of more than half of its territory never was justified and never will be. The events of the war may be summarized in a few words. Taylor advanced from the east ; captured Monterey (see Mon- terey) September 26th, 1846, and remained victor at Buena Vista, or Angostura, February 23, 1847. Donijihan advanced through New Mexico (followed by Price, who had some sharp fighting with the Pueblo Indians) and, after the battle of Sacramento, February 28, 1847, occupied Chihuahua. Early in March, 1846, Captain Fremont, acting under orders from the Secretary of War, incited a revolt in California against Mexican rule. Commodore Sloat occupied Mon- terey (California) July 7tli ; Commander Montgomery occu- l^ied San Francisco July 8th ; and Commodore Stockton, in a proclamation of August 17, 1846, took formal possession of California. The conquest was completed by Stockton and Kearney. The main invasion of Mexico was in the south, and was aimed directly against the capital. Scott landed at Vera Cruz, March 9, 1847 ; forced the capitulation of the city after a five days' bombardment, Marcii 27th ; out- flanked and defeated Santa Anna at Cerro Gordo, April 18th ; occupied Puebla, without opi^osition, May 25th ; entered the Valley of Mexico, August 9tli ; defeated the Mexicans at Padierna, August 20th, and made a brilliant strategic ad- vance across the Pedregal that cut the Mexican centre and rendered possible the victory of Churubusco on the same day ; carried (after an interval of truce) the positions of the Casa Mata and Molino del Key, September 8th; stormed and carried the castle of Chapultepec, September 12th and 13th ; took possession of the garitas of Belem and San Oosme, on the afternoon of September 13th ; completed the conquest and took possession of the City of Mexico, Septem- ber 15, 1847. Peace was made by the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, concluded February 2, 1848, by which Mexico HISTORICAL SUMMARY. (55 ceded to the United States all of the territory held or claimed north and northeast of the present boundary, and received in return from the United States the sum of fifteen millions of dollars. The treaty provided also for the pay- ment by the United States of about three and a quarter millions of dollars of claims of American citizens against Mexico. For a treaty dictated by a conquering army, in the captured capital of the nation treated with, this instrument stands unparalleled in history. A period of i^eace and comparative prosperity succeeded the war. In 1851, for the first time in the history of the Republic, the constitutionally elected President, Mariano Arista, was suffered to take his seat. He did not, however, complete his term of office. Confronted by a revolution, he resigned the i)residency at the end of two years. For rather more than two years ensuing (1853-55) Santa Anna was Dictator. Under the Plan of Ayutla, Comonfort became President, December 12, 1855. He repressed vigorously both the army and the church, enforcing his decrees with the portion of the army that remained loyal to his government. His most important measure for circumscribing the authority of the church was the decree of desamortizncion (June 25, 1856), ordering the sale at its assessed value of all landed estate held by the church ; the church to receive the money proceeds of such sale, while the lands, passing into private hands, and freed of mortmain, would become i^art of the mobile and available wealth of the country at large. Another vigorous blow (September 16, 1856) in the same direction was his suppression, upon the charge of a conspiracy against the Government fomented by the monks, of the monastery of San Francisco (which see). A Congress, meanwhile, was in session, having in charge the framing of a new Consti- stitution for the Eepublic. This instrument (see Constitu- tion) was adopted February 5, 1857. Comonfort, subscrib- ing to it, remained in office pending the election of a Presi- dent under its provisions. He was himself elected, and (December 1, 1857) took the oath of office. Ten days later Comonfort overthrew the Constitution that he had just given 66 MEXICAN GUIDE. liis oath to support. His explanation of this act was that he considered the operation of the Constitution impracticable. He dissolved the Congress (December 11th) and threw his legal successor, Benito Juarez, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, into prison. His efiort at revolution being vigorously opposed, its result was his own downfall. He vainly tried to undo what he had done ; and, failing, left the country, February 7, 1858. (It is only just to Comonfort to add that he returned to Mexico at the time of the French Intervention and fought gallantly with his countrymen against the French. By his flight Juarez became Constitutional President (Janu- ary, 1858) and at once departed for Guadalajara, where he organized his government. Thence he passed to the Pacific seaboard, and, by way of the United States, came to Vera Cruz. Here he maintained his government for three years. During this period a government existed also in the City of Mexico. Immediately upon the flight of Comonfort the re- actionary party proclaimed Felix Zuloaga President ; and he and his four successors were at the head of affairs in the capital during the War of the Reform. This war was the final clinching of the two parties which had been fighting each other since the year 1810. It was the culmination of the strug- gle between the Conservative-clerical party and the party of Liberalism and Progress. It was not confined to any one part of the country ; the fighting was everywhere. It was the cruellest, bitterest war that Mexico has ever known. In the very thick of it, and at a time, too, when the prospect of vic- tory seemed most doubtful, Juarez proclaimed (July 12, 1859) the famous Laws of the Reform, by which, by nationalizing church j)roperty, the very heart of the matter was reached and the substantial cause of the half-century of civil war was removed at a blow. The City of Mexico was captured six months later by the Liberals, and Juarez entered his capital January 11, 1861. From this centre the Laws of the Reform at once were made operative, and the Liberal programme as a whole was put into effect throughout the region occui)ied by the Liberal forces. Although at this moment the position of the Liberals was far stronger than HliSTOKICAL SUMMAKY. 67 it bad been at any time since the conflict began, it still was far from being assured. The fighting still was in progress in nearly all parts of the country ; and presently an act of very doubtful statesmanship on the part of the legislative department of the Government opened the way to a new and great calamity. The French Intervention.* On July 17, 1861, the Congress passed a law suspending payment on the foreign debts of the Republic. This law gave a substantial pre- text for the intervention of three European nations in Mexi- can affairs— while the War of the Rebellion, just then be- ginning in the United States, made futile an appeal to the one Power strong enough to give Mexico efficient aid in such an emergency. The intervention had been strongly urged, especially at the court of France, by the accredited envoys of the reactionary government that had been the de facto government of Mexico for the period of the War of the Re- form. It was realized by Napoleon III., and was formu- lated in the Treaty of London (October 31, 1861), by which France, England, and Spain bound themselves to occupy jointly the coast fortresses of Mexico, and, without modify- ing the territory of that country, to put its people in a pos*i- * The first intervention of France in Mexican affairs was in the midst of the anarchical period that followed the achievement of independence. During the Presidency of Bustamante, a claim of ^600,000 was prefen-ed by Prance for damages suffered by French citizens during the civil wars. The validity of this claim may be judged from one of its items : $60,000 demanded by a French pastry-cook to indemnify him for pies stolen from him and eaten by revolutionists ! From this item the claim re- ceived the derisive name of the reclanmcion de los jyasteles— the claim of the pies. As a whole it was denied by the Mexican Government in specific terms, in answer to the French ultimatum of March 21, 1838. A French squadron, commanded by the Prince de Joinville, arrived at Vera Craz October 2Tth following ; captured the fort of San Juan de Ulua, November 27th, and occupied Vera Cruz, December 5th. The French were attacked and driven back to their ships the same day by General Santa Anna, who in this engagement lost his leg. A treaty finally was concluded (March, 1839) in accordance with AvMch Mexico paid the claim of $600,000 in full. In 1854, the port of Guaymas was held for a short time by a party of French filibusters. 68 MEXICAISr GUIDE. tioii to establish a government of their own. The allied squadrons of these three powers arrived at Vera Cruz in De- cember, 1861, and January, 1862, bringing also the three special commissioners — General Prim, M. de Saligny, and Admiral Wyke — accredited severally by Spain, France, and England, to treat with representatives of the Mexican Gov- ernment. This recognition of the jDower of the Government to make treaties, it will be observed, virtually was a recog- nition of the Government itself — jDrecisely the point denied by the European powers. A proclamation was issued by the commissioners, declaring that their presence in Mexico was for no other purpose than that of settling vexed ques- tions of finance. A conference was effected, resulting in the preliminary Treaty of La Soledad (signed February 19, 1862), concluded between General Prim and the Mexican representative, Senor Doblado. This treaty stipulated that satisfaction would be given to the claimants by the Mexican Government and that, temi)orarily, the Spanish troops might be advanced to Orizaba, and the French troops to Tehu- acan. Practically, no trooj^s were sent by England. One thousand marines accompanied the English commissioner, but the ex^Dress statement was made that these were not an aggressive force, but simply a guard of honor. The prelim- inary treaty further stipulated that the Spanish and French troops should be withdrawn when the preliminary treaty should be confirmed by the English and French commission- ers. This approval was given (although in the case of France subsequently repudiated). The Spanish forces, therefore, were withdrawn, and the English and Spanish ships left Mexican waters. The French forces remained ; were rein- forced (in March), and what practically was an attempt to subjugate a friendly nation, without even the j^reliminary of a declaration of war, then began. The only shadow of excuse that the invaders had at this time was the junction with their forces of a portion of the army attached to the reactionary government. With the ex- ception ot the brilliant rei:)ulse at Puebla (May 5, 1862), by General Zaragoza — a repulse of infinite moral value to the HISTOIIICAL SUMMARY. 69 constitutional Government — the very slow advance of tlie French was not materially imj)eded. Fresh troops came from France, and in January, 1863, theurmy of invasion, com- manded by Marshal Forey, numbered 40,000 men. This was exclusive of the considerable Mexican force fighting with the French. Puebla was captured May 17, 1863. This con- quest forced Juarez to abandon the capital, and during the remainder of the war he moved from place to place in the northern portion of the Eepublic. The French troops occu- pied the City of Mexico June 9, 1863. An Assembly of Notables was called, and by this body (July lOtli) a declaration was made to the effect that the Government of Mexico should be an hereditary monarchy under a Catholic Prince ; and that the crown should be tendered to Maximilian, Archduke of Austria. This prince was selected because, as a represent- ative of the house ruling in S^Dain before the accession of the Bourbons (a Bourbon representative being objectionable to Napoleon III.), he reunited the Mexico of 1863 with the mou' archical Mexico of 1821. Thus, practically, after an inter- val of forty-two years, Yturbide's Plan of Iguala was made effective. Maximilian accepted the crown subject to the two condi- tions that (1) he should be elected by a ptopular vote in Mexico, and (2) that the Emperor Napoleon should give him armed aid as long as such aid should be required. He arrived in the City of Mexico, June 12, 1864, accompanied by his wife, Carlotta, daughter of Leojpold I., King of the Bel- gians. They were crowned with great solemnity, in the Cathedral, Emperor and Empress of Mexico. The clerical party by which this unfortunate ruler was placed in power was greatly disappointed by his government. He did not abrogate the Laws of the Beform, as he confidently was ex- pected to do ; and the result was that the clerical party found the most objectionable features of the constitutional government continued, with the added discomfort that the enforcing power was a foreign prince upheld by a foreign army. Upon the strength of the assurance that Juarez had aban- 70 MEXICAN GUIDE. cloned Mexico and had betaken himself to the United States, Maximilian was induced, it is believed by Bazaine, to pub- lish a decree (October 3, 1865) declaring all persons found in arms against the imperial government bandits, and order- ing that such persons, when captured, should be shot with- out trial. Under this law the Mexican generals Arteaga and Salazar, with Villagomez and Felix Diaz, all of whom were in ignorance of its existence, were shot at Uruapam, October 21, 1865. The moral effect of this act was most disastrous to Maximilian's interest. A most vigorous resistance to his authority was aroused throughout the country, and numerous victories were gained by the national forces. Tlie death-blow to this exotic empire, however, came not from Mexico, but from the United States. November 6, 1865, Secretary Seward forwarded to Paris the despatch in which he informed the French Emperor that the presence of a French army in Mexico was a source of *' grave reflection" to the Government of the United States ; that the United States could not tolerate the establishment of an imperial government, based on foreign support, in Mexico ; that it declined to recognize in Mexico any government that was not republican. The diplomatic correspondence thus begun was continued for six months. At the end of this period, upon a plain intimation on the part of Secretary Seward of the intended armed intervention of the United States in favor of President Ju.arez, Napoleon (April 5, 1867) abandoned his position, and ordered the evacuation, in November, 1867, of Mexico by French troops. It is not too much to assert that the benefit conferred by the United States upon Mexico at this time offsets the wrong done Mexico seventeen years before. In addition to this peremptory and irresistible pressure from without, the collapse of the empire was forced also by the condition of its own internal affairs. Maximilian lacked the force of character that would have enabled him to strike out a strong policy and maintain it. He was possessed by an illusive desire to harmonize the conflicting elements, of which the Mexican body politic was composed. He offended IIISTOIIICAL SUMMAFwY. 71 the Conservative party that had placed him in power by con- tinuing in effect the Laws of the Eeform that liad emanated from the Liberals ; and the Liberals, so far from being pla- cated by this concession, resented what they deemed his effrontery in putting in effect any laws at all in a country that he held by force of foreign arms. He burdened the country with a debt far in excess of its possible paying power ; and he wasted much of this money in the foolish and child- ish pageantry in which his court was engaged. And yet it is impossible for any impartial student of his reign not to feel a profound sorrow for his dismal failure and tragic end ; coupled with a not less in'ofound feeling of contemj^tuous hatred for Bazaine, the immediate cause of all his calami- ties in Mexico, and of Napoleon III. , whose false friendship led him to a place where he had no right to be, and whose abject cowardice, before the threat of the Government of the United States, surrendered him to absolute failure and death. The collapse of the empire under pressure of these several causes, foreign and domestic, was rapid. The personal ap- peal of Carlotta to Napoleon for aid was unsuccessful, as was her appeal to the Fope, and the unfortunate Empress went mad. The last of the French troops left Mexico in February, 1867 ; and Maximilian, after making arrange- ments to leave the country, unwisely decided to remain. Juarez, meanwhile, had left Paso del Norte — in which town, on the very verge of Mexican territory, he had maintained his rights as Constitutional President of the Kepublic — and advanced ra^^idly toward the south. Miramon, sent out with a considerable force to capture Juarez, was defeated by the Liberal troops at San Jacinto (February 1st), and fell back in" confusion to Queretaro. Here he was joined by Maximilian. Elsewhere the Liberal army was completely successful. Porfirio Diaz captured Puebla, after a siege of twenty-five days, on the 2d of April ; defeated Marquez at San Lorenzo (April 11th), and at once laid siege to the City of Mexico. The siege of Queretaro by Escobedo began early in March and lasted until May 15th, when the city fell. Maximilian was captured on the Cerro de las Camj)anas ; and on this 72 MEXICAN GUIDE. same bill, together with the generals Miramon and Mexia, after formal trial and condemnation, he was shot, at seven o'clock on the morning of June 19, 1867. (See Quer^taro.) A request on the part of the Government of the United States that the life of Maximilian might be spared received no attention. Nineteen other general officers of the Impe- rial army, being also condemned to death, were jDardoned by President Juarez. The City of Mexico surrendered to Diaz June 21st ; and President Juarez, with the officers of his Government, entered the capital in triumj^h July 15, 1867. So far from committing excesses in the conquered city, as had been greatly feared, a train of provisions for gratuitous distribution among the famished populace pre- ceded the army ; and when the army did enter perfect order was preserved. The most striking feature of this conquest was the extraordinary moderation that the conquerors mani- fested toward their late foes. The Liberal Government made the Constitution of 1857 once more effective throughout Mexico. A new Congress was elected ; Juarez was re-elected President (October 12, 1871), and the whole energies of the Government were directed toward repairing the evils and waste of the war. The result of the enlightened jjolicy of internal development that Juarez then adopted is seen to-day in the stable and flourishing con- dition of the Eepublic. It was Juarez who devised the sys- tem of railway and telegraph lines that, even now, when only partially completed, knits closely together the several parts of the EeiDublic. That the construction of these rail- ways has been accomplished by Americans, with American money, is another strong reason why Mexico should be grate- ful to the United States. Various small disturbances occurred in Mexico during the three years succeeding the fall of the emj)ire. Serious difficulties arose in 1870, incident to the opening of the Presidential campaign. No objection could be urged to the re-election of Juarez by his own ]party, for he had not in the smallest degree transcended his constitutional powers, nor in the least particular done violence to the principles that HISTORICAL SUMMARY. 7H the Liberal party professed. The pith of the opposition developed against liim was the sound objection entertained by many Liberals to re-electing a man who had already been President, either in law or in fact, for upward of ten years. Two other candidates were in nomination, Sebastian Lerdo de Tejada and Porlirio Diaz. However, Juarez was re-elected, and (December 1, 1871) took the oath of office as Constitu- tional President for the third time. Even before his formal entry upon his third term there was a rising (October 1st) against his authority in the City of Mexico, where Generals Negrete and Chavarria pronounced against him, and held the National Armory (Ciudadela) for some hours against the Government troops. Numerous other small risings occurred throughout the country, and these culminated (November 8th) in the revolt headed by General Diaz, at his hacienda of La Noria in Oaxaca. His manifesto, called the Plan of La Noria, proposed the convention of an Assembly of Notables to reorganize the government ; and that he, Diaz, should be Commander-in-Chief of the army until such reorganization was effected. The collapse of this movement was caused by the sudden death (July 18, 1872) of President Juarez, and the accession [ad i}iterim) to the Presidency of the Republic of the then President of the Supreme Court, Lerdo de Tejada. The policy of Juarez was maintained, as was his actual Cabi- net, and in due form of law the order for a special election went out. Preceding this, Lerdo issued a proclamation of general amnesty. This moderate course restored peace. Lerdo himself was elected President, and took the oath of office December 1, 1872. During the three ensuing years his administration was prosperous and peaceful. The more important events of this period were the opening of the Mexican Eailway between Mexico and Vera Cruz, January 1, 1873 ; the adoption of the Laws of the Reform as constitu- tional amendments, December 14, 1874 ; the opening of the National Exhibition of Mexican products in the City of Mex- ico, December 5, 1875, from which Exhibition was selected the very fine exhibit sent to the Centennial Exhibition at Philadelphia in the ensuing year, 4 74 MEXICAN GUIDE. After this peaceful j)eriod another serious revolution be- gan. This had its start in the Plan of Tuxtepec, pro- nounced in Oaxaca, January 15, 1876, which denied the rights of the existing Government — a plan that was seconded so rapidly that by midsummer the whole republic once more was plunged in civil war. General Porfirio Diaz had no apparent connection with this movement at its inception, but he presently appeared on the scene and, taking com- mand of the revolutionary army, carried on an energetic and successful campaign. Lerdo was forced to leave the country, and Diaz entered the City of Mexico, November 24, 1876. He was proclaimed Provisional President, and, after a good deal of fighting in various parts of the country, he was declared by Congress (May 6, 1877) to be the Con- stitutional President for a term ending November 30, 1880. Diaz consolidated his power ; j)ut down various small ris- ings against his authority — including the execution (on the night of June 24-25, 1879) of nine alleged revolutionists at Vera Cruz, that excited great indignation throughout the country, but that received the approval of the Federal courts — and when order was restored set himself to carry- ing out some of the i)rojects, notably those for railroad building, that Juarez had instituted. Diplomatic relations with France also were resumed. As his term of office drew near an end so many candidates were placed in nomination that serious fears of a new civil war were entertained. Fort- unately these fears proved to be groundless. Congress de- clared (September 25, 1880) the election as Constitutional President of General Manuel Gonzalez ; and on the 1st of December following, for the second time in the history of the Republic, the retiring President relinquished his office to his legally elected successor. The more notable events of the administration of Presi- dent Gonzalez were the '* nickel riots" in 1883, a rising of the common people of the City of Mexico against the manipula- tion of a new issue of small nickel coins in such a manner as to cause a considerable loss to small shopkeepers and others of like class ; the collapse of the credit of the Monte niSTORTCAL SUMMARY. 75 cle Piedacl, through the depletion of its reserve by the Federal Government ; and the disturbances incident to the proposal of a very uni^opular plan for liquidating Mexico's English debt. The bulk of this debt, $30,000,000, was con- tracted in the early years of the Republic, and, the unpaid interest being added to the principal, had increased as long- ago as the year 1850, to $50,000,000. It was in order to ar- range for the xDayment of some part of this sum that England consented to be a party to the intervention of 186-1. By a convention, concluded in London, September 18, 1881:, it was agreed on the part of the Mexican commissioners that a debt of $85,000,000 should be acknowledged by Mexico as representing the original debt of $30,000,000— of which, in point of fact, owing to heavy discounts, Mexico had received but $11,407,500. When this convention came before Con- gress for ratification (November 7th), it was opposed by the advanced Liberals with great vigor ; while a popular out- break against it, in which the students bore a conspicuous part, caused bloodshed in the streets and threatened a revo- lutionary outbreak. The matter was compromised by the decision (November 20th) to defer all further discussion until the return to office of Diaz, then President-elect. The one other very important event of the administration of Gonzalez was the completion (in April) and formal oijening (May 5, 1881) of the Mexican Central Railway. General Diaz, having been constitutionally elected, again became President, December 1, 1884. The treasury of the country was absolutely empty, and the Republic was abso- lutely without credit. As a means of relief in this embarras- sing situation, Congress decided (May 28, 1885) to bring to trial the Minister of the Interior and the Secretary of the Treasury of the Gonzalez administration, with the purpose of recoveriirg an alleged large deficit in the national ac- counts. This plan, however, was not made effective. June 22d a decree issued ordering the emission of treasury bonds to the amount of $25,000,000, and the suspension of pay- ments of railway and other subsidies ; and on the same day was published a circular by the Secretary of the Interior, 76 MEXICAN GUIDE. orclering a reduction of from fifty to fifteen per cent, in the salaries of all Government employees receiving pay of more than ^500 per annum, including the reduction of the salary of the President from $30,000 to $15,000. Also on the same day issued a law for the consolidation of the national debt, in which was admitted an item of $51,000,000 due to English creditors. These heroic measures have resulted in placing the government of President Diaz upon a tolerably stable financial basis ; and the recognition of the English debt, coupled with the definite plans now (November, 1886) in course of formation for payment of interest upon it, have done much to restore the foreign credit of the Republic. PEACTiGAL informatio:n^. 77 VII. PRACTICAL INFORMATION. What to see in Mexico. A flying trip through Mexico, visiting only easily accessible places, may be arranged some-^ thing in this way : a day in Merida, while the steamer lies at Progreso ; a day in Vera Cruz ; three days in a trip to Jalapa ; a day in Orizaba ; three days in Puebla (including one day devoted to an excursion to Cholula) ; half a day in Tlaxcala (the morning train from Puebla to Sta Ana, thence by tram- way to Tlaxcala, returning in time to take the afternoon train to Ax^izaco) ; a week in the City of Mexico ; one day in Tex- coco ; threfe days in Cuernavaca ; three days in Cuautla ; two days in Morelia ; two days in Patzcuaro ; half a day in Acam- baro ; two days in San Miguel de Allende ; a day in Celaya ; two days in Queretaro ; two days in Guanajuato ; two days in Aguas Calientes ; two days in Zacatecas ; three days in Guadalajara ; a day each in San Luis Potosi and Monterey, and, possibly, a day in Chihuahua. This outline, including the time spent in the journey to and from Mexico, and allow- ing a small margin of time for contingencies, represents a trip of about two months' duration. The mental results of such an exi3edition will be somewhat kaleidoscopic ; but no more so than result from a like rapid run through Europe. When to go to Mexico. The most desirable time to visit Mexico (the visit being confined to the Plateau) is be- tween April and October. But as the most desirable time to get away from the north is between January and April, there is not much i^robability that many American travellers will see Mexico when it is at its best. Those who go to Mexico for the winter will find the climate of Orizaba, or even of Puebla, or Morelia, more satisfactory than the cli> mate of the City of Mexico. Travellers of this more leisurely class will do well to defer their visit to the capital until the middle or end of March. 78 MEXICAN GUIDE. By Rail to Mexico. Two through railway lines now are completed between the Mexican frontier and the Mexican capital : The Central, starting from El Paso del Norte and running through the cities of Chihuahua, Zacatecas, Aguas Calientes, Leon, Guanajuato, Celaya, and Queretaro ; and the National, starting from Nuevo Laredo and running through the cities of Monterey, Saltillo, San Luis Potosi, San Miguel de Allende, Celaya, and Tolu- ca. A third line, the International, starts from Piedras Ne- gras and, passing through the town of Monclova, connects with the Central at Torreon. All of these routes involve a change of cars before crossing the Rio Grande ; and that by way of the International involves also a change of cars at Torreon. The National is a narrow-gauge road ; the others, standard gauge. On all, Pullman sleeping-cars are run. A vestibule, hotel train is announced to run through tri- monthly from New Orleans to the city of Mexico without change of cars. By Sea to Mexico. The direct sea route from the North Atlantic States to Mexico is from New York to Vera Cruz. Steamers, leaving New York every other Thursday, usually reach Havana on Monday or Tuesday, and remain there one or two days; Progreso, thirty-six hours after leaving Ha- vana, and remain there one or two days ; Vera Cruz, thirty- six hours after leaving Progreso. Calls are made occasion- ally at the ports of Frontera and Campeche. Under ordinary conditions, the through time from New York to Vera Cruz is ten to eleven days ; New York to the City of Mexico, twelve to thirteen days. Fare, New l^'ork to Vera Cruz, $85 ; Vera Cruz to the City of Mexico (Mexican money), il6. The charge for extra luggage (more than thirty-three pounds) on this road is excessive. On through tickets from New York to the City of Mexico one hundred and fifty i)ounds of bag- gage is allowed. From New Y'^ork to Vera Cruz by sea, by way of Galveston (involving a change of steamers at that port) the fare is $70. The sea journey can be made, also, via Nassau, Havana, and Vera Cruz ; and via New Orleans, Galveston, and Vera Cruz. PKACTICAL INFORMATION. 79 By Sea and Rail. A combination, land and water, route, is possible by going to New Orleans or Galveston by rail, and thence (by steamers leaving eacli of these ports fortnightly) to Vera Cruz by sea ; or, by going to New Or- leans or Galveston (by steamers leaving New York weekly for each of these ports) by sea, and thence to Laredo, Eagle Pass, or El Paso, by rail. Choosing a Route. In choosing a route the main fact to be kei)t in mind is — at least by travellers who do not ob- ject to seafaring — that the best return for money expended can be got by making the journey to Mexico by sea and from Mexico by land. The converse of this arrangement gives a less picturesque result (the effect of the ascent from the coast to the Plateau being lost), and is less satisfac- tory in the matter of temperatures. During March or April the sudden descent from the cool table-lands to the hot lands of the coast is imprudent ; and in an " early " year is exceedingly dangerous. Should winter sojourners be de- layed by sickness or other cause until fever is reported in Vera Cruz, the return journey absolutely should be made overland. Expenses. Ten dollars a day is a liberal estimate of ex- penses for a short trip in Mexico, including expenses of travel between New York and the Mexican frontier. Two or four people travelling together can make the trip very comfortably for $8 apiece a day. If the trip is jprolonged for several months this rate can be very materially lessened. In the City of Mexico board and lodging can be had by the month for ^2 a day. In the i^rovincial cities, by bargaining closely, board and lodging can be had for $1.50 a day. As all of the Mexican cities are small, and as nearly all are well provided with street cars, carriage hire (usually a consider- able item in foreign travel) practically is eliminated from the expense account. And as all of the sights in Mexico are free, the numerous petty drains upon the purse, that make by no means a petty aggregate, incident to European travel are unknown. Moreover, servants and sacristans are bliss- fully ignorant of the fee standards of Europe, and accept 80 MEXICAN GUIDE. tliaukfully sucli occasional medios and reales; as chance to come to them. The total result of these, and other prac- ticable and legitimate small economies, is a saving that per- sons who have travelled in Europe will regard wonderingly, but with a glad surprise. Exchange. The best form in which to carry funds for the journey is that of drafts on New York. These can be sold throughout Mexico (excepting, perhaps, on the west coast, where drafts on San Francisco will be more available) to better advantage than drafts on any other American city. In the City of Mexico bank-notes of American issue can be sold for a little less than drafts ; and American gold can be sold for a little less than notes. American silver is current at par. Enough American currency should be reserved for the return trijD, for each transfer from one currency into the other entails a loss ; and, ai^art from this, it is not always easy to procure American money in Mexico. If Mexican money can be bought before starting — in New York, or elsewhere — a better rate can be obtained than in Mexico. If a sto^o is made at El Paso the necessary Mexican currency can be procured at fair rates at El Paso banks. Mexican money also is for sale in the station of the Mexican Central Eailway at Paso del Norte. If money is bought here the purchase should be limited to what is required in order to reach the first stopping-point in Mexico, for the rate is high. No Mexican bank-notes should be accepted, save those issued by the Banco Nacional and the Bank of London, Mexico & South America. For journey away from the lines of railroad only silver should b J^rried. Mexican Money. A metric system of coinage was adopted some years ago, and stray five- and ten-cent x^ieces are in circulation ; but in naming prices the old system is in use in all shops, and everywhere among the common people. The half- and quarter-dollars in common use are never spoken of as pieces of twenty-five or fifty centavos, but as quatro reales and dos (usually sounded do') reales : and some- times by their formal names of toston and ijeseta. In ordi- nary small dealings the imit is the real: the price for a PRACTICAL INFORMATION. 81 tiling is ti-es (3) or diez (10) or velnte (20) reales, or whatever number of reales it may ha^Dpen to be. In barterings with fruit or other small dealers centavos sometimes are men- tioned ; but, even with these, prices usually are made in tlacos — the smallest coin of the old system, worth 1^ cents. In 1883 nickel coins of one, two, three, and five centavos were uttered. After the "nickel riots" of that year they were withdrawn. In the subjoined table the values of the several coins are expressed in Mexican dollars, reales, and centavos. The gold coins practically are unknown except as denomi- nations of value : Onza de oro (gold ounce) =$16 Media onza de oro = 8 Pistola = 4 Escudo de oro = 2 Escudito de oro = 1 Peso (silver) = 1 Tostou (4 reales) . , Peseta (2 reales). . . Real , Medio real Cuartilla (copper), Tlaco (copper ... = 50 cts. n^25 cts. = 12^ cts. = 6fcts. = 8 cts. = TV cts. Mexican Measures. While the French metric system of measures has been adopted by the Republic of Mexico, the daw making this system compulsory is still suspended. (The Act of Congress of June 3, 1885, defers the operation of this law until January 1, 1889.) In the shops goods are sold by the vara (33i inches, nearly), a.nd distances usually are reckoned by the legua (approximately 2.6 miles). Lengths less than a vara usually are described as fractions of a vara, and distances less than a legua usually are de- scribed as fractions of a legua. The old measures are : Punto. , Linea . . . Dedo. .. Pulgada . Palmo . , Pie Vara . . . . Cordel . . -L linea = 0.0064 inch. -jk,- pulgada =0 0763 " ii vara = 0.687 " -,V pie = 0.916 i vara = 8.25 inches vara. = 11. 2 feet 0.3141 inches, or 2.784 feet. 50 varas. 137.50 Legua = 100 cordels or 5,000 varas = 2,637 miles. The Mexican vara, the unit of this systefc, is about one- fourth of one per cent, longer than that of Burgos, the Cas- 4^ 82 M K X I C A N a U IDE. tilian stanclard measure, which was originally known as Sol- omon's pace — tradition telling that it is the length of the pace, or stride, taken by King Solomon in measuring off the site of the temple at Jerusalem. In square measure the vara also is the unit. An ap- proximate reduction of varas into acres may be made by dividing the number of varas by 5,646, rejecting the fractions. A legua of land, known also — because of its use for cattle- raising — as a sitio de ganada mayor, is a x^lot 5,000x5,000 varas square, and contains, approximately, 4,400 acres. An hacienda, strictly, is a plot 5,000 x 25,000 varas square, con- taining, approximately, 22,000 acres. A fanega is a plot 276 X 184 varas square, containing, approximately, 8i acres ; it derives its name from the fanega (nearly 2 bushels), the measure of grain necessary for its sowing. Kilometres and Miles. — The only approach to a pop- ular use of the metric system is the custom of the railway companies to give upon their time-tables distances in kilome- tres. In view of this custom the following table sometimes Avill be found convenient in approximating distances in kilo- metres and in miles. A metre is, exactly, 39.37079 inches. For purposes of approximate estimate it may be considered u yard and a tenth. A kilometre is, exactly, 0.62138 of a mile. For purposes of approximate estimate it may be con- sidered five-eighths of a mile, upon which basis this table is prepared. Kilometres. Miles. ] Kilometres. 1 Miles. 1 Kilometres. Miles. 1 5/ 10 (SH 1 ino 62 2 1¥ 1 20 t^M 2UU 124 3 1% i 30 19 300 186 4 2X 1 1 40 25 400 249 5 3 1 50 31 500 311 () 3X (K) ni GOO 373 7 4% 70 43>^ 700 435 8 5 80 50 800 497 9 5?8^ 90 56 900 559 Pass ports. ♦Circumstances may arise, of course, in which the protection afforded to a traveller in Mexico by a passpori^ PRACTICAL INFORMATION. 83 will be required ; but the chances are that the traveller for pleasure only, especially if his journeyings are confined to railway lines, will have no use whatever for this ornamental but rather cumbrous document. American citizens taking up a residence in Mexico, and engaging in business there, or American citizens who expect to visit remote portions of the Republic, certainly should provide themselves with i^ass- ports. Persons wishing to obtain passports can procure blank forms of application from the State Department, Washington. In writing for blank forms the applicant should declare whether he is a native citizen or a naturalized citizen, and must give his full name and post-office address. His communication should be addressed : Department of State, Washington, D. C. ; and should be indorsed : Passport Division. Customs Regulations. As a rule, honest travellers have no trouble in passing a custom-house. It is cheaper to declare dutiable articles than it is to be fined for trying to smuggle them. Promptness should be shown in opening baggage in readiness for inspection ; and undue haste should not be shown in closing it when the inspection is at an end. Mexican Regulations. As a rule, Mexican customs officials are polite and obliging. In the small matter of personal luggage, any suggestion of financial transactions would be a mistake. Passengers are required to open their baggage foi* inspection, and if they have dutiable articles to declare them. The free list includes : clothing for personal use, if not ex- cessive in quantity ; articles worn or in use, as a watch, chain, buttons, cane, etc. ; one or two fire-arms, with their accessories, and one hundred charges ; each adult male pas- senger may bring in ninety-nine cigars, forty packages of cigarettes, and half a kilogramme (Inr lb.) of snuff or chew- ing tobacco. Professional men or artisans are i^ermitted to bring in free the instruments or tools indispensable or most essential to the exercise of their profession or trade. No charge is made for examining baggage. The rules by which examination of personal baggage is regulated are ordered to be kept in a conspicuous place in the search room, printed 84 MEXICAN GUIDE. in Spanish, English, French, and German. On entering cities and towns another examination usually is made at tlie local gariia. This rarely is more than a form. United States Regulations. With the eccentricities of the New York custom-house most of us are painfully familiar. The frontier custom-houses of Nogales, Eagle Pass, Laredo, and El Paso are in pleasing contrast with the New York establish- ment. At all of these points the revenues are collected faith- fully, but a decided desire is manifested to spare travellers as much as possible from personal annoyance. The American regulations practically are the same as the Mexican. The free list includes : * amber beads ; animals imported for j)uri30ses of exhibition or breeding; stuffed birds ; books, engravings, bound or unbound, etchings, maps, and charts, which shall have been printed and manufactured more than twenty years at the date of the importation (of later date, 25 per cent, ad val.) ; professional books imported by and with their owners ; books, household effects, or libraries, or j)arts of libraries in use, of persons or families from foreign countries, if used abroad by them not less than one year, and not intended for any other jperson or persons, nor for sale ; cabinets of coins, medals, and all other collections of antiquities ; coffee ; coins, gold, silver, copper, fossils ; manuscripts ; mother-of-pearl; j)ersonal and household effects, not mer- chandise, of citizens of the United States dying abroad; tortoise and other shells unmanufactured ; wearing apparel in actual use, and other personal effects (not merchandise) ; professional books, implements, instruments, and tools of trade, occupation, or employment of persons arriving in the United States (exclusive of machinery or other articles im- 23orted for use in any manufacturing establishment, or for sale). And to this free-list our almost too-paternal Govern- ment thoughtfully adds, among other things : hop-poles, sauer-kraut, curling-stones, Joss-sticks, skeletons, turtles^ and bologna- sausages. By the Treasury decision of April 3, 1885, "it is decided that any cigars in excess of fifty, in the * Act of March 3, 1883. PRACTICAL INFORMATION. 8^ baggage of any one passenger, shall be subject to duties, or to a fine equal to the duties, as the case may require," This much of the Treasury circular of July 29, 1878, still is in effect : ' ' Tourists are often under the erroneous im- pression that all articles purchased for their personal use, or for the use of friends, or intended as presents, are exempt from duty. Officers of the customs and United States con- sular officers abroad are therefore instructed to inform them, as far as practicable, of the laws and regulations relat- ing to such importations, and especially of the provisions of the Revised Statutes imposing penalties for the unlawful importation of merchandise into the United States. All articles subject to duty, whether contained in baggage or otherwise, must be reported to the customs officers on arrival at a port in the United States, under the penalties of Section 2802 of the Revised Statutes, which is as follows : * Whenever any article subject to duty is found in the bag- gage of any person arriving within the United States, which was not, at the time of making entry for such baggage, men- tioned to the collector before whom such entry was made, by the person making entry, such article shall be forfeited, and the person in whose baggage it is found shall be liable to a penalty of treble the value of such article.' Persons who arrive in the United States will be required to make due entry, on blanks to be furnished them by the p)roper customs officer, of the articles believed to be entitled to free admission under the provisions of the law above referred to, and to make oath, as provided for by Section 2799 of the Revised Statutes, that the entry contains a just and true account of the contents of the package or packages men- tioned therein, and that no such packages contain any merchandise whatever, other than the articles specified. A separate entry must be made of all dutiable articles con- tained in the baggage, to which the oath of the passenger must also be annexed. Such entry must specify the name of the article, the precise quantit}^ thereof, and the exact cost or foreign market value. It will be the duty of the surveyor of customs to see that the baggage-entry is made by each cabin 86 MEXICAN GUIDE. j)assenger, and filed in the custom-liouse. Blank forms will be furnished by the customs officers to the passengers, and the officers of the steamers are hereby respectfully re- quested to co-operate with this Department in its efforts to carry out the law by delivering to each iDassenger one or more of the blanks." Nervous travellers may be assured by the knowledge that, in point of fact, a custom-house is not as black as this cir- cular paints it. Ordinarily, the search is not severe ; at the frontier custom-houses the filling out of blanks is not re- quired, and, as already said, the honest traveller has little trouble. But it is well that travellers should know of the rigors as well as of the leniencies of the law. Lu nch- Basket. For the traveller by rail a lunch-basket is a necessary part of the outfit. West of the Missouri River railway trains make stops for meals with a cheerful disregard of the times and seasons that ordinary mortals regard as ap- propriate for the discharge of that office ; and the length of the stop (never more than twenty-five minutes, and some- times no more than eighteen minutes) is better adaj^ted to stoking (it cannot be called eating) a condensed attack of in- digestion than acquiring that sustenance which is neces- sary for the maintenance of human life. The lunch-basket •should contain canned meats — Richardson & Robbins' canned chicken and chicken-livers (not their canned game, which takes up too much room in proportion to the amount of food carried) are the best. If the party is large, a canned ham may be added to this stock. Bread may be bought at the lunch countei-s connected with the railway eating-houses, as may also eggs, sandwiches, cold meats (of dubious quality), coffee, and tea. A bottle of condensed coffee, a package of tea, and a spirit-lamp make the position of the traveller im- pregnable in the event (highly probable) of making the breakfast stop between 10 and 11 a.m. Cooked gluten (to be had at the agency of the Health Food Co., Tenth Street and Fourth Avenue, New York) is a very valuable article in trav- elling. It is highly nutritious, occupies very little room, and needs onlv to be stirred into a tumljler of water in order PIIACTICAL TXrOKMATION. 87 to be eaten. Dried prunes (those put up by Violett & Go. are the best) also should be carried. Also, enough sherry or claret to make an allowance of one bottle for each mem- ber of the party. The furniture of the lunch-basket should consist of a j)late, knife, fork, spoon, cup and saucer for each member of the party, and a bundle of paper napkins — those which are crinkly, like crape, are the best. Eating. The majority of travellers make the serious mistake of eating too much. It is much better on a long- journey to err in the other direction, though there is no es- pecial reason, other than the general weakness and fallibility of humanity, why there should be any error in this matter at all. For most people, one heavy nieal a day is quite suf- ficient while travelling. This should be taken at the rail- way eating-house, and as near noon as possible. If the breakfast stop is not made until 11 a.m., or later, the heavy meal should be eaten then. For breakfast, coffee and bread is sufficient for most people. Fruit, bread, crackers, or cooked gluten, can be eaten in the forenoon in case of hunger, but not to kill time. Supper can be made about 6,30 r.M., on canned meats, bread (bought at the lunch-counter at the dinner stop), and sherry-and-water, or weak tea. Before turning in at night six or eight prunes should be eaten as a preventive of constipation. The wisdom of this simple regimen will be admitted by any one who will faithfully carry it out. Exercise. In the course of a long railway journey every opportunity for exercise should be made the most of. A stop of five minutes gives time enough for a brisk walk up and down the station platform ; and the breakfast and supper stops (these meals being taken, as suggested, on the train), can be devoted to a good mile's walk. But this exercise always should be taken on the platform ; it is a very unsafe thing to go far from one's train. Porters and Stewards. Always begin by feeing these important functionaries roundly. This removes from their minds all doubt as to your intentions toward them, and sug- gests the pleasing hope that they will receive yet another 88 MEXICAN GUIDE. and a larger fee at the end of the run. This hope, in part, should be realized ; but in strict proportion to the amount and quality of service rendered, and should be accompanied by a small homily to the effect that they are paid well be- cause they have done well, or are paid little — or not paid anything more — because they have been careless. If travel- lers generally would adopt this system the service of steam- ships and Pullman cars would be wonderfully improved in a short space of time. Pulque, Wine, Spirits, Beer. Whenever pulque can be obtained, it should be used in preference to any other drink. It is thoroughly wholesome, and has a tendency to decrease the bilious habit that in many j)ersons is induced by an altitude of a mile above the sea level. As compared with the delicious jDulque to be had in the maguey region of Apam, the pulque sold in the City of Mexico deserves little praise. It should be drunk, however, from a sense of duty. Excellent wines may be bought in the City of Mexico. At the larger grocery stores the prices are very reasonable ; at the hotels they are extortionate. In the other cities the wine usually sold (for a dollar the bottle) is a heavy red Spanish wine, highly astringent. Sometimes, in Monterey and Sal- tillo, a very good native wine, made at Parras, may be ob- tained ; usually for only four or five dollars the dozen. The white wine of Parras is the best ; though the red is sound and of good flavor. A wine also is made from the juice of the quince, vino de memhrillo^ that is not unpalatable. The brandy of Parras is famous all over Mexico. A strong dis- tilled spirit is made from the root of the maguey, the best variety of which is the tequila de pecliuga. It has something the taste of Scotch whiskey. It costs seventy-five cents a bottle. Almost everywhere on the lines of railroad a very good native beer can be bought for a real the bottle — in the hotels of the city two reales is charged. It is a much better and purer article than the beer that is imported from the United States, and that is sold for from two to five times as much as the native brew. PRACTICAL INFORMATION. 89 Sweetmeats. The Mexicans are great lovers of sweet things, and dukes of various sorts are for sale all over Mexico. The more famous of these sweets are made at Celaya, Quere- taro, and Morelia. The Celaja dulce (the manufactory of La Fama is the best) is a glutinous paste compounded of milk, sugar, and flavoring matter, boiled together for a long time. The Queretaro dulce is an excellent nougat. The Morelia dulce is a stiff jam of guava, quince, and other fruits, and is the best of all. CEothing. In making the journey to Mexico by sea, summer clothing will be required in crossing the Gulf, and in crossing the hot country of the coast. On the Mexican plateau clothing suitable to spring or fall will be required, and the more prudent underwear will be winter flannels. Overcoats and shawls will not often be required on the streeb by day, but they should be at hand in readiness to put on when churches or other buildings are entered, and for use in the evenings. It is a fact that in Mexico wrapping up is much more necessary in the house than out of doors. Even when a norther at Vera Cruz sends a chill across the moun- tains, the streets rarely are cold ; but at such times the houses frequently are very cold indeed. The comfort of a fire practically is an unobtainable luxury. Doctors and Medicines. In the City of Mexico there are several excellent medical men of both schools, allopathic and homoeopathic ; and, occasionally, a good doctor is met with in the provincial cities. As a rule, however, the medi- cal practice outside of the capital is of the old-fashioned heroic type, that only a i)erson blessed with a most vigorous constitution can encounter safely. It is wiser, therefore, to carry along a supply of such ordinary medicines as are likely to be required ; and, in the event of serious illness, to take the chances of travel, and get to the capital as quickly as l^ossible. In case of yellow fever, it is much safer to employ a native doctor than a foreign doctor. In case of small-i^ox, the wisest course is to inquire among the servants for a good old- woman nurse, and with this attendant to remove the patient to an isolated house, where careful nursing, with 90 MEXICAN GUIDE. plenty of fresh air, usually can be depended upon to assure a good recovery. During convalescence, the room should be kept darkened ; the only imjDortant matter that a good Mexican nurse is likely to foi'get. As a preliminary to an extended Journey in the interior of Mexico, vaccination is very necessary. It is not an unwise preliminary to going to Mexico at all. Cargadores. In all the larger towns the combined du- ties of a local express and district telegraph service are per- formed by cargadores (porters). These men are duly licensed by the municipal authorities, and wear upon their breasts large brass plates, on which their resi^ective numbers are inscribed. (When employing one it is well to make a note of his number.) As a class they are renowned for their trust- worthiness, and safely may be employed to carry luggage, parcels, or letters. The fee varies with the service iDer- formed, and a bargain always should be made in advance. When luggage, or any heavy burden, is carried an extra medio is expected for drink. Servants. A good Mexican servant is a very good article of servant indeed, and is about as rare as a good servant of any other nationality. In the cities, men-servants may be hired for from twelve to twenty dollars (Mexican money) a month. Women-servants, much more difficult to obtain, are paid a little less. In hiring servants references should be insisted upon and should be verified. Fees. Better service can be had in Mexico, as in other parts of the world, by paying extra for it. The fees to ser- vants, however, should be small. For some inscrutable reason, a Mexican servant who receives a large fee does his work badly — far more badly than if he had received no fee at all. Waiters at restaurants should not be given more than a medio for each cover at each meal ; chambermen at hotels an occasional real. It is customary also to give coachmen a medio in addition to their regular fare. As a general rule, governing all but very excej)tional cases, no casual fee should exceed a real. Baths. In even the smaller Mexican towns very fair baths usually are found ; and in the cities the bathing ar- PRACTICAL INFORMATION. 91 rangements, with a few exceptions, are excellent. The baths rarely are found in hotels, and sometimes (as at San Miguel de Allende, where they are delightful) are far out in the suburbs. The usual price for a hot bath in Mexico is two reales ; for a cold bath, one real. This usually includes soap and towels — and the doubtful i^rivilege of a comb and brush. Hotels. In the provincial cities the hotels are fairly good. In most of them food as well as lodging is provided ; and the usual rate for food and lodging is two dollars a day. Lodging without food, and food without lodging, usually cost one dollar a day each. Single meals usually cost four reales — sometimes six. The charge for lodging is made for the bed, and two beds usually are placed in one room. Double beds, save in a few of the larger hotels, are rare. In taking rooms at a hotel, a bargain always should be made in advance. Usually a considerable reduction, from one quarter to one-half less than the X3rice by the day, is made for terms of a week or more. The time of intended occu- pancy always should be stated, if it is to be longer than a day or two, when the rooms are hired. Outside of the larger cities the beds are apt to be hard, and everywhere the i^il- lows are of hair. Restaurants. Even in very small towns, lacking a hotel, a restaurant [fonda) usually is found. The food provided at these restaurants is of the country, but usually is palatable and fairly served. In the small towns the -gvice for a meal usu- ally is four reales, and six reales is the usual price of board by the day. The food served is : for breakfast, coffee and bread (though eggs and meat usually can be obtained also) ; for mid- day breakfast, soup, rice, meat, bread, a salad, beans (frijoles), Bweets, and coffee ; for supper, chocolate or coffee, and bread — with the possible addition of meat and eggs. In the larger cities the dinner usually is a repetition of the mid- day breakfast. In even very small towns of unpromising appearance a satisfactory meal can be obtained by a special order backed by a promise to pay a trifle more than the regular price. 92 MEXICAIN^ GUIDE. OfTlcial Permits. As a rule, Mexican officials aie ex- ceedingly courteous in granting permits to visit such insti- tutions as are not open to the general public. The follow- ing form of application will be found useful by travellers whose Spanish is not perfect. In the City of Mexico it should be addressed, for permission to visit the military col- lege of Chapultepec (the grounds are open to the public), the National Armory, or other Government institution, to the Governor of the Palace. In all other cases the address may be to the Administradoi' of the institution that the traveller desires to see — this may not always be exactly correct, but it will be near enough for practical purposes. Sr. Gobernador de Palacio, Presente. or Sr. Administrador de , Presente. Agradeceria a, Vd. que, si no tiene inconvenieiite para ello, se sirviese expediriiae uii permiso escrito para visitar Con sentimientos de consideracion, quedo de Vd., atento seguro servidor, Hotel de Mexico, de de 188 — . Church Visiting. In their own interest, as well as in the interest of abstract decency, visitors to churches should conduct themselves reverently while in such sacred edifices. A respectful stranger very frequently will receive a courteous attention, in being directed where to find what is most beau- tiful or curious, that assuredly will not be accorded to strangers who are vulgarly noisy or vulgarly frank in their expressions of derision and contempt. Attentions of this sort frequently are volunteered, and are the more welcome because frequently there is no one to be found in the churches to act as a guide. As a rule, the churches that have per- tained to nunneries will be found more quaint and interest* PRACTICAL INFOKMATION^. 93 ing than those which have pertained to monasteries ; and the more desirable churches to visit, of course, are those which have not been remodelled in modern times. It is well to make a point of seeing the ante-sacristy and sacristy, as in these places usually are found ancient and curious articles retired from active service in the church, as well as inter- esting pictures. In visiting shrines (as at Los Remedios or Ocotlan) the visitor should ask to see the camarin — the littlo chapel in the rear of the high altar. The richest treasures and most curious possessions of a shrine usually are found in this place. If neither the priest in charge nor the sa- cristan can be found, the old woman who sells rosaries and holy images will be found a useful ally. She is to be pro- pitiated by spending a real or two in purchase of her sacred wares, and by complimentary remarks upon the church, and upon the cat that usually bears her company. When the sacristan happens to be available as a guide he should receive a fee of a real or two for his services. Persons even who do not read Spanish ^\\\\ find their visits to churches materially aided by either of the church almanacs — the " Al- manaque Catolico y Historico," or the " Almanaque Gralvan," which may be bought in almost any book-store for two reales. These books wall give the saints' days for the cur- rent year, and by visiting in the morning the churches dedi- Gated to the saint whose day it is, a special service, of a more or less imposing character, usually will be found in progress. On the other hand, these almanacs will show when special services are not in progress, and when, there- fore, the church may be visited without encountering a crowd. Priestly Aid. In the smaller cities and towns the best results in sight-seeing can be secured (by persons speaking- Spanish) by calling at once u^^on the parish priest and ask- ing his advice and assistance. This move has a two-fold re- sult : the priest, almost without exception, is exceedingly courteous in advising the visitor what is most worthy to be seen, and in aiding him to see it ; and the people of the town, seeing that the stranger is on terms of amity with the cin-a, are prone to render further practical aid of a like nat- 94 MEXICAN GUIDE. lire. The parish priests of Mexico, as a class, it is not in- approj^riate to add here, are men of devout and godly lives, who are entitled to all honor and reverence. Since the Laws of the Reform, there is nothing to tempt men to adopt the clerical life save a genuine love of God and a strong desire to minister to the religious welfare of their fellows accord- ing to His ordinances. Apart from the selfish motive of ob- taining from them increased facilities in sight-seeing, most travellers will find much pleasure in the society of these simple-minded and godly-minded men. Beggars. There are not many beggars in Mexico ; but the few found there are apt to be most resolutely persist- ent in their demands. They can be shaken off by the pay- ment of a few coppers, or they may be exorcised by the for- mula : Perdona me, liermano, en el no')nbre de dios — of which phrase, usually, the words perdona me will suffice. Hackney Coaches. In almost all the cities of Mexico (Zacatecas and Guanajuato are notable exceptions) hackney coaches are plentiful. The fare usually is four reales an hour ; and a lower rate can be obtained, usually, should a coach be hired for half a day or longer. In case of hiring by the hour, the driver should have the precise time im- pressed upon his mind by being shown a watch ; and at the end of the drive, should he manifest a disposition to insist uj)on over-payment, the traveller should make a serious de- monstration of entering the coach again, the while saying, with much firmness and decision, " Vamonos a la administra- cion " — a threat that never fails, when the driver really is in the wrong, to bring him to terms. It is customary to add a medio to the regular fare. The coaches usually found in the 2)rovincial cities are ruinous structures, dating from a remote antiquity, and are apt to be itinerant asylums of fleas. In nearly all the Mexican cities street railways now are in operation. Postal Arrangements. The letter rate from Mexico to the United States and Canada is five cents for each half ounce or fraction of a half ounce ; to other countries in the Postal Union, ten cents. The rates on printed matter are PRACTICAL INFORM ATIOIS", 95 one cent per ounce and three quarters, or fraction thereof, to the United States and Canada ; and two cents to European countries in the Postal Union. The limit of weight for printed matter is 4.4 pounds (2 kilogrammes). Letters and packages may be registered on payment of a fee of ten cents. The rate on letters for points within the Eepublic of Mexico is five cents for each half ounce or fraction thereof ; on news- papers, or other printed matter, one cent for each two ounces, or fraction thereof. The process of extracting a letter from a Mexican post- office is somewhat complicated. Usually within an hour after the arrival of a mail at a Mexican post-office a list of the letters received is displayed in some conspicuous place. Each list is dated, and each letter is numbered. As mistakes are aj)t to be made in the spelling of names, the entire list should be examined. In applying for a letter it is necessary to give the date of the list and the number of the letter ; and, in or- der to avoid painful complications with the Spanish tongue, an effective plan is to write these necessary facts, together with the name of the inquirer, upon a card and hand the card to the mail clerk. Especially valuable letters may be sent to many parts of the Republic by express. (See Ex- press Service, and also paragraph Post-office in chapter on City of Mexico. ) By the terms of the postal convention concluded between the United States and Mexico, July 1, 1887, it is provided that articles which are admitted to the domestic mails of either country will be admitted under the same conditions to the mails exchanged between the two countries. The postage rates from the United States to Mexico, consequently, are the same as the domestic postage rates in the United States. Telegraph. Government wires connect all the jmnciiDal cities and towns of Mexico. This service is fairly jounctual and trustworthy. The Mexican, Mexican Central, Mexican National, Interoceanic, and Sonora Railway Companies main- tain telegraph lines which parallel their respective tracks. The Mexican Central and Mexican National (northern di- vision) wires connect with the Western Union wires at El 96 MEXICAN GUIDE. Paso and Laredo, respectively. The Mexican & South Ameri-- can Cable Company has a branch wire from Vera Cruz to the City of Mexico, and connects with the telegraph system of the United States at Galveston. (See also telegraph offices in the City of Mexico.) Express Service. An express service is maintained by Wells, Fargo & Co. over the lines of the Mexican, Mexican Central, and Sonora Railways. The Mexican National Rail- way maintains an express service over its own lines. These companies attend to passing packages through the custom- houses — paying duties and collecting the same on delivery ; and, by an arrangement with the Federal Government, con- duct a mail service that advantageously may be used in send- ing important letters to interior towns. Extra baggage sometimes can be most conveniently sent by express. At Laredo. In case of detention at Laredo, the Com- mercial will be found the least undesirable of the several hotels. The rate is $2.50 a day. There is little to see in the town ; yet the thoughtful traveller will be interested in the jostling together here of the old and the new — Mexican adobe houses and very American houses of brick and frame ; a visible confusion of races which not inaptly illustrates the confusion (there is little blending) of Mexican and American habits and modes of thought. Spare time may be filled in by making a trip to Nuevo Laredo, on the Mexican side of the river — the town that was founded after Texas ceased to be a part of the Mexican Republic. This is a bustling little place, for Mexico, for it possesses the trade advantages of the Free Zone, Its shops are large, and prices are small — facts to be remembered in case of need to replace umbrellas and gloves lost on the way down. At El Paso. Although the Pullman car is backed across to the station at El Paso, it is not opened until after the ex- amination of hand luggage by the Mexican customs officials at Paso del Norte. Travellers leaving El Paso from a hotel may secure a more comfortable evening meal than can be obtained in the railway eating-house at Paso del Norte by sending their luggage with the train, but themselves follow- PRACTICAL INFOKMATION. 97 ing later, either by carriage or tramway. If this plan is adopted, sufficient time should be allowed to attend to cus- tom-house formalities. On the return northward there is ample time between the arrival of the Mexican Central train and the departure of the first train for the north to bathe and, if it is desired, to eat a solid breakfast at one of the hotels. Since the concentration of several railway lines here, El Paso has ceased to be a draggle-tailed little suburb of Paso del Norte, and has become an enterprising, thriving frontier town — with all the crudeness and rawness and painful ugli- ness that an enterprising, thriving frontier town necessarily must have. Passengers arriving by the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad will have little knowledge of it, for their train will make a close connection with the south- bound train on the Mexican Central. Passengers arriving by either of the other lines will find the awkwardness of ar- riving in the middle of the night counterbalanced in part by the possibility of a bath and change of linen that a wait- ing-time of from twelve to eighteen hours renders j^ossible. The Grand Central Hotel will be found rather surprisingly comfortable, at least in regard to the appointments of its bedrooms and private parlors ; and afibrds, also, fairly clean bath-rooms, rather dingy tubs, and an abundance of towels. The rates are $2.50 to $4.00 a day. A bath costs half a dollar. Any idle time may be employed in a drive through the adohe town of Paso del Norte ; thence along the river- side, and, late in the afternoon (so as to get the sunset view from the mesa), to Fort Bliss. Good carriages may be hired at the door of the hotel. Rates : .$2.50 the first hour ; $1.50 the second ; $1 for each subsequent hour. The drive across lihe river will occupy about two hours ; the drive on the American side about one hour. Travellers who have a liking for queer characters will do well to employ for their coachman Mike Brannahan, an Argonaut of '49, whose inti- mate acquaintance with extraordinary persons and events in California and elsewhere is equalled only by his capacity for clothing his possibly extravagant reminiscences in eccentric language. As his carriage and horses are excellent, there is 98 MEXICAN GUIDE. no sacrifice of practical comfort involved in this enjoyment of his peculiar personal charms. Coming Home. For the return journey the same pro- vision that has been suggested for the outward journey may be made. Should increased packing-space be required, the traveller will do well not to bay a trunk, a costly article in Mexico, but a strong basket. In the City of Mexico baskets can be bought in the market of the Volador (in the northwest corner) of any desired size, one as big as a large travelling- trunk costing about two dollars. To make the basket dust- proof it should be lined first with newspapers and then with coarse cotton cloth. It should be well corded. If without this addition the total amount of luggage equals the allow- ance (150 pounds) for each through ticket, the basket may ba advantageously sent home by express (see Express Service). PART 11. THE MEXICAN CAPITAL PAET II. THE MEXICAN CAPITAL. L PRACTICAL MATTERS. Station to Hotel. Street cars connect the several railway stations with the Plaza Mayor. The fare by these is a medio, excepting the special car that meets the train from Vera Cruz, by which the fare is a real. As the car lines do not pass near any of the desirable ho- tels, travellers unacquainted with the city should take a carnage. The fare should not exceed the regular rate for a single coach (see Hackney Coaches), but it usually does. Six reales for a white-flag coach, or a dollar for a red-flag coach, including carriage of hand luggage, will be a good bargain. A dollar, and a dollar and a quar- ter, respectively, will not be outrageous. But beyond these figures the traveller should refuse to go, unless the supply of carriages should chance to be unusually small. In case of a difference of opinion about the fare at the end of the course, it is the part of wisdom to turn the matter over for settlement to the people of the hotel. Luggage. A luggage express agent usually boards incoming trains at a short distance out from the Buena Vista station (or will be found in the station on the ar- 102 MEXICAN GUIDE. rival of the train), who gives, in return for the railway company's checks, checks for city deUvery. Although there is a regular tariff for this service (two reales for each piece) it is the part of prudence to arrive at a clear understanding, before the checks are exchanged, as to precisely what the cost of delivery will be. This func- ^ tionary also will require the key of the piece to be de- livered, or, if a number of pieces are to be delivered, the key of any one piece of the lot, in order that the form of a custom-house examination may be gone through with. The key may be given confidently, as the express com- pany is responsible for the safe delivery of articles in- trusted to its care. It is as well, of course, to give the key of a piece that does not contain articles of any espe- cial value. Travellers arriving by way of the Vera Cruz Railway will not receive their luggage until the follow- ing morning. Hand luggage, therefore, should contain provision for the night. Hotels. In comparison with even second-class New York hotels the best hotels of the City of Mexico make a poor showing. They are meagrely furnished; their service is poor ; their prices, relatively, are high. In the majority of them, the bath that the arriving traveller wants immediately cannot be obtained ; and even in those which possess bathing establishments, the baths are on the ground floor. To compass a pitcher of hot water in one's own room requires the outlay of a vast amount of vital energy, and a fee to the chamberman of a real. In engaging rooms it is desirable to secure such as face east or south, in order to secure an abundance of sunlight. Rooms facing north or west are apt to be damp and cold. The Hotel Yturbide is the largest hotel in the city, and boasts the startlinp; innovation, for Mexico, of an PKACTICAL MATTERS. 103 elevator. Its prices are considerably liighei' tha-n those of the smaller hotels, and in the height of the tourist season it is apt to be uncomfortably crowded. Should this hotel be selected the traveller should endeavor to secure one of the rooms overlooking the Calle de Gante ; for these, while they do not command a view of anj'- thing in particular, and have but little sunlight, are large, airy, and clean. The Hotel San Carlos has pleas- ant rooms overlooking the Calle de San Francisco — and therefore desirable because of the opportunity that they afford to witness the frequent military parades upon this street ; and desirable sunny rooms overlooking the Calle del Coliseo. The little Hotel del Cafe Anglais has only a few rooms, but these are exceptionally clean and comfortable, and the service here is exceptionally good. This is the most desirable hotel for ladies trav- elling alone. The Hotel del Jardin is the sunniest and most picturesque hotel in the city. It is built around two sides of the old garden of San Francisco, and is it- self that portion of the ancient convent which was de- voted to the hospital and to the housing of the Provin- cial of the Order. But, so far, the food served in the restaurant connected with this establishment has been very unsatisfactory. Other hotels which may be com- mended are the Bazar and Gillow. All of the hotels named above have restaurants connected with them. At all of them a considerable reduction will be made when rooms are taken by the fortnight or month — but a careful bargain as to the rate always must be made in advance. At all of them someone speaking a curious, but merchantable, variety of English will be found. Restaurants. Food and lodging are distinct parts of the hotel system, though by an especial agreement they sometimes can be combined. Having lodgings in 104 MEXICAN GUIDE. one hotel does not interfere in any way with getting meals at the restaurant belonging to another. At all the restaurants a table d'Jiote is served twice daily — between 12 M. and 3 p.m. for breakfast, and between 6 and 8 p.m. for dinner, these hours not being very rigidly observed. The first breakfast, coffee and bread, is served from 7 A.M., and to get it at an earlier hour very emphatic or- ders must be given over night. In lieu of bread and coffee, however, a substantial breakfast can be obtained by sjDecial order. At the Cafe Anglais, in the Calle del Coliseo, where the head waiter speaks English, and where providing for American wants is made rather a specialty, the solid breakfast can be obtained without friction ; and regular boarders at this place can arrange to take their light meal, bread and coffee or bread and soup, in the middle of the day, and thus obtain their heavy break- fast without extra charge. The Cafe Anglais provides quite as good food as will be found at any of the tables d'hote, and its prices (1 real for first breakfast, 5 reales for second breakfast, 5 7^eales for dinner ; or $30, Mex- ican money, a month) are decidedly lower than those of any of the first-class restaurants. The Recamier, in the Third San Francisco, and the Concordia, in the Second Plateros — the first just west, and the second just east of the church of the Profesa, and both near all the principal hotels excepting the Jardin — are well-appointed and well-served restaurants in which a reasonably good meal can be obtained for a dollar and upward. In either, meals will be served in private rooms at an increased charge — though for a party of six or more this additional charge is trifling, while the gain in comfort is great. The tiwlis, or garden restau- rants, in the suburb of San Cosme and at La Cas- taneda — on the tramway to San Angel — are peculiarly PRACTICAL MATTERS. 105 pleasant institutions of Mexico. Excellent breakfasts are served — at from two dollars a cover upward — in rustic bowers or closed cabinets standing in charming gardens. For a breakfast with ladies the Tivoli of San Cosme prob- ably will be found most satisfactory, though ladies also may be taken to the Eliseo and La Castaneda. At all the restaurants the charges for wines and for imported malt liquors are extortionate. Both as a sanitary meas- ure and as a measure of economy travellers will do well to drink pulque^ or native beer. To obtain genuine Mexican food, the traveller must go to one of the Mexican fondas. The best of these is the Fonda de la Reforma, about midway of the Calle de Ortega, on the south side. Another that also can be recommended is the Fonda Mexicana, on the north side of the Calle del Cinco de Mayo, at the corner of the Callejon de Sta Clara. Neither of these establishments is sparklingly clean, and at neither is the service of a very liigh order of excellence. Both are entirely re- spectable, and to both ladies may be taken. To obtain a really representative breakfast {i.e., the midday meal) the order should be given a day in advance, coupled with the explanation that the meal is to be composed of characteristic Mexican dishes — and something pleasant about the high reputation of that particular /o?Z(^« for the excellence of its cooking should be added in order to make the venture an entire success. The price should not exceed a dollar or a dollar and a half a cover, if the party consists of four or more. For only two persons, two dollars a cover would not be an unreasonable price, as some of the Mexican dishes are troublesome to prepare. Somewhat the same result may be obtained by taking the regular table d'hote breakfast at either of these /bri Machincuepa O Madrid plaz I Magnolia F, G, H Magueyitos en H Manco en T, U Manito X Manrique K Manzanares en O Mara villas O Mariscala pte K Marquezote O Matadero W Mayo 15 D Medinas L Meleros M Mercaderes, Portal de . . M Mercado , . . . . D 130 MEXICAN GUIDE. Mercado plaz A Merced O Merced, esp. de O Merced, est. de X Merced, Puerta falsa de . . X Merced pte O Mesones T,V Migneles V, X Miguel LojDez D Miguelito en O Mil Maravillas en R Mina G,H Mirador de la Alameda . . K Mirto F Misericordia J Misericordia, esp. de . . . . J Misericordia pte J Mixcalco O Mixcalco plaz O Moctezuma av G,H Moneda M Monserrate, OliajDitel de. V Molino pte Y Monstruo N Montealegre . M Monte Pio Viejo L, N Monterilla M, V Montero plaz J Monton X Monton en X Moras L Morelos plaz I Moscas O Mosqneta F, G, H Muerto en L Mnguiro en N Munoz X Nahuatlato X Naranjo en A Nava en U Necatitlan V,W Necatitlan cer W Niiio Perdido, or Piedad . U Nino Perdido, Garita de . U Nonoalco, Garita de . . . . A Nopalito D Nopalito en E Norma en I Norte F Nueva I Nuevo Mexico R Ocampo M,V Ocampo G Olivido en X Olivo (2) A Olivocn V, X 011a en M Olmedo V, X Olmo A Organo en D Ortega T Pacheco X Paclieco en X Pacheco plaz O, X Pacliito X Padre Lecuona en L Paja V Pajaritos en T, U Palma M Palma X Palma en X Palma esp .... Z Palma plaz X Palomares plaz X Pane R Panetas . T Panteon X Papas en .- J Parados ., L Parqne del Conde V Parque de la Moneda eer . O Paseo Nnevo R Paseo de Bueareli . . . . G, R, 8 Paseo de la Reforma, . Q, R, G Paseo de la Viga Y Patoni G, I STKEETS OF THE CITY OF MEXICO. 131 Paz F Pelota en I Penitenciaria calz R, G Peralvillo E Peralvillo, Garita de E Perpetua L Peredopte T Pescadi R Piedad, or Nino Perdido . U Piedad calz S Pila Aziil en O Pila de la Habana J Pila Seca J Pino F Pinto en I Pipis pte Y Plantados N Plateros M Polillaen T Porta Coeli M Porta Coeli, bajos de . . . . M, V Portal del Coliseo Viejo . K Portal de las Flores. ... M Portal de Mercaderes . . . M Portal de Prado (Tecpan de San Jnan) T Portal de Refngio M Portal de Sto. Domingo. L Portal de Tejada T Portal de Tlapaleros M Portillo de San Diego ... I Potrero de San Agus- tin Z Pradera Z Pradito H Prado, Portal de (Tecpan de San Jnan) T Prima R Profesa (3rd S. Fran- cisco) K Progreso K Progreso en K Providencia R Pueblita B, C Puente del Molino plaz . X Puentecito en E Puerta Falsa de S. An- dres K Puerta Falsa de S. Do- mingo J, L Puerta Falsa de la Mer- ced X Puesto Nuevo X Puesto Nuevo en X Pulqueria de Celaya .... L Pulqueria de Palacio ... O Pulqueria de Palacio en , O Quebrado pte T Quemada X Quesadas X R^bano plaz U Ralono del Obispo en . . . J Ranclio de Casa Blanco calz Q Rastro V Rastro plaz W Ratas T Ratas en X Real de Sta Ana E Real de Santiago D Rebeldes T Recabado en I Recogidas W, V Recogidas en V Ref orma en J Reforma, Paseo de la.Q, R, S Refugio M Regina T Regina jjlaz T Rejas de la Balvanera. . . M Rejas de la Coneepcion .J, K Rejas de S. Gerdnimo. . . V Relama en V Reloj E, L Revillagigedo I, R Reyes R Risco plaz ... V, W Rivera en. (2) C, E 132 MEXICAN GUIDE. I Rivera de San Cosme. . . Robles . F P o P A T U K V V Z ,v E E K K , Y ,Y W U D X L ,L L K K X F F F F W I I I I z San Dimas, or Venero, jDte Santo Domingo Santo Domingo, cerca de Santo Domingo, Portal de Santo Domingo, Puerta falsa de J Santo Domingo plaz. . . . Santo Domingo, Sepul- cros de Santa Escuela en Santa Etigenia en , San Felipe de Jesus San Felipe Neri San Fernando j)laz San Francisco . San Francisco pte San Francisco, Jardin de Santa Gertrudis en San Geronimo V ^^! L L L L P O V T G K K K V P, I I ,o K K E D D ,x T T I ; I K . B.% N ^. O P J J J J J J Eoldan Rosa Resales Rosario pte Sabino Salitreria en Salto delAgua T, Salsipuedes en San Agustin, Arco de . . . San Agustin, bajos de . . San Agustin, Potrero de San Agustin, Tercer Or- den de T Santa Ana pte Santa Ana plaz San Andres . . San Andres, Puerta falsa de . ... San Hipolito San Hipolito en ' Santa Ines M Santa Isabel Santa Isabel en Santiago San Antonio Abad W San Antonio Abad pte . . "\Y San Antonio Abad calz . . San Antonio Tomatlan . Santa Barbara Santa Barbara en. (2) I, San Bernardo Santa Catalina de Sena Santa Catarina E Santa Catarina cte Santa Clara Santiago plaz Santiago, Real de Santiaguito pte. {'2) . . . . D San Jose de Gracia .... San Jose el Real San Juan San Juan de Dios San Juan de Dios esp . . . San Juan de Letran San J. de Nepomuceno en San Juanico en San Lazaro pte, . San Lazaro, Garita de . . . San Lorenzo Santa Clara en San Camilo San Cosme calz " . San Cosme, Caileria de . . San Cosme, Garita de . . . San Cosme, Rivera de . . , Santa Cruz plaz San^a Cruz Acatlan plaz. San Diego San Diego esp San Diego, Portillo de . . San Diego rinc . . . San Lorenzo, cerca de . . San Lorenzo, esp ' Santa Maria calz Santa "Maria pte Santa Maria rinc . San Dieguito STREETS OF THE CITY OF MEXICO. 138 Santa Maria en H Santa Maria plaz H Santa Maria de la Rivera. F San Miguel V San Miguel cer V San Miguel cte V San Nicolas, Hospicio de. O San Pablo pte X San Pablo plaz X San Pedro j S. Pablo. . .L,M San Rafael calz F San Ramon X San Salvador el Seco .... U San Salvador el Seco plaz U San Salvador el Verde plaz W San Sebastian L San Sebastian cte N San Sebastian plaz N San Sebastian pte N San Simon de Rojas en . . O Santa Teresa M Santa Teresa cer M Santa Teresa esp O, N Santo Tomas X Santo Tomas, Compuerta de X Santo Tomas plaz X Santa Vera Cruz en I Santa Ysabel K Santa Ysabel en K Santisima O Santisima pte. (2) O, T Santisima plaz O Sapo R Sepulcros de S. Domingo L Seminario M Siete Priucipes O Solano pte O Soledad cte P Soledad de Sta Cruz .... O Sombreros en I Solis en O Soto H, I Soto en I Sur F Susanillo O I j Tabaqueros en M,V Tacuba M Talavero en X Tarasquillo en I Tecolotes pte D Tecpan de S. Juan plaz . . T Tecumarana N Tejacn ,... T Tejada, Portal de T Tenespa en E Tepeeliicliilco en J Tepozan en E Tequezquite plaz J Tercer Orden de S. Agus- tin T,V Tezontlale pte E Tiburcio T Tiradero en Y Titireteros en X Tizapan en U Tlapaleros M Tlazcoaque en W Tompeate j)te V Tox^aeio X Tornito de Regina T I Toro en I j Trapana X j Triunfoen T, U Tumbaburros T Universidad. Ureno en M X ! Valle C i Vallejo, Garita de B I Vanegas O j Vaquita en J ! Vazquez en E i Veas en O Venero, or SanDimas pte V Verdas R Verde V 134 MEXICAN GUIDE. Vergara K Veronica N Viboi itas en X Victoria T VigaCanal Y Viga, Paseo de la Y Villaniil plaz J Villamii pte J Viiiacn. (2) D,E Violeta F, G, H Vizcaynas T A^izcaynas en T Vizeaynas plaz T XicotencatI K Ysabel K Yturbicle I, E Zacate, pte. de J Zacate en V Zai^ateros L Zarco av C, H, I Zaragoza C, G Zaragoza , . O Zaragoza plaz C Zavola P Zocolo, Jardin de M Zoquij>a calz Z Zuleta K,T ///. MUNICIPALITY OF MEXICO. Site, Climate, History, Statistics. — The City of Mexico, in lat. 19° 26' 5" north, long. 99° 6' 45" west from Greenwich, capital of the Federal district and of the Re- public of Mexico, lies nearly in the centre of the Valley of Mexico, at an elevation of 7,434 feet above the level of the sea. The climate usually is mild, though ranging between rather wide summer and winter extremes— 35° to 90° in the shade, and 45° to 120° in the sun (Fahren- heit), During the winter the "northers" that visit Vera Cruz are felt in the capital in a milder form, but ^Yith sufficient intensity to render a fire — that practi- cally is an unobtainable luxury — very desirable. The winter climate usually is dry, the rainy season lasting usually from June to September. Tenochtitlan, the ancient Aztec city, covered (as Mr. Bandelier shows) about one-fourth of the area covered by the existing City of Mexico. Its centre was the great teocaUi (temple), on or near the site now occupied by the MUNICIPALITY OF MEXICO. 13,1 cathedral ; its circumference was about half a mile from this centre — that is, about the distance from the ca- thedral to the eastern end of the Alameda. Of the num- ber of its inhabitants no trustworthy record exists. This primitive city was destroyed utterly by the Span- iards during and after the siege. The Spanish city was founded in the year 1522, the first building erected being the atarazanas (naval arsenal), in which were guarded the hergantines (see Texcoco) so successfully used by Cortes in his final assault upon Tenochtitlan. Senor Orozco y Berra was of the opinion that this fortified building stood near the site of the pres- ent church of San Lazaro. The city increased rapidly in size and importance. In 1600 the population con- sisted of 7,000 Spaniards and 8,000 Indians ; and the value of its real estate was estimated at $20,000,000. By 1716 its population was 90,000. The founder of mod- ern Mexico was the eccentric but excellent Viceroy Don Juan Vicente Gtiemes Pacheco, Conde de Kevillagigedo (1789-91). When he became Viceroy the city was mean and foul beyond all description, unlighted, unpaved, and infested by footpads. At the expiration of his short term of government it was clean, drained, its principal streets paved and lighted, an effective police force estab- lished, and the custom of building handsome and sub- stantial dwellings firmly established. The census taken by order of the Conde de Kevillagigedo showed a popu- lation of 112,926 souls. From this time onward the city has increased con- stantly in size and in the elegance of its buildings, both public and private. Of late years, its tendency of growth has been northwestward, as witness the handsome sub- urbs of Santa Maria, Guerrero, and the Arquitectos, 136 MEXICAN GUIDE. For a city of Spanish foundation the streets and side^ walks are remarkably wide, though the streets, as a rule, are ill-paved — notable exceptions being the fine pave- ments of the streets of San Francisco and Plateros and of a part of the Cinco de Mayo. These streets, and the Plaza Mayor, are lighted by electric lamps ; elsewhere gas and oil lanterns are used. An excellent police sys- tem is maintained. Water is provided in abundance by two aqueducts and a pipe service, besides which nearly 500 artesian wells have been sunk. The drainage sys- tem — if it can be called a S3^stem — is thoroughly and radically bad, incorrect in its engineering, and ineffec- tive in its results. To this cause is to be attributed the constant presence of typhoid and consequent great mor- tality among the poorer classes. Among the richer classes — well-fed, well-clad, well-housed, and, most im- portant, seldom living on ground-floors — the disease rarely appears. The existing city is about two miles and a half square, and has a population (estimated) of 300,000 souls. Diputacion, or Palacio del Ayuntamiento (City Hall, M. 132), on the southern side of the Plaza Mayor. The site upon which this buildiDg stands was set apart, when the city was partitioned among the conquerors, as that upon which a house should be erected for the use of the municipal government ; and by May 10, 1532, the first small building was completed and in possession of the officials of the new city. In 1564 a larger and more imposing building was erected — that was almost totally destroyed, rather more than a century later, in the great riot of June 8, 1692. It remained in this ruinous con- dition until October 3, 1720, when the present building- was begun. The first story, with the fine portales, was MUNICIPALITY OF MEXICO. 137 finished in 1722, and the entire building was completed February 4, 1724, at a cost of $67,861. In the council chamber is a very interesting collection of portraits of the governors of Mexico from the time of Cortes. The government of the City of Mexico is vested in an Ayuntamiento (city council — as nearly as the word can be rendered in English) composed of nineteen regldores (approximately, aldermen) and two syndics. The admin- istration of municipal affairs is admirable, being at once economical, energetic, and effective. The city, at least the better portion, is a municipal miracle of cleanliness (looking at it from the stand-point of New York) ; the police are well disciplined and effective ; the streets are very fairly lighted ; the city ordinances are judicious and rigorously enforced. Nor is this excellence of municipal government peculiar to the capital : it seems to obtain in all Mexican cities and towns. Mercados (markets). — The largest and most impor- tant market of Mexico, the Volador, south of the National Palace, occupies a site that was included in the grounds of the " new house" of Montezuma, and, therefore, after the Conquest was a part of the property of Cortes. The land hereabouts was swampy, and for a long while this plot was a waste place in the city. Occasionally bull- fights took place here in celebration of the crowning of a new King of Spain or of the coming to Mexico of a new Viceroy ; and here was held the celebrated auto defe (the burning being at the usual place, in front of San Diego) of April 10, 1649— one of the most imposing church fes- tivals ever held in Mexico. In order to free the Plaza Mayor from the encroachments of small shop-keepers, the Ayuntamiento decreed, on the 2d of January, 1659, that the bakers, fruit-sellers, and ]3ork dealers should be re- 138 MEXICAN GUIDE. moved thence to the Plaza de la Universidad — popularly known, because of a game of ball formerly played there, as the Volador — and since that time the chief market ol the city has been established here. For nearly two hun- dred years the city rented the land from the heirs of Cor- tes. Ill 1837, by purchase from the Duke of Monteleone, the city possessed the property in fee for a consideration of $70,000. The present arrangement of narrow paved alleys between the stalls was completed in January, 1844. From the central portion of the city this is the most ac- cessible of the several markets, as well as the most characteristic. Besides being worth a visit in itself, pur- chases of fruit may be made here to better advantage than from the street-vendors — the assortment being better and the prices lower. Cargadores always are in at- tendance to carry home purchases. The fee for this ser- vice should not exceed a medio, or, if the load is large or the distance more than ten minutes' walk, a real. The other important general markets are : the Merced — oc- cupying the site of the monastery of the same name ; San Juan, on the site of a still older Indian market ; Jesus, and Santa Catarina. The Floioer 3Iarket, in the garden west of the cathe- dral, is, in fact, a continuance of the custom of selling flowers in the public markets that obtained in Mexico before the time of the Conquest. Here is a handsome pavilion of iron and glass where Indians bring for sale every day great quantities of all manner of lovely Sowers. There is no fixed tariff of prices, and strangers usually are made to pay three or four times as nuich as resi- dents. But even when what are meant to be exorbitant prices are demanded, the actual sums are very small in comparison with the value received in huge masses of MUNICIPALITY OF MEXICO. 139 flowers. On principle, however, it is as well that stran- gers should ofier half the price asked^ and compromise on not more than three-quarters — a good general rule for all street-trading in Mexico. PortaSes. — These are arcades through which the side- walks pass, the space near the curb, between the pillars of the arches, being occupied b}^ vendors of second-hand books and all manner of second-hand wares. One of the most exciting expeditions to be made in the city — supposing the traveller to have a taste for old books or bric-Li-brac — is a round of these street shops of a Sunday or feast-day morning. (The old book-dealers, or the majority of them, will be fouud on week-daj^s also, together with some few of the second-hand dealers ; but only on a Sunday or feast-day morning will the visitor find a complete display.) The more notable por tales are in the Calles Tlapaleros, Refugio, and Viejo Coliseo, and in the Plaza of Santo Domingo. The Baratillo, and the shops adjoining the market of San Juan, also are jDlaces for shopping of this sort. Baskets, pottery, toys, and other native products are hawked about the streets. Things of this nature, when desirable, should be bought at once — for the street vendors are uncertain in their habits and the chance to buy may not occur again. In all dealings with street vendors or small shopkeepers it is a good general rule to offer one-quarter, and to pay about one-third, or one half, of the price asked. Prisons. — The municipality sustains a small temporary lock-up {deposito de detcnidos) in the Palace of the Ayun- tamiento, and the large city prison — usually containing between 4,000 and 5,000 prisoners — of Beleu, in the southwest suburb. This edifice is of a considerable an- tiquity. The college of San Miguel de Belen w^as found- 140 MEXICAN GUIDE. ed April 25, 1G83, as a school for girls, and was con. tinued in this use for nearly two hundred years. In September, 1862, the college was closed, the pupils then in the institution, one hundred and six, being removed to the Vizcainas (which see). A few months later the prison of Belen was established. The prison is dirty, unhealthy, badly-ordered, and crowded greatly in excess of its capacity. Hospitals, see Charitable Institutions. IV. FEDERAL BUILDINGS. Palacio Nacional (National Palace, M. 90). — When the lots of partition of the city of Tenochtitlan were drawn by the Spanish conquerors, the site now occupied by the National Palace fell to the lot of Cort6s. Upon it had stood before the Conquest the then recently erected palace of Montezuma, described by the early chroniclers as "Montezuma's new house." Cortes caused to be built here a large, low house capped by four flank- ing towers. The property was confirmed to him by the royal order of July 6, 1529, and he and his heirs contin- ued in possession of it until the year 1562, w^hen it was bought by the crown and set apart as the Viceroyal resi- dence. The primitive building was destroyed in the great riots of 1692, in which year the present Palace was begun. Since that time additions have been made to it as occasion has required, until now the building is the largest, and one of the ugliest, in the city. It occupies the entire eastern side of the Plaza Mayor — having a frontage of six hundred and seventy-five feet. In the Palace are housed the following named departments of FEDExlAL BUILDINGS. 141 the Federal Government: Presidency, State, Treasury, Headquarters of the Army, Archives, Direccion General ; also, the Senate, the Post Office, and the Astronomical and Meteorological bureaux ; while two large barracks afiford accommodations for several regiments. Architect- urally, there is little to commend this building save its size ; and even this, owing to its utter lack of proportion, is extraordinary rather than imposing. It is a mere ag- glomeration of parts, having been added to from time to time without any regard to continuity or general pHn. The principal court {patio) is large and of handsome construction, as also is the court of the Presidenc3^ The Hall of the Ambassadors reproduces the faults of the building as a whole : it is very large, but very badly proportioned. In it is a notable collection of full- length portraits of the prominent leaders of the revolt against Spain and of other celebrities, the work of lead- ing Mexican artists. Historically, the more notable of these portraits are, of Hidalgo, Yturbide, Morelos, Guerrero, Matamoras, and Allende, together with the Presidents Arista and Juarez. Artistically, the more im- portant are the Hidalgo by J. Ramirez and the Arista by Pingret. In one of the galleries of the Presidency is a fine allegorical picture, "The Constitution," by Petro- nilo Monroy, a modern Mexican painter of high stand- ing. There also is here the picture by P. Miranda com- memorating the battle of the "Cinco de Mayo " (May 5, 1862). C^mara de Diputados (Chamber of Deputies, K. 120). Upon the destruction by fire (August 22, 1872) of the hall in the National Palace occupied by the lower House of Congress, the Yturbide theatre was rented by tlie Federal Government for the temporary iise of the 142 MEXICAN GUIDE. Deputies. The accommodation afforded by this build- ing being excellent, the use of the theatre in this man- ner has continued until the present time. The exterior of the building has but scant pretensions to elegance. The interior has been adapted to its present purpose by modifications of the stage and pit, the galleries remain- ing unchanged. Palacio de Justicia (Federal Court, M. 91), in a por- tion of the old convent of the Enseiianza (which see). Arzobispado (archiepiscopal palace), northeast corner Calles Arzobispado and Seminario, now occupied by the department of Internal Eevenue and other Federal offices. The building is a very ancient foundation. In the year 1530, Fray Juan de Zumarraga, first Archbishop of Mex- ico, began here the building of an episcoj^al residence ; and by the royal order of August 2, 1533, Charles V. provided that, inasmuch as the building fund was tithe money, the palace should pertain to the Archbishops of Mexico and should be lived in by them "forever and ever" {jyara siempre jamas). The palace was rebuilt in 1730, and in the year 1800 the present building was com- pleted. In 1861 it was declared government property. Ciudadeia (Citadel, R 130), in the southwestern sub- urb of the city, near the line of the horse railway to Tacubaya ; a large building, inclosing several acres, now used as an armory [fabrica de armas). Aduana (Custom House, D. 131), on the northern side of the Plaza of Santiago Tlaltelolco, was begun in 1883 and was completed in 1886. The old church of Santiago Tlaltelolco, just west of it, now is dismantled and is used as a bonded warehouse. Casa de Moneda (Mint, L. 93), in the Calle del Apar- tado. Very soon after the Conquest there was established FEDERAL BUILDINGS. 143 in the City of Mexico an assay office, for the valuation of refined silver, and that from the silver might be de- ducted the royal tribute. Ingots and bars bearing the stamp of this office were permitted to circulate in lieu of coin. The need for coin being urgent, it was decreed, by a royal order of May 11, 1535, that three mints should be established in America : one in Potosi (Bo- livia), one in Santa Fe (New Grenada), and one in the City of Mexico. In all of these establishments the regu- lations regarding coinage were identical with those gov- erning the royal mint in Castile. The demand for in- creased space led to the removal of the Mint to the Viceroyal Palace in 1562, when the building was pur- chased by the crown from the heirs of Cortes ; and in 1569 it was established beside the royal treasury. The pressure upon it increased constantly, and in 1729 a new and much larger building became necessary. The plans were prepared by Don Nicolas Peinado in 1730 ; were approved by a royal order of August 2, 1731, and the work was completed in 1734 The original estimates of cost were $206,000 ; the actual cost was $554,600. At this j)eriod the coining was farmed, much more to the interest of the farmers than to the interest of the govern- ment — for which reason, in 1733, the government took the coining into its own hands. As the Mint necessarily had to deal with a business that increased with great rapidity, a new enlargement became necessary in less than half a centui'y — the work being completed between 1772 and 1782 at a cost of $449,893. After the erection of Mexico into a Kepublic branch mints were established in several of the silver-producing centres, with the result of greatly diminishing the demands upon the establish- ment in the capital. Part of the building was used by 144 MEXICAN GUIDE. the government for other purposes, and tlie macliinerv was suffered to become antiquated and worn. With a view to restoring the Mint to a slate of etHciency, the money required for the purchase of new machinery twice was appropriated — but, somehow, the new machin- ery was not bought ! By way of radical remedy, the government reverted to the Viceroyal custom of farming the coinage. By the act of February 23, 1847, the coin- age was leased, and the stipulation was made that it should be carried on in the building that the Mint now occupies. In 1850 this removal was effected, and coin issued under the new arrangement July 1st of the same year. The greater part of the machinery then put in was bought in England. In August, 1865, improved stamps were imported from the United States, and in February, 18()(), the beautiful coins of the Empire were issued. About $3,000,000 of the Imperial money passed into circulation, almost all of which was recoined after the Empire fell. Senor Garcia Cubas places the total coin- age of the Mint of Mexico between the time of its es- tablishment and the year 1883, at : gold, $81,859,873 ; silver, <^'2,2Gl,334,89y.' r. run Lie institutions. Biblioteca Nacional (National Library, V. 102. Free. Open daily, feast-days excepted, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.). The building in which the Library is boused, once the Church of San Agustin (which see), is massive, of mag- niticent proportions, and both inside and out its archi- tectural features are very fine. In common with all Spanish- American churches, its mass is admirable ; and PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS. 145 in this case the columnn, basso-relievos, friezes, and other embelHsliments, are executed in excellent taste. Particularly to be noted is the fine basso-relievo of San Agustin, over tlie main portal. The building has upon its north and west sides an ornamental garden sur- rounded by a high iron raihng, the iron posts being sur- mounted by portrait busts of the following named Mexi- can celebrities : poets, Manuel Cai-pio, Francisco Manuel Sanchez de Tagle, Jose Joaquin Pesado, Fray Manuel Navarrete, and Netzahualcoyotl ; dramatist, Manuel Eduardo Gorostiza ; historians, Fernando A. Tezozomoc, Fernando A. Ixtlilxochitl, Francisco Javier Clavijero, Mariano Veytia, Lucas Alaman, and Fernando liamirez ; jurist, Manuel de la Pena y Pena; philologist, Fray Juan Crisostomo Najera ; humanist, Carlos Sigiienza y Gongora ; naturalist, Jose A. Alzate ; chemist, Leopoldo Ilio de la Loza ; Joaquin Cardoso, Jose Maria Lafragua. Facing the garden, from a niche in the western wall of the Lil)rary, is a large statue of Minerva. In the north front a noble portal, guarded by a wrought-iron gate, gives entrance to the marble-paved vestibule. From the pavement rises a line of Ionic col- umns, supporting the groined arches of the old choir ; and from this stately vestibule the great nave of the building is entered — a magnificent hall, along the sides of which rise slender pilasters, supporting the rich cornice whence spring the arches of the vaulted roof. Between the pilasters formerly were the openings into the several chapels ; these openings now are walled up, and the chapels form a series of alcoves parallel with the nave and connected with each other by door- ways cut through their dividing walls. Ample light is obtained from windows above the cornice, and from a noble window in 146 MEXICAN GUIDE. the fipse — in front of which is displayed a colossal cast in plaster, admirably modelled, of the arms of the Re- public. Balancing this work, a fine statue of Time, also colossal, stands in an open arch above the choir. Ranged on pedestals along the walls of the great nave are colos- sal statues of the following named fathers of learning :' Yalmiki, Confucius, Isaiah, Homer, Plato, Aristophanes, Cicero, Virgil, St. Paul, Origen, Dante, Alarcon, Coper- nicus, Descartes, Cuvier and Humboldt. On each side of the entrance are medallion portraits, the one of Jua- rez, by whom was issued the decree ordering the estab- lishment of the Library ; the other of Antonio Martinez de Castro, the Minister of Justice by whom the decree received its official authorization. Annexed to the prin- cipal building is the old chapel of the Tercer Orden, used at present as a storehouse for unclassified books. This quaint edifice, in shape a Greek cross, contrasts very efiectively with the majestic mass and elegant de- tails of the Librar}^ building proper. The Library, containing upward of 150,000 volumes, is composed mainly of books which were removed from the libraries of the several monasteries in accordance with the operation of the Laws of the Reform. It has also, notwithstanding its recent foundation, a consider- able collection of standard and current works in Spanish, French, English and German — a collection that is in- creased annually by judicious purchases. Naturally, its source being remembered, its strongest departments are theology and Church historj^, in both of which it is very rich ; and it is scai'cely less rich in the department of Spanish-American history — which, iadeed, during its first and second centuries, is little more than Church his- torv under another name. The labor of organizing and PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS. 147 digesting the chaotic mass of books here brought to- gether has been very great ; nor is it yet ended. Al- ready, however, enough has been accompHshed to place at the easy disposition of students one of the most im- portant collections of books on the Continent ; and earnest is given by this hard work well done that what remains to be accomplished will be not less satisfactory. All students who require the use of this Library have cause for profound gratitude to its librarian, by whom order has been drawn from confusion, and by whom every facility and courtesy is afforded for earnest work, Don Jose Maria Vigil. Other Libraries of importance in the city are : Cinco de Mayo, in the old church of the Betlemitas, a free library open daily from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and (feast-days excej^ted) from 3 to 7 p.m., containing 9,000 volumes ; Escuela Preparatoria, 8,000 volumes ; Escuela de Jiiris- prudencia, 14,000 volumes, and Escuela de Ingenieros, 7,000 volumes. Each Department of state, the National Museum, the Academy of the Fine Arts, the several col- leges and scientific societies, possess libraries adapted to their several needs. There are also circulating libraries (see p. 30). In the Palacio Nacional are fourteen rooms filled with the National archives. Escuela Nacional de Bellas Artes (O. 103). Na- tional School of the Fine Arts ; usually spoken of as the Academy of San Carlos. Open daily from 12 to 3 p.m. ; Sundays and Feast Days from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admis- sion by card from the Secretary. A plan for admission on i3ayment of an entrance fee is under consideration. In the year 1529 the eminent Franciscan Fray Pedro de Gtinte founded the College of San Juan de Letran, in which he established departments of music and drawing. 148 mp:xi(^an guide. This was the parent art school of Mexico. Rodrigo de Cifuentes, it is believed, arrived in New Spain as early as 1523, and painted portraits of Cortes. The real art life of the colony began with the arrival, near the end of the sixteenth century, of the great artist Sebastian Arteaga, whose influence upon painting and architecture was so strong that he justly may be considered the founder of these arts in Mexico. And about the same time came to Mexico the eminent painters Alonzo Vasquez, and Baltasar Echave. With the latter came also the celebrated woman artist, known as La Sumaya, who was, according to tra- dition, both his wife and liis instructor in painting. (The best example of this woman's work is the San Se- bastian, above the altar de Perdon, in the Cathedral of Mexico.) To the seventeenth century belong Herrera ; Andreas Lopez ; Aguilera ; Luis, Juan, and Nicolas Ro- driguez ; Cabrera, a Zapoteca Indian born in Oaxaca ; Jose, Luis, Rodriguez, and Nicolas Juarez ; Juan Correa ; Vallejo, a pupil of Cabrera's ; Ibarra ; Lopez ; Saenz ; Esquivel ; Zendejas ; Alcibar, and the sculptors Patino Instolinque (an Indian) and Cora. The works of these men are found all over Mexico. Many of them lived and worked into the early part of the eighteenth century, But of new material the eighteenth century, with the brilliant exception of Francisco Eduardo Tresguerras (see Celaya) produced practically nothing. Tresguerras, a great architect, and a painter and sculptor of marked ability, has been styled, not inaptly, "the Michael Angelo of Mexico." The existing School of the Fine Arts had a small be- ginning in a school of engraving, established in the Mint (by a royal order given by Charles III., March 15, 1778), under the direction of the principal engraver, Geronim© PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS. 149 Antonio Gil. This school was opened in May, 1779. The general interest manifested in the school of engrav- ing caused the Director of the Mint, Don Fernando Man- gino, to propose to the Viceroy, Don Martin de Mayorga, the establishment of an academy of the three noble arts, -painting, sculpture, and architecture : and, the ai^proval of the Viceroy being given, September 12, 1781, classes were begun on the 4th of November of the same yeai. The project of formally founding an academy of the fine arts was a matter of such moment that it was referred to the crown. By the royal order of December 25, 1783, the king's approval was accorded, and license was given for founding the existing institution under the name of the Academia de las Nobles Artes de San Carlos de la Nueva Espaua ; and with much ceremony the Academy formally was opened November 4, 1785. Its first pro- fessors, sent from SjDain, were the painter Aguirre, and the architect and painter Velazquez. In September, 1791, the classes were removed from the cramped quarters in the Mint to the building formerly occupied by the Hos- pital de Amor de Dios. In this building, much enlarged and improved, the Academy still remains. In the year of its removal hither, there came from Spain, to take charge of its two more important departments, the painter Rafael Jimeno, and the architect Manuel Tolsn, — the latter bringing with him an admirable collection of casts from the antique (costing $40,000), sent by Charles III, This conjunction of fortunate circum- stances made the ensuing twenty years the most fruitful in the whole period of the Academy's existence. The troublous times of the war of Independence, and the subsequent epoch of anarchy, wofully disturbed the workings of this art school. In 1810 its endowment 150 MEXICAN GUIDE, fuDcl became exhausted, and, after struggling for an ex- istence during the ensuing eleven years, it was closed in 1821. A small fund was provided from the city treasury that enabled the Council to resume the classes in Feb- ruary, 1821 ; and to continue them, though under diffi- culties, until 1843. By the decree of December 16, 1843, the academy was permitted to receive the annual proceeds of a lottery ; with which the buildings, pre- viously rented, were purchased, much improved, and formally reopened January 6, 1847. The war of the Re- form brought another season of disaster ; but with the accession of the Juarez government came a period of prosperity that has continued until now — wdien, with an annual allow^ance of $35,000, the institution is in fairly flourishing circumstances. In 1868 the name of the Academy formally was changed to that of the National School of the Fine Arts, and at the same time various reforms were instituted in its organization and methods. Prizes are given for meritorious work by pupils, including a Roman prize of a pension of $600 a year for six years. The attendance at the classes averages about one hun- dred. The recently instituted night classes for artisans have proved a great success. All tuition is free. The galleries of the Academy are rather awkwardly lighted, and the handsome, but too pronounced, decora- tion of the third gallery tends somewhat to distract at- tention from the pictures themselves. The first and secon(* galleries are hung with paintings of the early Mexican school, and the quality of the work here is so decidedly superior, with one or two exceptions in favor of the moderns, to that of the fourth and fifth galleries, in which the work of modern Mexican artists is shown, that there really seems to be some foundation for the PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS. 151 saying that " the founding of an Academy of the Fine Arts in Mexico was the death-blow to Mexican Art." The more notable works in the first gallery are : " Christ in the Garden," No. 21, by Luis Juarez, prob- ably his best picture ; the " Adoration of the Magi," the ''Holy Family," No. 21, and the wonderfully fine "Mar- tyrdom of San Apronianio," No. 6, all by Echave ; the " San Agustio," No. 13, very striking color combined with good drawing and composition, by Antonio Eodri- guez ; the quaint picture of the little saints and martyrs Justo and Pastor, No. 5, by Jose Juarez, and, in the same somewhat conventional style, by the same artist, the "Life of Saint Alexis," No. 4; the fine "Meeting of Mary and Elizabeth," No. 14, attributed to Arteaga — though the treatment of the hair rather suggests one of the Juarez ; the impressive "Christ and Saint Thomas," certainly by Ai-teaga, in which the principal figure is less well treated than are the secondary figures ; the delight- ful portrait of "Don Joachin Manez de Sta Cruz, at the age of four years," by Nicholas Juarez. In the second gallery the more notable works are : " The Holy Sepulchre," No. 95, in which the light is so well carried oif over the faces of the Virgin and Mag- dalen, the " Santa Ana and the Virgin," No. 65, and the " Meeting of Mary and Elizabeth," No. 63, especially beautiful in color, all by Echave ; the striking "Virgin of the Apocalypse," No. 13, by Cabrera ; the portrait. No. 69, of Cabrera, painted by himself ; the "Adoration of the Magi," No. 85, in which the painter, Nicholas Juarez, has introduced his own portrait — the second figure, on the picture's left, in blue drapery; llie "In- terior of the Convent of the Betlemitas," by Villalpando, interesting rather because of the sul)ject than because of 152 MEXICAN GUIDE. the quality of the work. There is a quaintness and a ten- derness about Echave's work that, with his fine color, make his paintings exceedingly attractive. Ibarra, on the other hand, as seen in his four pictures, Nos. 45, 48, 55, 58, is less impressive in his color, and is apt to be weak in his expression — though there certainly is de- lightful color in his " Women of Samaria," No. 48 ; and in his " Woman taken in Adultery," No. 55, there is a charming bit of expression in the face of the leaning-for- ward boy. He is seen at his best, probably, in the por- trait, No. 77. Of Cabrera's work probably the best ex- amples are his "Bernard " and "Anselm," in which are seen much more of his personality and of his fine tech- nique than in his great " Virgin of the Apocalypse." In the Sala de Actos, also examples of this early Mex- ican school, are a wonderfully fine "Crucifixion," by Arteaga ; a " Martyrdom of St. Lawrence," delightfully quaint in treatment, but excellent in drawing, color, and light and shade, by Luis Juarez, and a singularly beau- tiful "Virgin de la Purisima," by Aguilera. The third gallery is hung with pictures by European artists. Among the more notable works are : " San Juan de Dios, No. 123, by Murillo, a replica of his picture in the church of the Caridad in Seville ; a " San Rafael " No. 14, also believed to be by Murillo ; a " Saint John in the Desert," No. 9, attributed to Murillo, painted in his " ugly " style but certainly by him or by a very good artist of his school ; the important pictures, " San Fran- cisco," No. 55, and " San Antonio de Padua," No. 57, of the Seville school, and possessing Murillo-like qualities, by an unknown artist ; the " Christ Tormented," No. 61. attributed to Rubens : note the mocking face in the pic- ture's left, exactly in that artist's style ; the portrait of public; institutions. 153 Eubens, No. 107, believed, and from good internal evi- dence, to have been painted by himself ; the " Seven Virtues," No. 39, painted on wood, attributed to Leon- ardo — whatever its source, this picture possesses unde- niably great qualities, the drawing is w^onderfully fine, and the subdued coloring is enchanting ; a "San Sebas- tian, No. 14, attributed to Van Dyke ; a beautiful por- trait of Murillo, No. 104, believed to be by Velazquez ; the "Buen Pastor," No. Ill, by Eivera (Spagnoletto), much injured by time and bad treatment, but still show- ing its high quality ; two wonderfully well-painted pic- tures of Saint Gregory, Nos. 3 and 121, by Andrea Vaccara ; the " Santa Catalina de Sena," No. 6, very striking in its light and shade, and the "Santa Teresa," No. 1, both by Carre no ; another " Santa Catalina de Sena," attributed, and probably justly, to Guercino ; two not especially interesting pictures, " Santa Barbara," No. 98, and " Santa Catarina," No. 105, attributed to Guido; the "Episode of the Flood," No. 71, by Cog- hetti ; the " Emaus," No. 117, by Zurbaran. The very striking portrait. No. 1, a woman in the habit of a Do- minican nun, is believed to be a portrait of Maria Ana de Austria, second wife (here represented as the widow) of Philip IV. The picture is supposed to be by Carre no. The little landscape room, opening from the third gal- lery, has an old-fashioned air about it that is highly sug- gestive of English landscape work of about half a century ago. The more notable works here are a court-yard. No. 31, by Coto, brilliant with almost Fortuny-like sun- light ; the inner court of the Loreto, No. 26, by Jimenez; and a well-painted and very interesting interior of the convent of San Francisco in the City of Mexico, No. 62, by Laudesio. 154 MEXICAN GUIDE. The fourth gallery, hnng with the works of modern Mexican artists, has a general glaring effect of strong, crude color that is anything but agreeable. The more important works, those in which these unpleasant quali- ties are least conspicuous, are " Jaana the Mad," No. 41, by Pelegrin Clave ; the " Giotto," No 87, by Jose Obre- ^ gon, and the " Saint Charles Borromeo," that won for its painter, Solome Pina, the Roman prize. The small fifth gallery contains the best utterances of modern Mexican art, and some of the work here is of a very high order of excellence. Some of these pictures, it is true— as the nude study. No. 16, by Felix Parra — are nothing more than uninteresting exhibitions of a considerable technical skill, yet some few are admirable examples of good technique manifested in an adequate treatment of subjects which intrinsically are picturesque. The "Job" ofCarasco, the "Caridad Romano" of Luis Monroy, the " Margaret " of Felipe Ocadiz, the " Galileo" of Parra, are pictures which would command attention anj'where. The "Las Casas"of Parra, in nobility of subject, grandeur and simplicity of treatment, and strong but subdued color, ranks as one of the great pictures of the world. Work such as this affords ample ground for faith in the future of Mexican art. Sculpture has not flourished in Mexico. In the gal- leries of the Academy are some few portrait busts in marble of fair quality, and a few plasters, notably the "Aztec Gladiator," " Columbus," " Dona Marina," and others by Vilar, of positive merit. The finest piece of sculpture by Mexican artists is the monument to Juarez in the Panteon de San Fernando, a very noble work by the brothers Yslas. PUBLIC INSTITUTIOIS^S. 155 Museo Nacional (National Museum, opendail}', Sat- urdays excepted, from 10 a.m. to 12 m., M. 92), in the portion of the National Palace formerl}^ occupied by the Mint, fronting on the Calle de Moneda. The existing large and most interesting collection is the outgro\Yth of vvhat for many years was a neglected department of the University. There, in two rooms and a courtyard, were exhibited the antiquities discovered from time to time about the city, together with some specimens of natural history, a few historic portraits, and other matters of in- terest, the whole being presided over by a single zealous but sadly underpaid curator. AVhen the University was extinguished, in 1865, the collection was ordered to be removed to the building that it now occujoies ; but as this building then was utterly unsuited to its needs — being even yet in process of adaptation — everything was stored until the necessary alterations could be made. With various interruptions, these alterations have been in prog- ress for a number of years, and although much still re- mains to be accomplished the work is now so far advanced that the rich collections may be seen to fair advantage. A most marked improvement has been made in the pres- ent year in the completion of the south gallery on the ground floor, in which the greater number of heavy pieces are to be displayed. The so-called " calendar stone," for man}" years embedded in the western tower of the cathe- dral, was removed to the south gallery of the Museum in 1886. The Museum is divided into two sections : Natural History, and Antiquities. The first of these, subdivided into the departments of mineralogy, palaeontology, zo- ology, and botany, can only be described as a fairly good but very small beginning of the great work of represent- loO MEXICAN GUIDE. ing adequately the manifold natural products of Mexico. The department of Antiquities is a veritable treasure- house, upon the organization of which has been expended, with obviously satisfactory results, a vast amount of in- telligent labor and thought. It includes a very curious and important collection of prehistoric remains : arms and devices, utensils, jewels and ornaments, idols, imitative heads, picture-writings, and so forth, related to ancient Mexicans ; together with portraits and relics associated with the history of the country subsequent to the Con- quest. The Stone of the Sun. — The laborious investigations of Antonio de Leon y Gama resulted in giving to this block the erroneous name of the " Aztec Calendar Stone." The history of the stone and its present name were estab- lished successively by Senor Chavero and by Dr. Valen- tini. From the facts known concerning it, Mr. Bando- lier'" infers 'Hhat the Stone of the Sun was originally placed on one of the artificial mounds in the centre of the Indian pueblo of Mexico [Tenochtitlan], and that it served as the base of the smaller perforated stone to which the victim was tied, and that upon the two stones the gladiatorial sacrifice was performed." Specimens of the smaller stones here referred to will be found in the large south gallery of the Museum. They are very like small mill-stones. A block of this kind and size, with a rope passed through it and fastened to the ankle or even around the body of a man, would be of sufiicient weight to hold him fast, unless he was of gigantic strength ; but two men easily could Hft it, to fasten or * "Report of an Archseological Tour in Mexico in 1881,'' by A, F. Bandelier. Published for the Arclifeological Institute of America by Cupples, Upliaiu & Co., Boston, 1884. PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS. io? replace tlie cord. These stones sometimes are called temalacatl. In regard to the carvmgs upon the Stone of the Sun, the following parts of them are ascertained be- yond all doubt: The central figure, representing the sun, and perhaps the year also ; the twenty figures placed in a circle around it, representing the twenty days of the Mexican month ; the date, 13th acatl, cor- responding with 1479 A.D., above the head of the sun on the rim or border. Seiior Chavero and Dr. Valentin! have carried the interpretation further, but their inter- pretation requires confirmation. The Idol Huitzilopochtli (called also Teoyaomiqui). This huge idol of porphyritic basalt, nearly nine feet high, stands in the southern gallery of the Museum. It is covered with carvings almost to overloading. How- ever well executed some of them are Avhen taken singh', their combination is devoid of symmetry. The general effect is appalling, presenting a most hideous agglomer- ation of repulsive forms. The two faces of this sculj^ture are not alike. Antonio de Leon y Gama adopts the view that one represents a male, the other a female figure ; and calls the rear figure Huitzilopochtli and the front Teoyaomiqui, stating that the latter was the for- mer's companion. By an exhaustive examination of orig- inal authorities Mr. Bandelier finds that not one of the older writers upon Mexico mentions an idol or deity called Teoyaomiqui ; and by a close chain of eliminativo reasoning he arrives at the conclusion that this figure was " the well known war god of the Mexican tribe, Huitzilopochtli ; and that, consequently, it w^as the fam- ous principal idol of aboriginal Mexico, or Tenochtitlan." The Sacrificial Stone, also in the southern gallery. The late archseolooist and historian, Don Manuel Orozco 158 MEXICAN GUIDE. y Berra, has written at great length upon this relic,* showing that it is at once a votive and commemorative monument celebrating the victories of the chief Tizoc over the tribes represented by the figures carved upon the circumference of the cylinder. These figures, dis- posed in groups of two, represent conqueror and con- quered ; the victor holding the vanquished by the hair, the latter holding a bunch of inverted arrows. In the panel in which each of these groups is carved is seen, near the back of the prisoner's head, the phonetic sym- bol of the name of his tribe. The effigy of the sun, carved upon the upper surface, indicates that the work as a whole is a votive offering to that deity. Sefior Oroz- co y Berra placed the date (accepted also by Seiior Gar- cia Cubas) of the construction of this monument be- tween the years 1481-86. Mr. Bandelier accepts his conclusions in regard to the character of the sculpture and its general purpose ; but does not accept the date that he assigns to it, nor his interpretation of the carv- ings. In writing of the two known (by existing speci- mens) varieties of sacrificial stones, iechcatl and cuauhxi- calli, Mr. Bandelier affirms that this stone "has been thoroughly identified as belonging to the last named variety." He adds: "It is circular, and its distinguish- ing features are the cup-shajDed concavity in the centre, and the channel which runs therefrom to the outer rim." Senor Ramirez (quoted by Sefior Garcia Cubas) exjolains that when the stone was dug up in the Plaza, near the cathedral (December 17, 1791), it was considered too heavy to move, and was ordered to be broken up that it * " El Cxiaulixicalli cle Tizoc," Analesdel Mus o Nacumal^ vol. i.. No. 1. PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS. lf)9 might be used for paving stones — as was clone with many similar relics ; and that the process of cutting actually was begun, as the channel cut iu it shows, but was stopped by the Canon Gamboa, who happened then to pass that way, and who ordered the stone to be pre- served. It is obvious that in regard to this relic there is a trifling clashing of facts and opinions. Tlie India Tride (the Sad Indian), in the south gallery. Mr. Brantz Mayer was the first observer to point out the true meaning of this curious statue. He wrote : "This figure probably was set on the wall or at the portal of some edifice, and in its hand was erected a banner or insignia of command." In the most satisfactory manner Mr. Bandelier has verified this shrewd inference. He quotes from the writings of Fray Juan de Tobar this portion of the description of the place of worship of Huitzilopochtli : " It had on the tops of the chambers and rooms where the idols were a handsome balcony [or balustrade] made of many small stones as black as jet, set with much regularity, so as to form a field checkered black and white, very conspicuous from below ; over this balcony there rose turret-like battlements, and on the top of the pillars were two Indians of stone, seated, with candlesticks in their hands." Mr. Bandelier therefore concludes : " I have unhesitatingly accepted the Indio Triste as a torch-bearer of stone — consequently as a mere ornament, without any direct relations to worship what- ever." This piece of sculpture was dug up in the street (now called the Calle del Indio Triste) in the year 1828. How it came by its present name is not of record ; nor can any good reason for it be found. A merrier little smack- chops of an Indian never was put into stone. Two colosml heads of miah's, in the south gallery. 160 MEXICAN GUIDE. Surrounding the cluster of mounds of worship in the pueblo of Tenochtitlan was a wall composed of colossal heads of serpents carved in stone. Seiior Garcia Cubas, by whom these interesting relics were discovered, has shown that they were a part of the ancient cohuatepantli, or snake-wall. The stones were found beneath one of the columns of the first cathedral (razed in the year 1572) having been used as a part of the foundation. They were buried again, and were rediscovered by Sen or Garcia Cubas when the garden south and west of the cathedral was made in 1881."^ Coiled serpent, in the south gallery ; a ser2:)eut coiled in pyramidal form, its body covered w'ith feathers, carved in basaltic porph^ay. As is pointed out by Seiior Garcia Cubas, this fantastic effigy is found rej)eated in many of the ancient Mexican monuments, often of colossal size. It is received as the symbol of one of the ' oldest and most fainous divinities of the American jDantheon ; American, because it is found, but slightly modified, in all parts of the continent. In this myth is preserved (in Mexico, and regions south of that country, certainly) the memory of a mysterious white and bearded personage who taught a strict and pure morality ; who brought the knowledge of the sciences and arts ; who is regarded as having been at once the priest and the civilizer of the people. Naturally, among a semi-barbarous people, this personage, possessing such god-like attributes, as time re- moved the memory of his personality, became a divinit}'. The Peruvians called him Manco-Capac ; the Muiscas, * Tliere is strong reason for believing that many more Aztec relics remain buried in this vicinity. In the course of excavation in the Plazuela del Seminario, in October, 1885, an important sculptured stone was found. PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS. 161 Bocliica ; the Yucatan os, Kukulcan ; the Mexicans, Quet- zalcoatl. The Christian missionaries, astonished at find- ing among a semi-barbarous and heathen people traces of a pure system of moraht}^ and of customs very Hke those of Christianity, fancied that this mysterious per- sonage must have been either one of the Disciples of Christ, or one taught directly by Him or His Apostles, who had come to preach the true faith in the new world. Several Mexican writers (notably the celebrated Dr. Mier, in his address before the Spanish Academy) demon- strated to their own satisfaction that he was no other than the Apostle Saint Thomas — an important feature of their argument being that in Spanish Quetzalcoatl is ren- dered Tomas. Seiior Orozco y Berra was the first to draw attention to the rather awkward conjunction of facts that this supposed Saint Thomas figured in Mexican history about the tenth century of our era, while the genuine Saint Thomas undeniably belonged in the first. Seiior Orozco y Berra makes the very reasonable suggestion that the mysterious personage may have been a Christian missionary from Iceland. The significance of quetzal-coaU Senor Garcia Cubas shows, is " serpent of quelzalli." The word quelzalli anciently had a variety of significations, though all partaking of the same general nature. Its root is quetzal, meaning a species of bird-of-paradise — though applied especially to the two long and brilliant tail-feathers of that bird, that constituted one of the prin- cipal articles of tribute paid to the Mexican chiefs. From this direct meaning its metaphorical use as descriptive of anythingvery precious naturally followed — and thus it be- came applied to the man-god, Quetzalcoatl. Besides this very fine and perfect specimen, the Museum possesses niany specimens, large and small, of the serpent symbol. 102 MEXICAN GUIDE. God of Fbr., also called Chac-Mool (two specimens), iu soutlieru galleiy. The larger of these two figures — a re- cumbent colossal figure, holding over the navel with both hands a round disk with narrow rim — was exhumed by Dr. and Mrs. Le Plongeon at Chichen-Itza, in Yucatan. By them it was described as a personal monument, or sepulchral statue, and was given the name of Chac-Mool. From the fact that at least three other similar figures have been discovered in other parts of Mexico — one of which is the smaller figure near it, found in the State of Tlaxcala — the name, and the theory that are thus advanced, do not seem to be tenable. Seiior Chavero has advanced the more probable suggestion that the fig- ure represents the God of Fire, and that the disk held in its hands is the emblem of the sun. Very bitter con- troversies have raged, and still are raging, over the up- turned stomach of this defenceless stone image, the chief point at issue being whether it was, or was not, an idol. Without venturing into the arena of this painful discus- sion, at least this much of Mr. Bandelier's remarks con- cerning the figure — being also an admirable criticism of early Mexican stone-work — may be quoted in safety : " I have already alluded," he wTites, " to the imperfec- tions of aboriginal art in Mexico. While many of the faces and heads are well done, particularly those of clay, this excellence very rarely, if ever, extends to the other parts of the body. On the contrary, there is always a certain disproportion and consequent lack of harmony. The Chac-Mool, which (excepting, perhaps, the Indio Triste) is the best of all, still shows strange defects in the proportions of its lower limbs. The same is true in regard to the figures of animals. Quadrupeds are mostly rude in shai)e ; still I have seen more than one head of a PUBLIC IJNTSTITUTIONS. 163 tiger which is fairly executed. Birds are alwaj^s mon- sters, the workmen being unable to overcome the dif- ficulty of rendering the plumage ; but all simple forms like snakes, turtles, frogs, and reptiles generally, seem to be well imitated. Thus the head, coils, and rattles of the rattlesnake are excellent. Fishes are poorly represented ; and plants, which occur rarely excejDt as leaves and sin- gle flowers, are mostly of stiff, conventional types. The art of sculpture in aboriginal Mexico, while considerably above that of the Northern Village Indians, is still not superior to the remarkable carvings on ivory and wood of the tribes of the Northwest coast, and often bears a marked resemblance to them." In addition to these more important objects, the south gallery contains numerous other objects in stone deserv- ing careful attention. In the upper floor of the Museum are several galleries containing smaller objects. The col- lection of arms and weapons is excellent, and may be studied to especial advantage in connection with Mr. Ban- delier's exceedingly interesting " i\.rt of War and Mode of AVarf are of the Ancient Mexicans " ; and to like advantage may be studied the less complete (for lack of space, not for lack of material) collection of objects illustrative of house life, articles of dress, and tools, in connection with his " Social Organization and Mode of Government of the Ancient Mexicans." * The most famous of the pic- ture-writings here preserved is that believed to represent the migrations of the Aztec tribes. The most interesting- personal relic of the vanquished race is the shield of Montezuma II. * Persons converpaiit with Spanish will find still more ample in- formation on these heads in the scholarly " Historia Antigua y de la Conquista de Mexico " hy the late Sr. Lie. Manuel Orozco y Berra. 164 MEXICATT GUIDE. Ill the historical section of the Museum will be found another and not less interesting class of objects. Of these may be mentioned : the standard raised by Hidalgo, September 16, 1810 — the picture of the Virgin of Guada- lupe from the Santuario de Atotonilco ; the stole, gun, cane, silk handkerchief and chair once belonging to the liberator-priest ; the Standard of the Conquest, the red damask flag carried by the Conquerors ; a portrait of Cortes ; arms and armor of the time of the Conquest, including the helmet and breast-plate belonging to Pe- dro de Alvarado ; portraits of the Viceroys ; silver table- service belonging to the Emperor Maximilian (the state coach of this unlucky emperor is preserved in one of the lower rooms) ; and various other objects intimately con- nected with the persons of those most notable in Mexi- can history. An excellent descri]3tive catalogue (in Spanish) of the possessions of the Museum has been prepared by its Di- rector, Senor Gumesindo Mendoza, assisted by Professor Jesus Sanchez. The work, in spite of very serious ob- stacles, that Senor Mendoza has done in assembling and organizing the materials of the Museum cannot be too warmly praised. VI. RELIGIOUS FOUNDATIONS. Befoee the separation from Spain, almost every public institution in the Province was a religious foundation — schools, hospitals, asjdums, even the principal theatre of the city : all had their origin in the church. As the term is used here, however, its meaning is restricted to churches, and to establishments of which a church was the KELIGIOUS FOUNDATIONS. 1C5 principal or a very prominent part. Yet as a clinrcli was a part of almost everything in that earlier time, a few of the churches of the city are not included in the follow- ing list, but are treated of in connection with the buikV iugs to which they pertained. In the general index will be found the names of all the churches in the city, in al- phabetical order. The Cathedral. The Bishopric of Mexico was erect- ed by Pope Clement VII. in 1527. On the 12th of Decem- ber of that year, Fray Juan de Zumarraga was presented to the Pope as Bishop of Mexico, by Charles V. ; and in December of the year ensuing he arrived in the city with the title of Bishop Elect and Protector of the Indians. He was confirmed in his position by the bull of September 2, 1530. The Archbishopric was erected by Pope Paul 11, January 31, 1545, when Bishop Zu- marraga was raised to the Archiepiscopate. The Cathedral, the Holy Metropolitan Church of Mex- ico, consecrated as the Church of the Asuncion de Maria Santisima, is built upon or near the site of the great Aztec temple {teocalli) that the Spaniards destroyed when the city was conquered in 1521. Upon the parti- tion of the city this site was set apart, that upon it should be built a Christian church ; and the church, a very small one, actually was built previously to the year 1524. It was replaced, in a few years, by the first cathe- dral ; a small edifice, in fact, but spoken of with great admiration by contemporaneous chroniclers. Philip H., desiring to place here a larger and more stately struc- ture, sought and obtained permission from Clement VII., to destroy this first cathedral that the second might be begun. The first stone of the existing building was laid in the year 1573 ; but in order to preserve the older 166 M EX re AX GUI dp:. structure until the new one should be sufficiently ad- vanced for services to be held in it, the new cathedral was begun a little to the northward of the old one. The site of the first Christian church in the City of Mexico, therefore, is the open space (atrium) in front of the present cathedral. The more important dates in the history of the existing building are : 1573, corner-stone laid ; 1615, foundations and part of the walls completed ; 1623, sacristy under roof ; 1626 first service held in sacristy — where services were held until 1641 ; 1629- 1635, Avork stopped by the great inundation of that per- iod ; February 2, 1656, dedication — the interior of the building still being incomplete ; December 22, 1667, final dedication. Completion of the towers, 1791. Be- tween the years 1573 and 1667 the cost of the work was $17,52,000. With the cost of the towers ($190,000), of work upon the interior, of the bells (the great bell, alone costing $10,000) the entire cost of the work was about $2,000,000. The great bell, 19 feet high, in the western tower, is named Santa Maria de Guadalupe. It was placed in position in the j-ear 1792. The larger of the bells in the eastern tower is named Doiia Maria. Exclusive of the very thick walls, the building meas- ures 387 feet from north to south ; 177 feet from east to west, and has an interior height of 179 feet. It is built of stone. The facade, at the sides of which rise the towers, is divided by massive buttresses into three por- tals, whicli, in turn, are separated by cornices into two divisions — the first, Doric, very elegant by reason of its correct proportions ; the second, Ionic, confused and unsatisfactory. The basso-relievos, statues, friezes, bases and capitals are of white marble, making a harmonious color effect with the gray stone. The towers (203 ft. 6 RELIGIOUS FOUNDATIONS. 167 in. liigli) are in two divisions, the lower Doric and the upper Ionic, this last finished with very beautiful archi- tectural details, and the crown of each is a bell-shaped dome capped by spheres and crosses of stone. The cor- nices of the towers, as well as the cornices elsewhere upon the building, are surmounted by balustrades of carved stone upon which, disposed at regular intervals, are carved stone vases. The cornices immediately be- neath the domes of the towers serve as pedestals for colossal stone statues of the Doctors of the Church and the Patriarchs of the Monastic Orders ; and those of the central portal, occupied by the clock, are pedestals for statues of the Theological Virtues with their attributes. Beneath the clock are blazoned the arms of the Republic — a modern innovation that emphasizes the controlling attitude of the State toward the Church. Above the whole, as seen from the southern side of the Plaza, rises the dome, surmounted by its slender, graceful lantern, the work of the architect Tolsa. The architect of the Avork as a whole was Alonzo Perez Castaiieda. A garden, the beauty of which is by no means so great as to justify its existence, has been made in modern times from a portion of the atrium, thus reducing the actual atrium to miserable dimensions ; and the massive iron chains, swung upon 124 stone posts, which origin- ally inclosed the atrium (and remnants of which may be seen at the outer corners of the garden) have been re- placed by an unsightly railing of iron that cuts the lines of the building and so materially lessens the architectural effect. From the standpoint of the architect, also, the tree-planted Garden of the Zocalo, in the centre of the Plaza, is a great mistake — forcing the observer desirous of obtaining an unobstructed view of the front to come 168 MEXICAN GUIDE. much closer to it than the requirements of good per* sj)ective will allow. The interior of the cathedral, in the Doric style, with traces of the Gothic which marked the Spanish architec- ture of the sixteenth century, is almost severe in its sim-j plicity. It is marred by its wooden floor, by its modern" altars constructed in direct violation of the general de- sign, by the inartistic iron gratings which have replaced the beautifully carved wooden gratings inclosing the chapels, and by a general lack of suitable decoration ; further, the position of the choir (in accordance with the Spanish custom) in the middle of the nave greatly lessens what otherwise would be a very imposing and majestic interior effect. The aisles are divided from the nave by 20 fluted columns which support the light and elegant; vaulted roof. The central arches form a Latin cross,.; above which rises the fine dome. Within the dome are paintings in tempera, representing the Assumptio^^f the Virgin and groups of the principal characters of sacred, history. Outside of the aisles are rows of chapels, seven on each side of the building. The main altar, erected in 1850 after designs by Lorenzo Hidalga — a work that jars upon the prevailing simplicity of design, and that is de- cidedly inferior to the structure that it replaced — is raised upon a pedestal of four steps to the height of the. choir. A vast amount of money was spent upon this work — with very unsatisfactory results. The choir oc- cupies the space between the third and fifth pairs of columns of the nave. It is inclosed in front by a hand- some railing (of tumbago, a composite metal of gold, silver and copper) made in Macao — as were also the railings of the tribunal of the choir, of the passageway between the altar and the choir, and the pedestal IlELIGIOUS FOUNDATIONS. 16'J ol the altar. The stalls are richly carved in wood, and above them is to be observed a painting by the Mexican artist Juan Correa : the Immaculate Conception. Two organs, in carved cases, rise from the lateral tribunals to the height of the arches of the aisles. The finest altar in the cathedral is that of Los Reyes (the Kings), in the apse, rising from the pavement to the roof. Be- neath it lie buried the heads of Hidalgo, Allende, Aldama and Jimenez, brought here with all honor from Guana- juato when Independence had been secured. The altar was executed by the same artist who carved the altar of Los Reyes in the Cathedral of Seville, and is richly carved and gilded in the churrigueresque style. Inclosed in its complicated details are many excellent statuettes, and some good paintings by the Mexican artist Juan Rodri- guez Juarez — the best of which are the " Epiphany " and " Assumption." The altar del perdon (of j^ardon), in the the rear of the choir, is in the same churrigueresque style, but is less rich- It has two fine paintings, the '' Candelaria" of Baltasar de Echave, and a San Sebas- tian by (it is believed) the celebrated woman artist, La Sumaya. Chapels. — The more notable of these are : (1) San Fe- lipje de Jesus, in which are some relics of this saint, Mexico's protomartj'r ; and just outside the grating i.i the font in which he was baptized. AVithin the chapel are the remains, and a modest monument to the memory, of the unfortunate Agustin Yturbide, First Emperor of Mexico — whose well deserved, as well as more lasting and honorable title, here inscribed, is "The Liberator." (2) De las i^eliquias, contains twelve pictures of holy mar- tyrs by Juan de Herrera, called by his contemporaries (for a reason not apparent to his successors) "The Divine." 170 MEXICAN GUIDE. (3) Sail Pedro, in which are the remains of the first Mex- ican Archbishop, Fray Juan cle Zuraarraga ; and, as is behevecl, those also of the mysterious person the heato Gregorio Loj^ez — the Mexican " Man with an Iron Mask," popularly su^Dposed to have been a son of Philip II. The Sacristy is decorated with six great paintings which completely cover the walls : three — " The Glory of Saint Michael," "The Immaculate Conception," and " The Triumph of the Sacrament" — by Cristobal de Vill- alpando; and three — "The Assumption," "The Catho- lic Church," and "The Entry into Jerusalem " — by Juan Correa. In the Meeting -room of the ArcMcofradia are two fine i^ictures by Jose Alcibar, " The Last Supper " and " The Triumph of Faith," together with a very in- teresting collection of portraits of all the Archbishops of Mexico. In the Chapter-room are the three choicest paintings that the cathedral possesses : a picture by an luiknown artist of the Italian school representing Don John of Austria imploring the help of the Virgin at the Battle of Lepanto ; a Virgin, by Pietro de Cortona, and Murillo's " Virgin of Bethlehem." Capilla de las Animas (Cliapel of the Souls). This little chapel, although a portion of the structure of the cathedral, has no connection wdth it. It faces upon the Calle de las Escalerillas, the street passing in the rear of the cathedral. Of its origin nothing is known save that it was there at the beginning of the last century, and that it has been there ever since. At the time that record of it first appears there was connected with it a fraternity, the especial object of which was to pray for the release of souls from Purgatory. The priest then having it in charge was Don Ca^^etano Gil de la Concha, " a most saintly man," who died October 7, 1755, at the age of EELIGIOUS FOUNDATIONS. 171 eighty-seven years — leaving behind him a record (as yet unbroken) of having celebrated the mass in this chapel 45,324 times ! The chapel was destroyed by fire March 3, 1748, and was immediately rebuilt in its present form. Upon one of the altars is the image of Santa Rita de Casia, a saint in great favor among the lower classes of the city. Parish churches. Upon the site now occupied by the Sagrario was built, immediately after the Conquest, as is established by high non-partisan authorities, the first parish church in the City of Mexico. This church, it is believed, was administered by the priest Juan Diaz, chap- lain to Cortes, until the year 1523 ; after that date, as is established by an order of the Emperor Charles V., it was administered by the priest Pedro Villagran. As the Fran- ciscans came to the city about the midsummer of 1524, the claim (preferred by their eminent chronicler. Fray Agustin de Vetancurt, and by others) that they founded the first parish church is not tenable. The explanation of the rival claims to this honor seems to be that the church upon the site now occupied by the Sagrario was the first parish church of the Spaniards, and that the Franciscan foundation was the first parish church of the Indians — a distinction that for a long while was main- tained. It is certain that in the year 1524 Fray Pedro de Gante (see p. 20 et seq.) founded within the Franciscan establish- ment the church of San Jose de los Naturales (described by Vetancurt as " the first parish of the Indians ") thathad parish charge of the Indians of the four grand divisions of the city ; and that almost contemporaneously he estab- lished in these four divisions four adjunct parish chapels, viz. : San Juan Bautista, in the southwest quarter called 172 3IEXICAN GUIDE. Moyotla ; San Pablo, in the southeast quarter called Teopan ; San Sebastian, in the northeast quarter called Atzacualco ; and Nuestra Sehora de la Asuncion (now known as Sta. Maria la Eedonda) in the northwest quar- ter called Tlaquechiuhcan. Three of these foundations are still parish churches ; the fourth, San Juan Baatista (now known as San Juan de la Penitencia, which see) is not. As the city increased in size and in population these fourprimitive parish divisions were subdivided, and new churches were built, as occasion required. Finally the present partition of the city into fourteen parishes was made by Archbishop Lorenzana, March 3, 1772. The parish churches are the following fourteen : Sagrario R^etropolitano. This church, immediately adjoining the cathedral on the east, is, as is stated above, the first parish foundation of the city, and still remains the first parish church. It was founded, probabl}', in the year 1521, being then dedicated to Santiago, the patron Saint of Spain. In the Escudo de Armas de 3Itxico it is written that Don Fernando Cortes gave orders to Juan Rodriguez de Villafuerte to build a chapel for the hous- ing of Nuestra Sefiora de los Eemedios (which see) ; and this was done — the chapel being at first known as the chapel of Santiago, and afterward as the chapel of the Remedios. The present building of the Sagrario is of modern construction, dating from the middle of the last century — replacing the older church, destroyed by fire. The plans were presented by the architect Lorenzo Rod- riguez January 7, 1749, and, these being accepted, work was at once begun. The more important dates in the construction of the edifice are : Foundation laid, January 7, 1749 ; main altar dedicated September 15, 1767 ; dedication of the church as a whole, January 9, 17G8 ; RELIGIOUS FOFNDATlOISrS. 173 completion of the interior decorations, 1770 ; dedication of the existing main altar, 1829 ; important repairs, fol- lowing the earthquake of June 19, 1858. This very elegant building, in the churrigueresque * style, directly adjoins the cathedral and communicates with it by interior doors. The rich fayade and harmo- nious mass contrasts agreeably with the grander mass and severer style of the cathedral. So admirable is the work — in its elegance and purity of complicated filigree carved in stone — that it may be accepted as a standard of excellence by which to judge other productions in this same curious but (when judiciously used) higljly effective style. The general design is a Greek cross of symmetrical proportions, the relatively high vaulted roof being upheld by finely-carved stone pillars, in keeping with which are the equally well-carved pilasters. The main altar is of wood, of harmonious proportions and decorated in excellent taste — among its decorations be- ing two good paintings after Dominichino. There are twelve minor altars, many of which huve been reduced to a most unsatisfactory condition by modern reno- vation in very bad taste. Upon those which have been preserved intact are to be observed a number of paint- ings by leading Mexican artists. The pernicious tend- ency to paint and whitewash that has ruined a great many churches in Mexico has done much to mar the interior of this beautiful building. Fortunately, the baptistry has escaped from this vandal method of reno- vation. In it is a fine fresco by the master Jose Gines de Aguirre — the first professor sent from Spain to take * Tlie highly ornate style of decoration notably practised by the Spanish architect and sculptor Churriguera about the end ot the seventeenth century. 174 MEXICAN GUIDE. charge of the Academy of San Carlos — representing the baptisms of Jesus, Constantine, Saint Augustine and San FeUi:)e de Jesus. Here also is a fine picture of the Mu- rillo school : St. John the Baptist in the Desert. Capilla de la Soledad. In the 3'ear 1750, when the present Sagrario was in course of construction, there was placed between it and the cathedral a little chapel that, according to tradition, first served as a baptistry. A pious person having placed within it an image of San Antonio, the chapel for a time was known by that name. Later, a pious woman having placed here an image of Nuestra Seiiora de la Soledad, it acquired its present name. San Pablo (X. 10). This parish church is not to be confounded with the closely adjacent chapel of San Pablo, now a part of the Hosj)ital Juarez. Both, how- ever, come from the same foundation. Primitively there was here established, by Fray Pedro de Gante, an In- dian parish chapel, adjunct to the church of San Jose in San Francisco. This was administered by the Francis- cans until the year 1569 when, the adjunct parish hav- ing become an important one, it was erected into an in- dependent parish and was given into the control of the secular clergy. At this time, 1569, the first parish church was built. In the year 1575 the Augustinians petitioned the Archbishop, Sr. Don Pedro Moya de Contreras, to give them this church, with its accruing parish fees, that they might establish here a college ; and, although their request was not granted, they act- ually did take possession of the church (August 15, 1575) and built the college as they had planned. (See Hospi- tal Juarez.) In 1581 (probably) the parish church was founded upon its present site, immediately east of the RELIGIOUS FOUNDATIONS. 175 Augustiniaii establishment. The existing church was completed at the beginning of the present century. San Sebastian (N. 8). Founded as a parish by- Fray Pedro de Gante about the year 1524, the Church of San Sebastian was founded by Padre Juan Martinez, with a hospital adjoining it — of which the Hipolitos took charge. The jDarish was relinquished by the Fran- ciscans in 1585 (see Nuestra Seiiora del Carmen) to the Carmelites ; and these, in turn, relinquished it in 1607 to the Augustinians ; and finally, in 1636, it passed into the control of the secular clergy. Santa Maria la Redonda (H. 9). About the year 1524 was founded, writes the chronicler Fray Agustin de Yetancurt, in a suburb of the city called Tlaquechiuhcan (meaning where sleeping-mats are made) a chapel dedi- cated to the Assumption of Our Lady. Hither went on Sundays and holy days a monk from the church of San Jose to say the mass ; and every year on the Feast of the Assumption went out from this chapel a procession of its Indian worshippers who thus celebrated the day. One year it fell out that certain students who had gone thither to see the procession made light of it ; which so enraged the Indians that they mutinied against them. Therefore the Lord Archbishop ordered, under pain of excommunication, that neither students nor monks any more should go to see that procession. In the chaj^el was venerated an especially holy image, the making of which was miraculous ; for a pious Indian having begun to make it, and leaving it for a time, found upon his re- turn that his handiwork had been miraculously carried on. And by this image many miracles were wrought — most notable of which was the quenching of a certain fire, December 11, 1676, by which the first great church 176 MEXICAN GUIDE. of San Agustin was consumed. (Doubtless the Angus- tinians regretted the fact that the image arrived too late at the scene of the conflagration to be of really practical service.) The parish continued to be administered by the Franciscans — the chronicler Vetancurt being at one time guardian of the little monastery connected with it — until June 26, 1753, when it passed into the control of the secular clergy. In this church was j)reserved, until its removal to the Museum, a fine early Mexican stone carving: a coiled feathered serpent, the emblem of the god Quetzalcoatl. The stone, being inverted and hollowed out, was used as a font for holy water. S-anta Vera Cruz (I. 4). The Conqueror, Don Fer- nando Cortes, founded in this church a Brotherhood of the True Cross, charged with the somewhat painful duty of comforting condemned criminals previous to their ex- ecution, and of giving burial to their bodies afterward. The statutes of this Brotherhood were approved, March 30, 1527, by Fray Domingo de Betanzos, Vicar General of the Province. By a bull of January 13, 1573, per- mission was given that the Brotherhood should be united with the Brotherhood of the Santisimo Cristo de San Marcelo ; and by the same bull one hundred days of indulgence were granted to the faithful who,- visiting the holy image (the crucifix) should see it un- veiled. The image was concealed in a shrine behind seven veils, whence comes the name by which it always has been known: El SeTior de los siete velos — "the Lord of the seven veils." In the " Almanaque Catolico e Historico loara el aiio 1885," the image is thus referred to: "January 2, Friday. Every Friday of the yeai plenary indulgence can be obtained by visiting tlie Santo Cristo venerated in the parochial church of the PwELlGIOUS FOUi^UATIONS. 177 Santa Vera Cruz under the title of the Senor de los sietc velos, brought to Mexico by the Conquerors and greatly venerated since ancient times because of its pious tradi- tion." Although the church was founded immediately after the Conquest, the parish was not erected until the year 1568. Tlie existing church was built by the Brother- hood and was dedicated October 14, 1730. Unfortunate- ly (and to translate literalty) it " suffered an interior re- form " during the curacy of Padre Jos6 Maria Aguirre ; and this, with similar sufferings in the year 1850, and in the spring of 1885 have destroyed completely its charm of quaint antiquity. Santa Cruz Acatlan (W. 11). This is one of the primitive parish foundations of the city, having been estabHshed as an adjunct to the Indian parish church of San Jose in San Francisco. Beside it, in those early times, was a little convent. In March, 1772, it passed into the control of the secular clergy. The church con- tains three historic pictures. Santa Cruz y Soledad (P. 7). This church was founded (probably about the year 1534) as an Indian mission, and was in the charge of the Augustinians until it became a parish church and passed into the control of the secular clergy. The existing church was dedicated October 21, 1731 ; and was renovated in 1791. It is a large building, in the aisles of which are eight altars decorated by early Mexican artists of prominence. A; the church is not well lighted the joictures cannot be seen to advantage. In the church is celebrated annually, June 4, the feast of Nuestra Seiiora del Eefu- gio, of which a famous image is here preserved. Con- cerning this image Senor Orozco y Berra writes : "The Calle del Kefugio, formerly known as the Calle de Ace- 178 MEXICAN GUIDE. quia, was called by its present name because of a large image of Nuestra Senora del Refugio that was there fas- tened to a wall. This was taken down in 1861/' The image subsequently Avas placed in the church of San Lorenzo, whence, in 1883, it was brought to the church of Santa Cruz y Soledad, where an altar has been built for it under the choir. Santo Tomas la Palma (Z. 56). The church of La Palma was founded (probably before the year 1550) as an adjunct to that of Santa Cruz y Soledad, and also was in the charge of the Augustiuians. Being built upon the Plazuela de Santo Tomas, this name became entangled with its own and the two never have been separated. When the parish was secularized (probably in 1772) the existing church building was erected — at some little distance from its primitive site. The main altar jDOssesses merit. The roof is curious, as being partly of wood and partly of stone vaulted. San Cosme (F. 14), Parish of San Antonio de las Iluertas. The chapel of San Cosme y San Damian was an adjunct parish church (to the church of San Joso in San Francisco) from sometime in the 3'ear 1593 until May 7, 1667. Being then transformed into a casa de recoleccion (house of retreat for the strict observance of the most severe rules of a monastic order) the adminis- tration of the parish was transferred about three-quar- ters of a mile northwestward to the chapel of San Lazaro. Here the Viceroy, Don Antonio de Toledo, Marques de Mancera, had founded a village with the name of the Villa de Mancera, apportioning its lands among the In- dians — by whom were cultivated many kitchen gardens and orchards. Near to San Lazaro the Franciscans built for a parish church the little church of San Anto- RELIGIOUS FOUNDATIONS. 179 nio de Padua, wherein was housed a miracle- workmg image of that Saint (" The image is miraculous, and there is of record an authentic miracle performed by it in the resuscitation of a child,"' writes the contemporary chronicler, Vetancnrt) that still is preserved in the ex- isting church of San Cosme, where its titular function is celebrated annually on the 13th of June. The church of San Antonio being completed in the 3'ear 1670, the administration of the parish was removed thither from the chapel of San Lazaro. Adjoining the church was a very little monastery, in which dwelt two monks of the order of San Francisco who administered the parish under the authority of the cura of San Jose. And be- cause the church stood in the midst of orchards and gardens it came presently to be known, and with it the parish, as San Antonio de las huertas — which name sur- vives even until this day : so the by no means vaulting ambition of the Viceroy to perpetuate his name in that of this little town came to naught. In March, 1772, the l^arish was relinquished by the Franciscans into the hands of the secular clergy — the first priest being Dr. Cobos y Mugica — and finally, in November, 1862, to provide for the fortification of the Garita de Tlaxpana against the French, the church and the tiny monastery and the village were swept away. When this destruc- tion was ordered, the administration of the parish Avas removed once again to San Cosme ; and there it has since remained. It Avas in the tower of this church of San Antonio, probably, that Lieutenant Grant mounted the howitzer that played so important a part in the attack upon San Cosme. The church of San Cosme, besides being upon a very old foundation, actually is one of the oldest buildings 180 MEXICAN GUIDE. and one of the most interesting in the city. Fray Juan de Zumiirraga, first Archbisho23 of Mexico, estabhshed here (probably before the year 1540 ; he died June 3, 1548) a hospital for the care of wayfaring Indians ; and there- fore dedicated the chapel attached to it to the physician s lints, Cosmo and Damian (" the holy Arabian doctors "). This institution, however, soon collapsed for want of funds for its sujDport. In 1581 the deserted hospital was given to the Franciscan os descahos (the barefooted order of Franciscans ; in Mexico knoWn as Dieguinos, because their Province was dedicated to San Diego de Alcahi), that they might establish here a hospice for the rest and refreshment of missionaries on their way from Spain to the Philippine Islands. In 1593, upon the com- pletion of the church and monastery of San Diego (which see) they abandoned the hospice ; when it passed to the possession of the Franciscans proper — becoming then, as above stated, an adjunct to the parish of San Jose, and so continuing during the ensuing seventy-three years. Fray Baltasar de Medina, the lovable and delightful chronicler of the Franciscanos descalzos, writes that in 1593 the chapel and hospital were given to the Provincia del Santo Evangelio (of the regular order of Franciscans) for a casa de recoleccion ; which, however, was not estab- lished for many years. But from alms received for that purpose a small monastery and church were built im- mediately, being completed in the j-ear 1600. This, and the previous foundations, were upon the north side of the existing aqueduct (built in the years 1G03-20). The first erection upon the site occupied by the pres- ent churcli was begun early in the seventeenth century under the patronage of a pious gentleman, Don Agustin Guerrero, who gave there a field, and at whose charges RELIGIOUS FOUNDATIONS. 181 building began. But, unfortunately, in a little time tbi.s pious gentleman died, and for many years the new mon- astery remained incomplete. The son of Don Agustin having relinquished his claim to be patron, though con- tinuing the gift of ground, a new patron at last was found in the person of Captain Don Domingo de Canta- brana. This gentleman, being newly arrived in Mexico, was riding one evening on the Tacuba road when he was overtaken by a prodigious storm of rain. Knowing of no other place of shelter, he sought admittance to the little monastery of San Cosme, where he was received most hospitably by the monks ; was entertained with the best that their poverty afforded, and in the morning was set gladly upon his way. In return for this gracious charity he built for them, at a cost of l>70,000, their long- delayed monastery and church. The corner-stone of the church, that now existing, was laid August 29, 1672, and the building was dedicated, January 13, 1675. The dedication was to Nuestra Senora de la Consolacion ; but the older name of San Cosme always has been re- tiiined. So great Vv'as the gentlemanliness [hidaUjaia) of the Sen or de Cantabrana, declares the chronicler, that in due legal form he renounced for himself and his heirs the title of patron that was his by right of his munili- cence. His work, he said, was "not for any temporal profit, but for the diffusion of divine religion and for the exaltation of the glorious patriarch San Jose ; " therefore he begged the Fathers to accept in his place the holy patriarch San Jose as their patron. In commemoration of this pious act the syndic of the monastery in the year 1762, the Sr. Dr. Mtro. Don Agustin de Quintela, caused to be painted a picture — now to be seen in the church -recording it in allegory. In the upper part of 182 MEXICAN GUIDE. the picture is reiDresented San Jose, supported by a group of angels, and below a group of monks with whom are three laymen. One of the laymen is Captain Don Domingo de Cantabrana in the act of relinquishing his title of patron to the patriarch ; another is the notary in the act of drawing the deed by which the patronage formally is surrendered to the Saint. Beneath the pic- ture is a loDg inscription setting forth Don Domingo's meritorious action and telling by whom the memorial was made. This picture is not only interesting as a curious historic relic, but is very worthy of attention on purely artistic grounds ; for it is the work of the great Mexican artist, Don Jose de Alcibar. Just in front of the picture is the tomb — in very bad taste, but charac- teristic of the times — of the good Viceroy Don Juan de Acuiia, Marques de Casafuerte, who died March 17, 1734. In addition to the image of San Antonio, al- ready mentioned, there is another miraculous image in the church — that of Nuestra Senora de la Consolacion, to whom the church is dedicated. This is enclosed in the tabernacle of the main altar. The regard of the Vir- gin is fixed upon the ground at her feet, and her right arm is extended downward as though in the act of res- cuing some person from peril — thus commemorating the rescue by the image of a little girl from death by drown- ing in a well. As the miracle is chronicled by Vetancurt, together with a description of the image in its present position, the age of the figure is established as greater than two hundred years. The monastery of San Cosme was maintained as a casa de recoleccion nntil near the end of the year 1854, when the two monks then remaining on the foundation were removed (being received into the monastery of San RELIGIOUS FOUNDATIONS. 183 Diego), and it was transformed into a military hospital. This institution was opened with much ceremony Feb- ruary 18, 1855 — the madrina (godmother) at its conse- cration being the Seiiora Doiia Dolores Tosta de Santa Ana, wife of General Santa Ana, then President — and was abandoned in 1862. In 1862 the church became, provisionally, the administrative head of the parish of Si,n Antonio de los huertas, and so continues. Santa Catarina Martir (L. 3). The primitive church upon this very ancient foundation, having fallen into decay, was demolished about the middle of the seven- teenth century, and upon its site the present church was built. The money required for its building was be- queathed by the pious Dona Ysabel de la Barrera, wife of Simon de Haro — himself a notable benefactor in his day to many churches and religious establishments of the city. The church was dedicated January 22, 1662. The main chapel, the Preciosa sangre de Nuestro Senor Jesucristo, was dedicated November 16, 1693. There are some curious altars. Previous to the sequestration of church property, this Avas one of the richest parishes in the city. This church, with that of San Miguel, has the right of sanctuary. Santa Ana (E. 6). The primitive foundation where the church of Santa Ana now stands was a chapel adjunct to the parish of Santiago Tlaltelolco, administered by the Franciscans. By the solicitation of this order, the pres- ent church was built, being dedicated March 16, 1754. No sooner was it completed, however, than it was claimed as an adjunct parish church by the secular clergy of the near-by church of Santa Catarina Martir. This claim was allowed, and they took possession February 19, 1755. It was erected into an independent parish in 1770. In 184 MEXICAN GUIDE. a, room adjoining the sacristy is iDreserved a font in which, it is affirmed, was baptized the Indian Juan Diego, to whom the Virgin of Guadalupe appeared. Regina Coeli (T. 20). Parish of the Salto del Agua. This church and its adjoining convent (now the hospital Concepcion Beistigui) were built at the charges of the Concepcionistas in the year 1553. Both were rebuilt in 1656. The present large church, erected mainly at the charges of Fray Jose Lanciego y Eguiluz, was dedicated September 13, 1731. The interior, profusely rich in colored and gilded wood-carving, is one of the quaintest and most beautiful church interiors in all Mexico. San Miguel (V. 2). The parish of San Miguel was established in the ancient church of San Lucas Evangel- ista (one of the primitive adjunct chapels to San Jose in San Francisco) January 21, 1690, whence it was removed to the present church October 17, 1692. The building seems to have been incomplete at this time, as it was thereafter much enlarged, and was dedicated to San Mi- guel in the year 1714. The main chapel is dedicated to Maria Santisima del pilar de Zaragoza, who is an adjunct patron of the parish. In this chapel the butchers of the city hold annually, on October 18th, a solemn service to this their patron saint. This church, with that of Santa Catarina Martir, has the right of sanctuary. The build- ing was renovated in the jesx 1850. The doors have quaint carvings in wood. San Jose (T. 5.) The existing parish is not to be confounded with the primitive parish of the same name, although the existing parish is an offshoot from, and so in some sort a lineal successor of the primitive one. A little way southeastward of where the church of San Francisco now stands, there was built by Fray Pedro RELIGIOl'S FOUNDATIONS. 185 de Gante, about the year 1524, a church consecrated by the name of San Jose de los Naturales. This, as has been mentioned, was the primitive parish church of the Indians, as the Sagrario was the primitive parish church of the Spaniards. The several adjunct parish chapels for the Indians were adjunct to the church of San Jos'j in San Francisco. This church Avas demolished, in whole or in part, in the year 1769, in order to make place for the building of the church of the Senor de Burgos. The only connection between the existing j^arish clnirch of San Jose and this primitive foundation is that they have the same name ; and that, as stated above, the parish probably was founded in one of the numerous chapels for the Indians which Fray Pedro de Gante caused to be built — in addition to the four principal ones (see intro- duction to parish churches and also San Francisco) that he founded in the four quarters of the city. The existing church was begun by the exertions of Sr. Lie. Don Diego Alvarez, who was parish priest at the beginning of the present century. The interior formerly was adorned by some very interesting frescoes, the work of Sr. Alvarez. These were in chiar-oacuro, picked out with gold, and represented, upon alternate panels, scenes from the life of the patriarch San Jose and from the his- tory of the conquest of Mexico. The unpardonable van- dalism has been committed of painting over this most curious work. By the earthquake of July 19, 1858, the church was so much injured as to require repairs that almost amounted to reconstruction. At this time there were brought to it some portions of the altars and of the church furniture of the church of San Francisco, then being dismantled. The repairs being completed, it was once more dedicated, June 20, 1861. It contains the 186 MEXICAN GUIDE. noticeftble chapels of Nuestra Senoi'a cle la Luz and the Purisima. The Religious Orders In Mexico. A brief refer- ence to the history of the religious orders in Mexico is indispensable to a good understanding of the history of the city itself. As they severally came to the Spanish colony, churches, monasteries, convents, hospitals, were built, and in the City of Mexico their work sui-vives everywhere : visibly in the buildings which they erected and in the street nomenclature, and morally in the im- press that they have left upon the life of the nation. Their suppression, on the other hand, brought in its train the absolute destruction, or the deflection to secu- lar purposes, of many of their foundations, and the ac- quisition by the State of all that remained ; wdiile the opening of new streets through what had been church property, and the names which these streets received — as the Calles Independencia, Cinco de Mayo, and Lerdo — mark, in a very striking manner, the end of the old and the beginning of the new order of things. To the Franciscans in great part belongs the houor of having fixed firmly in Mexico the power of Spain ; for their zealous missionary work among the Indians^ and the hold that they had upon their Indian converts, most powerfully strengthened the position that the Spaniards conquered and in part sustained by military power. To the Dominicans, in some small part, at least, is due the collapse of the Spanish domination ; for the feeling against the Inquisition unquestionably had much to do with fixing many waverers on the side of Independence. To the several orders of hospitallers was due the estab- lishment of (for the times) admirably aj^pointed and zealously administered hospitals in every city of the coh RELIGIOUS FOUNDATIONS. 187 ony. To the Jesuits belong the honor of having fos- tered learning in this new land. Broadly speaking, the influence of the religious orders upon the colony was beneficial during its first century ; neutral during its second ; harmful during its third. In this last epoch so considerable a portion of the wealth of the colony had come into possession of the Church that the locking up of capital blocked the channels of trade. Leaving all other questions out of consideration, the suppression of the religious orders was an economic necessity in Mexico for many years before there was found, in the person of Juarez, a statesman bold enough and strong enough to institute so radical a reform. That the Eeform was executed with a certain brutal severity is less discreditable to Mexicans in i3articular than to humanity at large. When evil social conditions, long-fostered, at last are broken down, the radical ele- ment in the body-politic that asserts the right never fails to commit on its own account a very liberal amount of wrong. Yet all unprejudiced travellers in Mexico can- not but keenly deplore, because of the violence done to art and learning, to the romantic and to the picturesque, that in the course of the Reformation so much of value to learning and art perished, and that so many buildings deeply interesting because of their historic or romantic associations, or in themselves picturesque, were diverted utterly from their primitive purposes or utterly de- stroyed. In point of fact, many of the religious orders in Mex- ico disappeared before the laws of the Reform were pro- mulgated. The Jesuits were suppressed June 25, 1767 ; re-established in 181(J ; again suppressed in 1821 ; again re-established in 1853 ; and finally expelled from the 188 MEXICAX GUIDE. country in 185G. The Antoninos were suppressed by a bull of Pius VI. of August 24, 1787. By a decree of the Spanish Cortes of October 1, 1820 (following the re- erection of the Constitution of 1812), executed in Mexico in 1821, the following named orders were suppressed : Agustinos recoletos, Hipolitos, Juaninos, Betlemitas, and Benedictinos. The Cosmistas (Franciscanos rec- coletos) having dwindled to but a few members, were absorbed into the Franciscanos in 1854. All of the remaining orders were extinguished by the law of July 12, 1859, given in Vera Cruz under the Presidency of Juarez. Actually, however, this law did not become operative in the Cit}' of Mexico until December 27, 1860, upon the entry into the capital of the Liberal forces. Although the law provided only for the extinction of the monasteries, the partial suppression of the convents began almost immediately. At midnight of February 13, 18G1, at a preconcerted signal (the tolling of the bell of the church of Corpus Christi) the nuns were removed from twelve convents to the ten convents remaining , for the time being undisturbed. The law of February 26, 1863, declared the suppression of the female religious establishments (excepting that of the Sisters of Charity) ; and required the several convents to be vacated within eight days. In a few cases slight extensions of time were granted, but the actual suppression of the orders dates from March 6, 1863. Finally, the Laws of the Reform being incorporated into the Federal Constitution (December 14, 1874), the last remaining religious order, that of the Sisters of Charity, was suppressed. San Francisco (K. 1). The history of this founda- tion almost may be said to be the history of Mexico, for contained in it, or linked with it, is almost every RELIGIOUS FOUNDATIONS. 189 event of importance in the colonial or national life. From this centre radiated the commanding influence of the Franciscan order — the strong power that kept what was won by military force, and that by its own peaceful methods greatly extended the territorial limits of New Spain. Here masses were heard by Cortes, and here for a time his bones were laid. Here, through three centuries, the great festivals of the Church were taken part in by the Spanish Viceroys. Here was sung the first Te Deuni in celebration of Mexican Independence, the most conspicuous man in the rejoicing assemblage being General Agustin Yturbide — by whom, virtually, Mexican Independence was won ; and here, seventeen years later, were held the magnificent funeral services when Yturbide — his Imperial error forgiven and his claim to the title of Liberator alone remembered — was buried. Around no other building in Mexico cluster such associations as are gathered here. And even now, when the great monastic establishment has been swept away, and the church itself has become a Protestant cathedral, the very wreck of it all serves to mark, in the most striking and dramatic way, the latest and most radi- cal phase of development of the nation's life. The Franciscan order — founded by Saint Francis of Assisi in the year 1208, approved by Innocent III. in 1215, and confirmed by Honorius HI. in 1223 — was es- tablished in New Spain within three years after the Con- quest. The twelve founders, usually styled the Twelve Apostles of Mexico, were from the Franciscan Province of San Gabriel in Spain. Their leader was the Superior of the Province, Fray Martin de Valencia, " the Father of the Mexican Church" — identical with the zealous Fray Martin de Boil, told of by the chronicler Medina, "who 190 MEXICAN GUIDE. with his own hands reduced no less than 170,000 Pagan idols to dust ! " Of the missionaries were also two other men afterward very prominent in Mexico : Fray Toribio de Benevente, the eminent chronicler, better known by the name of Motolinia (meaning poor, miserable) ; that, being applied to him in derision by the Lidians, he glad- ly adopted in his humility as the name best befitting his deserts ; and Fray Francisco Ximenez, author of the first grammar of the Mexican tongue. And all of the twelve were very godly, and earnest in the good work to which they had devoted their lives. The little company sailed from the port of San Lucar de Barrameda, Jan- uary 25, 1524, and — after stopping at various towns in the West Indies — came safely to land at San Juan de TJlua on the 23d of May of the same year. From the coast they walked to the capital ; and by the way, in Texcoco — where he had been for a twelvemonth en- gaged in missionary work — they were joined by Fray Pedro de Gante,* who walked on with them to Mexico. * Fray Pedro de Gante (Ghent) was a native of Flanders, and entered the Franciscan Order, it is believed, in the Monastery of Ghent. He was one of the five missionaries to the Indians who came to Mexico in 1523 ; and of all tlie missionaries who came thither he was the most able and the most zealous. The holiness and usefulness of his life, and his Flanders birth, especially en- deared and commended him to the Emperor Charles V., and from this patron he received very large sums of money and extensive grants of land to aid hiin in carrying on his mission works. The marked favor of the Emperor gave rise, in later times, to the asser- tion that the monk was the Emperor's natural son — a fiction that is effectively disposed of by these facts : Charles V. was born in the year 1500. Fray Pedro de Gante came to Mexico, already a professed monk, in the year 1523. Consequently, he must have been born some years before the birth of his alleged father. RELIGIOUS FOTJ^^DATIONS. 191 And all of these thirteen came into the city on the 23d of June, in the year 1524 In 1531 the mission was erected into the Province of the Santo Evangelio (confirmed by a bull issued by Clement XL in the ensuing year), and from this province have come out successively five other provinces of the Order : San Jose de Yucatan, 1559 ; Santo Nombre de Jesus de Guatemala, 1565 ; San Pedro y San Pablo de Michoacan, 1565 ; Santiago de Jalisco, 1606 ; Nuestro Padre San Francisco de Zacatecas, 1606. For a little while after their arrival in Mexico the Franciscans were domiciled in a shelter upon or near the fiite of the present church of Santa Teresa la Antigua, l^rom this they removed to their permanent abiding place — the lands where formerly had been the garden and wild-beast house of the kings of Tenochtitlan. Funds for the building of the first church were provided by Cortes, and the material employed in its construction was the hewn-stone from the steps of the great Teocalli. The church soon was finished, as was also the chapel of San Jose de los Naturales, the parish church for the Indians that Fray Pedro de Gante organized immediately upon his arrival ; and from this centre missionaries went out everywhere over the land, and far away into the re- gions of the North. Being gentle and good and thor- oughly in earnest, these first missionaries made many converts ; and by the hold that they thus acquired over the Indians were able greatly to strengthen the hands of the viceroyal government in its administration of affairs. As years went on and the Order increased in numbers and in wealth — ingenious systems of trusts effectively circumventing the vow of poverty — the primitive mon- 192 MEXICAN- GUIDE. astery was enlarged from time to time until it came to be of a prodigious size ; new chapels were built about the church ; the church itself was rebuilt upon a scale of great magnificence, and more and more land in the vicinity of the monastery was secured. This process of accretion continued for nearly three full centuries, and no diminution of the great estate was suffered for a round three hundred and thirty years. About the year 1811 the property held by the Order in the vicinity of the monastery, until then broken by lanes and alley- ways into three parcels, was united in a single plot by an inclosing wall. The boundaries of this inclosure were : to the south, the Calle de Zuleta ; to the west, the Calle de San Juan de Letran ; to the east, the Calles Coliseo and Colegio de las Ninas, and to the north the first Calle de San Francisco. Ui^on the southeast cor- ner of the tract was a small reservation belonging to the Colegio de las Ninas. In the southern half of this estate were the gardens — the present garden of San Francisco — upon which oj^ened the infirmary and the lodging- rooms of the commissioners-general ; the cemetery ; the great refectory, in which was room for five hundred brothers to sit together at meat ; the principal cloister and a smaller cloister ; the sola deprofundis; the sac- risty, and the ante-sacristy. In the northern half were the several chapels and the main church, standing in the great atrium. This general inclosure had two entrances : the one to the north, now existing, on the first Calle de San Francisco ; the other, the main entrance, to the west, on the Calle de San Juan de Letran. The main Church. The existing church, dedicated De- cember 8, 1716, though bereft of its stately surroundings, with its main entrance closed by a row of houses, with RELIGIOUS FOUNDATION'S. 193 its tower demolished, and with all its interior splendor departed, still maintains its rank as one of the most noble and imf)ressive buildings in Mexico. Its plan is a single great nave, with apse and transepts, lighted by a row of windows between the cornice and the spring of the vaulted roof, and by three domes — the main dome rising to a height of 90 feet and supporting a lantern 24 feet high. The nave is 56 feet wide and, with the apse, 230 feet long. In its present condition the church is bare and cold. Architecturally, it requires lavish decoration — gilding, color, great pictures — to relieve its vast expanses of windowless walls. Before the time of the Reform, of course, this requirement was fulfilled. Thirty years ago its interior decoration was in keeping with its majestic proportions and stately grace. For nearly a century and a half great sums of money were expended in making it more and more beautiful — the silver tabernacle of the high altar alone cost $24,000 — and the result was a rich- ness and splendor unsurpassed in Mexico. The main entrance, now closed, was from the west, through a richly ornamented facade, surmounted on its southern side by a small bell-tower. The side entrance, as at present exist- ing, was through tlie chapel of Nuestra Seiiora de la Bal- vanera (which chapel was built at the charges of certain pious natives of Rioja). The doorway through which the chapel is entered — and, through the chapel, the church, is a very elegant specimen of the churrigueresque style : especially commendable because of its freedom from the overloading into which this style almost inevitably leads. From the church access was had to the beautiful chapel of the Purisima Concepcion (built in 1629 at the charges of Don Cristobal Zuleta, from whom the name of the Calle de Zuleta is derived), and of 8an Antonio, built ten years 194 MEXICAN GUIDE. later. Some traces of the walls of these chapels still may be discerned on the north side of the church. The complete group of churches, famous throughout Mexico as the seven churches of San Francisco, consisted of those which have been named and the following : El Seiior de Burgos, and the little chapel of Dolores, otherwise known as the Segunda Estacion, both close to the Calle de San Juan de Letran and facing each other from opposite sides of the main entrance to the great church ; the Tercer Orden and Nuestra Senora de Ai'an- zazu, both upon the first Calle de San Francisco and fac- ing each other from opposite sides of the entrance from that street ; and the famous chapel of San Jose de los Naturales, southeast of the great church, and upon or just east of the present Calle de Gante. El Setloi- de Burgos. — Upon the site afterward occupied by this church there stood in primitive times the parish church of San Jose de los Espaiioles — built for the use of the Spaniards, as the other parish church of San Jose was built for the use of the Indians. Both were demolished in the same year, 1769. The church of Nuestro Sefior de Burgos was immediately erected upon the vacated site, and was dedicated February 6, 1780. Although not very large — 98 x 40 feet — it was the most splendid of all the outlying churches of the Franciscan establishment, being especially noted for the paintings upon its walls, by the Mexican artist Echave, illustrating the life of San Jose. Tei'cer Orden. — This chapel, dedicated November 8, 1727, stood just west of the side entrance to the great church — the only entrance now remaining. It has been in part destroyed, and what is left of it has been ab- sorbed into the walls of houses fronting on the first Calle de San Francisco. A portion of its eastern wall still may eelKtIous foundations. 190 be seen, upon which may be deciphered an inscription telling that for a period of forty years from July 10, 1831, this church was authorized to be joined with the church of the Lateran in Kome. The Laws of the Eef orm diminished the privilege by very nearly a decade, for the destruction of the chapel took place in 1862. The Ter- cer Orden (founded in Mexico October 20, 1615), a third, and lay, order of Franciscans, was very popular and (in a proper and serious way, of course) very fashionable. It was the correct thing for people of high station to join it ; but while this custom was fashionable it was anything but a fashionable folly. The order was philanthropic in its purposes, and in its time accomplished many good works. The most notable of these was the founding of the Hospital de Terceros — the great building, at the cor- ner of the Calles Santa Isabel and San Andres, now occu- pied by the Escuela de Comercio, the Sociedad Geogra- fia y Estadistica, and a primary school. This hospital was opened in June, 1756, and for a hundred years fol- lowing was an excellent and well managed charit3^ Naestra Senora de Aranzaz^i. — Excepting the Bal van- era (now a part of the Protestant cathedral) this is the only surviving chapel of the San Francisco group. For upwards of twenty years it has been closed and dis- mantled, but it now is in course of rehabilitation and is to be reopened as the church of San Felipe de Jesus. The corner-stone of this building was laid March 25, 1683, and it was dedicated December 18, 1688. Al- though shorn of its interior splendors the church still retains its beautiful, and curious, western front — facing upon the church-yard of San Francisco. This is a very rich work ornamented with figures in relief. The prin- cipal group represents a shepherd, surrounded by his 196 MEXICAN GUIDE. flock, seated at the foot of a tree in the branches of which the Virgin is seen in a vision. On the frieze that follows the architrave of the doorway is the inscrip- tion : Sacro Sancta Lateranensis eccleaia. Below the alto-relievo of the tree and Virgin and shepherd is in- scribed in Spanish : " Chapel of the Miraculous Image of Our Lady of Aranzazii, and burial place of the sons and natives of the three provinces of Biscay and the Kingdom of Navarre ; of their wives, sons, and descend- ants, at whose [sic] expense it was built and dedicated in the year 1688." Near the top of the fayade is the in- scription : Tu Jionorificentia jDopuli nostin. San Jose de los Naturales. — This chapel, occupying a site a short distance southeastward of the great church — either uj)on the line of the Calle de Gante or just east of it — was built by Fray Pedro de Gante about the year 1524. As has been mentioned it was the first parish church of the Indians, as the Sagrario (which see) was the first parish church of the Spaniards. The many parish churches for the Indians thereafter established by Fray Pedro de Gante were adjunct to this church of San Jose in San Francisco. The building itself was a great arcade, or shed, its vaulted roof upheld by stone pillars, and stone pillars taking the place of walls ; being thus constructed that not only might a great number of Indians be assembled under its roof, but that several thousands more clustered around it might see and take part in its services. Cathedral privileges were conceded to this church by Charles V. and Philip II. ; and in it the firs^- Mexican Council was held. It was demolished in 1769. Upon its site was erected the church of Los Servi- tas, dedicated November 12, 1791. This last was de- ii)olislied when the Calle de Gante was opened, in 1862- RELIGIOUS FOUNDATIONS. 191 The first assault upon the integrity of the Franciscan estabUshment was struck by President Comonfort in 1856. Positive information reached him upon the 14th of September of that year that a conspiracy, having its origin in this monastery, had been formed for the over- throw of the existing government and the estabhshment of a government in harmony with the views of the ultra clerical party. The revolution was to begin on the 16th of September — the great national holiday commemorat- ing the declaration of Independence. Comonfort acted with his customary energy. On the morning of the 15th the monastery was taken possession of b}^ Federal troops, and the entire community of monks placed under ar- rest ; on the 16th a decree was promulgated ordering the opening of a new street, to be called Independencia, direct^ across the middle of the monastery inclosure from east to west ; and on the 18th another decree was promulgated in which the treasonable acts of the mem- bers of the Order were recited and, in punishment of this treason, the monastery was declared suppressed and its property forfeited to the State. Satisfied, however, with having proved the supremacy of the civil to the re- ligious power, Comonfort annulled the decree of sup. pression by a decree of February 19, 1857, that per- mitted the re-establishment of the monastery. But the decree did not restore the commanding moral standing of the Order lost through its temjDorary suppression ; any more than it restored the real estate sacrificed to make way for the new street that in the interval had been opened. It was this bold act of Comonfort's that made possible the bolder act by which Juarez, four years Inter, extinguished all the religious orders at a blow — the general catastrophe in which the great Franciscan 198 MEXICAN GUIDE. establishment found its eutl. On the 27th of December 1860, the army of Juarez entered the city, and imme- diately made operative and efiective the decree of July 12, 1859. The monastery of San Francisco was closed at once ; early in 1861 the jewels and pictures were re- moved from the church — the latter going to the Academy of San Carlos ; the altars were destroyed ; the bells were taken from the tower, and, a little later, the construction was begun of the houses upon San Juan de Letran by which the fayade was hidden and the main entrance closed. In the following April a street was cut through the property from north to south, crossing or passing- very near to the site of the first chapel of the Indians : and in the name given to this street, Gante, is preserved a memorial of the good work here wrought by the purest and noblest Franciscan ever known in New Spain. In 1869 the great church, together with the chapel of the Balvanera, passed by purchase to the Church of Jesus in Mexico (see Protestantism). Much of the ancient property of the monastery, while diverted to new pur- poses, still may be identified. The Methodist Episcopal Church of the Trinity (K. 68) has been ingeniously constructed by roofing over what was the large inner ■patio. Adjoining this building on the north, one of the old chapels, now Christ Church, is used for the ser- vices of the Church of England. On the streets of lu- depeudencia and San Juan de Letran, portions of the monastery buildings have been incorporated into dwell- ing-houses. The new hotel, south and west of the Jar- din de San Francisco, occupies the former dwelling-place of the commissioners-general of the order, the old in- firmary, and the chapel of San Antonio. The stable east of the garden was the refectory. KELrCilOUS FOUNDATIONS. 199 Santiago TIalteJoIco (D. 42). By a royal order of Charles V.; given at Barcelona May 1, 1543, the present " domed church " was erected. Nineteen years earlier, the Franciscans had established here a chapel — one of- the numerous foundations of Fray Pedro de Gante — together ^Yith a school. This foundation was materially enlarged by the patronage of the first Vicero}', Don An- tonio de Mendoza, who established here the celebrated College of Santa Cruz for the Indians, with a liberal en- dowment of landed estate. The college was opened in 1537 with an attendance of more than one hundred In- dian pupils, who were taught (possibly somewhat more to their amazement than to their edification) Latin, logic, and philosophy. The college justified its existence, how- ever, for among its Indian graduates w^ere several nota- ble men who have left their impress upon Mexican lit- erature. But as a race it is probable that the Indians gave no very adequate return for their training in Latin, logic, and philosoph}^, for the college declined, and finally, about the year 1578, expired. Twice it was re- vived — once as the College of San Buenaventura and San Juan Capistrano, in the year 1667, to expire early in the ensuing century ; and again under its original title of Santa Cruz, in 1728, to expire finally in 1811. Since this latter date the convent and college buildings have been used for a variety of secular purposes. There is now established here a military prison. Upon the secularization of the Church several pictures and some curious ancient images, including a life-size equestrian figure of Santiago, were removed to the church of Santa Maria de los Angeles, and the font in which Juan Diego was baptized was placed in the baptistry of Santa Ana. (See Aduana.) 200 MEXICAN GUIDE. Santo Domingo (L. 15). The Dominican Order, founded in Tolosa, Spain, by Santo Domingo de Guz- man, was aj)proved by Pope Honorius 111. in the year 1223. The Mexican missionary monks of this order came from the Province of Santa Cruz de la Isla Es- panola, in Spain, and arrived in Mexico June 23, 1526. Under the mutual rule of the orders of Dominicans and Franciscans, they were sheltered in the monastery of San Francisco until their own temporary monastery was completed for their reception, in October of the same year. This first building was on the site of the present College of Medicine. From it they removed in 1530 to the mon- astery (now almost wholly demolished) that was built on land adjoining the present church on the west. 3y the bulls of Clement VH. of July 2, 1532, and March 8, 1533, the Dominicans of Mexico were erected into an independent province under the name of the Provincia de Santiago de Mexico, Orden de Predicadores. The first church was completed in 1575. This, and the ad- joining monastery, were destroyed by inundation in 1716. The present church was dedicated in August, 1736. In order to open the street on the western side of the church, in April, 1861 (after the secularization of the property by the Laws of the Eeform) not only was destroyed the greater portion of the monastery, but also the fine chapel of the Tercer Orden. What remained of the monastery was sold to private individuals. The chapel of the Rosary {capilla del rosario), the most beau- tiful chapel annexed to the church, was entirely destroyed when the street through the monastery was opened. The church is one of the Largest in the city, and, by reason of its noble proportions, one of the most impressive. It contains some very good pictures — notably the Crucifix- RELIGIOUS FOUNDATIONS. 201 ion and San Yldefonso, in the sacristy ; a number of richly carved altars, with others, of later date, less satis- factory in their decoration. Capilla de la Esperacion. This little chapel, on the west side of the Plazuela de Santo Domingo, is a de- pendency of the church. Its interior is not especially interesting. Porta Cceli (M. 41). This Dominican foundation, of August 18, 1603, w^as at first a college only. As such it was approved by the General Chapter of the order at Valladolid, in Spain, in 1605. The college was sup- pressed in 1860, but the curious little church still re- mains. On its front is the quaint Biblical inscription : Terrihiles est locus isle Domus Dei, et Porta Cceli. The Inquisition (L. 98). As early as 1527 the influ- ence of the Spanish Inquisition was perceptible in New Spain in the promulgation of a royal order in that year b}^ which ail Jews and Moors were banished from the Province. About the year 1529 a council was held in the City of Mexico composed of the most notable men, religious, military, and civil, then in the Province — in- cluding Bishop Fuenleal, who was President of the Au- dencia, together with all the members of that body ; the Bishop of Mexico (Zumarraga) ; the heads of the Domini- can and Franciscan orders ; the municipal authorities and two prominent citizens. As the result of its delibera- tions, this council solemnly declared : "It is most neces- sary that the Holy Office of the Inquisition shall be ex- tended to this land, because of the commerce with stran- gers here carried on, and because of the many corsairs abounding upon our coasts, which strangers may bring their evil customs among both natives and Castillians, who by the grace of God should be kept free from 202 MEXICAN GUIDE. heresy." Following this declaration several function- aries charged with inquisitorial powers visited the Prov- ince during the ensuing forty years, suitably discharging the duties of their office by keeping heresy and crimes aqainst the canon law well trodden under foot. The full fruit of the declaration of the council ripened in 1570, when, under date of August 16, a royal order issued appointing Don Pedro Moya de Contreras (afterward Archbishop, and some time Viceroy of the Province) Inquisitor General of New Spain, Guatemala, and the Philippine Islands, with headquarters in the City of Mexico. The chronicler Vetancurt writes with pious joy : " The tribunal of the Inquisition, the strong fort and mount of Zion, was founded in the City of Mexico in the year 1571 ; " and later he adds : " They have cele- brated general and particular aiUos de lafe with great concourse of dignitaries, and in all cases the Catholic faith and its truth have remained victorious." The fact should be noted that the royal order under which the Inquisition was established in Mexico expressly ex- empted the Indians from its jurisdiction ; a politic ar- rangement that gave it from the outset a strong pojDular support. For the accommodation of the Holy Office the small monastery at first occupied by the Dominicans was placed at the disposition of the Inquisitor General. This presently was rebuilt, to make it more in keeping with the dignity and the needs of the business carried on in it, but no record of the structure then erected remains. The existing building, now the property of the Escuela de Medicina, was begun December 5, 1732, and was completed in December, 1736. The brasero (brazier), or quemadero (burning-place), whereon the decrees of the Holv Office were executed, was a short distance east- KELIGIOUS FOUNDATIONS. 203 ward of the church of San Diego, upon land since in- cluded in the Alameda.* It was a square platform, with wall and terrace arranged for the erection of stakes to which the condemned, living or dead, were fastened to be burned. Being raised in a large open space, the spectacle could be witnessed by the entire population of the city. When the ceremony was ended, the ashes of the burned were thrown into the marsh that then w\^s in the rear of the church of San Diego. Fray Vetancurt, describing the pleasing outlook from the door of San Diego, writes : " The view is beautified by the Plaza of San Hipolito and by the burning place of the Holy Office." As in Spain, so also in Mexico, the Dominican order and the Inquisition were closely associated, though nominall}' they were independent organizations.f The first auto defc \ in New Spain was celebrated in * There was another hrasero in the plazuela of San Lazaro that served for the burning of criminals whose crimes did not come within the jurisdiction of the Holy Office. The principal crimes of which the Holy Office took cognizance were : heresy, sorcery, witchcraft, jjolygamy, seduction, unnatural crime, imposture and personation. The extreme penalty, death by burning, was visited only upon criminals of the first order, as heretics or sorcerers. In the majority of cases the criminal was strangled before being burned. I "St. Dominick is said to have first proposed the erection of such a tribunal to Innocent III. , and to have been appointed by him the first inquisitor. . . The majority of inquisitors em- ployed have always been Dominicans and the commissary of the Holy Office at Rome belongs, ex officio, to this order.' — Catholic Dictionary, article "Inquisition." :|:The auto defe, or act of the [profession of the] faith, was the public ceremony that followed the secret trial of criminals brought before the Inquisition. The ceremony began by the avowal by the members of the tribunal, and by all assembled with them, of 204 MEXICAN GUIDE. the year 1574 : as its result, as is mentioned with much satisfaction by the chronicler Fray Baltasar cle Medina, there perished " twenty-one pestilent Lutherans." From this time onward, until the Inquisition was suppressed, these edifying ceremonies were of very frequent occur- rence, sometimes taking place annually (as in 1646-47- 48-49) for several j'ears in succession. Frequent though they certainly were, and large though the number of those who perished in them undoubtedly was, the num- ber of those actually burned to death was comparatively small. In the majority of cases, even when the body of the offender was burned, grace was^hown in first grant- ing death by strangulation. Thus, in the memorable auto de fe of April 10, 1649, when (April 11th) fifteen persons perished, only one — Thomas Treviuo, of Sobre- monte in Castile, who had " cursed the Holy Office and the Pope " — was burned alive. The remaining fourteen were burned after strangulation. When the Liberal constitution of 1812 was adopted in Spain the end of the Inquisition began. One of the first reforms intro- duced by the Cortes was the decree of February 22, 1813, by which the Holy Office was suppressed throughout Spain and the Spanish dependencies. This decree was promulgated in Mexico on the 8th of the ensuing June ; their belief in Christianity and the doctrines of the Church. This act of faith, or profession of faith, being- ended, the tribunal an- nounced the crime for which each criminal had been tried, and the measure of guilt adjudged to attach to him ; after which an- nouncement, with a perfunctory recommendation to mercy, it relinquished him to the secular arm {i.e. to the civil authorities) for punishment. Hence, the auto de fe should not be confound- ed, as it usually is, with the burning or other punishment that followed it, and that, in theory, was the work of the secular power alone. KELIGIOUS FOUNDATIONS. 205 and by proclamation of the Viceroy the property of the Inquisition was then declared forfeited to the royal treas- ury. Another Viceroyal proclamation ordered to be removed from the cathedral the tablets on which, ac- cording to usage, were inscribed the names of those whom the Holy Office had declared criminals. But with the overthrow of the Liberal constitution in Spain, and the return to the throne of Ferdinand VII., the decree of suppression was rescinded and the Holy Office once more possessed its property and continued its w-ork. The tribunal of the Inquisition was established again in Mexico January 21, 1814. This re-erection was for only a little time. Following the revival in Spain (March, 1820) of the constitution of 1812, the decree issued by which the Inquisition was suppressed forever. The de- cree became effective in Mexico May 31, 1820. There is a certain poetic fitness to be found in the fact that the last years of the Inquisition in Mexico were spent in combating strenuously the spread of Liberalism ; that the last notable auto defe (November 26, 1815) was that at which the accused was the patriot Morelos. The find- ing against him was a foregone conclusion. " The Pres- bitero Jose Maria Morelos," declared the inquisitors, ''is an unconfessed heretic {hereje formal negativo), an abettor of heretics and a disturber of the ecclesiastical hierarchy ; a profaner of the holy sacraments ; a traitor to God, to the King, and to the Po^De." For which sins he was " condemned to do penance in a penitent's dress " (after the usual form), and was surrendered to the ten- der mercies of the secular arm. He was shot, Decem- ber 22, 1815. But it was the Inquisition that died. San Agustin (V. 102). Founded in Tagaste, in Nu- midia, by Saint Augustine in the fifth century, the order 20() MEXICAN GUIDE. of Augustiniaii friars was made an establishment of the Church and united in a single body by Pope Alexander VI. in the year 1256. The first Augustin- ians, seven in number, entered the City of Mexico June 7, 1533, and were housed by the Dominicans until their own temporary house was completed. They were ceded a tract of land, then called Zoquiapan, on the site now occupied b}^ the Biblioteca Nacional, and of this they took possession in the following month of August. Here they built their first church and monastery, at a cost of $162,000 ; which money was given to them from the pub- lic funds by order of the Emperor Charles V. The cor- ner-stone of the church was laid by the Viceroy', Don An- tonio de Mendoza, August 28, 1541. This first church was destroyed by fire December 11, 1676. The first stona of the new building was laid on the 22d of the ensuing May, and the new church was dedicated December 14, 1692. Adjoining the west side of the church is the older chapel of the Tercer Orden. In the church was a choir of exceeding magnificence, the cost of which alone was $240,000. The convent was suppressed by the general law of July 12, 1859, and in 1861 the church was dis- mantled, the beautiful choir being sold out of the country for $3,000. There is now established in this ex- church the Biblioteca Nacional (which see). San Hipdiito (I. 114). Historically and sentimentally this is one of the most interesting churches in the city. In front of the sjDot where it now stands there existed in the year 1520 the second line of defenses on the causeway (now the street occupied by the horse railway to Tacuba) that connected the Aztec city with the main-land west- ward. At this point was the greatest slaughter of the Spaniards during the retreat of the memorable Noche RELIGIOUS FOUNDATIONS. 201 Triste (July 1, 1520). After the final conquest of the city, one of the survivors of that dismal night, Juan Gar- rid o, having- freshly in mind its bloody horrors, built of adobe at this place a little commemorative chapel. For a short time the chapel was known as " the chapel of Juan Garrido " ; but presently it came to be styled " the chapel of the martyrs " ; receiving this grander name, as Sefior Orozco y Berra shrew^dly observes, " perhaps with the object of making the Conquerors appear in the guise of defenders of the faith." The reconquest of the city was completed on the day of San Hipolito, August 13 (1521), and this coincidence led to the dedication to San Hipolito of the commemorative chapel— the name that the church, San Hipolito of the Martyrs, still retains. The present church, built mainly at the charges of the Municipality^ was a very long while in course of construc- tion. It was begun in 1599, but was not dedicated, finally, until 1739. Later it was renovated, its present ap- pearance dating from the year 1777. Upon the exterior angle of the wall surrounding its atrium is a commemor- ative monument, consisting of alto-relievos in chiluca stone, representing in its central part an eagle carrying in his talons an Indian ; at its sides are arms, musical in- struments, trophies and devices of the ancient Mexicans, and in the upper part is a large medallion of elliptical form in which is carved this inscription : "So great was the slaughter of Spaniards by the Aztecs in this place on the night of July 1, 1520, named for this reason the Dismal Night, that after having in the following year re-entered the city triumphantly the conquerors resolved to build here a chapel to be called the Chapel of the Mar- tyrs ; and which should be dedicated to San Hipolito be- cause the capture of the city occurred upon that Saint's 208 MEXICAN GUIDE. day." Until the year 1812 there was celebrated annu- ally, on the 13th of August, at this church a solemn ceremony, both religious and civil, known as the Pro- cession of the Banner {paseo del joendon), in which the Viceroy and the great officers of State and the nobility, together with the Archbishop and dignitaries of the Church, took part. Its princijDal feature was the carry- ing in state of the crimson banner (still preserved in the National Museum) that was borne by the conquerors. (See Hospital de San Hipolito.) Espi'ritu Santo. This church, an offshoot from San Hipolito, has been extinct since the year 1862. All that remains visible of it is its eastern wall, a part of which may be seen above the row of little shops on the west side of the Calle de Espiritu Santo. From the suppres- sion of the Hipolitan order (see Hospital de San Hipolito) in 1821, the church and its adjoining convent was vari- ously used, as a school, and as a printing-house, until 1853, when it was given to the Congregation of St. Vin- cent de Paul — by which the property was occupied until the order was suppressed. May 28, 1861. Nuestra Senora de Loreto (N. 38). The first re^Dre- sentatives in Mexico of the Company of Jesus (founded by Saint Ignatius Loyola in 1534) sailed from Cadiz June 13, 1572, and landed at Vera Cruz on the 9tli of the ensuing September. They were housed temporarily in the hos- pital of Jesus Nazareno, and soon took possession of lands given them by Alonzo de Villaseca, where they erected, in 1576, the church and college of San Pedro y San Pablo (L. 70). They were ojDposed by the Dominicans, and the college that they established brought them into conflict with the University ; but in time these differences were adjusted. The order was suppressed, by the de- RELIGIOirs FOUNDATIONS. 200 cree of the Spanish Cortes of June 25, 1767 ; was re-es- tablished by the royal order of September 10, 1815 ; and was suppressed again by the order of Ferdinand VII., confirmed by the Cortes, of September 6, 1820 — the order being" promulgated in Mexico January 22, 1821. Under the Presidency of Santa Ana, by the decree of September 19, 1853, the order once more was established in Mexico, only to be suppressed again, and finally, during the Presidency of Comonfort, by the decree of June 7, 1856. The church and college of San Pedro y San Pablo, after undergoing various vicissitudes — being in turn a hall of assembly for Congress, a theatre, a church once more, a library, a military hospital, a storehouse for forage in the time of the French occupation — finally became extinct ; thus leaving the Loreto as the oldest remaining of the Jesuit foundations. The pious Cacique of Tacuba, Don Antonio Cortes, built for the Jesuit Fathers, in 1573, a little church of canes dedicated to Saint Gregorio. (See Escuela Correcional de Artes y Oficios.) A more stable, though small, church succeeded this primitive structure. About the year 1675 the Father Juan B. Zappa came to Mexico, bringing with him the image of Nuestra Sefiora de Loreto together with the plans and drawings of the Santa Casa. This house of the Virgin he desired to erect in Mexico, but his in- tention did not become effective. A chapel was built for the accommodation of the image upon the site oc- cupied by the baptistry of the church of San Gregorio. The worship of the image growing apace, new and larger chapels were built, successively, in the years 1686 and 1738. Upon the expulsion of the Jesuits in 1767, the image was taken temporarily to the church of the Incar- nacion ; and then for its shelter the present tine church of 210 MEXICAN GUIDE. the Loreto was erected. This was begun in the year 1809, and was dedicated August 29, 1816. It was built at the charges of Sefior Don Antonio de Bassoco, and his wife the Marquesa de Castafiiza, at a cost of $517,000, from the plans of the architects Manuel Tolsa and Agustin Paz. An architectural peculiarity to be observed in the build- ing is that for the minor branches of the Latin cross are substituted four rotundas, above the circular walls of which, and above the main arches of the nave, rises a superb dome — the grandest both in size and treatment now to be found in the capital. Within the brilliant in- terior are some notable paintings, probably by the eighteenth century artist Joaquin Esquivel, illustrating the life of Loyola ; and a fine San Gregorio beneath the choir. The structural error was made of using in the eastern wall a solid, and in the western a porous stone, with the result that the eastern wall has settled to such an extent that the church is very perceptibly out of the perpendicular. This dangerous sinking, together with the inundation of the building, that still further threat- ened its integrity, caused the church to be closed from the year 1832 till the year 1850 — the image meantime being housed in the church of San Pedro y San Pablo. Previous to its reopening examination of the building by competent engineers led to the conclusion that no fur- ther settling of the walls was likely to occur — a conclu- sion justified by the fact that no change in its condition has since taken place. In the sacristy, with other inter- esting pictures, is a j)ortrait of the founder of the church. Father Zappa. Nuestra SePfora de la Merced. The Order of Our Lady of Mercy {Naestm Senora de la Merced) was founded, in August, 1218, by San Pedro Nolasco, some^ RELIGIOUS FOUNDATIONS. 211 time the tutor of the young King James of Aragon, better known as Don Ja^'me el Conquistador. The principal motive of the order was the rescue of Christians held captive by the Moors. Later it became a purely religious institution, and as such only (with the amusing excep- tion noted below) was known in Mexico. Its chroniclers affirm, and such is the fact, that it was the first of the religious orders represented in Mexico, inasmuch as one of its members, Fray Bartolome de Olmedo, was in the company of Cortes. But it also is a fact that the order was not regularly founded in Mexico until the year 1574, and its first convent Avas not completed until the year 1593. Both church and convent were very small. By sturdy begging the brothers presently acquired a capital of $18,000, which was invested in the purchase of a certain landed estate, the property of Guillermo Bor- ondate, erroneously (see p. 135) believed to have been previously occupied by the arsenal in which the famous " brigantines " of the siege were housed. Here in 1601 they founded a new church and convent ; and very con- siderably extended their lands by the purchase of adja- cent property, and by taking forcible possession of a small street by which their estate was divided. In order to obtain the right to close and take possession of this street, they asked title to it from the, Viceroy, Don Gas- par de Zufiiga — who very promptly refused their request. Paying no attention to this refusal, they worked so hard through a whole night that in the morning the street was closed at its two ends by stout walls ; at sight of which the citizens living thereabouts, angered by this invasion of their rights, set themselves in array to tear the walls down. But the monks, not having lost their military instinct, so valiantly defended their ill-gotten 212 MEXICAN GUIDE. property that their besiegers were repulsed. Nor was the appeal of the citizens to the Viceroy more successful. Don Gaspar paid no attention to their complaint, and the street remained from that time onward closed. Later, a magnificent church costing $150,000 was built here, the first stone of which was laid March 20, 1634, and which was dedicated August 30, 1654. Upon the suppression of the order, in 1860, the church was par- tially destroyed, together with the convent ; new streets were laid out through the property and the market of the Merced (Mercado de Merced) was here established. Upon the destruction of this church the church of Belen de los Padres remained the oldest surviving foundation of the order. Belen de los Padres (S. 43). In the j-ears imme- diately succeeding the Conquest there lived, near by where the church of Belen de los Padres now stands, a pious Indian woman named Clara Maria, the owner of a rmiall landed estate. In their walks in the fields the i Brothers of Mercy passed often her door, and she was so Avell pleased with them and with their holy work that she offered to present them with land for a monastery, and to maintain the monastery, should they build one | near a little chapel that she herself already had raised. Accordingly such a little monastery was built beside the { chapel, and the good Clara Maria punctually fulfilled her ' promise during the space of eleven years : providing the maintenance of the monastery and herself daily cleans- ing and decorating the chapel. At the end of this time she married a good-for-nothing (" bad-head," mala caheza, \ to quote exactly the words of the ancient chronicle) who speedily spent all her substance, and left both her and the miniature religious establishment utterly desti- RELIGIOUS FOUNDATIONS. 213 tute. Id her poverty, Clara Maria was cared for kindly by the good brothers, for whom, most opportunely, there was raised up another Indian patron, Juan Marcos, who gave them the land on which the present church stands, and who dedicated himself and his family to their service. A certain Doiia Ysabel de Picazo supple- mented this gift by giving her considerable fortune for the building of the new church — which was dedicated, under the name of Nuestra Seiiora de Belen, August 3, 1678. The present church, built by the munificence of Don Domingo del Campo y Murga, was dedicated De- cember 14, 1735. Adjoining the church and convent was built (being opened in April, 1687) the college of San Pedro Pascual. In the church and sacristy there are several anonymous pictures of much merit. San Diego (I. 16). Of the third company of discalced Franciscans (styled Dieguinos in Mexico) that passed Avestward to the Philippine Islands, nine remained in Mexico to found the order there. On the 27th of July, 1591, they began to build the church and monastery of San Diego in the plaza then called the Tianquis (market-place) de San Hipolito, the charges of the work being borne by a pious gentleman, Don Mateo Mauleon, and his wife. Work was pushed so vigorously, that in 1593 they removed from their temporary quar- ters in the hospice at San Cosme (which see) to their own monastery. The church was built less rapidly, be- ing finally dedicated in September, 1621. It survived for nearly two hundred years, the present church having been built early in the present century. By the Laws of the Reform the monks were expelled and the mon- astery was changed into dwelling houses. The church, being property vested in private hands, was not dis- 214 MEXICAN GUIDE. turbed. Services continue to be held in it. San Diego, at the west end of the Alameda, is not a large church but it is richly decorated. Attention should be paid es- pecially to the chapel of Los Dolores, the most harmo- niously decorated of any chapel in the capital. Fifteen large pictures by Vallejo completely cover the walls, the more notable being "The Last Supper," "The Prayer in the Garden," and " The Exposition of Christ." In the four angles beneath the dome are good statues of the four Evangelists, and on each side of the main altar are allegorical pictures, dedicated, respectively, to the Vir- gin of Guadalupe and San Jose, which are deserving of attention. The main church contains a handsome tab- ernacle, completed through the exertions of the illus- trious Fray Carnago. In the sacristy are some credita- ble pictures representing scenes in the life of the Virgin. Nuestra Senora del Carmen (L. 17). The first members of the Carmelite order established in Mexico came in the fleet that accompanied the Viceroy Villa Manrique, and entered the city October 18, 1585. They were first established in some houses adjacent to the church of San Sebastian, of which they took charge — their entry into these houses and their administration of the affairs of the parish being in accordance with per- mission given by the Viceroy : but most vigorously, though ineffectually, opposed by the Franciscans, by whom the church had been built and to whom the houses belonged. Twenty years later the church and monas- tery were established in their present situation, the church of San Sebastian being turned over to the Au- gustinians. After several partial renewals the building at last was pulled down, early in the present century, in order to erect a new and magnificent church. But RELIGIOUS FOU^N^DATIONS. 215 this project never got beyond the foundations for the main building, and the completion of the church now existing — a relatively small building, that was included in the plan as a chaioel. In 1866 the monastery was turned into dwelling-houses, and in May of that year the treasures of the church were taken possession of by the government and its tower was destroyed. Later, it was reopened and services continue to be held in it. Nuestra Sehora de Monserrate (V. 48). About the year 1580 there lived in Mexico two devotees of the Virgin of Monserrate, who caused to be brought for them from Monserrate, in Catalonia, a replica of the famous image there preserved. It was their purpose to build for the housing of the holy image a church, and with the church also a hospital. A brotherhood was organized, and a small hospital was built on the site of the present Molino de Belen — which did good service during the pestilence (known as the cocoliztli) among the Indians. Later it was decided to build a monastery and church in the city, but dissensions in the brotherhood led to difficulties with the archbishop and suits in the civil courts ; so that, finally, the brotherhood was dis- solved and the church (built in 1590) and the monastery were turned over to the Benedictines of Monserrate — — two members of which monastery came from Spain (in the year 1602) to take possession of it and to organ- ize the religious establishment. The order finally was established in the year 1614 ; but its house never had more than eight or ten members, and never passed beyond the condition of a priory, always remaining subject to the abbot of Monserrate in Spain. Notwith- standing its unfortunate beginning, this learned and use- ful order prospered in Mexico, and in return conferred 216 MEXICAN GUIDE. \ipon the country substantial benefits. Following their custom in Europe, its members were zealous in the good work of teaching ; they enriched the literature of the country with a number of important works, besides copying many valuable manuscripts, and so giving to their contents a wider currency ; they introduced into jNIexico many fruits and vegetables from the old world ; they were noted always for their charity and good works. On the 20th of January, 1821, the order in Mexico — then consisting of two priests and two lay-brothers — was sup- l^ressed by order of the Spanish Cortes. The church remains open. Three pictures from the priory are pre- served in the Academy, the most important of which is St. John in the Desert, by the celebrated Spanish artist Zurbaran. San Juan de Dios (I. 72). The present church was built upon the site of the little chapel (built about 1582) of Nuestra Seiiora de los Desamparados, attached to the hosjoital of the same name, and was dedicated May 16, 1629. It was partially destroyed by fire March 10, 1766, and then was rebuilt as it now is seen. It has a very handsome recessed portal, and a fine fayade. The eft'ect of the side upon the street has been destroyed by the erection of a row of highly objectionable houses. (See HosjDital de San Juan de Dios.) San L^zaro (P. 71). Cortes founded a hospital for lepers that soon became extinct. To meet the need for such an institution, the Hospital of San Lazaro, with its church of the same name, was founded by the philan- thropic Dr. Pedro Lopez in the year 1572. The hos- pital was maintained at the charges of Dr. Lopez and his descendants until the year 1721. From that date it was in charge of the Juaninos (Brothers of St. John), KELIGIOUS FOUNDATION'S. 217 until tlie sujDpressioii of ilio order in 1821. Ifc then l^assed into the control of the municipality, and finally was extinguished, the patients being transferred to the Municipal Hospital, August 12, 1862. The present church was erected in 1721 (when the property passed into the hands of the Juaninos) at the charges of Father Buenaventura Medina Picazo. The cost of the church was 175,175, and of the organ and interior decorations $7,867. The church was the finest belonging to the order in Mexico. San Antonio Abad (W. 53), Upon the arrival of the first representatives of the order of San Antonio Abad in Mexico (1628) they built for themselves a church and a convent-hospital for contagious diseases in the south- eastern suburb of the city — the church being very small, and the hospital, for the period, very large. The order never exceeded ten in number, in this establishment ; and was extinguished, in common with the order gener- ally in Spain and Spanish dependencies, by the bull of Pius VI. (August 24, 1787) — on the representation of Charles III. that the houses of the order practically were deserted because of the gadding tendencies of its mem- bers. All that remains of this establishment in Mexico is the Capilla de San Antonio Abad (W. 53) ; but tlio name survives in many ways in the vicinity of the foun- dation : the Calzada de San Antonio Abad, the Garita de San Antonio Abad, the Puente de San Antonio Abad and the Calle de San Antonio Abad all derive their names from this source. La Profesa (K. 36). Properly speaking, the name of this church is San Jose el Eeal, Oratorio de San Felipe Neri ; but popular custom has retained its jDrimi- tive name. It is a Jesuit foundation, of 1595, built 218 MEXICAN GUIDE. upon j^roj^erty bequeathed by Don Fernando Nunez Obregon. The present church was dedicated, as the Casa Profesa de la Compania de Jesus, August 28, 1720 ; and remained in the possession of the Jesuits until their expulsion from Mexico in 1767. (See church of the Loreto. ) The church, with its dependent very consider- able estate of houses and lands in its vicinity, then re- verted to the government ; of which the property was bought by the Felipenses (Oratorians) in 1771 — their own habitation, and a magnificent church partially com- pleted, having been destroyed by the earthquake of April 4, 1768. This division of the congregation of San Felipe Neri, an unvowed religious order, had its inde- pendent origin in Mexico. It was founded by Don An- tonio Calderon Benavides in 1657, in accordance with the rule of San Felipe Neri, and eventually was incor- porated with the Congregation by the Papal bull of De- cember 24, 1697 ; being then instituted as the Oratorio de Mexico. The church, an elegant building of nave and aisles, is one of the finest in the city. It was de- signed by Pelegrin Clave, by whom — assisted by his three most famous pupils, Petronilo Monroy, Jose Ea- rairez and Felipe Castro — its best pictures, representing the Seven Sacraments and the Adoration of the Cross, were painted. The interior is very richly decorated in white and gold ; and its main altar is one of the most notable works of the architect Tolsa. The magnificent drapings of crimson velvet embroidered with gold, used on the great festivals, were presented by Father Man- ual Sanchez de Tagle y Bolea ; a notable benefactor of the church. At the time of the purchase of the edifice by the Felipenses, its name was changed to San Jose el Real ; but the name of Profesa, having been in cun-eut use for RELIGIOUS FOUNDATIONS. 219 nearl}^ seventy years, was too firmly fixed in the popular mind to be abandoned ; and to this day that name is re- tained. The street upon which the church fronts, how- ever, is called San Jose el Real — while the street upon its southern side (in reality the Third of San Francisco) often is called the Calle de Profesa. Upon this southern side of the church the municipality caused to be made, in the j'ear 1885, a very pretty little garden. The buildings at one time belonging to the church have for the most part disappeared, and the few remaining have been materially modified. After the expulsion of the order (under the general law of suppression) the prop- erty reverted to the government, and in February, 1861, the work of demolition was begun for the opening of the fine Calle del Cinco de Mayo. Betlemitas (K. 31). The order of Betlemitas (Beth- iehemites) was founded in Guatemala, in the year 1653, by Pedro de San Jose Vetancurt, a " descendant of the ancient Kings of the Canary Islands," and a cousin of the chronicler. Its object was the care of the sick and the education of youth. The order was founded in the City of Mexico in 1674, and in March of the ensuing year re- ceived the lands upon which the present church building stands. Their hospital was opened, with nineteen beds, May 29, 1675. The present church building was erected at the charges of Don Manuel Gomez, the corner-stone bering laid June 2, 1681, and the church dedicated Sep- tember 29, 1687. In the monastery attached to the church were the free schools for which the order was famous ; not less famous for the thoroughness of the teaching than for the vigorous methods by which study and discipline were enforced. Among the much be-fer- uled pupils was current the dismal aphorism : " learn- 220 MEXICAN GUIDE. ing is bought with blood ! " — la leira con mngre entra : The order was suppressed by a decree of the Spanish Cortes of 1820. The monastery for a time was occupied as a miUtary school, later was occupied in part by tbo nuns of the Ensenanza Nueva (which see) and in part by the school of the Compaiiia Laucasteriana (which see) — the latter still being in possession. The church build- ing has been transformed into a public library. (See Libraries, Cinco de Mayo.) Colegio de las NiPias (K. 40). This educational es- tablishment, of which now the church only survives, was founded in the year 1548 by Fray Pedro de Gante as a free school for poor girls of good position. It was gov- erned and administered by the Archicofradia del Santis- imo Sacramento, and being an institution well-meriting approval and aid it acquired, by gifts and bequests, a very considerable estate. All of this estate, including the handsome building in which the school w^as housed, passed into the hands of the government under the op- eration of the Laws of the Reform. The school building is now occupied by the Gennan club. The little church remains open. San Fernando (G. 18). The Order of San Fer- nando, belonging to the Franciscan apostolic college called of the Propaganda Fide, was first established in New Spain, in the city of Queretaro, in the year 1G50, The order was founded in the City of Mexico about the year 1693 by the venerable Fray Antonio Margil de Je- sus ; and the college was established in the city by the royal order of October 15, 1733. The corner-stone of the present church was laid October 11, 1735, and the church was dedicated — with most imposing ceremonies extending over five days — April 20, 1755. The church IlELIGIOUS FOUNDATIONS. 221 is one of the largest in the city, and before its recent re- construction was decorated in a style of etegant severity. It was badly shattered by the earthquake of June 19, 1858 ; and while the necessary work of reconstruction was in progress the Juarez government possessed the city and for a season the church was closed. The repairs have been completed, but much of its original beauty is now lost. Its altars, in the churrigueresque style, have entirely disappeared, and so have many fine paintings which once adorned it. A few paintings yet remain, the most notable of which are a "Birth of Christ — " illustra- ting a mass of the Nativity — and " Duns Scotus before the Doctors of the Church." From all of the paintings the names of the artists have disaj^peared. Upon the sup- pression of the religious orders the church was partially dismantled, and the monasteiy was sold into private hands — being subsequently (September, 1862) in great part demolished in order to open the Avenida Guerrero. Adjoining this church is the burial place of San Fernando (which see). San Camilo (V. 99). The Camilists, vowed to the care of the sick and the consolation of the dying, were es- tablished in Mexico by Father Diego Mai-tin de Moya in the year 1755. Their monastery was extinguished by the laws of the Reform. It is now occupied by the Catholic Theological Seminary. The church remains — a small building, with an interior tastefully decorated in whits and gold. Its official name now is the church of the Seminario Conciliar. Nuestra Senora de la Concepcion (J. 19). This (in Mexico) Franciscan order was founded in the City of Mexico (under a royal order given in 1530) in the year 1541 : in which year Fray Antonio de la Cruz, a Francis- :^22 MEXICAN GUIDE. can, brought from the convent of Santa Ysabel de Sala< manca three nuns by whom the convent, the first convent of nuns in New Spain, was estabUshed. The first house of the order became ruinous about the year 1644 ; and then was built — at the charges of Don Tomas Saaznaba, and of Don Simon de Haro and Dona Ysabel Barrera, his wife — the convent, and the church now existing, at a total cost of $250,000. The church, repaired in 1809, and again in 1854, is a costly, ugly building of the Greek composite order, and before the Keform was dec- orated throughout its interior with exti-aordinary mag- nificence. Some portion of this decoration still remains. The tower is one of the highest in the city. Over the main altar is an image of the Purisima Concepcion, the origin of which is lost in antiquity. There is a tradition to the effect that in the rear of the organ was a damp place caused by the falling, ina most mysterious manner and at long intervals, of drops of water. The source of the drops never could be found, although most diligent search was made by masons to find some flaw in the roof that would account for them. To one of the nuns of the convent it was revealed in a vision that the drops were a sort of heavenly clock, marking off the years of the con- vent's existence and that when the dropping ceased the convent would fall. As the convent was secularized in the Keformation, and now is utilized for a school and dwellings, this mysterious supernatural water-clock may be supposed to have ticked out its prophecy to a com- plete fulfilment. The convent was the most fashionable religious establishment in Mexico, its inmates being re- cruited from among the noblest families of the land. Its wealth was prodigious, a valuation of its property at the time of secularization showing a total of $1,G60,955, RELIGIOUS FOUNDATIONS. 223 Through the convent proj^erty have been opened the streets of Progreso and Cinqnenta-siete. La Bal van era (V. 21). Upon its foundation by Con- cepcionistas in the year 1573 this convent and church were dedicated to Jesus de la Penitencia. Later, the dedication was changed to Nuestra Seiiora de Balvanera. The primitive church having fallen into decay, the exist- ing church was built by the Licenciado Jose de Lombeida with property bequeathed for that purpose by the Doiia Beatriz de Miranda — the source whence the building fund came being so well concealed that not until the Licenciado's death was the charity of Dofia Beatriz known. The corner-stone was laid May 3, 16G7, and the church was dedicated December 7, 1671. Since that date it has been materially repaired. Santa Clara (K. 33). Francisca de San Agustin and her five daughters lived together a holy life of re- tirement from the world in the beaterio adjoining the chapel (now the church) of La Santisima (see p. 181) : a little dwelling given them by the Ayuntamiento un- til such time as they should find benefactors to build them a convent. These they found in the persons of Don Alonzo Sanchez and his wife, who gave them a house at the corner of the present Calles Vergara and Santa Clara ; and here, upon the 22d of December, 1579, they took up their abode — having previously, January 4, 1579, taken upon themselves the vows of the order of Santa Clara in the church of the Concepcion. The church of Santa Clara was dedicated October 22, 1661. This church, and a large part of the convent, were partially destroyed by fire April 5, 1755. The present church, prajctically, dates from the completion of the restoration after the fire, March 18, 1756. The convent was closed February 224 MEXICAN GUIDE. 13, 1861, and subsequently was sold and transformed into dwelling bouses. Tbe cburcb, lacking its cboir, re- mains open. It bas been modernized and is uninterest- ing. Even tbe beautiful altar, tbe work of tbe celebrated ecclesiastical artificer Pedro Eamirez, altbougb it escaped destruction in tbe tire, bas been removed. Tbe convent is now a stable. At tbe outer corner of tbe cburcb, on tbe streets of Vergara and Santa Clara, was a little cbaj^el, completed and dedicated to La Purisima January 7, 1730. Tbis building bas been degraded into a sbop. Jesus Maria (O. 22). About tbe year 1577, two pious men, Pedro Tomas Denia and Gregorio de Pes- quera, conceived tbe purpose of founding a convent into wliicli tbe descendants of tbe Conquerors sbould be received witbout dower. Witli money of tbeir own to tbe amount of nearly !i^5,000, and witb alms given tbem, tbey purcbased property at tbe corner of tbe present Puente de Mariscaia and Callejon de Sta Cruz, and there built a little convent and a little cburcb. Tbe autbor- ization for tbis establisbment was given by Pope Greg- ory Xin. in a bull dated January 21, 1578, in which was decreed that tbe convent sbould be known as Jesus Maria, and that tbe nuns entering it should take tbe vows and be under tbe direction of tbe Concepcionistas. Therefore it w^as that the first nuns to enter into the new convent came from tbe convent of the Concepcion ; and this took place February 10, 1580 ; and on tbe en-|j suing day both church and convent, with solemn cere- monies, were dedicated. The site of the convent proving damp and unbealtbful, especially because of the inunda- tion of that year, a new site was purchased — that where the church now is — and thither, SejDtember 13, 1582, tbe establisbment was removed. It is said that about EELIGIOUS FOUlNTDATIONS. 225 this time there came to dwell in the convent of the Con- cepciou, and thence presently removed to this convent of Jesus Maria, a nun who w^as the daughter of King Philip n, ; and who also was the niece of the then Arch- bishop of Mexico, Don Pedro Moya de Contreras, later Viceroy of the Province, and first Inquisitor General of New Spain— some of which honors, at least, fairly may be supposed to have come to this excellent prelate through his sister's connection with the King. It is certain that the coming of this nun to the convent of Jesus Maria was of great material benefit to the establishment. It was raised to the titular order of a royal convent ; es- pecial directions were given from Spain for its care and protection by the authorities of the Province ; and from both the Provincial and Royal treasuries large sums of money were given it. With the money thus obtained the corner-stone of the existing church was laid March 9, 1597 ; and the church (lacking then its tower) was dedicated February 7, 1621. The convent also was much enlarged and improved, " so that the presence of that lady within its walls was to all a blessing." February 13, 1861, the nuns w^ere expelled from the building, and the building itself was sold and changed into dwelling houses. The church, built in the pseudo-classic style, is massive and lumpy. In the chancel are two pictures by Jimeno, a St. Thomas and a Virgin with the Infant Christ, very agreeable in color. The altar-piece, Christ in the Temple, by Cordero, is good in drawing and com- position, but its color is crude. San Gerdnimo (V. 23). This convent, founded un- der the Augustinian rule by the Concepcionistas, in the year 1586, was one of the most extensive establishments of its kind in Mexico. But its most endurin<;' fame rests 226 MEXICAN GUIDE. upon the fact that here Juana Inez de la Cruz, the cele* brated poetess and general writer, took the veil and lived for many years ; and that here, April 17, 1695, she died. The convent was suppressed under the Laws of the Ke- form and a portion of it is now used as a barrack. An effort has been made recently (1885) by the ladies of the City of Mexico to purchase and preserve that portioa of the building in which is the cell once occupied by the " Musa Mexicana." Santa Catalina de Sena (L. 32). By the exertions of two pious women named Felipas this Dominican or- der was founded in the City of Mexico July 3, 1593 ; when two nuns came from the convent of the order in Oaxaca and took possession of the little convent that the pious Felipas had prepared for their abode. Two years later the establishment was removed to the spot occu- pied by the existing convent building ; and shortly there- after the present church was built. The corner-stone of the church was laid August 15, 1615, and it was dedi- cated March 7, 1623. The convent was suppressed by the Laws of the Reform. San Juan de la Penltencia (R. 34). In the quarter of the city then called Moyotla, a low-lying, swampy re- gion where only Indians dwelt, there was, in former times, in the place where the existing church now stands, the little chapel of San Juan Bautista. This chapel was one of the four chapels founded by Fray Pedro de Gante about the year 1524 as adjuncts to the parish church of San Jose in San Francisco. After a time, however, it was neglected, and but for the active piety of the Indians themselves would have utterly dis- appeared. These, abounding in good works, not only maintained it in repair, but built beside it a little hos- RELIGIOUS FOUNDATIONS. 227 pice where travellers from distant parts coming to the city might be freely housed. Later, the wish arising in the hearts of these Indians that their hosj^ice might be made a little convent of Santa Clara nuns — an order which they much loved — they petitioned the Viceroy, Don Luis de Velasco, that this might be ; and Don Luis, beholding gladly their piety, granted their prayer. So it came to pass that oq the 18th day of July in the year of grace 1593, there came out from the convent of Santa Clara, being duly licensed by the Rev, Padre Fray Rodrigo de Santillan, four nuns ; and these, marching in procession, accompanied by the nobility of the city and a great multitude, went to the quarter where the little convent was and there took up their abode — being received by the pious Indians of that quarter, and many Indians gathered from afar, with glad shouts and dances and music and all manner of such signs as these bar- barics use to express great joy. And when, by an earth- quake, the church here built was destroyed, there was performed a miracle ; for a wooden figure of the Child Jesus that was in the church upraised its arm and sta^'ed the fall of a great arch ! Which miracle being noised abroad, the figure thenceforth was held in great venera- tion ; and the fame of it caused great alms to be given quickty to the convent, so that the church in a little while was built anew. And when this second church, and the convent with it, grew ruinous with age and were pulled down, the convent and the present church were built at the charges of a pious woman, Dofia Juana Villasenor Lomelin ; the corner-stone of the church being laid February 6, 1695, and its dedication taking place January 24, 1711. But even the possession of its mir- aculous ima^e did not save the convent of San Juan de 228 mexicajnt guide. la Penitenciii from tlie destructive force of the Laws oi the Reform. Wheu the convents throughout Mexico were suppressed this also passed away. Nuestra Senora de la Encarnacion (L. 30). This convent, the most magnificent in the city, practically re- mains intact, and from it may be obtained some notion of the elegance to which convent life was carried in Mexico, in the richer establishments, before the Laws of the Rsform were put in force. The foundation of Nues- tra Senora de la Encarnacion — usualty spoken of simj)ly as La Encarnacion — was laid in a small way March 21, 1593, by nuns vowed to the rules of the Conce23cion- istas, under the patronage of Dr. Sancho Sanchez de Muiion. New buildings quickly were erected, and a patron was found, in the person of Don Alvaro deLor- enzana, who built the church from plans by the Jesuit Father Luis Benitez at a cost of $100,000. The corner- stone was laid December 18, 1639, and the church was dedicated with magnificent ceremonies (for which Don Alvaro paid, in cost of decorations, entertainment, etc , $3,113), March 7, 1648. At the end of the last century the cloister, extending in front of each of the three stories of the convent in the inner court-yard, was built by the architect Don Miguel Constanzo. This beauti- ful cloister remains unchanged. Here were deposited, after the suppression of the monastic orders, the ver}^ many pictures removed from the other convents and from the monasteries of the city. After the convent became government property it was used for various purposes, and is now (1886) occupied by the Law School (Escuela de Jurisprudencia), and a school for girls. The value of the property owned by this convent when it was suppressed was $1,077,191. The church is EELIGIOUS FOUNDATIOjN^S. 229 without aisles, and loses somewhat in effect by the com- j)arative lowness of the vaulted roof. The interior lias been modernized, new altars having been erected of the rather meaningless Grecian type that has been in vogue in Mexico during the past century. The main altar, of comparatively recent construction, is notable for the lavish use of gold in its decoration. San Lorenzo (J. 24). This Augustinian establishment w\a8 founded in 1698 by four nuns from the convent of San Gerunimo and two from the convent of Jesus Maria, the patrons of the foundation being Don Juan de Chav- arria Valero, and Doiia Maria Zaldivar Mendoza ; the latter being also the jEirst novice. The present church was built at the charges of Juan Fernandez Riofrio, and was dedicated July 16, 1650. The convent is now used by the Escuela de Artes y Oficios para hombres. Santa Inez (O. 45). In the yeav 1600 this convent was founded by nuns from the Concepcion, under the patronage of the Marqueses de la Cadena who spent upon the building and the church connected with, it enor- mous sums. The convent, now converted into dwelling houses, contained many pictures by the Mexican artist Ibarra. The present church was dedicated January 20, 1770. It has a fine doorway of the Ionic order, and the large doors are richl;^ornamented with carvings in wood. After the suppression of the convent the church was dis- mantled and was closed for twenty years. It was re- opened June 11, 1883, under the name of the Sagrado Corazon de Jesus— but commonly is spoken of by its primitive name. Santa Ysabel (west side Calle de StaYsabel). This beautiful convent and church have almost entirely disap- peared. The tower of the church has been demolished. 230 MEXICAN GUIDE. but a portion of the southern wall still may be seen above the roofs of the houses on the western side of the Calle cle Santa Ysabel. The convent property included the square between the Puente de San Francisco and the Callejon de Sta Ysabel, and the Calle de Sta Ysabel and the Mirador of the Alameda. After the suppression of the order all of this space, excepting the part occupied by the church, was transformed into dwelling houses — the handsome row of houses on the Mirador of the Ala- meda being then built — and the church was occupied as a manufactor}' of silk. The convent was founded under the patronage of Dona Catarina de Peralta (who herself w^as the first novice), February 1, 1601. It was intended by the patroness that the establishment should be of the bare-footed first order of Santa Clara ; but as the situa- tion, by its dampness, oftered but little encouragement to barefooted piety, the rule adopted was that of the Fran- ciscan as Urbanistas — an order that wears shoes. The convent was twice rebuilt, upon a scale of increasing mag- nificence, the latest building being completed May 27, 1852. The church now is occupied by the French So- riete Harmonique et Dramatique. San Jos^ de Cracia(V. 25). In a house that stood upon the present site of the church of San Jose de Gracia there met in ancient times a little cojnpany of pious wom- en, some widows and others wives, who associated them- selves together in a society to which they gave the name of Santa Monica. At the wish of this company' that a con- vent should be established in the place where their meet- ings were held. Fray Garcia Guerra obtained the neces- sary license, and the convent was founded by two nuns from the convent of the Concepcion and two from the con- vent of the Encarnacion, under the patronage of Don Fer- RELIGIOUS FOUNDATIONS. 231 nando Villegas, in the year IGIO ; in which time also was built the first church. About the year 1658, the church being then much dilapidated, the present building was erected at the charges of Don Navarro de Pastrana ; the corner-stone being laid March 19, 1659, and the dedica- tion taking place November 24, 1661. The convent, as such, has passed away. The church, becoming the prop- erty of the government when the Laws of the Reform went into effect, was purchased from the government, about the year 1870, by the Protestant organization known as The Mexican Branch of the Catholic Church of our Lord Jesus Christ. (See San Francisco.) Santa Teresa la Antigua (M. 26). The Carmelite order of Santa Teresa first was planted in New Sj^ain in the year 1604, being then established in Puebla. Thence the order was established in the City of Mexico in this wise : There were in the convent of Jesus Maria two nuns devoted to the rule of Santa Teresa, which they followed under the guidance of the Carmelite Fathers. Hearing of their devotion, Don Juan Luis de Rivera of- fered to found in the city a convent of this order in which they might dwell. Dying before his pious purpose could be executed, he left provision for it in his will ; devising, for the use of the to-be convent, certain moneys and the house in which he had lived. Yet some years went by after Don Juan's death and no disposition was shown by his heirs to make the bequest operative ; and so the matter stood when there arrived in Mexico the new Archbishop, Don Juan Perez de la Serna. Now this Archbishop was a brisk and most punctual person, and so soon as he knew that the Church was defrauded of her rights by the heirs of Don Juan he went straightway to law with them ; and as the will of Don Juan was clear and explicit the 232 MEXICAN GUIDE. suit was adjudged in liis favor. Therefore, July 1, 1615, the money in dispute was paid over to him, and the possession of the houses was his. But here a new diffi- culty confronted him in the plump refusal of the tenants of those houses to move away. However, this Archbishop was a person of expedients. Gaining entrance to the houses in the night time, he caused to be built within them an altar : and in the first light of dawn on the morning of July 4, 1615, all of the recalcitrant tenants were aroused by a most prodigious thumping and shout- ing and ringing of bells, and then were bidden to attend at the impromptu altar while the Archbishop celebrated the mass. Li wonder and astonishment they came ; and when the mass was at an end the Archbishop told them shortly that he had taken possession of those houses for a holy purpose with the authority of the Law and with the approval of the Church ; and that the sooner they got out of them the better. And thereupon they went. With the same energy that had characterized his fourth of July celebration, the Archbishop set workmen to the demolition of the buildings on the morning of the 5th ; and on the afternoon of the same day the foundations of the long-delayed convent were set in place ; and so furi- ously did this vigorous churchman push matters that on March 1, 1616, the two nuns who so long had desired to be of the order of Santa Teresa — having the day before taken the vows and assumed the Carmelite habit — were installed in their convent. Their installation was accom- panied by imposing ceremonies, at which the Vice-queen and some of the most noble ladies of the city assisted ; and the solemnity of the occasion so impressed one of the ladies in waiting upon the Vice-queen that then and there she became the convent's first novice. This convent was RELIGIOUS FOUNDATIONS. 23:i dedicated, as was its churcli, to San Jose. The existing church was built at the charges of Sefior Esteban Mohna de Mosquera ; the corner-stone being laid October 8, 1678, and the church dedicated to Nuestra Senora la Antigua (this dedication being expressly stipulated for by Don Esteban as a condition precedent to his patron- age) September 10, 1684. The convent and the church practically lost their primi- tive names (even before the convent was suppressed) ; these being merged in the name of the existing chapel of El Senor de Santa Teresa : and as there exists also a church (Santa Teresa la Nueva) dedicated to Santa Teresa, this church always is spoken of as Santa Teresa la Antigua. The beautiful chapel of El Sefior de Santa Teresa, in reality a large church, was built for the suita- ble housing of the miraculous crucifix still remaining there. This crucifix was brought from Spain in the year 1545, and was placed in the church of the mining town of the Cardonal (in the present State of Hidalgo), where it was known as the Santo Cristo de Cardonal. In course of time the crucifix became injured and unsightly txud was thrown into a fire to be burned. The flames failing to consume it, it was buried. Later, it chanced to be dug up again.; and was found still uninjured. Finally, it miraculously renewed its freshness and appeared as though newly made. Hearing of these things, the Arch- bishop of Mexico, Don Juan Perez de la Serna, caused it to be placed in an oratory ; and in 1634, his successor, Don Francisco Manzo de Zufiiga, caused a chapel to be built for it at his private charge. The crucifix was brought to the City of Mexico— though in order to secure it the emissaries of the Archbishop had to give regular battle to the people of the Cardonal, who most vigorously 234 MEXICAN GUIDE. opposed its removal — and when the church of Nuestra Senora la Antigua was erected an especial chapel therein was provided for it. The worship of the miraculous im- age spread rapidly in the cit}^ and as the chapel con- taining it was deemed too poor to be thus honored, a new one was built at the charges of Don Manuel Flores ; the corner-stone being laid December 17, 1798, and the dedication taking place May 17, 1813. This structure, of which a considerable portion still remains, was con- sidered one of the most beautiful church buildings ever erected in Mexico ; and the greatest work of its archi- tect, Don Antonio Velasquez, first Professor of Architec- ture in the Academy of San Cai'los. It was badly shat- tered by the earthquake of April 7, 1845. The beautiful dome, part of the vaulted roof, and the chancel were de- stroyed — the destruction of the chancel involving also that of a curious fresco by Jimeno representing the fight be- tween the servants of the Archbishop and the people of the Cardonal. The miraculous crucifix (thereby doing- violence to the precedents in its history of two hundred years earlier) was somewhat damaged. Pending the re- construction of the chapel, it was placed in the cathedral The chapel was repaired under the direction of the archi- tect Don Lorenzo Hidalga (the work going on slowly as alms for its prosecution were received) and was reopened May 9, 1858 — when, with very imposing ceremonies, the miraculous crucifix was brought back from the cathedral. The existing dome is one of the most beautiful in the city (though said to be less elegant in its proportions than that which it replaced). The church is maintained in somewhat painfully good repair, and the renewal of its high and side altars in recent times has detracted from its antique picturesqueness. These modern altars. RELIGIOUS FOUNDATIONS. 235 however, are handsome after their kind ; as is also the new chapel of the Soledad. On the north wall hangs a fine Coronation of the Virgin. Fortunately, the shape and proportions, Avith the imj^osing Corinthian columns, of the original chapel of El Senor are preserved. Santa Teresa la Nueva (O. 27). A church and con- vent of Carmelite nuns were founded by this order under the patronage of Don Esteban Molina de Mosquera (pa- tron also, as stated above, of the church of Santa Teresa la Antigua). The corner-stone of the church w-as laid September 21, 1701, and the church was dedicated Janu- ary 25, 1715-16. San Bernardo (M. 39). Don Juan Marquez de Orozco, a rich merchant of the City of Mexico, dying in 1621, left his house and goods, valued at $60,000, to found a convent under the Cistercian rule. Fourteen years having elapsed leaving this bequest still unused, no nuns of the Cistercian order having come from Spain to make it operative, three sisters of the deceased mer- chant, nuns in the convent of Regina Coeli, together with two other nuns in the same establishment, ob- tained permission to live in the vacant building whei-e Don Juan had intended that his nunnery should be founded. Here they established themselves in the year 1636 : and thus was the foundation of the convent of San Bernardo laid. There being here no church, and the building being unsuited to convent purposes, a patron was found in the person of Don Jos6 Retes Largache, at whose charges both were built. The corner-stone of the church was laid June 24, 1685 ; and the church was dedicated June 18, 1690. The present church building, into which some portion of the older building was incorporated, was dedicated September 29, 1777. Ui^on 236 MEXICAN GUIDE. the suppression of the convent the church was dis- mantled, and for a time was used as a storehouse. It has been reopened. Its fayade may be seen, as though a framed picture, from the northern end of the Callejon de la Callejuela — the little street running southward from the Plaza Maj'or. The convent in part has been destroyed in order to open the Calle de Ocampo. Capuchinas. The first members of the order of Capuchiuas in Mexico, coming from a convent of the order in Toledo, arrived in the capital October 8, 1665. These came to accept the bequest of Dona Ysabel de Barrera, widow of Don Simon de Haro, who in her will had bequeathed the house in which she had dwelt and $10,000 in money for the founding of a convent of this order. Upon their arrival they were received into the convent of the Concepcion until their own convent should be ready for their habitation ; and this building being- completed they were inducted into it, with solemn cere- monies. May 29, 1666. The primitive church, built with a portion of Doiia Ysabel's bequest, was replaced by a larger structure that was dedicated, September 11, 1756, to San Felipe de Jesus, the Mexican proto-martyr. In February, 1861, both convent and church were demol- ished in order to open the Calle Lerdo — an extension southward of the Calle de la Palma. All that remains now of this foundation is its name, that still designates the street on which the church of the Capuchinas faced. Corpus Christi (I. 35). The then Viceroy, Don Baltasar de Zuniga, Marques de Valera, wishing to es- tabUsh a Capuchin convent into which should be re- ceived only Indian girls of noble descent [niuas caciques y nobles) bought the property upon which the church and convent building of Corpus Christi now stand. At KELIGIOUS FOUNDATIONS. 237 a charge of $40,000 he erected the convent and church, tlie corner-stone being laid September 12, 1720, and the church being dedicated July 10, 1724. On the 13th of July following, the sisters of the foundation — coming from the convents of Santa Clara, San Juan de la Peni- tencia and Santa Ysabel — took possession of the new convent. In order to enforce his wish that the convent should receive Indian nuns only, Don Baltasar obtained from the Pope, Benedict XIII., a most peremptory bull (given June 26, 1727) commanding that only such should be received within its walls. In this convent was the custom that novices taking the veil should be dressed in the richest possible Indian costume, the ceremony be- ing one of the most distinctive sights of the Mexican capital previous to the adoption of the Laws of the Re- form. The convent has been transformed into dwelling houses. The church, a small building without aisles, remains open. Santa Brigida (K. 28). The order of Bridgittine nuns (founded b}^ Saint Bridget of Sweden about 1344, and introduced into Spain by Queen Ysabel, wife of Philip IV., October 8, 1734) was founded in Mexico by Span- ish nuns under the patronage of Don Joso Francisco de Aguirre and his wife Dona Gertrudis Roldan. By these pious persons the convent and church of Santa Brigida (the sole establishment of the order in Mexico) were completed, December 21, 1744, and immediately were taken possession of by the founders — who had arrived in the city on the 13th of September, 1743, and had been housed, meanwhile, in the convent of Eegina Coeli. Upon the confiscation of church property the church of Santa Brigida was bouglit by a rich family of the city, and, being held in trust for church uses, remains open 238 MEXICAN GUIDE. for worship. It is too modern a building to be especi- ally interesting, and is maintained in a condition of such aggressive newness and freshness that it possesses little claim to consideration from the standpoint of the pic- turesque. But it is the most fashionable church in the City of Mexico. Ensenanza Antigua (M. 29). The Compafiia de Maria, an order having in charge the preparatory teach- ing of girls, was founded in Bordeaux by Jeanne deLes- tonac about the year 1600 as a counter-stroke to the then recently established Calvinistic schools. The found- ers of the order in Mexico came from the convent of Bessiers, in Barcelona, arriving in the City of Mexico August 30, 1753. Pending the completion of their con- vent, they were housed in the convent of Kegina Coeli. They purchased, June 22, 1754, for 139,000, certain houses in the Calle de Cordobanes ; and these, being modified to their purposes, they took possession of in the month of October following. On the 21st of Novem- ber the house was formally blessed by the Archbishox^ under this amx3le and imposing name : Nuestra Seiiora del Pilar de religiosas de la Ensenanza, escuela de Maria. The church belonging to the establishment was dedi- cated November 23, 1754. At later dates the convent building was enlarged to its present proportions. It is now occupied in part by the Palacio de Justicia (M. 91), and in part by the school for the blind. The church is open for worship. There are here some good pictures of the early Mexican school. Ensenanza Nueva. This was a branch establish- ment of the Ensenanza Antigua, founded, under the patronage of the then Bishop of Durango, Don Francisco de Castaniza, in the year 1811. It was intended, exclu- RELIGIOUS FOUNDATIONS. 239 sively. for the education of Indian girls. The institution, after being housed in several successive buildings, was suppressed by the Laws of the Reform. The only trace of it surviving is the name of the street where it first was established : Colegio de las Inditas — the College of the Indian girls. College of the Sisters of Charity (J. 64). The large building in which the Sisters of Charity were housed, north of the Plaza de Villamil, was built at a cost of ^150,000, by Padre Bolea Sanchez de Tagle, who desired here to found a college in which Indian girls whose beauty w^ould expose them to temptations and danf^-ers in the world mio'ht be educated and at the same time kept in safety. The building was not completed, and the philanthropic project never was realized. But the name of Colegio de las Bonitas (the college of the pretty girls) usually shortened into Las Bonitas, always has clung to the edifice, and so it is generally styled to- day. After being used for various purposes, the build- ing was set apart for the Sisters of Charity. The found- ing of this beneficent order in Mexico w\as due to the patronage of Dona Maria Ana Gomez de la Cortina, who provided for the costs of bringing members of the order from Spain, and very liberally endowed the Mexican es- tablishment. Twelve members of the order, from Mad- rid, arrived in the city November 15, 1844 ; and to these Dona Maria joined herself, taking the habit of the order and giving herself with them to good works. She died January 6, 1846, and was buried in one of the courts of the house w^iich she had established — in which forlorn and dismantled place her handsome tomb may still be seen. By her will she bequeathed to the order the sum of S>141,000, which was punctually paid by her executors 240 MEXICAlSr GUIDE. within a month of her death. The church, La Caridacl, still open, was built with a portion of this fund ; it is a small but elegant building, with excellent interior decora- tions in white and gold. It was dedicated — General Santa Ana serving as padrino (god-father) — May 8, 1854. The Sisters of Charity, during their stay in Mexico, had charge of the principal hospitals of the capital, and of many hospitals also in the other cities of the Ke- public ; and everywhere performed most. effectively their good work. So highly were their services esteemed that the}" were by name expressly exempted from the operation of the Laws of the Reform. However, when the Laws of the Reform became incorporated into the Federal Constitution (by the act of December 14, 1874) the order of Sisters of Charity also was suppressed. This act was most violently denounced by the Conservative party, and was not by any means generalh^ approved by the Liberals. Bub in spite of the very active opposition that it encountered, it was made effective. Duiing Jan- uary and February, 1875, the Sisters left the country : thus formally bringing to an end the existence of re- ligious orders in the Republic. Independent Ch Larches. In addition to the cathe- dral and parochial establishment, and the foundations of the several religious orders, there are a few churches in Mexico which occupy an independent position in that they are the foundations of individuals or of societies. The more important of these are the following : Jesus Nazareno (V. 109). Under the name of Nues- tra Se flora de la Purlsima Concepcion this church (with its hospital of the same name, see Hospital de Jesus Nazareno) was founded by the Conqueror Hernando Cortes before the year 1524 ; as is proved by a reference KELIGIOUS LOUNDATIO.XS. 241 to it ill the municipal accounts of that year. After the death of Cortes (by whom an ample endowment was made for both hospital and church) his administrators contracted (November 26, 1601) for the completion, at a cost of $43,000, of the new church, begun in 1575 and then in course of erection. This work was not com- pleted at that time, and for nearly a century the church remained with its walls built only to the height of the cornice, and with only a portion of it under roof. Even this roof was defective, being of clay, in which trees grev/ and thrust out the lower walls. In the meantime service continued to be held in the primitive church. Such was the condition of affairs in the year 1663 when, a pious Indian woman dying to whom it had belonged, there came into the possession of the church and hos- pital a celebrated image of Jesus Nazareno. The imme- diate result of owning the image was a great increase of revenue from alms. At this fortunate time the chaplain of the hospital (named to that position May 22, 1662) was Don Antonio de Calderon Benavides, by whose energy the rapidly accumulating wealth was used for the completion of the church in a manner at once substan- tial and elegant. Finally, this church, begun in 1575, was dedicated with much solemn rejoicing in the year 1665 ; then receiving officially the name of Jesus Naza- reno, by which it long had been known. Its exterior remains practically unchanged. The interior was ma- terially modified in 1835, when all the woodwork was renewed. The church contains a very large tabernacle, the four pillars of which sustain an entablature that sup- ports a statue of the Virgin of the Immaculate Concep- tion. In the transepts are two altars, one dedicated to Nuestra Senora del Rosario and the other to Jesus N'''<- 242 • MEXICAN GUIDE. areno — upon which latter the famous image stands. In the church are the tombs of the philologist Fr. Juan Crisostomo Najera ; the historian Don Lucas Alaman ; the sculptor Don Manuel Vilar, and Colonel Manuel Cal- deron. The sacristy is notable for its wooden roof beau- tifully carved ; a very elegant structure, and the last re- maining of the several which once w^ere found in the city. In the church reverently is preserved — in a niche of the altar of Nuestra Seiior de la Cadena — the image of Niiestra Senora de la Bala : Our Lady of the Ball. The legend connected with this small, very old, and greatly venerated image is this : In ancient times it was the prop- erty of a good poor man of the village of Ixtapalapan, who had made a shrine for it in his house. This poor man charged his wife with infidelity and threatened to shoot her. She threw herself before the image, imploring the Virgin's protection — and this was granted, for when her husband fired the image intercepted the ball ! So miraculous an intervention satisfied the poor good man that his suspicions had been groundless, and he restored his wife to her rightful place in his heart, and together they worshipped the image reverently. The fame of what the image had done was noised abroad, and pres- ently it was placed in the church of La Purisima ; where it was greatly venerated. In response to the prayer of Dr. Pedro Lopez it was given him, later, that he might place it in his newly founded church of San Lazaro ; where, performing many miracles, it remained for up- ward of two centuries. Finally it was placed in its present position, by order of Archbishop Labastida y Davalos, March 2, 1884. There are many married women of the capital who hold this miraculous image in very high esteem. RELIGIOUS FOUNDATIONS. 243 111 the chancel of this church, beneath a handsome marble monument, also now in Italy, formerly reposed the bones of Cortes. By his will, Cortes ordered that should he die in Spain his bones should be brought in ten years time to Mexico and deposited in the convent of the Coucepcion that he purposed building at Co^^oa- can — but which, in point of fact, never was established. He died December 2, 1547, in the town of Castilleja de la Qaesta ; whence his body was carried in great state and buried in the chapel of the Dukes of Medina Sidonia. At the time that he had fixed for their removal thither his bones were brought to New Spain, and at first were deposited in the church of San Francisco at Texcoco. Here they remained until 1629. On the 30th of Janu- ary of that year died his grandson, Don Pedro Cortes, the last of the male line. It was then decided that Don Pedro should be buried in the church of San Francisco in the City of Mexico, and with him the bones of his grandfather. All of which, with much j)omp and cere- mony, was done upon the 24tli of February following. On the 2d of July, 1794, the bones of the Conqueror again were moved, this time to the marble sepulchre that had been prepared for their reception in Jesus Naz- areno, the church that he himself had founded. But in the troublous years of the revolt against Spain it was feared that his tomb would be violated — so great at that time was the popular hatred of the Sxmniards and of all things Spanish — and that the remains of the Conqueror might be preserved in safety they were removed from the sepulchre on the night of September 15, 1823, and hidden in another part of the church. Thence they were secretly removed by Don Lucas Alaman, the agent in Mexico of the Duke of Monteleone (heir to the estates of 244 MEXICAIS^ GUIDE. Cortes), and were sent to Italy — where at last, in the vaults of the Dukes of Mouteleone, they were at rest. Nuestra Senora de Los Angeles (C. 44). Concern- ing the founding of the church of the Santuario de Nu- estra Senora de los Angeles, tradition tells that a cacique (chief) nnmed Isayoque found floating upon the water, during the inundation of 1580, a beautiful picture, painted upon canvas, of the Yirgiu. Very much de- lighted with his good fortune, and desiring to do the Virgin honor, he built to contain the picture a little chapel of adobe on the exact spot beneath where he had found it floating upon the waters — that is to say, precisely where the sanctuary now stands. For some reason, however, the cacique decided not to keep the original picture in the chapel that he had built for it, but to have it copied very exactly by a skill- ful painter upon the adobe wall. This, therefore, was done ; and in the year 1595 a larger and handsomer chapel, though still a very small one (precisely the size of the chancel of the existing chui-ch) was built over the adobe wall on which the j)icture was painted. The new chapel was dedicated under the name of the Assumption (although, in point of fact, the picture represents the Im- maculate Concej)tion) ; but, as there were many angels -upon the picture, the chapel came in a little time to be known by the name of Our Lady of the Angels — which name remains and is recognized as that of the existing church. Not a shrine in Mexico has seen so many re- verses of fortune as have attended this one. It has been time and again abandoned and suffered to fall into ruin ; and once (1607), being then roofless, it passed through the inundation and precedent great rains by which the city was' submerged. But through all its exposure to RELIGIOUS FOUNDATIOjS^S. 245 sun and water and falling walls the hands and face of the picture (though painted upon sun-dried clay) remained unharmed — a preservation that came in time to be rec- ognized as a cumulative miracle. At one time and an- other various pious persons repaired the chapel, and at last, in the person of Seiior Larragoitis, a patron was found by whom the present church was erected. The project of this patron was to erect a very large and hand- some church of nave and aisles surmounted by a dome ; but upon the report by the architect that the ground was too swampy to permit of the erection of such a build- ing, the plan of the existing church was adopted. This was completed in the year 1808. It is a quaint 'structure, having the appearance of being much older than it really is. The miraculous painting (at least the hands [ind face, which only are visible) continues in excellent condition. The other portions of the picture are hidden behind a dress made for it by a most pious tailor, Jose de Haro, in the year 1776 ; in which year he also rebuilt the chapel — then in one of its periodic conditions of ruin. As the picture, besides being thus draped, is inclosed in a glazed shrine, very little is to be learned by looking at it of the substance upon which it is painted. In the church is preserved a most dashing (but somewhat ruin- ous) life-size equestrian effigy of Santiago— brought hither from Santiago Tlaltelolco when that church was taken possession of by the government. There is also preserved here a stone, upon which is engraved the date 1595, that is said to have been a part of the second of the several chapels built for the housing of the 23icture. La Santfsima Trinidad (O. 37). About the year 1658 there was founded, close to the site of the present church, a beaterio — a little house wherein holy women 246 MEXICAN GUIDE. dwelt, vowed to good works but not to the rule of any especial religious order — dedicated to La Santisima Trinidad ; and here were housed (1570-79) while wait- ing for the building of their own convent, the founders in Mexico of the order of Santa Clara (which see). Ad- jacent to the beaferio there were granted (January 9, 1596) to Francisco de Olmos and Juan del Castillo, al- caldes of the tailors of the City of Mexico, two lots of land ; upon which they agreed to establish a hospital for the poor, and a chapel, dedicated to the physician- saints Cosme, Damian, and Amado — which pious work was begun precisely fourteen days after the grant was made. Later, there was founded, in connection with these religious establishments, a society known as the Congregacion de los Trinitarios (Trinitarians). Upon these several foundations the present church (always spoken of as La Santisima) was reared. The second church of the foundation was dedicated September 19, 1677, and the existing church, begun in 1755, was dedi- cated January 17, 1783. The building is notable for its exceedingly rich f ayade in the churrigueresque style, and for its fine towers. The interior is not especially inter- esting, having been made over in relatively modern style. Salto del Agua (T. 12). The license to collect alms for the building of the present church — ui3on a site once occupied by one of Fray Pedro de Gante's Indian mis- sion chapels— was given to Sr. Dr. Don Francisco Na- varijo January 7, 1729. But the alms came in slowly, and the corner-stone was not laid until March 19, 1750. In 1761 the church w\as made adjunct to the parish church of Santa Vera Cruz ; and became itself a parish church in 1772, when the existing parochial division of the city was SCHOOLS AJS^D COLLEGES. 247 made by Archbishop Lorenzana. Its name is derived from its proximity to the fountain at the termination of the aqueduct from Chapultepec. The parish in which this church is situated, and of which it was the head, continues to be known by the name of the Salto del Agua ; the administration of the parish, however, has been removed recently to the old conventual church of Regina Coeli (which see). VIL SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES. In the municipality of Mexico there are 89 primary schools, directed by 153 teachers, attended by about 4,700 scholars, and suj^ported by the Ayuntamiento at an annual charge of $127,000 ; also, within the munici- pal limits the Federal government sustains nine primary schools for children, two primary schools for, respec- tively, male and female adults, and one graded school for girls, the total attendance at which is 2,700 ; also, within the municipal limits there are 24 primary schools, attended by 4,049 pupils, sustained by the Catholic So- ciety and other societies of the same faith ; 37, attended by 1,340 pupils, sustained by the Evangelical Church, the Lancastrian Society and the Beneficial Society. All the foregoing schools are free. Of private, paid, schools within the municipal limits there are 128, attended by 2,900 pupils. Including the secondary and higher schools, and colleges, the total number of educational in- stitutions within the municipality is 288, with a total at- tendance of 15,754. Detailed information in regard to the schools and school system of the city and of the country at large may be obtained, by any properly pre- 248 MEXICAN GUIDE. sentecl person, at the Ministry of Justice and Public In» str action. (See Government Officials, Presentation to.) Many of the buildings now occupied by schools and colleges possess such historical or architectural interest, or contain such works of art, as make them very well deserving the attention of the traveller. Mainly from this standpoint of secondary interest, therefore, the fol- lowing named institutions are treated of. Conservatorio de Musica (Ex-University, M. 104). The University of Mexico was erected by a royal order of the Emperor Charles V. of September 25, 1551, being' then granted the statutes, privileges, and prerogatives of the University of Salamanca. The institution was opened {vide Vetancurt) January 25, 1553, in houses adapted to its needs at the corner of the Calles Arzobis- pado and Eeloj ; thence it was removed to houses the X^roperty of the Hospital de Jesus Nazareno ; and thence, finally, to the site occupied by the present building. The establishment of the University upon this site was attended with much difficulty. The land was a por- i ion of the estate of Cortes, and the agent of the Mar- ques resisted the decree of the Audencia (June 1, 1584) permitting its purchase by the Rector of the University. After htigation, the right of the Rector was recognized, and the building was erected about 1590. The existing building was erected during the reign of Charles HI. — that is, previous to the year 1787. The career of the in- stitution was a stormy one ; frequently it was in collis- ion with the government, and several times it was su]d- pressed. Its final suppression was in the year 1865, when this building became for a time the office of the Ministry of Public Works. In 1877 the Conservatory of Music was established here. The interior is notable for SCHOOLS AND C0LLEC4ES. 249 the beautiful cloisters surrounding the central court — ■ now converted into a garden ; for the fine and artistically decorated concert hall ; for the handsome stairway ; and for the painting by Vallejo that is one of the three with which the stairway is adorned, Vallejo's work is a votive picture ordered in commemoration of the promise made by Clement XIV. to Charles III. to insert in the Litany of the Virgin the invocation 3Iater immacidata. The lower plane of the picture shows a large edifice, in the midst of which are seen, kneeling, the Pope, Clement XIV., King Charles III., the Archbishop Lorenzana, the Viceroy Bucareli and, standing. Duns Scotus and groups of students ; in the upper plane, relieved against bril- liant masses of clouds, are seen the Virgin with the Four Doctors, Saint Paul and Saint Catharine (patron saints of the University), together with Saints Thomas, John of Nepomuck and Luis Gonzaga (patrons of study). The composition of the work has excellent quality, and upon it and the pictures in the church of San Yldefonso the reputation of Vallejo mainly rests. The Conserva- tory has a library and collection of music and is doing admirable work in maintaining the musical standard of the capital. La Miner ia (School of Engineers, K. 97). The Tri- bunal de Mineria was founded. May 4, 1777, by Don Velazquez de Leon and Don Lucas de Lasaga, having for its purpose the stimulation of mining enterprise, the cou- rection of existing abuses, the formulation of an improved code of mining laws, and the foundation of a school of mines. The laws requested by the founders, together with permission to create the school, were granted in a royal order dated May 22, 1783. Pending the erection of a suitable building, the school was opened, January 250 MEXICAN GUIDE. 1, 1792, in a house adjoming the Hospicio de San Nico- las. The ground upon which the existing building- stands was purchased March 14, 1793, and, after a con- siderable delay, during which other suggestions for hous- ing the school were under consideration, the plans for the building were presented by Don Manuel Tolsa, March 16, 1797. These, after modification, being accepted, work began on the 22d of March ensuing, and the build- ing w\as completed, AjDril 3, 1813, at a cost of $1,597,435. Scarcely was it finished, however, when the w\alls began to settle ; and this continued until they were dangerously out of line and in many places cracked. So considerable was the injury to the structure, and so costly were the plans suggested for restoring it, that at one time the in- tention seriously was entertained of demolishing it. For- tunately, at this juncture, the skilful architect Don An- tonio Villard presented a plan of restoration that was ap- plied successfully (at a cost of $97,000), in the year 1830 — the school being housed, while the repairs were in prog- ress, in the present Hotel Yturbide. The curving lines of the cornices of the east side show how far the settling- had gone before it could be staid. This building is con- sidered by all Mexicans, and with justice, one of the most imposing both in size and architectural treatment of the capital. It has fine courts, galleries, and stairways, and one hall of magnificent proportions. The decoration throughout, save in the chapel, is simple and in excellent taste. The chapel is decorated richly, containing a very elegant altar of bronze, and upon its walls and flat roof frescoes by the Mexican artist Jimeno. The school pos- sesses a serviceable library, an astronomical and meteoro- logical observatory, fine cabinets of geology and miner- alogy, and a museum of mechanical apparatus of con- SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES. 2(51 siderable value. It was in this building, during bis visit to Mexico in 1880, that General Grant was lodged. Escuelade Medicina (Medical College, L. 98). By a royal decree of March 16, 1768, there was ordered to be established in the Hospital Keal (which see) a course of practical anatoni}', under the direction of Don Andres Mantani y Virgili. To this, by a decree of May 20, ensuing, was added a course in oj^erative surgery. The classes formed under these decrees began February 3, 1770 ; after which date degrees in medicine were granted by the Universities of Mexico and Guadalajara. A decree of November 21, 1830, extinguished this primitive medi- cal establishment and created the Medical Faculty of the District ; and this in turn was amended by the decree of October 23, 1833, that created the Institute of the Medical Sciences — virtually the existing Medical College. To the Institute c^uarters were assigned in the ex-monas- tery of the Betlemitas ; and by the ordinance of January 24, 1842, it received its present name of Escuela de Medicina. From the Betlemitas the college was re- moved to the ex-monastery of San Hipolito in September, 1850, and finally, by purchase (at a cost of $50,000), ac- quired its present building (formerly occupied by the Inquisition, which see) in 1854. The college has a fine amphitheatre, a committee room in which is a notable statue, by the sculptor Soriano, of St. Luke the Physician, cabinets of chemistry and natural science, and a library. Escuela Preparatoria (Preparatory School, M. 96). This institution, the function of which is to prepare ad- vanced pupils from the lower schools for the several j)ro- fessional careers, is the lineal descendant of an ancient Jesuit foundation ; and still is known popularly by its ancient name of the College of San Yldefonso. In the year 252 MEXICAN GUIDE. 1582 the Jesuits in Mexico were commanded b}' the Gen-^ eral of their order to consoHdate into one institution their several then existing seminaries. Some difficulties in the way of the execution of this order were overcome, and by license of the Viceroy (July 29, 1588) the colleges of San Gregorio, San Miguel, and San Bernardo were extin- guished and the College of San Yldefonso was founded in their place ; in which, January 17, 1618, the College of San Pedro y San Pablo also was merged. The pres- ent building was completed in 1749, at a cost of $400,000. During the several periods in which the Jesuits were ban- ished from the country the College building was used for various purposes, and was t-evived as a school upon their several returns. Since the final expulsion of the order the college has been administered by the government ; as it was also during the long period of Jesuit banish- ment between 1821 and 1853. The college building is of a severe style of architecture, massive in construction, and very large. Especially to be noted are its fine courts surrounded by arcades ; its handsome halls ; its cabinets of physics, chemistry, and natural history ; its palseonto- logical museum, and its well-selected librar}^ Two of the most important works by the painter Vallejo are in the sacristy of its chapel, " The Feast of Pentecost" and "The Holy Family." Other Important Schools. Escuela de Agricultura (School of Agriculture, on the road to Tacuba). This institution, after many ineffectual attempts at its founda- tion (the first of which was made in the year 1833), finally was founded in the year 1854. It is now estab- lished outside the Garita of San Cosme in the hacienda of San Jacinto. It possesses a library adapted to its needs, cabinets of physics and chemistry, a garden of acclimat= SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES. 253 ization, and large grounds for practical agricultural train- ing. Escuela cle Comercio y Administration (Commercial College, K. 101), is established in the building formerly occupied by the Hospital del Tercer Orden, adjacent to that of the Mineria. It is provided with a library and collections of samples for practical study. Escuela cle Jarisprudencia (Law School, L. 30) has ap- propriated to it a portion of the beautiful convent of the Encarnacion. The school possesses a good library and is well attended. Seminario Conciliar de Mexico (Catholic Theological Seminary, V. 99), was founded in the present Calle de Seminario in the year 1691. It is now established in the ex-monastery of San Camilo. La Sociedad Lancasteriana (Lancasterian Society). The monitorial system of Bell and Lancaster, by means of which it was considered that primary instruction could be much extended at little expense by setting the older children, as monitors, to teach the rudiments to the younger, w^as first practised in England in 1797. Under the patronage of the above-named society the system has been in use in Mexico for a number of years with excel- lent results. The first school was opened in the ex-In- quisition building in 1822. The Society supports, in addition to its day schools for children, night schools for men. The fund of maintenance is derived from con- tributions of members, and from a small subvention granted by the municipality. La Beneficencia (the Benevolent Society). The schools of this society were founded in the year 1842, by the philanthropist Vidal Alcocer — a working-man whose sole fortune Avas a salary of $30 a month. So zealously did 254 MEXICAN GUIDE. this excellent man applj"- himself to the realization of his philanthropic project that in a short time a stable and affluent society was founded for its sujoport. A number of well-managed schools are maintained. La Sociedad Catolica. This organization was founded in the year 1869. It supi^orts about twenty free schools and is prosecuting actively its educational work. VTIL CHAB.it ABLE INSTITUTIONS. It is most creditable to the municipal governments of the Republic that under all circumstances the schools and hospitals necessary for the public good have been in some sort maintained, and that the charitable institutions gen- erally have been cared for. (The Federal Government has not so good a record.) As a result of this admirable policy, ver}' many of the ancient beneficent foundations of the City of Mexico — of the church and of pious indi- viduals—still survive ; while new foundations have been added as occasion has required. Hospital de Jesus Nazareno (V. 109). Under the name of Nuestra Seilora de la Purisima Concepcion, this hospital, with its church of the same name (see church of Jesus Nazareno), was founded b}^ the Conqueror Her- nando Cortes, before the year 1594 ; as is proved by a reference to it in the municipal accounts of that year. For the maintenance of the hospital Cortes left an ample endowment, but this was so badly administered that the ill-treatment of the sick in the hospital became a by-word in the city — thus impelling the philanthropist Bernardo Alvarez to establish the hospital that subsequently was known as San Hipolito. In later times, however, this CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS. 255 reproach has been removed. The hosjiital has been much imj^roved and enlarged in the course of the past three hundred years, but remains a most quaint and cu- rious building. It is maintained by the endowment be- queathed by the Conqueror — all attempts by governments and individuals to break his will having failed. (So re- cently as the spring of 1885 the will once more was sus- tained by the Mexican courts.) Hospital Real (extinct, T. 69). A royal order, given in Madrid May 18, 1553, decreed that there should be established in the City of Mexico a hosj^ital for the care of poor sick Indians. For this purpose a grant of $20,000 was made from the royal rents, against which was made also a charge of $400 a year in perpetuity for the hospital's support. That the building with its church was nearly completed by November 6, 1556, may be inferred from an existing royal order of this date granting $2,000 more with which to finish it. For the purposes of the charity a large tract of land was set apart, bounded on the west and north by a wide water-channel (a part of the ancient system of canals) that now has been filled in and forms the street of Santisimo and part of the street of the Kebeldes. The annual allowance of $400 a year being insufficient for the maintenance of the hospital, successive Viceroys imposed tribute for its support ujDon the Indians themselves. At one time the tribute exacted was a meq^sure of corn ; and later this was made a medio — six and a quarter cents. But even thus aided the Hipo- litos, in whose charge the hospital was placed, had to re- sort to urgent begging and to many curious expedients in order to discharge properly their trust. Among their expedients w^as the founding of a theatre, from per- formances given at which the hospital derived a very 256 MEXICAN GUIDE. considerable part of its support. (See Teatro Principal. ) This extraordinary departure created much scandal, but the Hipolitos contended that while the means might be open to criticism the end was above reproach ; and so placidly continued during the ensuing half century upon their theatrical way. By a royal order of December 31, 1741, the Hipolitos (possibly because of their irregular method of raising revenue) were removed from the hos- pital, and its direction was assumed by the Viceroyal government. In this hospital was organized the second medical college in America, a royal order of March 16, 1768, providing for the establishment here of courses in practical anatomy and surgery ; which courses began February 3, 1770.* (See Escuela de Medicina.) From lack of a sufficient income, and from inefficient manage- ment, the hospital gradually deteriorated ; and finally, its usefulness having departed, it was closed February 21, 1822. All that now remains of the establishment — the hospital having been replaced by dwellings — is the little church that once belonged to it, and that now is occu- pied by the Presbyterian mission. Hospital de San Hip6lito (I. 114). The pious Ber- nardino Alvarez, a native of Andalusia, sometime a pros- perous merchant in Peru and in the Province of New Spain, becoming tired of a wandering life, dedicated him- self to the care of the sick. For ten years he served as a nurse in the hospital of the Concepcion (now ?Jesus Naz- areno), and then, being pained by the ill-conduct of that charity, the desire came into his heart to found a hospi- tal of his own. Therefore he asked for certain vacant lands adjacent to the then chapel of San Hipolito ; and * The Medical Department of the University of Pennsylvania was founded in the year 17(34 ; of Harvard, 1782. CHAKITABLE INSTITUTIONS. 257 these were given to liim, January 28, 1567, with permis- sion to found thereon a hospital that also should be ded- icated to San Hipolito. With his own proj)erty, and with alms that were given him for this j^urpose, he built there a little hospital, into which he gathered the crazed and the sick and the old ; and these he nursed and feasted {regal- aha) ! He even went to Vera Cruz and brought thence sick and crazed persons for his hospital, together with vagrant emigrants from Spain who had no means of sup- port. In time various pious persons joined themselves to him in aiding to carry on this charitable work, so that it came into his heart to found a brotherhood that should have for its purpose the care of the sick. To this end he formulated in 1569 a constitution for the brotherhood, that was approved by the ArchbishojD of Mexico and sent by him for ratification in Rome. The project was ac- cepted by Gregory XIII., but formal approval of it was not given until May 1, 1585, by Sixtus V. It Was approved by the Council of the Indies January 11, 1589. A defect in this first organization, which became apparent very soon after the death of the zealous founder, was that the brothers were in no wise bound to their charitable work ; which looseness produced not a little inconvenience to the sick, who frequently found themselves deserted by their nurses and left to shift for themselves. To remedy this defect, the bull of Clement VIII, of October 8, 1604, ordered that the Brothers of Charity should take the vows of hospitality and obedience, and should be subject to the senior brother of the order : after which the sick people in the hospital found things much more comfort- able. The brotherhood became a regular monastic order (notable as a purely Mexican foundation) by the opera- Hon of the bull of Innoceut XII. of Mav 20, 1700. The ZO^ MEXICAN GUIDE. bull increased the vows to be taken to four — chastity, povert}', hospitality, and obedience ; gave to the order the rule of the Augustinians, with the privileges of the mendicant orders, and gave also certain very desirable religious j)rivileges. From this time onward the Brothers of Charity in Mexico were known as Hipolitos. Shortly after the formal establishment of the order it was decid- ed to use the primitive hospital foundation exclusively for the care of insane males ; and for this purpose exclusively it has ever since been used. The existing building was erected in the year 1773, during the beneficent rule of the Viceroy Bucareli. By a decree of the Spanish Cortes of October 1, 1820, the order of Hipolitos was suppressed and its property sequestrated. The ex-members of the order having this hospital in charge, however, remained to care for it ; the last survivor dying in 1843. The liquida- tion of the property created a fund of upward of $187,000 that passed into the control of the municipalit}*, and the income of which was administered honorably in the maintenance of the hospital By a decree of February 10, 1842, Santa Ana covered this fund into the Federal Treasury — and that immediately was the end of it. The municipality thereupon assumed and has since continueci the charge of maintenance. In 1848 the interior of the hospital was remodelled and much improved. The large monastery of San Hipolito was converted into barracks upon the suppression of the order ; was used as a military hospital during a stray revolution ; as a municipal hospital in 1847-48 ; as quarters for the Medical College in 1850-53, and since that date for less important uses. (See Church of San Hipolito.) Hospital Morelos (San Juan de Dios, I. 72). In the place where the Hospital Morelos (still commonly CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS. 259 known by its ancient name of Hospital de San Juan de Dios) now stands, there was, in the year 1582, a little hospital for the care of the mixed races, mulattoes and mestizos. This charity, known as the Hospital de la Epifania, was founded by the philanthropist Dr. Pedro Lopez, founder also of the Hospital de San Liizaro, one of the first professors of medicine who came to Mexico from Spain. In addition to the hospital there was es- tablished here by Dr. Lopez a foundling asylum, under the protection of Nuestra Senora de los Desamparados (Our Lady of the Forsaken) ; and by this name both asylum and hosj^ital w^ere known during the ensuing twenty years. In the year 1604 there arrived in Mexico five brothers of the order of San Juan de Dios — the emi- nent order of hospitallers whose knowledge and practice of sanitary science as applied to hospital treatment w\as very nearly abreast of the highest authorities of our own day. (It was by this order that the, for the times, enormous advance was made of providing a bed for the sole occu- pancy of each sick person.) These brothers brought with them a royal order commanding the Viceroy to give into their charge the Hospital del Espiritu Santu ; but as this hospital was in charge of the Hipolitos the Viceroy accommodated the royal order to the existing situation by placing them in charge (February 25, 1604) of the Hospital de los Desamparados — which thereafter w^as known by the name of their order and became once more a hospital only. Their arrival was opportune for the good maintenance of the charity, as the excellent Dr. Lopez had died in the year 1596. Under their admirable man- agement the hospital was materially improved and the church, some years later, rebuilt in its present handsome form (see Church of San Juan de Dios) ; and during the 260 MEXICAN GUIDE. two hundred and sixteen years that the hospital was in Iheir charge they administered its affairs in the most ex- emj^lary manner. In accordance with the tendency of the Spanish government to suppress worthy and useful religious orders while permitting unworthy and useless orders to survive, the order of Juaninos was suppressed by a decree of the Cortes of October 1, 1820. Shortly after this decree was executed in Mexico the hospital was closed. By the exertions of private individuals, however — . notably by the exertions of Sr. Don Gaspar Cevallos — the hospital was reopened March 8, 1845. It is now know^n officially as the Hospital Morelos, but commonly* is called by its ancient name. I Hospital del Divino Sa'vador (K. 115). In the laU ter part of the seventeenth century there was in the city of Mexico a pious carpenter named Jose Sayago, whose heart was troubled because there were found wandering in the streets of the city many crazed women of whom no one took thought or care. Therefore, aided by his pious wife, he gathered together into his own small house such of these as he could give place to ; and at his own charge cared for them. In course of time the fame of this most excellent charity came to the ears of the Archbishop, and he, Don Francisco de Aguiar y Seijas, , enlarged and strengthened it by giving to Sa^^ago, rent free, a larger house, and by contributing from his purse to the support of the crazed. In the year 1698, the Archbishop dying, and Jose Sayago being dead also, the Jesuit congregation of the Divine Saviour assumed the charge of the hospital. By them the present site was > purchased, in the Calle de la Canoa, and here a new and large hospital was opened in the year 1700. Upon the suppression of the Jesuits, in 1767, the control of the CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS. 261 hospital passed to the government ; when the building was greatly improved and enlarged, at a cost of $50,000. At this time, also, an improved system of treatment was introduced, under which man}' of the crazed women were restored to reason. Through all the changes of govern- ment in Mexico this excellent charity has been con- tinued. In the year 1861 its usefulness was impaired temporarily by the diversion of its revenues by the gov- ernment of Juarez. In 1863 its revenues w^ere restored. Hospital de San Andres (K. 110). The existing hospital was established (in a building previously occu- i^ied by the Jesuits as a novitiate and known as the Col- legio de San Andres, because of the patronage in 1676, of, Captain Don Andres de Tapia Carbajal) as a pest- house during a plague of small-pox in the year 1779. Its founder was the Archbishop Nunez de Haro y Peralta; and by certain concessions made by this ecclesiastic lo the Ayuntamiento, when the plague was ended the foun- dation remained in his charge and was continued as a gen- eral hospital. By the Laws of the Eeform the propert}^ passed to the government, and with it the very large outside estate that the hospital had acquired. Since this time it has been continued at the charges of the municipality. It includes a department for the free treatment of diseases of the eye. Hospital Municipal Juarez (San Palilo, X. 112). In August, 1575, the Augustinians having taken posses- sion of the site now occupied by this building, built here the College of San Pablo (see Church of San Pablo) ; and in 1581 built a chapel within their college upon the site previously occupied by the parish chapel. Although this was an important institution for more than two cen- turies it fell gradually into decay ; so that in the early 262 MEXiCAisr guide. part of the present century a portion of its vacant build- ings was bought or leased by the government and was used as barracks. About the year 1847 urgent need for a municipal hospital arose — through default of payment by the Ayuntamiento of a debt of $80,000 due for the care of the city's sick to the Hospital de San Andres, and the consequent refusal of the custodians of that hospital to receive any more patients for whose charges the city was responsible. To meet this need, therefore, the barracks in San Pablo were fitted up provisionally for hospital purposes. The first patients received here were the wounded from the battle of Padierna — the en- counter with the American forces near San Angel of August 19, 1847. During the war the hospital was used by the military authorities ; but after the evacua- tion of the city by the Americans the project of organiz- ing here a municipal hospital was completed. The establishment of this institution was due mainly to the exertions of Dr. Jose XJrbano Fonseca. Later, additional portions of the ancient college propert}' were purchased from the Augustiniaus ; and upon the sequestration of the property, in 1861, the whole of it was converted to hospital purposes. The Municipal Hospital of San Hipo- lito (used as such from some time in 1847) was merged in it October 7, 1850 ; and August 12, 1862, the hospital of San Lazaro was merged in it. The ofiicial name of this institution now is the Hospital Municipal Juarez, but it is better known by its ancient name of San Pablo. Casa de Maternidad (I. 108). By an Imperial decree of April 10, 1865, there was erected a Council of Public Charities (Consejo General de Beneficencia) composed of ten 2:>ersons, under the presidency of the Empress Car- lotta. Bv order of this council, and at the immediate CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS, 263 and urgent suggestion of the Empress, the Casa de Maternidad (Lying-in Hosi^ital) was established. It was founded by a decree of June 7, 1865, and so actively was the work pushed that on June 7, 1866, it was for- mally opened. The hospital was built and furnished at a cost of -^11:,000, its appointments being in every way in conformity with the best French models. So great was the interest taken in this institution by the unfortunate Empress that after her return to Europe she sent for use in it a very perfect set of surgical instruments ; and, later, $6,000 in money for its support. Hospital Concepcion Beistigui (T. 20). This ad- mirable institution, founded under the provisions of the will of the Seilorita Concepcion Baistigui, was opened March 21, 1886, in the entirely remodelled convent of the Begin a Coeli. It is the best arranged and best ap- pointed hospital in the city. Other Hospitals. There are several other hospitals in the city : the military hospital of San Lucas, and the excellent private hospitals, respectively, of the American (opened in 1886), French, and Spanish Benevolent Soci- elies. Contributions to the American hospital fund may be left with the Eev. John W. Butler, Calle de Gante, No. 5. La Cuna (Foundling Asylum, O. 107). La Casx de Sr. San Jose de Nifios expositos (known as la cuna — literally, the cradle) owes its origin to the learned and excellent Archbishop Lorenzana. It was founded Jan- uary 11, 1766, upon its present site, Puente de la Merced, No. 3, the building being purchased by the Archbishop and the charity sustained from his private purse until his return to Spain in the year 1771 ; while from Spain he sent for its support very considerable sums. The same interest was manifested in the charity by the succeeding 264 MEXICAN GUIDE. Archbishop, Don Nunez Haro y Peralta, who suppHed ih with funds, and who, the better to secure its perpetual support, founded for its custody and administration the Cougregacion de la Caridad. The constitution that he then^'prepared for its direction was approved by a royal order of July 19, 1774 ; and the same order declared the Archbishops of Mexico to be its rectors in perpetuity. By a decree of July 30, 1794, the children reared in the charity were declared legitimate for all civil purposes, and capable of enjoying all employments and honors open to good citizens of known birth. It was further provided that the children should receive as a patronymic the name of Lorenzana, at once to provide them with an honorable name and to perpetuate the fame of the excellent charity of the founder. So popular did this charity become that its endowment fund in the course of a few years amount- ed to upward of $200,000. Nearly all of this endowment was dissipated by the waste incident to revolutionary times, and the charity now is maintained at the charges of the municipahty. It has accommodations for more than 200 foundlings. Besides caring for theii' material needs, the children are taught reading, writing, arithme- tic, grammar, drawing, sacred history. Christian doctrine, polite behavior ; besides 'which the girls receive instruc- tion in sewing, embroidery, and music. Hospiclo de Pobres (Asylum for the Poor, I 106). This very large and important charity, situated upon the Avenida Juarez nearly opposite the western end of the Alameda, owes its origin to the Precentor Dr. Fernando Ortiz Cortes. This worthy gentleman, sorrowing for the condition of the many poor in the city's streets, obtained a license— approved by a royal order of July 9, 1765— that permitted him to gather them together and care for ClIAllITABLE INSTITUTIONS. 265 them. The asylum was opened March 19, 1774 ; and so rapidly did the demands upon it increase that in 1783 an annual grant of $1,000 monthly for its support was made from the receipts of the government lottery. The build- ing was much enlarged by Don Francisco Zimiga. Later the entire charge of the asylum was assumed by the municipality. The charity is divided into departments in which, resj)ectively, old men, old women, girls, and boys are cared for. It has at present about 800 inmates. Monte de Piedad (M. 95). The National pawn-shop of the Monte de Piedad was founded by Pedro Romero de Terreros, Conde de Eegia, owner of the famous mines of Real del Monte, for the charitable purpose of enabling the poor of the capital to obtain loans on pledges for almost nominal rates of interest. Its effect, to the material gain of the poorer classes, was to break up the usurious rates of interest previously charged by private pawn-brokers. For the purposes of the charity he endowed the establivshment with a fund of $300,000. His project was approved in a royal order of June 2, 1774, published in Mexico February 11, 1775 ; and on the 25th of February ensuing the Monte de Pie- dad was opened to the public in the ex-college of San Pedro y San Pablo, Thence it was removed to the Calle de San Juan de Letran ; whence it was removed finally to its present handsome building — erected for its accom- modation on the site previously occupied by the palace of Cortes — in the Calle del Empedradillo, just west of the Cathedral. Upon its foundation no fixed charges, or, indeed, charges of any sort, were made for its loans. Payment for the obligation conferred was left to the dis- cretion of the borrower, who simply was invited, when repaying his loan and receiving again his pledge, to make 266 MEXICA]^ GUIDE. a gift for the maintenance of the chanty. This benevo- lent laxity led to so much abuse that it became necessary to fix a regular rate of interest for loans ; but the rate was fixed at the lowest figure that w^ould yield sufficient revenue to meet necessary expenses. These exceedingly low charges always have been maintained ; the charitable purpose of the founder never having been lost sight of by the administrators of the fund. When, b}^ bad man- agement, in the year 1814, the capital was seriously im- paired, being reduced to but little more than $100,C00, the deficiency was made good and the original endow- ment regained. Subsequently to this, good management and careful investments raised the capital to upward of half a million. The average annual loans on pledges are in the neighborhood of $1,000,000, distributed among from 40,000 to 50,000 borrowers. During the adminis- tration of President Gonzales, in 1884, the capital of the Monte de Piedad again was most seriously impaired, and its charitable usefulness correspondingly crii^pled. From this blow it has not yet recovered, tkough on narrower lines the beneficent purpose of its founder still is ful- filled. Sales of unredeemed pledges are made at the Monte de Piedad and tourists will find this a very desirable place in which to look for bargains in bric-a-brac. As the articles are put on sale they are marked with a cer- tain price that cannot be lessened until a month has passed. During the second month a lower price is af- fixed ; and this monthly lessening continues until they are sold, or the sum that has been advanced ujDon them is reached. By keeping track of these marking down periods the searcher for bric-a-brac very often can secure great prizes for comparatively small sums. CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS. 267 Colegio de la Paz (Vizcainas, T. 100). Tradition tells that one evening in the year 1732, three rich merchants of Mexico, Don Ambrosio Meave, Don Francisco Echev- este, and Don Jose Aldaco, all by birth Biscayans, were walking together in the waste place where now stands the magnificent building of the Colegio de la Paz. As they thus walked they met a party of unkempt, ill-clad little girls, whose evil language no less than their forsaken appearance pained deeply the hearts of these honest gen- tlemen. They asked the children if there was no school in that quarter of the town ; and the children answered that there was none. As they walked homeward, com- muning together upon the pitiful sight that they had seen, they resolved conjointly to build and endow a school into which girls thus uncared for might be re- ceived and carefully taught such useful knowledge and such moral truths as would fit them to lead honorable and useful lives. This j)i"oject they at once put into exe- cution. The very spot upon which their charitable pur- pose was conceived they bought, paying for it the sum of $33,618, and the first stone of the building now stand- ing there was laid July 31, 1734 — which was then dedi- <;ated to San Ignacio Loyola, whence it derived its primi- tive name of Colegio de San Ignacio. By the year 1767, the founders had expended upon the institution, in its erection, furnishing, and maintenance, the sum of $583,- 118, and since that date enlargements and repairs have brought the total cost to very nearly $2,000,000. The foundation, and the constitutional scheme provided for its conduct, were approved by Charles HI. in a royal order of September 1, 1753, the charge of administration being confided to the Brotherhood of Our Lady of Aran- zazu — also a Biscayan foundation. From its control -268 MEXICAN GUIDE. by this Bisca3^an fraternity, aucl iDfluenced by the Bis- cayan extraction of its founders, the college came pres- ently to be known as the Vizcainas — by which name it continues popularly to be styled. Upon the extinction of the Brotherhqod the college was taken charge of by a board of direction empowered to fill vacancies in its number subject to the approval of the government. The institution has a considerable endowment, and receives also an annual subvention from the government for its support. The school, divided into primary and second- ary departments, is admirably managed, the course of teaching including, in addition to the ordinary branches of education, sewing and embroidery — for which latter the establishment is famous. (Persons properly presented may purchase specimens of this very beautiful work.) There are at present about 300 pupils in the institution. On the execution of the Laws of the Reform the pupils of the Colegio de Ninas and the pupils of the Colegio de San Miguel de Belen were brought hither. The college buildino" is one of the most extensive, substan- tial, and magnificent edifices of the capital. Within it is a handsome chapel dedicated to San Ignacio. Other Charities. 1. Escuela correccional (Correc- tional School) de Artes y Oficios was founded in the ex- college of San Gregorio by the governor of the Federal District, Don Ramon Fernandez, in the year 1881. — 2. Tecpan de Santiago, industrial school for orphans, founded, in the ancient building of the Tecpan de San- tiago, by Don Manuel Eduardo de Gorostiza, in 1841. There are 1,300 scholars in the school. — 3, Escuela de Artes y Oficios para mugeres (industrial school for women) founded by the Minister de Gobernacion, under the auspices of President Juarez, in 1871. — 4. Escuela PUBLIC ENTEKTAIN3IENT. 200 de Artes y Oficios para bonibres (industrial school for men), founded in the ex-convent of San Lorenzo by Don Francisco Tagie. — 5. Escuela de sordo-niudos (school for deaf mutes), founded by Don Ignacio Trigueros and Don Urbano Fonseca in 1867. — 6. Escuela de ciegos (school for the blind), founded in a portion of the ex- convent of the Enseilanza by Don Ignacio Trigueros in 1871. — 7. Asilo de mendigos (asylum for beggnrs) founded, in a building erected for this purpose, by Don Francisco Diaz de Leon in 1879. IX, PUBLIC ENTERTAINMENT. Teatro Principal (K. 121). Toward the end of the seventeenth century the Brothers of San Hipolito, in order to obtain funds wherewith to sustain the Hos- pital Real (which see) founded, in connection with that charitable institution, a small theatre. In this little Avooden structure plays were given by the players whom the Brothers hired, to the very serious annoyance — as contemporary writers declare — of the unlucky patients ; for the performances made a prodigious noise ! And much scandal was created in the city by the spec- tacle of theatrical performances presided over by, and given for the benefit of, a religious order. On the night of January 19, 1722, the play of '• The Ruin and Burn- ing of Jerusalem " was given, with " Here was Troy " underlined for the ensuing evening. But a part of the embers of Jerusalem remained after the performance was ended ; and early on the morning of January 20, the theatre was burned down. Among the common people the fire was looked upon as a sign of heavenly 270 MEXICAN GUIDE. reprobation of the unholy means of making money that the Brothers had adopted. In this fire a part of the hospital also was destroyed. Undeterred by their severe lesson, the Brothers rebuilt their theatre imme- diately ; and in the year 1725 they built once more, though still of wood, in a more desirable location — upon the street then called the Calle de la Acequia, but now known as the Coliseo Viejo. The entrance to this theatre still may be seen near the centre of the Portales. Finally, December, 1752, the present building was begun, being- completed December 25, 1753 — and being that day opened with the comedy " Better it Is than it Was." The theatre belonged to the Hospital Eeal until that institution was extinguished. It then passed to the college of San Gregorio by the decree of October 11, 1824 ; and in 1846 passed into private hands. Very little of the original structure remains visible. The interior has been completely transformed, and the exist- ing fayade is a recent construction of the architect Ig- nacio Hidalga. It is very rarely that leading attractions are found here. Teatro Nacional (K. 119). This is the principal and most fashionable theatre of the city. It was built after plans bj' the architect Don Lorenzo Hidalga by Don Francisco Arbeu, and was opened in the year 1844. It has a seating capacity of 3,000, a large foyer, and a handsome portico. At this theatre at least one good Italian or French opera company fills an engagement of several weeks in the course of each winter, and other performances of merit are given here. It also is the scene of public functions — as the commencement ex- ercises of the Military School of Chapultepec — of popu- lar concerts, and so forth. \ PUBLIC ENTERTAINMENT. 271 Other theatres. The Arbeu (T. 123), in the Calle de San Fehpe Neri, was opened in 1875. A company of Mexican plaj^ers usually gives good comedy or entertain- ing tragedy.— The Hidalgo (V. 122), in the Calle de Cor- chero, is on the same footing as the Arbeu. Neither of these theatres is fashionable, but both are Avholly respect- able. — There are several small theatres, roughly built of wood, in which performances are given on Sunday and feast-day afternoons to popular audiences. A great deal of human nature can be seen at these performances ; but the audiences are not of a desirable sort to mingle with. Salon de ConcSertos, the concert hall of the Conser- vatorio de Musica (M. 104). Concerts of a high order of excellence are given here by the Sociedad Filarmonica. This little theatre is the handsomest in the city. Circus. A fairly good circus company gives perform- ances every evening, and on Sunday and feast-day after- noons in the Plazuela de Santo Domingo. Bull-fighting. The law forbidding bull-fightiDg within the limits of the Federal District has been re- pealed. Large bull-rings have been built near the northern end of the Paseo and in San Cosme. Fights are given every Sunday, and on all great feast days. 272 MEXICAN GUIDE. X PUBLIC WORKS. Plaza Mayor de la Constitucion, the Main Plaza, in the centre of the city. In the primitive city of Tenoch-- titlan a considerable portion of the present Plaza was included in the grounds belonging to the great temple. When the present city was laid out, in 1522, after the temple had been destroyed, an open space was left here. In course of time, however, various small buildings were erected on this space, and the portion of it remain- ing free of buildings was occupied as a market. The present Plaza, therefore, dates from a royal order of January 18, 1611, that caused the market to be removed. A large number of small wooden buildings still re- mained in the southern half of the Plaza, but these, fortunately, were burned down. The fire, which took place November 16, 1658, began in a barber shop be- longing to a Chinaman (at this time Mexico's trade with China had risen to great proportions) and was fought in an eminently characteristic manner. The fire brigade consisted of the prominent clergy of the city, headed by the Archbishop, and the fire-quenching apparatus was a formidable array of holy relics held up in sight of the flames. The method was not a success : all the build- ings were burned. This portion of the Plaza being cleared, a still further clearance was made in the ensuing January, when all the fruit-sellers and bakers were ordered to betake themselves to the site of the present market of the Volador ; and in October a general clear- ance of the remaining buildings was efifected, and drain- age trenches were cut leading to the acequia that then ran alona- the southern side. The reform was onlv teni- PUBLIC WOKKS. 278 porary, however, for presently the little shops all were back again. No less than 280 of them were erected — the rents derived from them by the city being more at- tractive than their objectionable presence was repulsive — and the aggregation of little buildings was known as the cajoncitos (shoplets) de San Jose. These were all destroyed in the great riot of June 8, 1692. In the year 1692, following a bad season, there was a famine in the land, disposing the common people to mutiny. The actual beginning of the riot was the killing of an Indian woman by a vender of corn, a mulatto, as the result of an altercation that had arisen between them in regard to the price — for corn was more precious than silver in that bad time and the price was very high. The hus- band of the slain woman carried her body to his home in the Indian quarter of Santiago Tlaltelolco ; and there, showing her thus dead to his hungry and moody neigh- bors, and calling for vengeance, he found no difficulty in sowing the seeds of riot in the fertile field of their dis- content. Presently, at the head of a mob of two hun- dred, he returned to the city ; and he and his company sought to see the Archbishop and the Viceroy that they might have justice and food. But as these dignitaries of the Church and State refused to hold converse with them, the Indians presently assaulted the Archbishop's and the Viceroy's palaces with sticks and stones. With each moment came more Indians, swelling the crowd in the Plaza ; and as they grew bolder with added numbers they built fires at the doors of the palaces, and before the door also of the house of the Ayuntamiento, and these fires they fed with the wood whereof the little shops in the Plaza were built : and the end of it all was that the palaces and some other buildings were injured 374 MEXICAN GUIDE. and all the little shops, were destroyed. On this occa- sion the clergy made no effort to put out the fire, but to them the ending of the riot was due : for the canons of the Cathedral brought thence the Host, and at sight of this the tumult was stilled. The loss occasioned by the riot was upw^ard of $3,000,000. In the fire were lost a portion of the archives of the city ; and all would have been lost but for the bravery of their guardian, Don Carlos de Sigil- enza y Gongora, who at the peril of his life brought the more precious of the records from among the flames. After this sweeping of the Plaza the Ayuntamiento erected upon its southern side a handsome stone building for the accommodation of merchants of the better class, that was completed April 19, 1703, and that was known by the Mexican name of the Parian (bazar) — and in a little while the venders of fruit and other small mer- chants asserted themselves as before. An existing print, of about the beginning of the eighteenth century, shows the Plaza thus encumbered ; and adorned — directly in front of the Vice-royal palace — with the gallows and the frame for the display of the heads of criminals, with a forlorn statue of Fernando YL, and with the cemetery of the cathedral extending far beyond the limits of the pres- ent atrium ; while along the Plaza's eastern and southern sides were open drains foul beyond words. Such was its condition when the Conde de Revillagigedo became Viceroy in 1789. This very positive and energetic gentle- man reformed a great many things in Mexico, and the Plaza Mayor was one of them. He caused the open ditches to be made into culverts ; the walls surroundhig the cemetery of the cathedral to be torn down, and a smaller space inclosed by stone posts and chains (some of which still remain) ; the gallows and array of crimi- PUBLIC WORKS. 275 nal's heads to be removed, and the whole Plaza cleansed and set in order. Still further improvements were made by inclosing a large circular space with a stone wall and iron gates preparatory to the erection here (November 9, 1803) of the equestrian statue of Charles V. (which see) ; subsequently removed (1824) for safe-keeping to the pa- tio of the University. During all this time, a period of more than a century and a quarter, the Parian remained the seat of Mexico's richest trade. Within it the merchant j^rinces of the city had great stores of all manner of gold and jewels and rich stuffs from the East. It disappeared in Decem- ber, 1828, in the midst of a revolutionary outbreak. For several days, following December 3, the robbing continued, no effort being made to check it by the revo- lutionary leaders temporarily in possession of the city. The stolen merchandise even was sold publicly, at very low prices, in the plazuela of Santo Domingo. In the history of Mexico there is no more disgraceful page than this which records the sacking of the Parian. When order was restored the merchants had no desire to re- turn to the unlucky building ; and from that time dates the establishment of the principal shops of the city in the streets of San Francisco and Plateros. In the year 1843 the Parian was torn down and its site became a part of the Plaza. The existing Garden of the Zocalo derives its name from the foundation [zocalo) that w^as laid there forty years or so ago, for a monument to Mexican Inde- pendence ; but the monument never got further than its foundation,* and the zocalo is now used as a music stand. * There is a precise parallel to this in the base of the Washing- ton Monument laid more than fifty years ago in Washington Square, Philadelphia. 276 MEXICAN GUIDE. The Garden of the Zucalo is pretty in itself, but as it ruins the view of the cathedral its removal is to be hoped for. It was made in 1866, during the French occupation, and is an artistic mistake. The gardens on the western and southern sides of the cathedral, also are to be re- gretted, since they have lessened the size of the atrium and injured the general effect. The western and southern gardens have been made, and the flower-market erected, since the year 1880. The fight against the little shops and other disfiguring features still continues — the city fathers being tempted, as in the past, by the considerable rents to be obtained from thus leasing the public lands. Only a short time ago, in the sj^ring of 1885, the pressure of public opinion compelled the removal of a ch'cus tent and a disreputable shanty-theatre from the Plaza del Seminario (where the book market now is), these struc- tures having for several years interrupted the beautiful Yiew of the Sagrario that now can be had from the north- ern end of the Palace. Usually a band plays in the gar- den of the Zocalo in the evening ; the whole Plaza is lighted brilliantly, and all classes take here their evening stroll. The general effect is eminently operatic. Plaza del Seminario, an extension northward of the Plaza Mayor. It derives its name from the extinct Seminario Couciliar, formerly housed in a large building (part of which still exists) at its northern end. In this plaza is a curio as and very interesting monument to Enrico Martinez, the famous engineer by whom the drainage of the valley was effected by the cut of Nochistongo. On a base, surrounded by an iron railing having bronze lamps at its angles, is raised a square pedestal of marble supporting a female figure in bronze, emblematic of the City of Mexico, modelled by the sculptor Noreiia. Inlaid PUBLIC WORKS. 277 in the marble pedestal are bronze standards of the vara, metre, and yard ; the bench-mark (identical with that on the northwestern corner of the Palace) from which all elevations are computed ; a record of the level of the water in Lake Texcoco at various epochs ; the magnetic declination, together with other interesting engineering data. La Alameda (so-called because it was first planted with alamos, or poplars. The name is now applied very generally throughout Mexico to any large pleasure- ground or park). In a council held January 11, 1592, the then Viceroy, Don Luis de Velasco, requested the Ayuntamiento to set apart a portion of the city funds for making a paseo for the ennoblement of Mexico and the recreation of its citizens. The Ayuntamiento, -approving this request, set apart the place known as the Tianquis (market) de San Hipolito, a very ancient Indian market, for a pleasure-ground ; the tract embracing only that portion of the present Alameda that lies east of a line drawn from the church of Corpus Christi to the church of San Juan de Dios. And this place was planted with poplar trees ; was made beautiful with fountains and flowers, and was inclosed with a wall pierced by gate- ways. In the open space westward was the Plaza del Quemadero, so-called because there was erected the stone platform whereon were burned the criminals con- demned by the Inquisition (see p. 26). During the reign (1766-71) of the Viceroy the Marques de Croix, the quemadero was removed (though the unholiness of the act raised such a storm about the Viceroy's ears that the quemadero seemed in a fair way to remain and the Viceroy to be burned upon it for heresy !) thus giring to the Alameda its present shape and size : a parallelo- 278 MEXICAN GUIDE. gram 1,483 feet long, by 712 ^vicle. It was still further imj)roved by the Viceroy Kevillagigedo who, in the year 1791, encircled it with a high wooden fence through which access was had by means of wooden gates. In 1822 the stone wall and iron gates which had inclosed the statue of Charles IV. in the Plaza Mayor were re- moved, and were erected around it ; a wide, shallow fosse being made outside of this inclosure. Within the past few years the Alameda has been given its pres- ent beautiful appearance. The fosse has been tilled in, the gates and wall removed (the last of the wall being- taken away in 1885), the numerous fountains placed in perfect order, quantities of roses and flowering shrubs planted, a handsome music stand built, and various other substantial improvements in excellent taste effected. In the course of this reformation one change in shock- ingly bad taste has been made : all of the picturesque gray stone benches have been painted in offensively brilliant colors ! The Alameda is the favorite morning walk for ladies and children. It is much frequented, also, by the students of the capital, who come to this quiet place to study. Paseo de la VIga, in the southeastern suburb, on the banks of the Viga canal. This ancient paseo is almost deserted save during Lent, when an old custom pre- scribes that fashion shall air itself here — a custom that with each passing yeav is less and less observed. It is a forlorn paseo now, having been sadly neglected of late years. About midway in its length is a melancholy bust (erected August 13, 1869) of Guatimotzin — the last of the Aztec kings. But for all its forlornness, it is by far the most entertaining drive in the vicinity of the city, the very picturesque adjunct of the Viga canal (which PUBLIC WOllKS. 270 see) giving a characteristic quality to it not to be found elsewhere. During Lent, and especialk early in the morning of Thursday in Easter week (when the banks of the canal and the boats plying upon it are buried in flowers), a more delightful drive than that along the Paseo de la Viga is not to be found. Paseo de Bucareli, or Paseo Nuevo, in the south- western suburb, was opened November 4, 1778, during the Vice-royalty of Don Antonio Maria de Bucareli — whence its name. The paseo has the same starting-point as that of the Reforma, the circular plazuela in which stands the statue of Charles IV., and extends almost due south from the city to the Garita de Belen, a distance of about half a mile. In the glorieta (the large circular space surrounded by stone benches) near its centre is a once handsome fountain surmounted by a statue of Victory, the whole (completed September 16, 1829) having been erected in honor of Guerrero. This paseo practically is abandoned. Paseo de la Reform a, in the southwestern suburb, the fashionable drive, and one of the most beautiful drives possessed by any city either in Europe or Amer- ica. The paseo, begun during the French occujDation, is of ample width, two miles long, and leads in a straight line from the plazuela in which stands the equestrian statue of Charles IV. to the gates of ChajDulteiDec — the castle standing out very effectively upon its craggy height at the end of the long perspective formed by the double row of trees on each side of the avenue. Be- neath the trees are broad footways, along which carved stone benches are disposed at short intervals. In the course of tbe two miles there are six glorietas, each 400 feet in diameter, surrounded by stone benches. Two of 280 MEXICAN GUIDE. these already are adorned with imposing monuments, Cokimbusand Guatimotziu (see Monuments) ; in a third a monument to Juarez soon will be erected, and the others similarly will be devoted to the memory of men illustrious in Mexican history. The statue of Charles IV., at the beginning of this line of works of art (al- though foreign to the historic unities of the scheme as a whole) adds materially to the very impressive general effect. The paseo is the daily early morning and late afternoon ride and drive of fashionable Mexico. In the morning the pasear — usually extended through the grove of Chapultepec — is taken at a brisk pace and for its own sake ; in the afternoon it is a slow, formal performance over less than half the length of the ijaseo, and is taken for the sake of seeing and being seen. Calzadas (causewa^^s). Three narrow causeways, north, south, and w^est, connected the ancient city of Tenochtitlan with the mainland. Eastward of the city were the far-exteudiug waters of Lake Texcoco. The southern causeway, probably known as Acachinanco, forked at a point northward of the existing Garita of San Antonio Abad, one branch extending southwest to Coyoacan, the other southeast to Ixtapalapan. It was by the route from Ixtapalaj)an that Cortes entered the city, his meeting with Montezuma taking place in Huit- zillan at the intersection of the present streets of the Paja (or Hospital de Jesus) and Jesus. The causeway was enlarged in the year 1605. The western causeway, leading to Tlacopan (of which word Tacuba is a corruption) is identical with the cause- way now existing. This primitive footway, being the shortest connection with the mainland, was the first to be widened by the Spaniards after the Conquest. In PUBLIC WORKS. 281 order to make a sure way of retreat the several cuts, so disastrous to them during the retreat of the Noche Triste, were filled in ; the path was broadened, and especial inducements were offered to house-building along the causeway to the end that a series of defences might be thus obtained. The northern causeway, leading to Tepeyac, now Te- peyacac is identical with the eastern of the now-existing two causeways leading northward. It was repaired and enlarged, under the direction of Fray Juan de Torque- mada, then guardian of the monastery of Santiago Tlal- telolco, after the inundation of 1604 — at which time all of the causeways underwent repair and enlargement, and the new causeways leading to Chapultej^ec and to the Piedad, were built. The western of the two cause- ways to Guadalupe, the Calzada Nueva, is of more recent construction. It was begun December 17, 1675, and was finished August 17, 1676, under the direction of the then Viceroy and Archbishop, Don Fray Payo de Rivera. This elegant work was ornamented by a large glorieta near its middle, and by fifteen beautiful altar-like struc- tures of stone, richly sculptured, disposed at regular in- tervals, dedicated to the fifteen mysteries of the rosary : in front of each of which the appropriate prayer was made by the pilgrims walking from the city to the shrine of Guadalupe. It is greatly to be regretted that this most curious and magnificent work has been suffered to fall into decay. The arches of the numerous little bridges along it have been broken down ; several of the beautiful altars have disappeared entirely ; the glorieta (restored about forty years ago) again is in ruins, and — crowning act of vandalism — the entire causeway has been turned into a vailwav embankment for the use of the line to Vera Cruz ! 282 MEXICAN guidp:. Aqueducts. The water-supply of the city is iDro- vicled b}' two open aqueducts, numerous artesian wells, and a line of pipes (for the supply of the northern quarter) from springs near Guadaluj^e. The longer aqueduct, bringing the best water, is supplied from springs in the mountains of the Leones and near the Desierto, about twenty miles southwest of the city. The aqueduct proper begins at Tres Cruces, four miles from the city, skirts the western edge of the park of Chapultepec and enters the city at San Cosme. Form- erly it was continued eastward from San Cosme to the street of Santa Ysabel — passing the Alameda and af- fording a convenient place from which to witness the burning of criminals condemned by the Inquisition. From San Cosme the water now is brought into the city through pipes. This important work was exe- cuted by the Viceroy, the Marques de Montes Claros be- tween the years 1603 and 1607, being then completed to precisely where it now ends at San Cosme ; it was extended to Santa Ysabel in 1620. It is composed of more than nine hundred arches of brick and stone, ris- ing from a solid stone foundation, and carrying a solid stone w^all five feet thick, upon the top of which is the open channel. Its cost was $150,000 — probably little more than the cost of material employed. The shorter aqueduct, about two miles in length, similar in construction to the foregoing, brings the water from the great S23ring at Chapultepec to the southwestern quarter of the city. Its terminus is the handsome foun- tain, in the churrigueresque style, known as the Salto del Agua. A long inscription upon this fountain tells that the aqueduct was completed during the Viceroyalty of Don Antonio Maria de Bucareh, March 20, 1779. [ I VARIOUS MATTERS OF INTEREST. ,08 J Another ID scriptioii contains the statement : "The course of this aqueduct is the same as that of the aqueduct made by the Aztecs in the reign of Chimalpopoca, who was granted the right to the water of Chapultepec by the king of Atzcapotzalco : to whom the Aztecs were tributary until the reign of Itzcohuatl (1422-33, a.d.) when they achieved their independence." A part of the aqu educt was torn down in 1886. XL VARIOUS MATTERS OF INTEREST. Publid* Monuments. Among the notable public monuments of the city the oldest, and on some accounts the most interesting, is the equestrian statue of Charles IV., standing in the plazuela at the western end of the Avenida Juarez. At the request of the then Viceroy, the Marques de Branciforte, a royal order was issued, Novem- ber 30, 1795, granting him permission to erect this statue in the Plaza Mayor. The Marques formally assumed the charges of the work, but in point of fact nearly the whole of its cost was defrayed by the municipality and private individuals. The commission was given to the sculptor and architect Don Manuel Tolsa, and the casting in bronze to Don Salvador de la Vega. Pending the completion of the work, a wooden model of the statue, gilded, was placed on the pedestal prepared for it in the centre of the Plaza Mayor ; around the pedestal w^as a large glorieta, inclosed with stone seats and four handsome iron gates (now the gates of the park of Chapultepec). The mould and furnaces were made ready in the gardens of San Gregorio, and — after two days spent in fusing the mass of metal, nearly thirty tons — the casting was made at 6 A.M., August 4, 1802. The casting, remarkable aHke for 284 MEXICAN GUIDE. being in a single piece, and for being the first important piece of bronze executed in America, came out from the mould complete and without defect. Fourteen months were employed in finishing the work, and on November 29, 1803, it was raised upon its pedestal in the Plaza. The formal unveiling took place, with great ceremony, on the 9th of the ensuing December. Here it remained until 1822 when, the feeling against Sj)ain being very bitter, the glorieta in the Plaza was torn away — the stone benches and gates being removed to the Alameda — and the statue was inclosed in a great wooden globe, painted blue, so that the sight of it might not be an offence to patriotic eyes. But even thus covered the statue excited so much ill-will that, in 1824, it was taken down from its pedestal and placed in the^:>a^2o of the University — a comparatively out-of-the-way j^lace, where it remained in genteel semi- obscurity until 1852. By this time the bitter feeling against Spain had so far passed away that the statue safely could be made public once more. It was then set up in the commanding position that it now occupies. It is, as has been said, a solid casting in bronze, weighing nearly thirty tons ; the height of horse and rider, together, 15 ft. 9 in. The king is dressed in classic style, wearing a laurel wreath and holding in his right hand a raised sceptre. The horse is represented in the act of walking slowly, the left fore-foot and the right hind-foot being raised. The general effect of the work is heavy, but the lines and com- position are good ; the figure is well seated, and the ac- tion of the horse is excellent. Considering the circum- stances under which this work was executed — to say noth- ing of the difficulty of making an heroic figure out of such desperately ugly material as was afforded by this particular king — the statue is entitled to high praise. VAKIOUS MATTERS OF INTEREST. ^85 The Columbus monument, in the Paseo de la Eeforma, was erected at the charges of Don Antonio Escandon, to whose public sj^irit and enterj^rise the building of the Vera Cruz and Mexico railway was due. The monument is the work of the French sculptor Cordier. The base is a large platform of basalt surrounded by a balustrade of iron, above which are five lanterns. From this base rises a square mass of red marble ornamented with four basso-relievos : the arms of Columbus, surrounded with garlands of laurels ; the rebuilding of the monastery of Santa Maria de la Rabida ; the discovery of the island of San Salvador ; a fragment of a letter from Colnmbus to Raphadi Sauris, beneath which is the dedication of the monument by Seiior Escandon. Above the basso-relievos, surrounding the pedestals, are four life-size figures in bronze : in front and to the right of the statue of Co- lumbus (that stands upon a still higher plane) Padre Marchena, guardian of the monastery of Santa Maria de la Rabida ; in front and to the left, Padre Fray Diego Dehesa, confessor of King Ferdinand — to the support of which two men Columbus owed the royal favor ; in the rear, to the right. Fray Pedro de Gante ; in the rear, to the left. Fray Bartolome de las Casas — the two mission- aries who most earnestly gave their protection to the In- dians. Crowning the whole, upon a pedestal of red mar- ble, is the figure of Columbus, in the act of drawing aside the veil that hides the New World. In conception and in treatment this work is admirable ; charming in sentiment, and technically good. The monument stands in a little garden inclosed by iron chains hung upon posts of stone, around which extends a large glorieta. The Cuauhtemotziu (Guatimotzin) monument, in the Paseo de la Reforma, not yet completed, promises to be 286 MEXICAN GUIDE. a worthy associate of the monument to Columbus. It is the work of the architect Don Francisco Jimenez, and Tery skilfully combines modern forms with primitive Mexican architectural detail. A bust of this unfortunate monarch, the last Aztec king, also is found in the old Paseo de la Viga, where it was placed August 13, ISC.. — the anniversary of the final conquest of the city. The Juarez monument, the work of the brothers Islas, marking the grave of the great President in the cemetery of San Fernando, is entitled to almost unqualified praise. The design comprehends a Grecian temple of marble, small but well proportioned, without interior walls and surrounded by rows of columns. On the base thus pro- tected but not obscured is the commemorative group : the dead President stretched at fall length, his head supported on the knee of a mourning female figure of Mexico. There is a simplicity, a nobility, a freedom from conventionalism, in this work that, joined with its excellent technical qualities and its full expression of heroic grief, makes it most impressive as a monumental marble and to a high degree satisfying as a work of art. In the plazuela de Morelos, between the churches of Santa Vera Cruz and San Juan de Dios is a statue in marble of the hero-priest Morelos, the work of the sculptor Piati. It is interesting as having been erected daring the French occupation — though ordered before that time— and as having been unveiled by Maximilian, September 30, 1865, on the one hundredth anniversary' of the patriot's birth. In the plaza of San Fernando is a bronze statue of the patriot Guerrero, modelled by the sculptor Noreila and cast in Mexico. Notable Buildings. North of the Calle del Parqae del Conde, facing tho Hotel Humboldt and c'.se by the VARIOUS MATTERS OF INTEREST. 287 Hospital cle Jesns, is the quaintly magnificent house once owned by the Condes de Santiago, one of the most noble families of New Spain. The house is three stories in height and gains distinct individuality from the stone water-spouts, wrought in the form of cannon, pro- jecting from its battlements. The doors of the main entrance are richly carved, the central carving being the arms of the family. In the interior is a large and beau- tiful ^^a/io. The lower floors of the building are now used as shops. In the rear of the house formerly were extensive grounds, the parqae, whence the adjacent street derives its name. The building in the First Calle de San Francisco, j)op- ularly known as the Palace of Yturbide (occupied since 1855 as a hotel), a ponderous and rather dismal struc- ture, was erected by the Marquesa de San Mateo Val- paraiso in the last century. This estimable lady was possessed of a very large fortune and by a strong de- termination that her lawful heirs should derive no ])ene- fit from it. Therefore she built this palace, apparently believing that no one ever would be found who willingly would live in it. The land upon which it stands had belonged to the convent of Santa Brigida, and a convent would have been built here but for the Marquesa's whim. The building is notable as having been occupied by the Emperor Yturbide during his ephemeral reign. On the northern side of the causeway leading to Ta- cuba, a short distance outside the Garita of San Cosme, is the casa de los mascaroyies, so called because of its curious grotesque ornamentation, of which stone masks are a conspicuous feature. This highly original dwell- ing was begun by Don Jose de Mendoza, Conde del Valle de Orizaba, but at the time of his death, in the 288 MEXICAN GUIDE. year 1771, only the extraordinary exterior was com- pleted. Upon this he had spent $100,000. For a long while it was suffered to fall into decay, being even used as a stable. In the year 1824 it was sold at auction for a small sum and was made habitable ; not being finished, however, in accordance with the original plans. A more delightfully irrational dwelling than this is never was devised by mortal man. In the house No. 3, Calle de San Agustin, Humboldt lived during his sojourn, in the year 1803, in the City of Mexico. The tablet commemorating this fact was erected by German residents of the city on the one hun- dredth anniversary of Humboldt's birth, Sept. 14, 1869. Near the western end and upon the southern side of the Puente de Alvarado is a house noticeable because of the recessed curve of its front, its walled-up windows on the ground floor, and the glimpse to be had through its locked iron gates of a great tangled but beautiful garden in the rear. It was originally the property of the Seiiora Dona Victoria Kul de Perez Galvez ; but is more noteworthy as having been owned for a time by Bazaine. On the First Calle de San Francisco, with its western side upon the plazuela de Guardiola, is the very beauti- ful caso. de azidejoi^ — tiled house — built by the Conde del Valle de Orizaba, probably early in the last century. As an architectural curiosity, and as a work of art, this house is unique in Mexico. Among the other buildings which command attention either by their size or their beauty, or by both combined, are : The Banco Nacional, at the corner of the Puente del Espiritu Santo and the Calle de Capuchinas ; the dwelling of the Escandon family, fronting upon the plazuela de Guardiola ; and the Vera Cruz railway station. VAKIOUS MATTERS OF 1]S'TEKEST. 289 Tln'oughout the whole city, but especially in the regions adjacent to the Hospital de Jesus, the Cathedral, and the church of Santo Domingo, many old houses will be found adorned with carvings in stone and wood, stucco-work, and wrought iron, the sight of which will warm an artist's heart. Panteones (cemeteries). The most renowned ceme-. tery in Mexico, that of San Fernando, adjoining the church of the same name, is closed to the public. The attendant in charge, however, usually permits strangers to enter ; in return for which courtesy (and not because a fee is expected) a present of a i^eal will not be out of place. Here are buried some of the men most illus- trious in Mexican history : Juarez, Guerrero, Miramon, Zaragoza, Comonfort, and others only less famous. Ex- cepting the noble tomb of Juarez (see Public Monu- ments), a work of which any nation might well be proud as fitly marking a glorious grave, the tombs in San Fer- nando are conventional and for the most part in very bad taste. In the open cemetery of Dolores, on the hill-side south- west of Tacubaya (Tacubaya car to the station just be- yond Chapultepec, whence a smaller car runs direct to the cemeter}^) are many beautiful tombs, and much taste has been shown in laying out the grounds. The French cemetery (reached by the Piedad line of cars) also contains a number of fine tombs. The Eng- lish and American cemeteries lie together in the Tlax- pana, and are reached by the tramway to that suburb ; in the American cemetery are buried more than four hundred American soldiers who died in Mexico in 1847. A small cemetery is attached to the chapel of Guadalupe that, being an especially holy place of burial, contains 290 MEXICAN GUIDE. the remains of many illustrious personages. Other im- portant cemeteries are : San Diego, San Pablo, Piedad, Salinas, los Angeles and Campo Florido. El Salto de Alvarado (Alvarado's Leap). A little west of the middle of the Puente de Alvarado the line of house -fronts is broken b}^ a recessed sj^ace that is shut off from the street by a low wall, surmounted by an iron grating. Tradition declares that precisely at this point in the primitive causeway, leading from Tenochtillan westward, was the break across which, during the re- treat of the Noche Triste, Alvarado made his famous leap. XIL ENVIRONS OF MEXICO. Guadalupe. In primitive times an Aztec divinity, Tonantzin (" the Mother of Gods "), was worshipped at a shrine where the cnpilla del cerrito of Guadalupe now stands. The chronicler Fray Agustin de Vetancurt {tempo 1672) thus describes the miracle that occurred to change the worship of the pagan mother of gods to wor- shij) of the Christian God-mother : Juan Diego, a native of Cuauhtitlan, who lived with his wife Lucia Maria in the town of Tolpetlac, went to hear mass in the church of Santiago Tlaltelolco on the morning of Saturday, De- cember 9, 1531. As he was near the hill called Tepeya- cac he heard the music of angels. Then beheld he amid splendors, a Lady who spoke to him, directing him to go to the Bishop and tell that it was her will that in that place should be built to her a temple. Upon his knees he listened to her bidding, and then, happy and confused, betook himself to the Bishop with the message that she had given him. But while the Bishop, Don Juan Zumar- ENVIRONS OF MEXICO. 291 raga, heard him with benignity he could not give credence to the prodigy that he was told. With this disconsolate answer he re tunned, finding there again the Lady ; who he:ird what he had to tell and bade him come to her again. Therefore on the Sunday ensuing he was at the hill-side, w^ '1 she appeared to him for the third time and rejDeated her order that he should convey to the Bishop her com- mand that the temple should be built. The Bishop heard the message, still incredulously, and ordered that the In- dian should bring some sure sign by which might be shown that what he told was true : and when the Indian departed the Bishop sent two of his servants to watch him secretly ; yet as he nearedthe holy hill he disappeared from the sight of these watchers ! Unseen, then, of these, he met the Lady and told that he had been required to bring some sure sign of her appearance ; and she told him to come again the next day and he should have that sign. Bui when he came to his home he found there his uncle, Juan Bernardino, lying very ill [having that fever which the Indians call cocolixtli]. Through the next day he was busied ir attendance upon the sick man ; but the sick- ness increased, and early on the morning of December 12th he went to call from Tlaltelolco a confessor. That he might not be delayed in his quest by that Lady's impor- tunities, he went not by the usual path, but by another skirting the eastern side of the hill. But as he passed the hill he saw the Lady coming down to him and heard her calling to him. He told her of his errand, and of its urgent need for quickness, whereupon she replied that he need not feel further trouble as already his uncle's illness was cured. Then ordered she him to cut some flowers in that barren hill, and to his amazement he per- ceived flowers growing there. She charged him to take 292 MEXICAN GUIDE. these miraculous flowers to the Bishop as the sign that he had requested ; and she commanded that Juan Diego should show them to no other until they were seen of the Bishop's eyes. Therefore he wrapped them in his tilma, or blanket, and hastened away. And then, from the spot where most holy Mary stood, there gushed forth a spring of brackish water, which now is venerated and is an anti- dote to infirmities. Juan Diego waited at the entrance of the Bishop's house until he should come out, and when he appeared and the flowers were shown him, there was seen the image of the Virgin beautifully painted upon the Indian's tilma ! The Bishop placed the miraculous pic- ture in his oratory, venerating it greatly ; and Juan Diego returning to his home with two servants of the Bishop, found that his uncle had been healed of his sickness in the very hour that the Virgin declared that he was well. As quickly as possible the Bishop caused a chapel to be built upon the spot where the Virgin had appeared and where the miraculous roses had sprung up from the barren rock ; and here he placed the holy image on the 7th of February, 1532. Juan Diego and his uncle Bernar- dino became the servants of the Virgin in this sanctuary ; and Juan Diego, being moved by a sermon preached by the venerable Fray Toribio Motolinia, and his wife Lucia Maria consenting and taking a like vow, took there the vow of chastity. Thenceforth he lived in a little house beside the chapel ; and there he died a most Christian death in the j^ear 1548. The Papal sanction of the apparition followed in due order of gradation, from recognition to entire approval. In 1663 Alexander VII. admitted the relation of thft apparition and ordered its investigation by the Congre- gation of Kites, preparatory to granting the request pre- EN V IKONS OF MEXICO. 29H f erred by the church in Mexico that the 12 th of De- cember should be set aj)art in perpetuity as a day of holy festival in the Mexican Virgin's honor. Pending further inquir}', Clement IX. conceded (1667) a plenaiy jubilee to be held upon this date. For nearly a century the festival was continued on this basis, during which period the Virgin of Guadalupe received recognition in various ways from successive Popes, but the formal and official recognition and indorsement of the miracle by the Con- gregation of Kites still was withheld. In the meantime the Mexicans on their own account had made this Vir- gin their Patron Saint. In recognition of the protection that she had afforded during the dreadful pestilence, known as the matlazahuatl, of 1736, the ecclesiastical and secular chapters, representing the church and the peo- ple, solemnly elected her their patroness. At last, through the exertions of the Jesuit Father Lopez, sent expressly for this purpose to Rome, the long-delayed confirmation of the miracle by the Congregation of Rites was accorded — though somewhat grudgingly — in the Papal bull of May 25, 1754. By this bull the festival of December 12th officially was instituted, and the Virgin of Guadaluj)e was declared to be the Patroness and Pro- tectress of New Spain. Being so essentially a Mexican divinity, the Guadalupe Virgin was looked upon as the especial champion of the Mexicans in their revolt against Sj)anisli dominion ; and the more so because the stand- ard around which Hidalgo rallied the first army of revo- lutionists was a banner whereon this Virgin was blaz- oned, " Guadalupe " became the war-cry of the rebels, as '"Remedios" (which see), the especially Spanish Vir- gin, was the war-cry of the loyalists. The conspicuous part thus borne by the Mexican Virgin in the war for 294 MEXICAN GUIDE. indepeudence, and the happy issue that her assistance gave to that conflict, still further endeared her to the Mexican people ; and one of the very first acts of the Congress of the new KeiDublic (November 27, 1824) de- creed the festival of December 12th a national holiday. The Virgin of Guadalupe therefore has attaching to her a polititjal significance quite as important as the signifi- cance that attaches to her in her religious capacity. She is at once an embodiment of the national character and the defender of the nation's life — an abstract and con- crete divinity such as might result from infusing super- natural power into a mass comjDosed of Queen Victoria and the British Lion. Above all, she is the divinity of the Indians. The festival of December 12th is cele- brated with enthusiasm by the Indians throughout the Republic ; and thousands of them each year make long pilgrimages that they may be present on that day at the Virgin s shrine. So completely is the Indian character of the festival recognized that the church is wholty given up to the Indian worshippers. In it they conduct their celebration, unhampered by priests, in their own way : but whether or not there survives i;i their rites any trace of the worship of Tonantzin, -'the Mother of Gods," is a curious question that need not be raised here. A cele- ])ration of a more orthodox sort, less original but more imposing, in which the Archbishop and the higher clergy of the See take part, takes place on the 12 th of January. Other especially Indian festivals are cele- brated on the 22d of November ; almost every day in December, but most notably on the 3d (the novenario of the 12th) ; and on the 12th of every month throughout the year. At a distance of about two miles and a half north from ENVIRONS OF MEXICO. 295 the city (reached by horse-cars starting from in front of the Cathedral) is the collegiate church of Nuestra Sefiora de Guadalupe. The church stands at the foot of the hill, on the site of the fourth apparition of the Virgin to Juan Diego. It is a comparatively modern structure, and the fourth erected for the housing of the miraculous image. The first was built by Bishop Zumarraga, as told above, and about forty years later this first chapel was very con- siderably enlarged. It is still in use, being now the sa- cristy of the parish church. At the beginning of the seventeenth century a new and large church was erected upon the site occupied by the present collegiate church ; which, being completed at a cost of $50,000, was dedi- cated, and the miraculous image w^as placed in it, in November, 1G22. In 1695 the present parish church was built, being intended as a temporary abiding-place for the image while a new and grander church was building. Work upon this latter edifice, the existing collegiate church, began at once, and it was completed and dedicated with great solemnity May 1, 1709. It is 184 feet long by 122 feet wide, covered by a vaulted roof that rests upon two rows of Corinthian columns — by which the aisles are divided from the nave. The whole is surmounted by a dome, the lantern of which is 125 feet above the floor. The very plain fa9ade is flanked by towers 110 feet high. The interior, unusually well lighted, is iinished in white and gold. The magnificent high altar and tabernacle are made from designs pre- pared by the architect Tolsa about the year 1802 ; but the revolutionary troubles that began in 1810 and con- tinued until 1821 so delayed the progi^ess of the w^ork that the altar actually was not completed until the year 1836. The structure is of marbles of various colors. 296 MEXICAN GUIDE. joined with good effects of harmony and contrast. The cost of the work, together with other renovations of the church then made, was $381,000. The ^jrimitive cost was more than $800,000 — all alms-offerings — making a total of $1,181,000. The value of the jewels, gold and silver plate and other rich belongings of this church — nearly all of which have passed into the possession of the government — safely may be estimated at two mill- ions more. In the tabernacle, in a frame of mingled gold and silver, inclosed with plate-glass, is preserved the miraculous image. The picture, somewhat conven- tional in type, is good in drawing and still retains much strength of coloring. The material upon which it is painted is a coarse cloth woven of ixtli fibre. The me- dium cannot be determined — at least not by examination through the glass covering. It does not seem to be dis- temper, water-color or oil-color, though more suggestive of oil-color than of either of the others ; and this fact of its lack of resemblance to the effects of the ordinary methods of painting is one of the strong practical points urged in favor of its miraculous origin. The j)icture has been examined twice, the glass covering being removed on these occasions, by Mexican painters of high standing, and on each occasion the method by which the picture was made has remained undetermined. The chancel, is enclosed by a massive silver railing set ujDon a base of pure white marble, the whole given to the church by the Viceroy Bucareli — who lies buried in the west aisle. During the year 1888 the choir, which previously, in ac- cordance with the Spanish fashion, had occupied the centre of the nave, very judiciously was removed to a less obtrusive position behind the high altar. The choir, a very elegant structure, rich in fine carvings, is of ma- ENVIRONS OF MEXICO. 29? hogany, still further orDamented with carvings in ebony. Above the stalls are basso-relievos, carved in wood, illus- trating the litany of the Virgin. In the sacristy are more fine carvings, two curious tables of Mexican onyx, and a number of curious and a few very good pictures. The best of the pictures, and one of the best pictures in Mexico, is a magnificent Crucifixion — hung in an atro- cious light on the north wall. The church became col- legiate * in 1749, an ample endowment for this purpose having been provided by several rich patrons. The chapter house, built at this period, adjoins the church on the north. Gapilla del Cerrito. — This " chapel of the little hill" marks the spot where Juan Diego cut the roses which sprang up there from the hard stone in order that the Bishop might be convinced. For many years the spot was marked only by a rude wooden cross. In the year 16G0 a little chapel was built here by Cristobal de Aguirre, who endowed it with the sum of $1,000 that there might bo held here every year on the 12th of December a solemn service in commemoration of the Virgin's appearance. The present chapel was built at the beginning of the eighteenth century by the Presbitero Don Juan de Mon- tufar, who built also the stairway and path leading up the hill. On the line of this stairway, near the top of the hill, is built in stone the semblance of a ship's mast and sails. The date at which this curious structure was erected is unknown, but there seems no reason for doubt- ing that the story told of it is true : That certain mari- ners, being in dire straits at sea, their ship tempest-tost * A collegiate cliiircli is a church in which, while not the seat of an archbishop's or bishop's see, the organization is the same as that of a catliedral. 298 MEXICAN GUIDE. and rudderless, vowed that should the Virgin of Guada- lupe save them they would bring their ship's mast to her shrine and set it up there as a perpetual memorial of her protecting power ; that immediately their ship came safely to Vera Cruz, and that the mariners loyally fulfilled their vow, carrying the mast with its yards upon their shoulders from Vera Cruz to the capital and thence to this place, where they set it up and built around it for protection from the weather the covering of stone. And there the mast is, even until this day. Lower down the hill, on its w^estern side, is a curious little grotto, the work of one of the servitors of the church, most ingeniously lined with a mosaic made of broken china-ware — very well w^orth the real that the visitor is expected to pa}^ for the privilege of seeing it. Capilla del Pocito. — The " chapel of the well " is a very elegant little structure, roofed with a dome of enamelled tiles, that covers the miraculous spring that gushed forth from beneath the Virgin's feet. The Avell is in the ante- room to the chapel proper, and is surrounded and covered by a grating of wrought iron. In the chapel is a hand- somely carved pulpit, the support of which is an image of Juan Diego. The gracious little building was com- pleted in the 3'ear 1791, at a cost of $50,000. Its archi- tect was Don Francisco Guerrero y Torres, whose services were given to the church. Directl}^ opposite the door of the chapel, just at the beginning of the ascent of the hill, is a iDillar, crowned with a figure of the Virgin, that marks the precise spot of the first of the miraculous ap- paritions. Adjoining the Collegiate church on the east is the church and ex-convent of Santa Coleta, a Capuchin foun- dation, popularly known as the Capuchiuas de Nuestrg ENVIRONS OF MEXICO. 299 Senora de Guadalupe. Two unsuccessful attempts, in 1575 and 1707, were made to found a convent near the sanctuary. The third attempt, in 1779, was successful. In that year a Capuchin nun, Sor Maria Ana de San Juan Nepomuceno, was moved in her spirit to make yet one more effort to establish here a house of religious ; and to this end she personally petitioned the Archbishop Nu- nez Haro y Peralta, though telling him that all the for- tune at her command for this work was the sum of two reales f Pursuing her project vigorousl}^, she went over seas to SjDain and applied to the king for aid ; and the king, much impressed by her devotion, granted her prayer, A royal order issued, July 3, 1780, permitting the convent to be erected ; and with this order Sor Maria came again to Mexico joyfullj'. Work began at once, money being given in great abundance, and the church and convent were completed, at a cost of $212,328, Au- gust 30, 1787. On the 13th of the ensuing October, five Capuchinas, of whom one was the faithful Sor Maria, took possession of the new building. The convent w^as closed by the operation of the laws of the Reform. In the con- vent church there is usually to be found, as in Mexican churches generally, a little old woman who sits nera* the entrance and sells holy images ; and with her there is usu- ally a decorous and rather clerical-looking black cat. A few words in praise of this staid animal, and the invest- ment of a couple of reales in holy images, will so dispose this old woman to friendliness that she will permit the visitor to pass through the church to the lower floor of the convent. In the inner 2^(itio the cells once belonging to the nuns may be seen : windowless vaults six feet square with a stone bench for a bed — for of all the rules that of the Capuchinas was the most severe. 300 MEXICAN GUIDE. By a royal order of 1748, the village of Glaadalupe was made a town ; and by the act of Congress of Febru- ary 12, 1828, the town became the City of Guadalupe- Hidalgo. The present " city " has a population of about 3,000 souls. In front of the parish church is a very pretty httle public garden, that was opened in 1866. The town is memorable politically as being the scene of the cHmax of the war between the United States and Mexico: the treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo was signed here February 2, 1848. Chapultepec, the Presidential residence, and the National Military Acadenn^ a little more than two miles southwest of the city. (The Tacubaya and San Angel lines of horse cars, from the west side of the Plaza Mayor, pass close by the park gates.) The hill of Chapultepec is one of the several isolated rocks which protrude above the swampy soil of the valley. Formerly, being sur- rounded by a marsh, it was occupied by the founders of Tenochtitlan before making their still more secure city in the middle of the lake. At its eastern foot is a large spring, whence a portion of the city's water-supply is drawn, and around its base grow many ancient ahiie- huetes — a species of cypress. The grove of these huge and ancient moss-draped trees — dating fi-om before the Conquest — forming the park at the base of the hill on the west, is one of the most impressive sights of Mexico. Owing to its strong defensive position and its abundant supply of water the hill was a point coveted by the var- ious tribes settled in its vicinity. The people of Tenoch- titlan, when firmly estabUshed in their lake city, repos- sessed themselves of it ; built a connecting causeway, and on this an aqueduct— precisely over the line occu- pied by the aqueduct now existing. While mentioning ENVIRONS OF MEXICO. 801 this fact (also recorded by Vetancurt and contemporary chroniclers) Mr. Bandolier affirms positively that the hill " never was used as a • summer resort ' for the chiefs, or a 'royal villa,' as has been imagined." It was used, however, to some extent as a burial place, and a few of the Mexican chiefs had their effigies carved upon its rocky base. Reference is made to these carvings by Torquemada ; Gama refers to them as in existence at the close of the last century ; and Seiior Orozco y Berra mentions having seen their remains — adding that when looking for them subsequently he was unable to find them. Mr. Bandelier was assured in Mexico that the carvings had disappeared. He writes : " Nevertheless, I found on March 6, 1881, what clearly appears to be the remainder of the effigy of Ahuitzotl, the last Monte- zuma's predecessor in the command of the Nahuatl con- federacy. It was carved in half relief, and was originally a full-length figure of a man, life-size, stretched out on a ledge of natural rock sloping at an inclination of nearly fift3'-five degrees. Only the lower limbs are preseiwed. The top and the whole body evidently have been blown off [the holes drilled for blasting are plainly visible] nothing remains of them but these fragments. The feet also are mutilated ; they appear to have stood on an im- perfectly carved moulding. But the principal features of the monument are the figure of %kI acatl, or ' cane ' (still visible to the right of what was once the head), and beneath it the picture of a water-rat. Both are suffi- ciently distinct. The former is a date, and corresponds to 1507 of our era ; the latter is a name, and reads 'Ahuit Zotr in the native Mexican language." This very interesting fragment is on the eastern base of the hill, a short distance northwest of the drive leading past the '•^02 MEXtCAN GUIDE. battle moTiiiment, and a few feet to the left of the dnye leading around the base of the hill to the i^ark. The vines and underbrush by which the carving for a long time had been hidden were removed in 1886. In the year 1783 the Viceroy Don Matias de Galvez obtained i^ermission from the King of Spain "to repair and put in order the palace of Chapultepec," thus im- plying that before that date an edifice of considerable proportions had crowned the hill. In this case, how- ever, repair meant reconstruction. The death of the Viceroy delayed for a short time the execution of the work ; but it was pushed forward so rapidly by his son, Don Bernardo de Galvez, who also was his successor in the viceroyalty, that the new palace was completed in 1785, at a cost of upward of $300,000. Very consider- able additions to the building have been made both in Viceroy al and Republican times, and further additions were made to it during the brief reign of Maximilian— who made it his residence. In the year 1887 plans were j^erfected for making Chapultepec the Presidential residence. Large sums were expended in necessary renovation ; and the palace now is the official home of the President of the Republic. It is a palace in fact as well as in name ; an immense building, in which are large halls and galleries hand- somely decorated, and around which are marble-paved terraces commanding one of the most magnificent views in the world : the beautiful valley of Mexico, with its city and lakes in the foreground, and for background, in the east, the snow-capped volcanoes — tinged at even- ing with ruddy reflections and overhung by great masses of crimsoned clouds. Upon the terraces are flower- gardens, and at the eastern base of the hill— reached by ENVIRONS OF MEXICO. ->0.J a winding, terraced drive — is a larger flower garden in which is a Httle artificial lake. Inclosing the entire base of the hill is a strip of woodland that on the western front broadens out into the noble park. The National Military College occupies a large build- ing on the lower terrace of the Palace. The system of training pursued is similar to that of West Point. About 325 cadets attend the College. Admission to the College and to the Palace is obtained by a card granted on application to the Minister of War. The hill of Chapultepec was taken by storm by tho American troops under General Pillow, after a day's bombardment, early on the morning of September 13th, 1847 ; the gallant defender of the position, General Nicolas Bravo, being taken prisoner. The cadets of the Military College took part in the defence with great hero- ism, and many of these brave lads fell. A handsome monument in memory of their courage and patriotism was erected in the garden at the eastern base of the hill in the year 1880. Molino de! Rey (reached by the branch tramway to Dolores, starting from a point on the Tacubaya tramway just south of Chapultepec). This point was carried, together with the Casa Mata, by General Worth— fights ing against great odds and sustaining a heavy loss — on the morning of September 8, 1847. Lieutenant Grant was one of the first to enter the Mill. In his recently pubhshed " Memoirs " he expresses the opinion that both Chapultepec and Molino del Rey were unnecessary battles, as the two positions could have been turned ; though in regard to Scott's generalship as a whole he speaks in high praise. The war generally he character- izes as "unholy" ; " one of the most unjust ever waged 304 MEXICAN GUIDE. by a stronger against a weaker nation " ; an opinion in which every fair-minded American must concur. Tacubaya (reached by horse cars starting from the west side of the Plaza Mayor ; also by the horse car line to San Angel, starting from the same point). Primi- tively known as Atlacoloayan {" place in the bend of the brook "), the suburb of Tacubaya de los Martires, with a jDopulation of nearl}^ 8,000 souls, is the most beau- tiful town in the valley. It is built upon a hill-side, sloj)ing to the northwest, at a distance of about three miles southwest of the city. The town, in its present form, is comparatively modern, although from the earliest times a small village existed here ; and the pro- ject seriously was entertained, after the great inundation of 1629-34, of making this the site of the City of Mexico — the lapse of which project, on sanitary grounds, is to be much deplored. There is a parish church, an ex- monastery some time the property of the Dominicans, the handsome church of San Diego and several small chapels ; also a small Alameda, and a pretty garden in the Plaza de Cartagena. In the ex-palace of the Arch- bishop (built by the Archbishop and Viceroy Vizarron in 1737) is housed the National Astronomical Observa- tory ; and in tins building at one time was housed the Military College now at Chapultepec. The chief charm of Tacubaj^a is found in its numerous very beautiful private gardens — huertas, large inclosures, half garden, half park, belonging to rich citizens of Mexico, who come here for recreation and rest. Thfe more notable of these (to which admission may be obtained by a card from their several owners) are the huertas of the families Barron, Escandon, Mier y Celis and Baidet. In the western part of the town, reached by a branch ENVIRONS OF MEXICO. 30o line of second class cars, is the arhol benito, " the blessed tree." Legend sa^-s that a long while ago, one fiercely hot day of summer, a holy priest paused beneath this tree and in its cool shade became rested and refreshed. Therefore, as he went away, comforted, he turned and blessed the tree and bade it evermore be green : and straightway there gushed out from among its roots a most sweet and copious spring. Those who doubt this legend must reconcile with their doubt the facts that the tree always is green, and that the sweet spring con- tinues to flow. Mixcoac (on the line of the San Angel tramway, a mile or so south of Tacubaj^a) is a charming little town of low adobe houses built along narrow lanes which wan- der among gardens. It is a manufacturing town, and its manufactures are a trifle incongruous : bricks and flowers. There is a very tolerable tivoli here, the Cas- taiieda, at which breakfast may be had. San Angel (reached by horse-cars from the west side of the Plaza Mayor ; also by the Tlalpam horse-cars to San Mateo, and thence to San Angel by a cross-country horse-car line. A very pleasant expedition may be made by going by one of these routes and returning by the other. The cross-country line passes through the towns of Coyoacan and Churubusco, w^hich see below). This pretty little town, five or six miles south of Mexico, is built upon a hill-side in the midst of orchards and gar- dens ; and in the growing time it is a cloud of blossoms and green leaves. Many pleasure houses (casus de recreo) are here, where city-folk come for ease in the hot months ; but there is nothing here to compare wdth the perfectly ordered gardens of Tacubaya. In point of fact, San An- gel has somewhat outlived its usefulness and is rather 306 MEXICAN GUIDE. dowD-at-heel — and therefore it is a very delightful place indeed. Its most attractive feature is the picturesque and now deserted Carmelite monastery of Nuestra Seiiora del Carmen, v/ith its fine church crowned by exceed- ingly beautiful tiled domes. This monastery possesses a very respectable age. In the year 1613, Don Felipe de Guzman, a pious cacique of Chimalistac, in fulfilment of his father's testament, gave up to the Carmelite order a huerta of considerable size. Here the Carmelites built a little hospice. Don Felipe de Guzman presently died ; and a little later died also his widow, childless. By her will the entire estate of which she died possessed passed to the Carmelite fathers : and by these it was devoted to the building of the existing monastery and church. The plans for these buildings were prejDared by the cele- brated architect Fray Andres de San Miguel, a lay brother of the Carmelite order, and at that time held to be the first architect of New Spain. That this reputation was well merited is shown by the beauty of his still existing work. The building was begun June 20, 1615, and was pushed with so much vigor that the church and convent were finished within two j^ears. The church was dedi- cated to San Angelo Martir, whence came the name of the little town that presently grew up around it. Later, in 1633, another rich patroness appearing, Doha Ana Aguilar j Nino, the dedication of the church was changed at her request to Santa Ana. The handsome chapel, dedi- cated to Jesus Nazareno, known as the Senor de Con- treras, was built at the end of the last century by Fray Juan de Santa Maria. The church was thoroughly re- paired in 1857. It is a large and handsome building containing a number of images much reverenced. The monastery is a most fascinating place even in its ruin — ■ ENVIRONS OF MEXICO. 307 for a considerable portion of it has been razed and what remains is faUing into decay. In its rear, sloping to the south and east, is a garden once kept trimly but now a wilderness of fruit trees and shrubs and flowers in which are old water tanks and a great fish pond — from which the fish long since have vanished ; and from the terrace overhanging the garden, just out from the refectory, one looks eastward over miles of orchards and gardens — dotted here and there with low square houses, and here and there with little church towers, and above all these the great tower of the church at Coyoacan — to the far horizon where the snow-capped mountains rise against the blue sky. In the refectory there are remnants of some very tolerable frescoes ; and in the cloister, just off the church yard, are others still more ruinous. Among these latter, cleansed from the overlying white-wash by some loving hand, is a wonderfully fine head of Christ. Coyoacan (reached most directly by the Tlalpam tramway, starting from the south side of the Plaza Mayor, to San Mateo, and there changing to the car for San An- gel that passes through Coyoacan. It may be reached also by the tramway to San Angel, and thence by the car to San Mateo). This very picturesque town is older than the City of Mexico. After the Conquest (August 17, 1521) Cortes established in Coyoacan the seat of govern- ment, and from here directed the laying out of the pres- ent City of Mexico. Immediately after taking up his abode here he gave a banquet to his captains in honor of the victory which they had achieved ; and as about this time there arrived at Vera Cruz a ship having a consider- able quantity of wine aboard the Conquerors were able to celebrate their victories right royally. So scandalous, indeed, was this feast, that the worthy Frav Bartolome 808 MEXICAN GUIDE. cle Oimedo, chaplain to Cortes, felt constrained to order the whole compan}^ to do penance, and on the ensuing Sunday preached a most vigorous sermon at them. A large and handsome house was built here, in which Cortes, with La Marina, dwelt contentedly while the building of the city went on. This house still may be seen, at the northern side of the little plaza. A part of it is a jail and the remainder is devoted to the officers of the town gov- ernment. Over the main doorway, blurred by many coats of white-wash, are graven the arms of the Conqueror. Next to this, west, is another house in which Cortes dwelt, and a well is pointed out in the garden in which he is said to have drowned his wife. Eecently discover- ed legal records tend to confirm the popular tradition — which adds that the wife is buried in the cross-crowned mound in the churchyard. Many legends of Cortes survive hereabouts, and if the visitor is lucky enough to come across a story-telling old man or old woman a great deal of very delightful and quite impossible history may be learned in a comparatively short time. South of the jDlaza, across the highway, is the large and imposing church of San Juan Bautista which, together with the Dominican^ monastery connected with it, was founded by the eminent Fray Domingo de Vetanzos, probably about the year 1530. The present church — as may be read in the graving upon its facade — was built in 1583. In the church-yard is a stone cross set up on a little mound that tradition declares was a place of worshijD in primitive times : and tradition further declares that the cross was placed here by Cortes. The Ped regal (stony place) lies south of San Angel and Coyoacan, The portion of it directly south of tlie latter town is exceedingly picturesque, the rocky, uneveri ENVIRO]S"S OF MEXICO. 309 ground being covered with a lavish growth of cactus and stunted trees, and kixuriant bushes and traihng vines. Narrow footways, usually bordered by low stone walls, ramify in every direction, passing curious little stone houses, and garden patches, and winding along the edges of ragged gulches and by the sides of clear streams. In the midst of this maze is the very picturesque chapel of the Nino Jesus, and the painfully trim-looking chapel of the Concepcion. The shortest way into this charming wilderness is along the road that runs southward in front of the church-yard of San Juan Bautista in Coyoacan, and thence bearing to the left from a point a little beyond the cross-road where is set up a pretty cross of stone. By bearing to the right a scarcely less delightful walk may be taken among the gardens and adobe houses of an In- dian town. Churubusco (reached by the Tlalpam tramway, start- ing from the south side of the Plaza Mayor, to San Mateo, and thence — a distance of half a mile — on foot or by the tramway leading to San Angel). There is no town here, only a few scattered little houses ; the very ancient church of San Mateo, once the parish church, but now closed and falling into decay ; and the beautiful church and ex-mon- astery of Santa Maria de los Angeles. In primitive times there was here a very important town, Huitzilopochco, that grew wp around the temj^le of the god Huitzilopoch- tli — from the first of which trying names, by a pardonable corruption, that of Churubusco was derived. In this temple the god Huitzilopochtli, who in his life was a most famous warrior, was worshipped. " This place," says the delightful chronicler Baltasar Medina, " was the dwelling and diabolical habitation of infernal spirits that with fear- ful noises and howlino-s disturbed all the region round i)lO MEXICAIvT GUIDE. about where the idol had usurped the worship of the true God. The holy monks built here in honor of the true God, who crushes the serpent's head in the waters, a tem- ple of the faithful, giving to it the name of Santa Maria de los Angeles, because where once had flourished the sin of idolatry now superabounds the grace and glory of this Lady. To this most honorable and efficacious name was added that of San Antonio Abad, whose stone image was placed beside the church door ; for against the j)ersecu- tion of the demons, who like hungry lions haunted this place the altar of their worship among the heathen, rag- ing against the faithful now that their Dagon had fallen, the Christians invoked the protection of this saintly abbot, who, among his many gifts and privileges of grace, had empire and dominion against the assaults of Lucifer." Upon the site of this primitive church the present beauti- ful church and monastery were built, being completed May 2, 1678. The patron and patroness of the new church and monastery were Don Diego del Castillo, citizen of Mexico, native of the City of Grenada, merchant of silver, and Dona Helena de la Cruz, his wife. The kneeling effi- gies of this pious gentleman and his wife, carved in wood and painted, still are preserved in the sacristy of the church — a most seemly couple, very quaint in their picturesque garments of the fashion of two hundred years ago. Al- though sadly fallen into decay, and although a portion of the monastery has been taken possession of by the gov- ernment for a military hosj^ital, this church and monas- tery are among the most beautiful of the foundations of the religious orders in or near the capitol. Especially beautiful is the lavish decoration in glazed tiles : the little chapel of San Antonio Abad beside the church door — now bereft of the image of the demon-daunting saint ENVIRONS OF MEXICO. 311 and beginning to drop to i^ieces — is covered with tiles from its base to the pinnacle of its dome ; there is a dado of tiles in the lovely cloister ; once a dado of tiles ran around the whole of the large refectory — now a ruin ; the Abbot's bath — which can be seen now only from the roof, or by climbing up a ladder placed against the window of the main stair- way — is a gem of tile-work ; the choir, still perfect, is a mosaic of tiles arranged in ex- quisite taste. The church contains a quaint old organ inclosed in a richly carved wooden case ; three well carved wooden busts of saints — probabl}^ by the artist who made the portraits of Don Diego and his worthy wife, and a fine painting of the Assumption of the Virgin. In the sacristy there are several pictures of no especial artis- tic value, but exceedingly curious. By way of finishing touch, in the midst of the sunny patio that the cloister surrounds, there wells up into an antique stone basin a wonderfully clear spring. No more interesting expedition out of Mexico can be made than to this beautiful place. In the plaza in front of the ex-monastery, now a hos- pital, is a monument commemorating the battle fought here with the Americans August 20, 1847. The monas- tery was very gallantly defended by General Pedro Maria Anaya against the assault of Generals Worth, Smith, and Twiggs. After the work had been carried Worth asked Anaya if among the surrendered material of war there was any ammunition, to which the brave Mexican made the historic answer : " Had I any ammu- nition you would not be here ! " TIalpam (reached by horse-cars starting from the south side of the Plaza Mayor), formerly known as San Agustin de las Cuevas. This flourishing little town of about 7,000 inhabitants lies fourteen miles south of ;312 MEXICAN GUIDE. Mexico. There are many flower and fruit gardens hereabouts for the supply of the city markets. In and near the town are important factories of cotton, and woollen cloth, and paper. In former times, at Whitsun- tide, a great gambling fete was held at San Agustin de las Cuevas to which all the wealth and fashion, and all the rascality and cut-throatism, of the capital resorted in a manner most amicably democratic. So outrageous did this festival become that about thirty years ago it was definitely suppressed. In 1794 the Viceroy Revillagi- gedo greatly improved the town, straightening and pav- ing its streets and giving it an adequate supply of water. At one time it was the capital of the State of Mexico. Popotia, " the place of the brooms " (reached by the Tacuba line of horse cars, starting from the western side of the Plaza Mayor). The only point of interest here, but that a point of very great interest, is the arbol de la noche triste, the ' Tree of the Dismal Night,' beneath which Cortes sat him down and wept on tlie night of the terrible retreat from Mexico, July 1, 1520. The tree, an ahuehuete (properly ahuehuetl), identical in kind with tiiose in the park of Chapultepec, flourished in perfect health until a few years ago when a fire was kindled be- neath it that seriously burned its trunk. Since then, several of the upper branches have died. It is now pro- tected by a high iron railing, and by a most zealous policeman. Relic-hunters are warned that this is not a good subject for the practice of their peculiar Hue of vulgar thievery. In February, 1885, some alleged ladies and gentlemen of American extraction, who had broken twigs from the tree, were most justly arrested and most righteously fined. Beside the tree stands the curious old church of San Esteban. ENVIIIO^^S OF MEXICO. oKi Tacuba, a corrupted form of Tlacopan (reached by horse-cars startmg from the west side of the Plaza Mayor). In primitive times this was an important town. Here reigned in succession, between the 3'ears 1430 and 1525, Totoquiyauhtzin I., Chiraalpopoca, Totoquiyauht- zin II., and Tetlepanquetzaltzin — this last named mon- arch being hanged by order of Cortes in 1525. The town has about 2,000 inhabitants. There is here a hand- some church surrounded by a wall of inverted arches. Near the church is the residence of the present Arch- bishop of Mexico, Seiior Dr. Don Pelagio Antonio de Labastida y Davalos. Especially impressive services ;ire held in Tacuba during Holy Week. Atzcapotzaico — "the ant-hill ; " so named in primitive times because of its very numerous inhabitants (reached by Ijorse-cars starting from the west side of the Plaza Mayor tmd running through Popotla and Tacuba). The founda- tion of the Aztec kingdom conquered by Cortes was laid in 1428, when the kings of Tenochtitlan and Texcoco (Chichimecs) overcame and killed the cruel king of Atzca- potzaico, Maxtla. As the result of this victory the legiti- mate ruler of the Chichimecs, the poet-king Netzahual- coyotl, was re-established upon the throne that the father of Maxtla had usurped and that the son had retained ; and the king of Tenochtitlan received the territory pertaining to the kingdom of Atzcapotzaico — out of a portion of which he erected the small kingdom of Tlacopan (Tacuba : see above). =^ The present town of Atzcapotzaico numbers about 1,500 inhabitants, who are largely engaged in the manufacture of pottery. There is also here an important * The rather absurd terms "king," " kingdom," and " throne,'' are used here, and elsewhere in deference to the custom uni- formly observed by the Spanish chroniclers. 314 MEXICAN GUIDE. manufactory of textiles. Upon the site of the great tem- ple of primitive times stands the church and now partly ruined monastery erected by the Dominicans in 1565. The present church was completed October 8, 1702. Upon the side of the tower facing the plaza, near the top of its first story, is graven the image of an ant — symboli- cal of the name of the town and of the great population that it once had. The church is a large and handsome building with a fine tower and two beautiful domes ; and the monastery, even the more because of its ruinous state, is wonderfully picturesque. Around Atzcapotzalco linger many delightful legends, the most notable of which is a version of the Malinche myth that in one form or another crops out all over Mexico. Following eastward for nearly a mile the street at the back of the monastery, the legend-lover will come to Zancopinca, where is a pond of sweet water beside which is a ruined aqueduct. In the pond, as in a palace of crystal, lives for half of each day the Malinche — the other half of her day being spent in the spring of Cha- pultepec. But whereas at Chapultepec she is a benign spirit, here she is a spirit of much malignity. With a song of infinite sweetness she lures to the pond unwary passers-by, and once beside the pond her extraordinary beauty completes the unhappy conquest that her wickedly sweet voice has begun. It is most dangerous to pass near this place in the very early morning or in the evening, for at these times her syren-song is heard. Whoever hears this song, unless he would disappear forever from among the living, must close his ears and with all possi- ble speed hasten far away. Should he not take these heroic measures for self-preservation, he will feel a soft languor creeping over him, dulling his senses yet filling ENVIRONS OF MEXICO. 315 him with an ineffable delight ; slowly but irresistibl}' he will be drawn toward the pond, and when he reaches it and there sees beckoning to him the beautiful Malinche he surely will cast himself into its clear depths and never more be known among men. The old Indian who will tell this story possibly will add, telling it close in the ear of his listener in manner most confidential, that in the depths of this pond lie hidden the treasures concealed by Guatimotzin ; the hiding place of which, even under the cruel torture to which Cortes subjected him, he re- fused to reveal. Westward from the monastery, through a winding lane between bushy hedges, is reached an open space in the midst of which is a grove composed of five great ahuehuetes. These trees, the old Indian will af- firm, once were a part of a wonderful enchantment. In ancient times there w^as beneath and among their roots a spring that constantly welled up, but that never over- flowed ; and whosoever drank of this spring at once and forever disappeared. One day there came out from the church a procession of holy fathers carrying with them the image of the Blessed Virgin ; and these passed sing- ing along the road until they came to the spring. Be- side it they set up an altar, on which the Virgin was ; and a preacher preached against the spring's wickedness ; and then all the multitude cast into it stones and earth until it was filled up and overlaid and hidden ; and over where it had been was built an altar to the Virgin within a cliapel, that remained there until at last it dropped down in little pieces because it had become so very old.- So this evil spring was overcome and made to vanish away. But even now he who will enter the grove of ahuehuetes and will lay his ear close to the earth will hear the spring still murmuring and singing its enchantments 31G MEXICAN GUIDE. beneath the ground. And its memory still lives in the proverb, cited when any one suddenly and mysteriously disajDpears : Ei^ie hebio del agua de los ahuehuetes. La Pied ad (reached by horse-car from the Plaza Mayor). At the southern extremit}^ of the Calzada de la Piedad, less than a mile from the Garita de Belen, are the church and ex-monastery of Nuestra Senora de la Piedad, a Dominican foundation of 1652. About the middle of the seventeenth century there was in Rome a monk of the order of Santo Domingo who had been charged by the prelate of the monastery to which he be- longed in Mexico to have painted by the best artist then in Rome a picture of the Virgin with the dead Christ. But when the monk, about to depart for Mexico, asked for the j^icture, the artist had finished only its outline drawing. Nevertheless, the monk took this with him and, journeying through Spain to the seaboard, took ship for Mexico. And it fell out that as he and his companions sailed westw^ard a dreadful tempest arose, so that there seemed no doubt but that the ship would be overwhelmed by the sea. In this extremity they made a solemn vow to the Virgin that in return for her pro- tection they would build for her in Mexico a temple in which the painting of her that they carried with them should be enshrined. And the Virgin heard their prayer and they all w^ere saved. Therefore they col- lected alms, and so built the church of La Piedad. And yet another miracle happened, for when the picture that the monk had brought from Rome was opened in Mexico, behold ! it was not the mere outline that he had taken from the Roman artist, but a very beautiful picture fin- ished in its every part ! And the miraculous picture hangs over the main altar of the church of La Piedad, SHORT EXCURSIONS FROM MEXICO. 817 and is greatly venerated, even until this present day. The church was dedicated February 2, 1652. In addi- tion to the miraculous picture are several notable paint- ings by the Mexican artists Cabrera and Velasquez, and a curious picture representing the storm at sea that was stilled by the Virgin's intervention. XTII. SHORT EXCURSIONS FROM MEXICO. The Viga Canal (reached by hoi'se-cars passing east along the southern side of the Plaza Mayor). A p'isear by boat on the Viga can be made an affair of a couple of hours — to the chinampaa at Santa Anita and return ; of a day — to Mexicalcingo and return, stopping at the intermediate villages of Santa Anita, Ixtacalco, and San Juanico ; or even of two days — through the whole length of the canal and across the western end of Lake Xochimilco to the town of the same name, stojD- ping there all night and returning on the following day. The one day expedition certainly should be taken. There are no fixed prices for the boats, and the begin- ning of the cruise is almost a personal combat with a crowd of boatmen as to which boat shall be taken and w^hat amount shall be paid for its use. For a party of four, or less, a boat should be had for not more than two dollars. For the shorter expedition, to Sta. Anita and the chinampas, including the return trip, not more than six reales should be. paid. By playing the men against each other, and by going through the form of abandoning the expedition in disgust, reasonable terms may be obtained. The boats in use are flat-bottomed affairs, twelve or fif- 318 MEXICAN GUIDE. teen feet long and about four feet wide, roofed except at bow and stern, and with loose curtains at the sides, benches running fore and aft — a species of barbaric gondola. They are propelled by a pole, that the boat- man operates in the bow. Almost immediately after getting under way the boat passes through the Garita de la Viga, where boats bringing merchandise of any sort to the city are halted for the receipt of the city tax. Outside of the garita a line of boats loaded with fire- wood usually is foand ; for these great boats cannot pass through the narrow way left oj)en under the stone arches. The first town reached is Santa Anita, a Mex- ican version of Coney Island. To this pretty place the lower and middle classes resort in shoals on Sunday and feast-day afternoons. It is a little town of straw- thatched houses, nearly every one of which is a shop or a restaurant (and many of them drinking places also), and everj'where there is a pervading smell of cooked tamales. There are swings, and places wherein lively games are played, and flower-selling places — where men and women buy garlands of brilliant-hued poppies wherewith to crow^n each other ; and everywhere is a crowd made up of flower-crowned people, genuinely merry and light of heart. Surrounding the town are the chinampas, the floating gardens that once reaUy did float, but that now are little patches of garden ground separated by narrow canals. Here are grown llowers and vegetables for the city market, and for sale at home on Sundays and feast-days — where the popular vegetables, eaten without other sauce than liking, are huge radishes and lettuce. The church of Santa Anita is* a quaint old building with a fine tower. At Ixtacal- co, the next town on the line of the canal, are more SHORT EXCURSIONS FROM MEXICO. 319 chinamims, less gayety, a small market and a very pre- sentable old churcli, dedicated to San Matias — a Fran- ciscan foundation of more than three hundred years ago. In front of the church is a little plaza with a fountain of «weet water in its midst ; and away from the plaza, along the lane that is marked by a palm-tree at its beginning, is a small, curious building that once was the chapel of Santiago. It is used as a dwelling now% and right in among its numerous inhabitants is the remnant of what seems to have been a most gallant image of Santiago — now galloping to defend the faith on a headless horse ! Mexicalcingo, about seven miles south of the city, was a place of some importance before the Conquest, but now is an insignificant little town of less than three hundred inhabitants. A small monastery, and the church of Sau Marco, were founded here by the Franciscans at a very early period ; and in Vetancurt's time, two centuries ago, the parish numbered upward of 1,500 souls. The monastery still exists, but in a ruinous condition, w^hile the comparatively large church — built on the site of the primitive structure — is in tolerably good repair. It is rather a bleak-looking edifice. The road from Mexico to Ixtapalapan crosses the canal at this point, and a very picturesque bit is had in the juxtaposition of this bridge and a rambling adobe house shaded by a row of great old trees growing along the water's edge. This is a good place to tie up and have breakfast (provision for which must be carried along) in a leisurely fashion, pre- paratory to starting on the return trip : and benevolent people will give a loaf of white bread to the nice old woman who lives in the northern end of the rambling house for the use and benefit of her cat : for the cat has an inordinate craving for white bread that rarely is sat- 820 MEXICAN GUIDE. isfied. On a Sunday or feast-day afternoon, the return trip, especiall}' from Santa Anita to the city, is one of the memorable sights of Mexico. The canal is crowded thickly with boats of all sorts and sizes, and the boats are crowded with garlanded merry-makers — tinkling guitars, singing, and on the larger boats even dancing. At this time, too, a wonderfully wizened and shocking- looking old beggar, an institution of the canal, paddles about vigorously in his canoe and reaps a very respect- able harvest of alms ; and the huge passenger boats for Xochimilco and Chalco are starting on the cruise that will not end until the morning of the ensuing day. The fact should be added that, strictly speaking, the Viga canal is not a canal at all, but a navigable sluice through which the waters of the lakes Xochimilco and Chalco discharge into the lower level of Texcoco. It is possible that the name Viga is derived from the wooden bridges of vigas (beams) which once s^Danned the canal. The Desierto (about fifteen miles southwest of the city, reached on horseback). That very crabbed chronicler, Thomas Gage, an English monk of the Dominican order who was smuggled into Mexico about the middle of the seventeenth century, thus describes, in his "New Sur- vey of the West Indias," the Desierto in its palmy days : " Northwest- ward three leagues from Mexico is the pleasantest place of all that are about 3Iexico, called La Soledad, and by others el desierto, the solitary or desert place and wildernesse. Were all wildernesses like it, to live in a wildernesse would be better than to live in a City. This hath been a device of poor Fryers named discalced, or barefooted Carmelites, who, to make show of their hj^pocriticall and apparent godlinesse, and that whilest thev would be thought to live like Eremites, retired from SHORT EXCURSIONS FROM MEXICO. 321 the world, they may draw the world unto them ; they have built there a stately Cloister, which being upon a hill and among rocks, makes it to be more admired. About the Cloister they have fashioned out many holes and Caves in, under, and among the rocks, like Eremites lodgings, with a room to lie in, and an Oratory to pray in, with pict- ures, and Images, and rare devices for mortification, as disciplines of wyar, rods of Iron, hair-cloths girdles with sharp wyar points to girdle about their bare flesh, and many such like toyes, which hang about their Oratories, to make people admire their mortified and holy lives. All these Eremeticall holes and caves (which are some ten in all), are within the bounds and compasse of the Clois- ter and among orchards and gardens full of fruits and flowers, which may take up two miles compasse ; and here among the rocks are many springs of water, which with the shade of the plantins and other trees, are most cool and pleasant to the Eremites ; they have also the sweet smell of the roze and jazmin, which is a little flower, but the sweetest of all others ; there is not any other flower to be found that is rare and exquisite in that Country, which is not in that wildernesse to delight the senses of those mortified Eremites." All this lovely place really is a solitary place, a wilder- ness, now ; but even in its ruin it is one of the most beautiful spots to be found near the city— while the re- mains of the cloister and the " Eremeticall holes and caves " make it one of the most curious and interesting. San Juan Teotihuacan (twenty-seven miles out from Mexico on the line of the Vera Cruz railway). Near the village of this name are the very curious pyramids of the Sun and Moon (so-called), together with other in- teresting prehistoric remains. The pyramids rise in the 322 MEXICAN GUIDE. midst of an arid region, largely composed of volcanic basalt deeply indented by numerous quarries, whence building material was obtained in prehistoric times. Although as seen from the railway the pyramids seem small in comparison with the adjacent little mountain, the Cerro Gordo, their really prodigious size becomes apparent Avhen they are viewed from the level of the plain whereon they stand. They rise from the banks of the small river of Teotihuacan ; and for more than a league in radius traces are discoverable of a large and most substantially built city. The pyramid of the Sun, according to the very careful measurements of Seiior Garcia Cubas, is 216 ft. 8 in. high, with a base 761 ft. x 721 ft. 7 in. square. The platform on the top is 59 feet from north to south by 105 feet from east to west. The pyramid of the Moon is 150 ft. 11 in. high, with a base 511 ft. X 426 ft. 5 in., and a crowning platform 19 ft. 8 in. square.* The only entrance as 3'et discovered is found on the southern face of the pyramid of the Moon, at a height of 65 feet from the ground. This gives inlet to a narrow descending gallery, interrupted by a deep square well, the walls of which are laid up with carefully squared stone. The axis of this gallery (observation of Seiior Garcia Cubas) coincides exactly with the magnetic meri- dian. Beyond the gallery the interior remains unex- plored. The pyramid of the Sun has not been entered at all. To the south of the pyramid of the Sun is a large earthwork known as the ciudadela (citadel) ; a square in- closed by a mound averaging 262 feet thick by 32 feet high. Id the centre of the inclosed square is a small pyramid, and upon the inclosing earth-work are fourteen * The pyramid of Cheops is 475 ft. 10 in. high, with a base 774 ft. xll02 ft. square. SHORT EXCURSIONS FROM MEXICO. 823 small p3^ramids disposed at regular intervals. In the neighborhood of the pyramids are great numbers of tu- muli, isolated and grouped. The most notable group of tumuli is that which borders the so-called Calle de los Muertos (the Street of the Dead). This curious cause- way begins near the " Citadel " and, passing the western face of the pyramid of the Sun, ends at the southern front of the pyramid of the Moon — there widening out into a large circle, in the centre of which is a tumulus. Many of the tumuli have been opened, disclosing in some cases boxes of Avrought stone inclosing a skull and orna- ments of obsidian and pottery ; in other cases (in the tumuli along the sides of the Street of the Dead) only empty chambers have been found. The conclusion ar- rived at by Sefior Orozco y Berra in regard to these very cuiious remains — mainly based upon the wide divergence from any known types of the clay masks found in what may be assumed to be the older of the tombs — is that they are the work of a race older than either Toltecs or Acolhuas, of which only these monuments now remain. Texcoco (on the line of the Irolo railway, 25 miles out from Mexico. Trains leave from the San Luzaro and Peralvillo stations. In the town there is a tidy little hotel, with a fair restaurant attached, kept by a French- man. The piJg it ehere is particularly good). During the century preceding the Conquest, Texcoco equalled the City of Tenochtitlan in importance. In the year 1431 the legitimate ruler, Netzahualcoyotl, having deposed the usurper Maxtla (see Atzcapotzalco) w\as firmly estab- lished upon his throne. Of this great man it is difficult to speak in terms of too high praise. The considerate historian, Senor Orozco y Berra, thus sums his character : "Just, yet clement, compassionate of misfortune, gener- '624: MEXICAN GUIDE. ous, intelligent, an intrepid warrior, a ^philosopher, poet, engineer, legislator, the father of his people, he tilled with his fame the world of Anahuac. . . . The Tex- coco of his time may be called the Athens of America ; as at the same period the strong, aggressive race inhab- iting Tenochtitlan made that city the antetype of ancient Eome." A part of the success of Cortes was due to the fact that at the time of his appearance this kingdom was divided by civil wars among the grand-children of Netz- ahualcoyotl, and that one of the factions became allied with the invaders. Texcoco was the base of operations against the city of Tenochtitlan. Here the "brigan- tines," * built in Tlaxcala and brought across the moun- tains in sections, were put together and launched through the canal over which still may be seen the/jw^/z/^e de los bergantines. Pending the building of the City of Mexico, the first Franciscan mission was established here by Fray Pedro de Gante. Here for a time, when in disfavor with the Spanish king and forbidden to reside in Mexico, Cortes made his home ; and in the church here remained for some years the Conqueror's bones. The existing town presents a very agreeable appearance. Its principal street is planted along each curb with a row of young orange-trees, and down this jDerspective is seen the fine mass of the ancient church of San Francisco ; having near it the still older church, a very plain structure, that probably dates from early in the sixteenth century. In the Plaza is a monument crowned with a bust of Netza- hualcoyotl ; at the corner of two of the principal streets is a very handsome fountain, the gift of the philanthropist * The " brigantines " were flat-bottomed boats propelled by sails and oars. Their misleading name in English is a too free translation of the Spanish word bergantin. SHOET EXCURSIONS FROM MEXICO. 325 and antiquarian Seiior Euperto Jaspeado ; and in addi- tion to the church of San Francisco several other ancient churches command attention. Aztec remains are very plentiful about Texcoco. In the northwestern section of the town is the remnant of a mound composed of stones and earth, in which, in 1827, Mr. Poinsett found a regu- larly arched and well-built passage or sewer of stone cemented with lime ; and upon which, in 1850, Mr. Mayer observed " several large slabs of basaltic rock, neatly squared and laid north and south." In the south- ern part of Texcoco are the massive remains of three pyramids, or mounds, each about four hundred feet along its base lines. In the person of Seiior Jaspeado (whose residence adjoins the apothecary's shop not far from the church of San Francisco), persons speaking Sj)auish will find a most able exponent and interpreter of the town's antiquities. Tetzcotzinco. About three miles east of Texcoco is "the laughing hill " [risuena colina) of Tetzcotzinco. Here is an enduring monument to the engineering skill and good taste of Netzahualcoyotl in the shape of the won- derful pleasaunce that he caused to be built for his amuse- ment and recreation. The remains of terraced walks and stairways wind around the hill from base to summit ; seats are hollo\ved in shady nooks among the rocks, and everywhere traces are found of ingenious contrivances by which the natural beauty and cool comfort of the sit- uation were enhanced. The most important and most curious of these remains, at an elevation of eighty or one hundred feet, is that to which has been given the purely fanciful title of " Montezuma's bath " — a circular reser- voir about five feet in diameter and three feet deep whence water was distributed throuq-h many channels to the 326 MEXICAN GUIDE. hanging gardens below. In order to supply the little reservoir stupendous works were executed. Near the "laughing hill," distant half or three-quarters of a mile, is another small hill, and beyond this, twelve or fifteen miles, is the mountain chain that encircles the Valley. From the reservoir the side of the hill in which it is hol- lowed is cut down and levelled, as though graded for a railroad, for about half a mile ; thence the grade is carried across a ravine to the adjacent hill on an embankment fully sixty feet high ; thence the side of the second hill Ig graded for a distance of a mile and a half ; and thence the grade is carried on an embankment across the plain to the distant mountains. Along the top of the level thus formed was built an aqueduct, much of which still re- mains in excellent preservation and testifies to the skill of its builders. It is formed of a very hard plaster, made of lime and small portions of a soft red stone ; is about two feet wide, and has a conduit about ten inches in di- ameter — a concave trough covered by convex sections of plaster, together forming a tube. A part of this pleasur- ing place, though some distance from it, is the Bosque del Contador, a magnificent grove of ahuehuetes, inclosing a great quadrangle that probably in ancient times was a lake. Moll no de F lores. This charming country place, be- longing to the family Cervantes, lies off the line of the railway about three miles west of Texcoco. Its chief beauty is a rocky ravine, plentifully shaded, in which, beside a rustic chapel, is a water-fall. The gardens watered by the stream are laid out with much taste and are filled with flowers. In their midst stands the large and handsome residence ; and at a short distance be- low the waterfall is the mill. At times when the resi- SllOKT EXCURSIONS FROM MEXICO. 327 dence is not occupied strangers are admitted to the grounds by the steward. Cuatlenchan. Not far from the Mohno de Flores is the little village of this name, notable as being near to a very remarkable prehistoric relic. This is the prostrate figure in stone of an idol popularly (and perhaps cor- rectly) st^ded Xicaca, goddess of waters. The figure is a huge monolith, about eighteen feet long by about four feet across, and is nearly j)erfect — sthough as much in- jured as was possible without recourse to drilling and blasting. The figure probably was thrown down from the crest of the hill, and certainly was defaced, by the Spaniards ; but against such a yery massive idol as this is even that most iconoclastic of all archbishops, the devil- defying Zumarraga, was comparatively powerless. TIalnepantla. The attractions of this town are limited but varied. They consist of an ancient conven- tual church, and bull-fights. Travellers who delight not in bull-fighting should visit the town on a day not a feast-day nor Sunday ; should take the car leaving the Plaza Mayor at 1:30 p.m., and return in the car leaving TIalnepantla at 5:40 p.m. Tlie trip is well worth taking for the sake of seeing the many interesting little towns by the way, and still more for the lovely sunset effect — westward on the low, blue mountains, and eastward on the volcanoes — during the return. The church was be- gun in 1583, and probably was dedicated in 1587 — which dates may be seen, respectively, on the screen of the sacristy and over the side entrance. On the outer wall of the chapel of the Misericordia is the date 1609, and upon the newly-stuccoed tower is the date 1704. This church is interesting in that its interior, saving a single altar introduced in the last century, has not B28 MEXICAN GUIDE. been modernized. The chapel of- the Misericordia is very quaint. Tajo de Nochistongo (on the Hne of the Mexican Central Kailway. The station of Huehuetoca is 29 miles out from Mexico). This great work was planned by the engineer Enrico Martinez to carry off the superfluous waters of Lake Zumpango — the highest of the several lakes in the Mexican valley — and so to prevent over- flow into the lower lakes and the inundation of the city. A still more comprehensive plan that he had in mind was to strike at the root of the matter and make his drain deep enough to carry off the waters of Texcoco ; but this, because of its great cost, was abandoned. Work was begun November 28, 1607. Fifteen thou- sand Indians were employed — this force being utilized by sinking shafts at different points and w^orking head- ings from each shaft in opposite directions — and in eleven months a tunnel was comj)leted eleven feet wide by thirteen feet high and more than four miles long. The inner facing of the tunnel, being of adobe, softened and caved ; and a stone facing, being simply a vault with- out firm foundation, proved equally insecure. On June 20, 1629, the rainy season having set in with unusual violence, Martinez gave orders that the mouth of the tunnel should be closed— either intending by a very practical demonstration to convince the i)eople of Mex- ico of the utility of his tunnel (in regard to which much diversity of opinion prevailed, and concerning which he had been engaged in an acrimonious controversy with the authorities), or, as he himself stated, being fearful that the work would be completely wrecked by the en- trance of so great a volume of water. The effect was instantaneous. In a single night the whole city, except- I SIIOKT EXCURSIONS FROM MEXICO. 329 ing the Plaza Mayor, was three feet under water. Dur- ing five years, 1629-84, this, " the great inundation," lasted ; throughout all of which time the streets were passable only in boats. The foundations of many build- ings were destroyed, trade was paralyzed, and among the poorer classes there was infinite misery. The order actually was issued from Madrid to abandon the sub- merged city and build a new Mexico on the high ground between Tacuba and Tacubaya. Unfortunately, before this wise order could be executed, a very dry season, during which several earthquakes cracked the ground and so permitted the water to escape, made the pro- jected removal unnecessary. Martinez, who had been imprisoned for causing this great calamity, was released, and was ordered to execute works by which the city shoukVbe made secure against like visitations in future. He reopened the tunnel, and as an additional safeguard rebuilt the dyke of San Cristobal. This great dyke con- sists of two distinct masses of, approximately, two miles and three quarters and a mile and a half in length, each portion being twenty-seven feet in thickness, and vary- ing in height from eight to ten feet. Great as these works were, they did not afford absolute protection to the city ; for the tendency of the tunnel to cave and become choked constantly threatened a repetition of the disaster of 1G29. From the engineering standpoint of the times the necessity of taking out the tunnel in open cut was recognized. During more than a century this great undertaking was carried on in a desultory fashion ; and at last, being taken in hand by the Consulada, or corporate body of merchants of the capital, was pressed vigorously to a conclusion between the years 1767 and 1789. In order to gain a slope so gradual from the top 330 MEXICAN GUIDE. to the bottom as to i^revent the sides from falling in, a great width had to be given to the cut at the top. For a considerable portion of its extent its width varies from 278 to 630 feet, while its perpendicular depth is from 147 to 196 feet. The whole length of the cut, from the sluice called the vertideros to the salto, or fall, of the river Tula, is 67,537 feet. A very complete view of this re- markable work can be had from the trains of the Mexi- can Central Kailway, the line of which road is carried through the tajo, or cut, at an elevation of fifty feet or more above the stream. PART II!. PROVINCIAL MEXICO. I PART III. PROVINCIAL MEXICO. L THE MEXICAN RAILWAY. Practical Wlatters. At either end of the hne tickets should be purchased and higgage should be checked on the afternoon preceding the morning of departure. (At Vera Cruz luggage can be sent direct from the steamer landino- to the railway station, when passed by the cus- tom-ho°use officials). If a stop-over ticket is wanted the fact should be clearly stated, and the traveller should make sure that a ticket of this sort has been sold hmi. Thirty-three pounds (15 kilograms) of luggage is carried free The excess rate for luggage is about $3.50 to Pu- ebla, and about $4.50 to the City of Mexico per 100 pounds Seats should be taken on the left hand side ot the car in coming up from Vera Cruz, and on the right hand side in going down from the City of Mexico. On the up journey ho-ht overcoats and wraps should be car- ried both as a V'otection from the chilliness of the hio-her level, and the clouds of dust which fill the car affer Boca del Monte is passed. Stops of from twenty minutes to half an hour are made at Orizaba, Esperanza, and Apizaco, at each of which stations there is a very fair restaurant. Meals cost six reales ; coffee, chocolate, and bread, two reale8. 334 MEXICAN GUIDE. Sights by the Way. The train for the City of Mex- ico starts from Vera Cruz at the atrocious hour of 5.45 A.M. Should the traveller remain awake, there is not much of interest for him to see while crossing the sandy, chaparral region of the coast. In leaving the city, the line traverses the fortifications and passes in sight of the Alameda and the cemetery of Casa Mata, and thence across the Laguna de Cocos, and not far from the Laguna Boticario. It w^as near the Laguna de Cocos that the army defending Vera Cruz in 1847 surrendered to General Scott. At La Zamorana is the junction with the steam line leading to Medellin ; and at Tejeria is the junction Avith the tramway leading to Jalapa. At Sole- dad, 26 miles out, the treaty between the Generals Prim and. Doblado was concluded in 1862 (see page 68). Near this station the Eio Jamapa is crossed on a bridge more than four hundred feet long. From Soledad the won- derfully beautiful views of the mountains begin. At Paso del Macho, reached after a run through a desolate, rocky region, the line already has attained an altitude of 1,500 feet above the sea. Three miles beyolid this station the iron bridge of San Ale jo, spanning one of the tributaries of the Atoyac, is crossed ; a structure 318 feet long and 30 feet above the stream. Sugar-cane and coffee plantations now begin, and very beautiful para- sites, of the orchid and bromelia species, are seen grow- ing upon the forest trees. The line winds around and under — through a tunnel 200 feet long — the base of the Cerro de Chiquihuite, and immediately after leaving the tunnel crosses the Chiquihuite bridge, 220 feet long. Presently the fall of the Atoyac is seen — not a very vig- orous waterfall in the dry season, however — in the midst of dense tropical vegetation. Just before reaching the station of Atoyac the iron bridge, 330 feet long, over THE MEXICAN RAILWAY. 335 the Atoyac River is crossed. At this station the sharpest portion of the ascent begins, a grade of four per cent ; and here the powerful double-ender Fairlie locomotives are attached to the trains. Between Atoyac and Cor- doba, passing through several small tunnels, and travers- ing an extraordinarily fertile country clothed with a lavish growth, the line rises in a distance of 20 miles from an elevation of 1,510 to an elevation of 2,710 feet above the sea. The town of Cordoba (which see) lies a little more than a mile from the railway, in the midst of cane-fields, coffee plantations, and banana groves. The fruit for sale at this station, especially the mangoes and oranges, is the best that is offered along the line. After leaving the little station of Fortin, so named because of a ruined fort in the vicinity, the traveller should devote his attention very exclusively to the wonders, natural and artificial, of the next few miles of the line. The scenery here is of surpassing grandeur, and the railway fights its way through this wild place, through five tunnels and across three bridges. The great bridge is that which crosses the Metlac ravine. This structure is built upon a curve of 325 feet radius, on a three per cent grade ; is 850 feet long, and rises 92 feet above the stream. It is of cast- and wrought-iron, rising on eight pillars from bases of masonry. A little wdiile after crossing the Metlac bridge the beautiful valley of Orizaba comes into view, with the snow-capped mountain rising beyond. Just before reaching Orizaba, the Cerro del horrego (Hill of the Lamb) is rounded. On this sharp acclivity a small force of French soldiers, on the 13th and 14th of June, 1860, routed a much larger force of Mexicans. At Orizaba (which see) are the repair shojos of the railway company. From this point to Maltrata the railway runs parallel with the Rio Blanco and crosses 336 MEXICAN fUJIDE. three of its tributaries There are several small tunnels, in this section. The great feature of this portion of the road is the Barranca del Infiernillo — the Eavine of the Little Hell — a wild and desolate gorge, dropping almost perpendicularly six hundred feet below the ledge on the mountain side on which the track is laid. In the far depths below is seen a little stream. Beyond the Infier- nillo the line comes out into the lovely valley of La Joya — The Jewel — in the midst of which, at an elevation of 5,544 feet above the sea, is the picturesque town of Mal- trata. In long, sweeping curves the line, rapidly rising, leaves the valley of La Joya and continues the ascent along a lerraced way cut in the sides of the mountains. The lovely valley, and the red-tiled roofs and red-domed church of Maltrata are seen far below. Near the station of La Bota — so called because of a spot like a boot on the mountain near by — water is taken in ; the source of sup- ply being a spring struck in blasting out the grade. Winner's Bridge — named for the engineer in charge of its construction — 96 feet long and nearly as many feet above the stream is crossed, and, after passing through a tunnel and a deep cut, the line comes to Boca del Monte — the " Mouth of the Mountain " — on the eastern edge of the Mexican plateau and 7,849 feet above the sea. Practically, the remainder of the run is over level country, although the highest point on the road is still a few miles farther west. (At Esperanza, a few miles beyond, the Fairlie locomotive is detached from the train, and an ordinary locomotive substituted). This, too, is the end of the strikingly picturesque portion of the journey, though between San Marcos and Huaman- tla, there is a fine view of the Malintzi close at hand, and the snow-crowned volcanoes are in sight continuously Here, too, the very dusty portion of the journey begins, THE MEXICAN KAILWAY. 337 and continues until the train reaches the City of Mexico. At Esperanza, about 1 p.m., a stop of half an hour is made for breakfast. A very good meal is provided for six redes. The prices for wines and beer are extortion- ate. Rooms may be had in the station hotel at ^1 a day. At this point the east and the west-bound trains meet, and the military guard — a rudimentary survival — is transferred, the one returning to Vera Cruz and the other to the City of Mexico. From Esperanza a tramway, 30 miles long, extends to Tehuacan (Hotel Diligencias) ; and thence a diligence is run, forty miles farther, to Tecomabapa. San Andres Chalchicomula, lying about four miles off the line of the railroad, with which it is connected by a tramway, is the point of departure in making the diffi- cult ascent of Orizaba. At San Marcos a bridge over the Vera Cruz line carries the track of the railway from Puebla to San Juan de los Llanos — all that has been completed of the road from Puebla to Jalapa via Perote, imder the concession granted May 23, 1868, to Ramon Zangronio. From Apizaco a branch line extends to Pue- bla, a distance of 29 miles. Between the stations of Guadalupe and Soltepec, at the siding of Ococotlan, is the highest point on the road, an elevation of 8,333 feet above the sea, Excepting a slight ascent between Ii'olo and Ometusco, the train i-uns from Soltepec to the City of Mexico on a constantly descending grade. Apam is in the heai't of the maguey region, and hereabouts- the he^i pulque in Mexico can be obtained. That which is sold for a medio in httle earthen pots at the stations, however, usually is so diluted with water as to be undrinkable. From Irolo, a tramway extends to Pachuca, 37 miles dis- tant. The Ii'olo line of the Interoceanic Railway also connects this town with the City of Mexico. Irolo is a 15 338 MEXICAN GUIDE. very important point for the shipment of jmlque. Both the Mexican and the Interoceanic railways run pulque trains every morning to the capital. The great planta- tions of magiie}^ {agave americana) through which the line of the railway passes in this Apam region, indicate the extent of the pulque industry. Otumba possesses historical importance as the scene of the battle fought by Cortez with the Mexicans, July 8, 1520, during his retreat after the disaster of the Noche Triste. Darkness falls at about this point on the journey. The train enters the Valley of Mexico soon after passing Tepexpam, and about 8 P.M. arrives at the Buena Vista station. Coming out from the City of Mexico on the morning train, starting at 6.15, as the train leaves the station the low dome of Santa Maria de los Angeles is seen on the right ; beyond this, to the right, the great church of Santiago Tlaltelolco (now a bonded warehouse) adjoin- ing the new custom-house ; and on the left the grand stand and race-track of the Jockey Club. From this point the volcanoes come in sight, and remain in sight during the greater part of the day. The sanctuary of Guadalupe is passed on the left. From Guadalupe Lake Texcoco is seen on the right. Just beyond Guadalupe is seen, on the left, a powder-house, a walled enclosure with low stone towers. The branch track leading to the little town of Socoalco is passed, and the town is seen on the left. Further on one of the drainage trenches is crossed. About 6.55 salt works are seen on the left, and about 7.15 the towers of the churches of San Juan de Teoti- huacan are seen on the left, and a moment later the Pyr- amids of the Sun and Moon (which see). About 7.35 the branch line leading to the hacienda de Zoapayucan is passed, and fifteen minutes later the hacienda is seen on the right. At Soltepec, from the eastern end of the plat- THE MEXICAIs^ EAILWAY. 339 form, there is a peculiarly fine view at this early period of the day of the four great mountain peaks : Popocate- petl, Ixtaccihuatl, Orizaba, and the Malintzi. Ajnzaco to Puehla. A few minutes after leaving the station at Apizaco, the chapel of Santa Cruz, beside a mill and granary, is seen on the right. A moment later, on the left, is seen a charmingly composed landscape : a water-fall, a bit of canon, and an old gray stone aqueduct. Across the valley is seen the brown Malintzi, with the smaller Cerro del Pinal at its base. Farther on is seen, on the left, the church of San Manuel and a manufactory of woollen cloth. The queer little chapel on a hill is the Calvario. Then is seen, on the left, the yellow dome of San Bernardino. Many deep barrancas are crossed. The little urn-shaped adobe buildings seen here, and else- where on the line, are granaries. The low stone pillars are boundary-marks. Over the hills3 to the right, are seen the two towers of the Sanctuary of Ocotlan (see Tlaxcala). At Santa Anita the tramway, on the right, leads to Tlaxcala. Beyond Santa Anita, on the right, is seen the lake of Acuitlapiha. When nearing Panzacola the large cotton-mill, El Valor, with its red-domed church, is seen on the right. Near the station at Panzacola, on the right, the large building standing in the midst of a park-like enclosure surrounded by high stone walls, is the Panzacola iron foundry. After passing this station a short distance, on the right is seen the Pyramid of Cho- lula crowned with its church. On nearing Puebla the rancho de San Juan, a heavy stone building crowning a low hill, is seen on the right. Then the towers and domes of Puebla come in sight across the plain, with blue, low-lying mountains beyond. Just before entering the town the old fort of the Loreto is seen on a hill on the left ; and beyond this the hill and fort of Guadalupe. 340 MEXICAI^ GUIDE. Vera Cruz to Jalapa. The tramway to Jalapa follows the ancient highway that led from Vera Cruz to the City of Mexico. The cars are drawn at a brisk pace by four mules attached to each, changed about every two hours. (On the down trip the mules usually go at a gallop). The tramway leaves the line of the Mexican Kailway at Tejeria ; crosses the sandy chaparral region of the coast, and thence onward continues through the rich tropical country on the eastern escarpment of the Plateau. At 35 miles from Mexico the National Bridge is passed, built in the early years of the present century. At Plan del Bio the Imperial Grenadiers were defeated and made prisoners in December, 1822, by General Santa Anna — a victory that virtually caused the downfall of the Em- j^eror Yturbide. The hacienda once owned b}^ Santa Anna may be seen from the line. At Cerro Gordo a victory was gained by the American army May 18, 1817. The scenery along almost the whole of the line is extra- ordinarily fine. Jalapa (which see) is reached about 4.30 P.M. ' \y- History. During the two centuries succeeding the Conquest the journey between Vera Cruz and the City of Mexico was made on horseback, mule-back, or on foot. At the beginning of the i^resent century the jour- ney was made from Vera Cruz to Jalapa by litter, and thence to the capital by coach. A regular diligence line was established between Jalapa and the City of Mexico in 1833 ; and this was extended a little later to Vera Cruz. The first concession for a railway in Mexico was given August 22, 1837, by the then President, Don Anas- tasio Bustamante, to Francisco Arillaga for a line between Vera Cruz and the City of Mexico. This project got no farther than a preliminary survey, which pointedly de- veloped the enormous difficulties to be overcome in the THE MEXICAiVT RAILWAY. 341 building of the road. A new concession was given, May 31, 1842, to Joseph Faure, for a line from Vera Cruz to the river of San Juan ; and a decree issued at the same time by which two per cent, of the duties re- ceived at the Vera Cruz custom-house should be devoted to building this railroad, and to maintaining the high- way leading to Perote. The general direction of the work was confided to Antonio Garay, the then Secretary of Finance. Under this concession a little more than two miles of track was laid at the Vera Cruz end of the line. Then the accidental death of M. Faure — caused by a fall from his horse while superintending construction — brought the work summarily to an end. A new conces- sion was given, August 12, 1857, to the brothers Mosso for a transcontinental line between San Juan and Aca- pulco ; and by these concessionaries the line, three miles in length, between the City of Mexico and the suburb of Guadalupe was brought nearly to completion. Fi- nancial difficulties brought the work to an untimel}^ end. A decree issued August 31, 1857, declaring all previous concessions cancelled, and granting to Don Antonio Escandon a new and exclusive concession for a railway from Vera Cruz through the City of Mexico to the Pa- cific coast. The portion of the line already constructed was purchased by the new concessionary, and two sur- ve^'-s — one following the highway through Orizaba, and the other the highway through Jalapa — were made. The Orizaba route was adopted : and the City of Puebla was left off the line because the Ayuntamiento imposed upon the concessionary the payment of a very consider- able sum for the privilege of bringing the railway into the city. Construction had progressed from Vera Cruz as far as Tejeria, about ten miles, when the revolution of 1857 intervened to stop the work. In 1861 a new 342 MEXICAN GUIDE. concession was granted to Senor Escandon that included as one of its conditions the obligation to build a branch line to Puebla ; and as its most important privilege a subvention payable from a loan of $8,000,000 from the Government, on which was placed an interest charge of five per cent, per annum, the principal pa^^able in twenty-five years. The troublous times preceding the establishment of the Empire prevented the prosecution of the work. In 1864 the Imperial Mexican Company was formed, to which Senor Escandon transferred his concession. This new organization received the ofiicial sanction of Maximilian, January 26, 1865. During the ensuing two A'ears the line was completed from Vera Cruz as far as Paso del Macho, 47 miles ; and from the City of Mexico as far as Apizaco, 86 miles. On the fall of the Empire, the Eepublican Government decreed (November 27, 1867) that the concession was forfeited, because the company had entered into a contract with the fictitious government set up in Mexico by the French. The concession was renewed (November 10, 1868) by an Act of Congress ; the " Compania del Ferro- carril Mexicana, limitada," was organized ; bonds were floated in England ; the work was placed in charge of competent English engineers ; an American contractor — Mr. Thomas Braniff, the present Kesident Director of the road — took in hand the more difficult portion of the work ; and under these favoring conditions construction was carried forward as rapidly as was possible in view of the enormous natural obstacles to be overcome. The branch road to Puebla, putting that city in direct rail communication with the capital, was opened September 16, 1869 ; and the east and west tracks at last met, in the heights above Maltrata, December 20, 1872. The ceremony of blessing the road was performed, Decern- THE MEXICAN CENTRAL RAILWAY. 343 bei* 31st, following, in the Buena Vista station, by the Archbishop of Mexico in person, followed by a solemn service of thanksgiving in the cathedral. On January 1, 1873, an excursion part}^, including President Lerdo de Tejada, high officials of the Government, and other dis- tinguished persons, left the City of Mexico on two special trains and, stopping at every city and town by the way to take part in the popular rejoicing, went down to Vera Cruz. This celebration continued for eight days, ending with the return of the party to Mexico. The road was oj^ened to the use of the general public, January 22, 1873. Due to the wasteful methods of its construction, to its many extrinsic misfortunes, and to the enormous outlay of money required by the very difficult character of the work, this railway, in proportion to its length, is one of the costliest railways in the world. The acknowledged expenditure of Government funds upon it was $12,575 000. The total cost of the road — main line, 263 miles ; Puebla branch, 30 miles — has been fixed officially (Report of Secretary of Finance, 1879) at $36,319,526.52. This is at the rate of more than $123,000 per mile. The average net income of the road has been about $1,500,000 a year. The net income, in round numbers, for the year 1885, was $1,872,000. //. THE MEXICAN CENTRAL RAILWAY. Practical Matters. On through full tickets, from points in the United States to points in Mexico, 150 pounds of luggage will be carried free ; on local tickets, between points in Mexico, the free allowance is 33 pounds. The charge for meals at the company's eat- 344 MEXICAN GUIDE. iiig stations is one dollar ; for coffee and bread, two reales. For diligence connections, see the company's time-table. The train is backed across from the Mexican side of the river to the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe station in El Paso about half an hour before its time for leav- ing. The Pullman car remains closed until the exami- nation of luggage has been completed by the Mexican customs officials. Hand-luggage usually is examined in transit between the stations ; trunks, in the station at Paso del Norte. South-bound luggage is rechecked at Paso del Norte ; north-bound, at El Paso. Sights by the Way. The train leaves Paso del Norte (see p. 97) in the early evening, and runs all night through a desolate plain country, broken by low ranges of mountains, and dotted with little lakes — a region valuable for grazing purjDOses. In the early morning the battle-field of Sacramento (see p. 64) is crossed ; two miles north of Cbihuahua the train passes near the church of Nombre de Dios — a little adobe structure, washed white, that was erected soon after the foundation liere of the Franciscan mission in 1694 ; and just before arriving at the station at Chihuahua (see p. 490) the Chu- biscar River is crossed on an iron bridge 285 feet long. From the train may be seen the beautiful towers of the parish church, and the low square tower of the Mint — in which Hidalgo was imprisoned : which two sights very nearly comprehend all that Chihuahua can boast in the way of attractions. Shortly after leaving the station, the smelter of the Santa Eiilalia mines is seen on the left ; and beyond this, carried over a stone-arched bridge, the branch railway leading to the mines themselves. Just south of the city, west of the railway, is the rugged mountain known as the Cerro del Coronel— so named because of THE MEXICAN CENTRAL RAILWAY. 345 the mine, El Coroiiel, formerly worked here. The wide plain is shut in on the east by the Santa Eulalia, and on the west by the Mapula Mountains ; and the morning's run is made between these ranges, which are known lo- cally by various names. Near Ortiz, the San Pedro is crossed on an iron truss 1,050 feet long ; near Santa Eosalia, the Conchos, on an iron truss 900 feet long ; near Jimenez, the Florido, on a wooden truss 400 feet long ; and a little south of Lerdo the Nazas is crossed on a wooden trestle 800 feet long. These streams abun- dantly justify in the rainy season the great bridges which span them. They have no outlet to the sea, but empty into the marshy region known as the Laguna, or Bolson (pocket) de Mapimi, and there are exhausted by evapora- tion. A few miles west of Santa Rosalia are mineral springs of alleged high curative qualities in diseases of f>: rheumatic type, but unprovided with accommodations for invalids. At Jimenez (dinner station) the north- bound train, by which letters may be forwarded, is en- countered. During the afternoon and evening the train skirts the western edge of the Bolson. From Conejos sulphur is shipped that is obtained from the mountains — curiously striped in long perpendicular lines — seen to the east. Lerdo (supper station) is the chief shipping point for the important cotton-growing region, of which it is the commercial centre. The town is new and un- interesting. Indifferent accommodation will be found at the Hotel del Comercio. Near Picardias the Aguanaval is crossed on an iron truss 300 feet long. Off in the mountains westward a large colony of Mormons has been established. In the evening, the point of junction with the International is passed at Torreon. In the early morning of the second day from Paso del Norte the train is running through a broad plain, with 34G MEXICAN GUIDE. low-lying mountains on each side, and the range on which Zacatecas stands ahead. The once rich mining town of Fresnillo lies five or six miles west of the sta- tion of the same name. It is picturesque in its present poverty ; and has a fairl}^ good little hotel, the America. A few miles south of the unimportant town of Calera (breakfast station) the ascent of the mountain to Zacate- cas begins. Hoisting machinery, engine-houses, and re- duction works enclosed by fortified stone walls are seen on the mountains to the eastward. The white stone posts mark the boundaries of claims. A good view of the city (see p. 404) is had south of the station, and from the line as the train descends the southern slope. Dur- ing this descent a fine view is had of the Bufa ; and the main features of the patio reduction process may be seen in the several reduction works which the line overhangs. Three miles south of Zacatecas, the suburb of Guada- lupe (see p. 407) is passed ; over, and far beyond this, is seen Lake Pedernalillo, and on the farther shore of this lake the pottery kilns of the little town of Ojo Cali- ente. From La Soledad considerable shipments of car- bonate of soda are made. The dinner station is Aguas Calientes (see p. 409). Thirty miles farther south the line crosses the barranca of La Encarnacion on an iron bridge 665 feet long, with a central span of 175 feet at a height of 134 feet above the bed of the stream. From the station, the town of La Encarnacion is seen a couple of miles westward — its most prominent feature the church of the Candelaria. There is no hotel here, only a forlorn meson. Beyond the town lies the white-walled Campo Santo ; and between the town and the station the suburb of San Pedro, in which is the sanctuary of the same name. There is fine scenery before Lagos (see 13. 497) is reached ; and as Leon (see p. 411) is ajD- THE MEXICAN CENTRAL llAILWAY. :J47 proached the great square mass of El Gigante is seen towering above the mountain-range on the left. The rich farming region known as the Bajio extends from, approximately, Leon to Queretaro. Silao (see p. 502) is the supper stop, and the point of departure of the branch line to Guanajuato (see p. 414). {It is advised, and assumed, that from this point south- ward the journey he continued by the day trahi.) At Salamanca (see p. 508), gloves (one dollar), leather garments, baskets, and straw hats are brought to the train for sale ; at Irapuato — the point of departure of the Guadalajara branch (see p. 508) — httle baskets of straAvberries (four reales) ; and at Celaya, dulces (the best make is La Fama : the boxes vary in size, and in price from one to four reales). From the station at Celaya (see p. 488) the beautiful yellow-tiled dome and minaretted tower of the church of the Carmen are seen ; and, just after leaving the station, the track of the Mex- ican National Railway is crossed. Just south of Que- retaro (see p. 421) the line passes under the aqueduct and enters the exceedingly fine Canada — a narrow val- ley rich with luxuriant verdure and overhung by great masses of bare brown rocks. To the right, in the order named, are seen the cotton-mills of San Antonio, La Purisima, and Hercules. At San Juan del Bio (dinner station) riatas are brought to the train for sale (one and two reales). Hence the line ascends to the plain of the Cazadero (so named because of the great hunt organ- ized here in 1540 by the Indians in testimonial of their good-will toward the Viceroy Mendoza), and here, near Lena, the highest point (8,132 feet) is passed. The de- scent into, and the run through, the beautiful Tula Val- ley is altogether lovely ; quite the best portion of the entire journey. At El Salto a branch of the Mexican 848 MEXICAN GUIDE. National is encountered ; and just bej'oud this town, through the Tajo de Nochistongo (see p. 328), the Hne enters the Valley of Mexico. On a clear evening the snow-capped volcanoes may be seen against the eastern sky. ^ History. The articles of association of the Mexican Central Railway Company were signed in Boston, Feb- ruary 21, 1880 ; February 25th, foUowdng, the charter of the company was issued under the general railroad law of Massachusetts ; April 3d, following, President Diaz transferred to Robert R. Symon and others the charter of a railway (issued to a company also styled the Cen- tral, and forfeited for non-performance of contract) ; September 8th, following, a concession was granted that gave the company a subsidy of $15,200 jDer mile of com- pleted track, with other valuable privileges and immu- nities, and provided that at the end of ninety-nine years the line shall pass in good condition and free of debt to the Republic — when the Republic shall purchase all the stations, workshops, rolling stock, etc., at a valuation, and, if the property then is sold or leased, shall give the company the preference as purchaser or lessee. Track-laying began from both ends of the line in Sep- tember, 1880, and (upon the completion of the bridge at La Encarnacion) the north and south tracks met, March 8, 1884. The line was opened formally, April 10th fol- lowing. In addition to the main line, the company's concession provides for an east and west line, from Tampico through San Luis Potosi to Aguas Calientes, work upon which is well advanced (see map) ; and from Irapuato to Guadalajara. This last-named section was pushed forward rapidly during the year 1887, and was completed, April 17, 1888. THE MEXICAN XATIONAL llAILAVAY. 349 ///. THE MEXICAN NATIONAL RAILWAY. Practical Matters. On tlirough full tickets, from points in the United States to points in Mexico, 150 pounds of luggage will be carried free ; on local tickets, between points in Mexico, the free allowance is 33 pounds. South-bound luggage is rechecked at Nuevo Laredo ; north-bound, at Laredo. The charge for meals at the company's eating stations is one dollar, Mexican money. Practically, there is no detention at Laredo. The transfer from train to train is made in a union sta- tion. On south-bound trains the Pullman car remains locked until after the examination of luggage has been made by the Mexican customs officials at Nuevo Laredo. For diligence connections, see the company's time-table. Sights by the Way. The trahi leaves Nuevo Laredo in the early evening, and for several hours runs through a desolate chaparral plain. Thence onward, almost to Sal till o, the scenery is extraordinarily fine. Beyond Lampazos, to the right, rises the long, level-crested Mesa de los Catujanos ; an elevated table-land of 80,000 acres, 1,400 feet above the plain, that is accessible only by a single narrow path. Lampazos, on the confines of the free zone, has been for many years a notorious re- sort of smugglers. Bustamante is one of the frontier settlements of Tlaxcalan Indians, made between the years 1680 and 1690 for the purpose of holding in check the Indians of the North. At Villaldama a branch line (2-feet gauge) extends for sixteen miles through the mountains to the Guadalupe mines. As Monterey is approached the Cerro de la Silla (Saddle Mountain), with its curiously cleft crest, rises on the left ; beyond 350 MEXICAN GUIDE. this is the Cerro de las Mitras (Mountain of the Mitres), and between the two sweeps the great purple mass of the noble Sierra Madre. After leaving Monterej^ (see p. 407) the line ascends toward the plateau through the val- ley of the San Juan. Between Monterey and Garcia the mountain-scenery scarcely can be surpassed in grandeur — the mountains rising in sheer, bare masses to a great height. Only less impressive is the scenery onward through the canon of the San Jaan until Los Muertos (so named because of an Indian massacre here in ancient times) is passed. But, owing to the unfortunate ar- rangement of the present time-table, all this scenery must be taken for granted by the traveller, for the w^iole of it is lost in the darkness of the night— unless, in- deed, by si:)ending a night at Laredo, another at Monte- rey, and a third at Saltillo, the journey be made by the mixed trains which run through by da3^ South of Saltillo (see p. 501) the line passes the bat- tle-field of Buena Vista, or Angostura (see p. G4), and continues to ascend until Carneros is reached. In the broad valley beyond, the haciendas of La Ventura and El Salado are passed. Vanegas is the point of depart- ure of a branch line, leading to the towns of Cedral and Matahuala. The town of Catorce, one of the three great silver-mining towns of Mexico, lies high up in the mountains eight miles from the station of the same name. The only access to Catorce is by a narrow trail, on horseback or muleback. There is no hotel liere, but venturesome travellers can secure food by for- aging for it, and lodging in a meson — and will be re- warded by seeing a Mexican mining town in all its primitive picturesqueness. Charcas, also off the line, in the foot-hills, is a town of the same sort as Catorce, but less interesting. South of San Luis Potosi (which see) TIIK MIi:XICAN NATIONAL IIAILWAY. 351 the line continues through a region of wide, fertile val- leys ; in one of which is the great hacienda of Jaral. Dolores Hidalgo (see p. 55) is an unimportant town, but possesses an historic celebrity that makes it famous throughout Mexico. Here still remain the church in which the patriot Cura Hidalgo ministered, the house in which he lived, and the garden where he kept his hives of bees. The line continues past Atotonilco (see p. 454) down the valley of the Laja to San Miguel de Allende (see p. 450) ; south of that city, passes through the Laja canon, and then onward through a wide valley to Celaya (see p. 488). At this point the Mexican Central Railway is crossed. From Celaya southward a broken country is traversed between the valleys of the Laja and Lerma ; and the Lerma is paralleled, more or less closely, thence- forward to its source in the mountains of La Cruz — the western range that borders the Valley of Mexico. The w^ooUen mill that is the main reason for the present ex- istence of Salvatierra (see p. 502) is close by the rail- way. Li this region are many picturesque villages — the houses of stone, with high, peaked, thatched roofs. Acambaro (see p. 485) is the point of departure of the branch line running westward to Morelia and Patzcuaro. Through a series of broad valleys set around with moun- tains having rounded crests and long, flowing curves, and through, or along the edges of, the canons by which these valle^^s are united, the line continues southward, passing the towns of Maravatio (see p. 498) and Solis, and skirting the mountain known as the Mineral del Oro, because of the gold w^orkings carried on in its flanks. Beyond Flor de Maria a short cut is made across a low divide, through the Ixtlahuaca tunnel, into the Toluca Valley. Here the fine peak of the Nevado de Toluca comes in sight, and on the left is seen a very beautiful 3;)2 MEXICAN GUIDE. dome-like mountain : the Cerro del SeTior — the Hill of our Lord. This was a place of pilgrimage in times past, and upon its heights still exists the little sanctuary in which great numbers of sinner pilgrims were wont to pray. From Toluca (see p. 503) the track crosses the valley in a straight line, parallel with the ancient high- way leading from the City of Mexico to the west coast — a very important highway in former times. The Great City of Lerma — the small town seen on the left, embowered in trees — received its striking title in this way : Toward the end of the sixteenth century there was established here a band of robbers that did a very good business in robbing the companies of merchants on their way to and from the Pacific ports. In order not to spoil their own trade by driving travel absolutely off the highway, the freebooting fraternity instituted a regular system of tolls ; a pro-rata payment on all val- uables carried over the road. The robber band finally was broken up by one Martin Roelin de Varejon, about the year 1613. In return for his good work, Varejon was given permission to ask a favor of the king, and he asked that the village which he had purged of its robber denizens should receive the official title of Li Gran Ciu- dad de Lsrma. Therefore this town of less than twelve hundred inhabitants officially is styled the Great City of Lerma, even until the present day. Beyond Lerma the ascent begins of the mountains of La Cruz, the line following the windings of the Lerma River — here but a small stream — and crossing numerous barrancas on trestles. The rear platform is the most desirable portion of the train during this ascent, for the windings of the track afford a succession of very beauti- ful views. The divide is crossed at La Cima (the Sum- mit) on the western edge of the Plain of Salazar, at a THE MEXICAN NATIONAL RAILWAY. 353 height of 10,635 feet above the level of the sea. Just before reaching the station of Salazar the line passes through a picturesque canon in which, on the left, are seen the Tres Penas — three curiously formed rocks which seem to have strayed hither from Monument Park in Colorado. Near the station of Salazar — but upon the wagon-road, invisible from the train — is the monument erected, October 30, 1851, in commemoration of the victory over the Royalist forces that was gained here, October 30, 1810, by Hidalgo (see p. 56). The descent into the Valley of Mexico is a memorable experience. After passing through the tunnel of San Martin, a series of entrancing views begins, constantly broken and shifted by the windings of the train, that continues until the descent is accomplished — more than an hour. The whole beautiful Valley of Mexico lies spread out at the travel- ler's feet — broken by low hills, and belts of wood, and little towns ; in its centre the City of Mexico, the sun- light flashing from the many-tiled domes of the churches ; to the south of the city, the castle-crowned hill of Cha- pultepec ; to the north, the hill of Tepeyac, with the Church of Guadalupe hanging low down upon its flank ; be- yond the city, the glittering waters of the Lakes Xochi- milco, Chalco, and Texcoco ; and beyond all, the great snow-capped peaks of Popocatepetl and Ixtaccihuatl, rising faintly against the bright eastern sky. The line descends the rugged Hondo Valley, crossing numerous deep barrancas, and — at Dos Rios — the main stream on an iron bridge 200 feet long and 90 feet high. A little before reaching Naucalpan, the Sanctuary of Los Remedies (see p. 445) is seen on the left, and near it the towers and arches of the abortive water-works. Cha- pultepec is clearly in sight, on the right, across the valley, and beyond it the towns of Tacubaya and San Angel. 354 MEXICAN GUIDE. The line passes through the town of Tacuba, close by the church of San Gabriel ; and a minute or two later — on the left, beside the little church of San Esteban — is seen the gaunt, half-dead tree of the Noche Triste. (See p. 312.) And then the train traverses the western suburb of the City of Mexico and stops at the Colonia Station — and the journey is at an end. Western Division. On leaving Acambaro the line as- cends the mountain-slope west of the town — from which height there is a lovely view of the lake-dotted valley ; crosses a divide, and enters the Valley of Cuitzeo, a great part of which is covered by the lake of this name. The large mills, unfinished, and the unfinished aqueduct, just beyond the hacienda of Andocutin, are the remains of an abortive manufacturing enterprise of forty jeni'S ago. Along the edge of the lake are numerous works for the extraction of salt, by primitive methods of evap- oration. The little town of Arraro is supported by this in- dustry. Morelia (see p. 445) is reached in the early even- ing, and the remainder of the run to Patzcuaro is made after dark. The return journey, however, is in the early morning — along the southern shore of Lake Patzcuaro ; across the divide (7,200 feet) at Cima ; past the ancient town of Tiripitio, an Augustinian foundation of 1537 ; down the beautiful Canada de Coincho — where a glimpse may be had of a charming water-fall ; past the w^arm baths of Coincho — a great resort of the Morelianos ; and so back to Morelia again. (^ History. A concession, generally known as the Palmer-Sullivan concession, was granted to the Mexican National Construction Company by an act of the Mexi- can Congress of September 13, 1880, for the following- named lines of railway : From the City of Mexico to the Pacific coast at the port of Mauzanillo, or between THE MEXICAN NATIONAL RAILWAY. 355 that point and La Navidad, passing throngli the towns of Toluca, Maravatio, Acambaro, Morelia, Zamora, and La Piedad ; and from a point on the foregoing line be- tween Maravatio and Morelia to a point on the northern frontier at Laredo, or between Laredo and Eagle Pass, passing through the towns of San Luis Potosi, Saltillo, and Monterey ; the railway thus constructed to be three feet gauge. Other concessions granted the right to ex- tend this system from the port of Matamoras, through Mier, to Monterey ; and from San Luis Potosi, through Zacatecas, to Lagos. These concessions guaranteed the payment of a subvention of $11,270 per mile on the line from the City of Mexico to the Pacific, and of $10,460 per mile on the line to the northern frontier ; granted other valuable piivileges and immunities, and provided (upon substantially the terms already cited, in the case of the Central) for the passage of the property to the ownership of the government at the end of a term of ninety-nine years. All of these concessions w^ere consolidated and harmonized by the general concession granted January 10, 1883. By the law of June 30, 1886, among other mod- ifications of the concession, the company was given the right to increase the whole, or any part, of its line to standard (4 ft. 8|- in.) gauge. Construction began, October 14, 1880. The northern division was completed from Laredo, through Monte- rey to Saltillo, 236 miles, September 14, 1883; the southern division was completed from the City of Mex- ico, through Toluca, Acambaro, and Celaya, to San Miguel de Allende, 254 miles, November 29, 1883 — leaving a section of 349 miles to be completed on the main line. Work was suspended until 1887. The gap then was filled in, and the main line was completed, November 1, 1888. The western division was completed 356 MEXICAN GUIDE. from Ac^mbaro, through MoreUa, to Patzcuaro, 98 miles, June 1, 1886. The Matamoras division is com- jileted to San Miguel (not to be confounded with San Miguel de AUende), 75 miles. The section between Zacatecas and the suburb of Guadalupe, 5 miles, oper- ated at present by animal traction, was purchased in 1881. The company also has acquired, by purchase, the line between the City of Mexico and El Sal to, 41 miles ; and, by lease, the line (through Texas) from Laredo to the port of Corpus Christi, 161 miles. Twenty-eight miles of track has been laid east from the port of Man- zanillo. By the concession of June 2, 1883, the com- pany was granted the right to construct a line of rail- way completely around the City of Mexico (making con- nections with the several railways) with branch lines to Tlalpam, San Angel, and Contreras. Of this line, known as the Cintura, or Belt, the important section that con- nects the several railways entering the city with the Mexican national tracks is completed and in operation. IV. THE INTEROGEANIC RAILWAY. Practical Information. The two divisions of this line (which connect at Los Keyes, ten miles out) start from separate stations in the City of Mexico, the Peral- villo and San Lazaro, both on the eastern side of the city (see map). A time-table is published in The Two Republics. The baggage allowance with each ticket is 33 pounds. In going to Irolo, the journey can be made more comfortably by the Mexican Railway ; but expe- ditions by this line certainly should be made to Texcoco, Amecameca, and Cuautla. Tlie Interoceanic Railwav, built under a concession THE INTEROCEANIC RAILWAY. lOT granted in April, 1878, is intended to connect Vera Cruz and Acapulco, via the City of Mexico. The Morelos di- vision is completed to Yautepec, a point 98 miles south- west, and the Irolo division to Calpulalpam, a point 74 miles northeast of the City of Mexico. Sights by the Way. L^olo division. On leaving the Peralvillo station there is a very fine view of the city, with the church of La Soledad conspicuous in the fore- ground. The long, red-brick building, on the outskirts of the city, is the Government Artillery School (distinct from the Chapultepec institution). The adobe butts, used for artillery practice, may be seen a half mile or more eastward of the building. Lake Texcoco is seen on the left. The canal of San Lazaro is crossed, and im- mediately thereafter is passed the Pefion — its most con- spicuous building, the large bathing enclosure, within which is the church. The branch-track here extends to stone-crushing machinery. From a little beyond the Penon the line parallels that of the Morelos division to the station of Los Reyes, where the two tracks are close together. From this point the line swings to the north- east and skirts the lake, though at a considerable dis- tance from it. Soon after leaving Los Reyes the quaint little adobe town of Tecamachalco is passed on right, and on left the larger town of La Magdalena. Later, on left, a walled corral, with flanking towers, over which is seen the church of Chimalhuacan ; far away, to right, with a background of blue hills, the dome of San Vicente de Chicoloapam ; on right, still against the blue hills, the tall towers of the church of Cautlenchan ; near, on left, the tower of San Bernardino ; far away on right the churches of Xotla ; on left, close to track, the gaudy rancho, belonging to General Gonzales, of Chapingo; n hill on rijjht, towers and dome of San Die^o. Then 358 MEXICAN GUIDE. Texcoco (see p. 323) is reficlied. Beyond Texcoco, tlie most notable sight on the road is tlie great aqueduct near Zempoala — built about the middle of the sixteenth century by Fray Francisco Tembleque, and still, al- though in bad order, substantially sound. This great work, usually spoken of as the Arcos de Zempoala, is thirty-seven miles long, is carried across three valleys on high arches, and has (at the point passed by the railroad) one arch that is 82 feet high with a span of 64 feet. From Texcoco to Irolo the line runs through the pulque country. Morelos Division. On leaving the station of San La- zaro, the Artillery School is seen on the left, with the hill of the Peilon and Lake Texcoco beyond. As far as Los Eeyes the line parallels the ancient causeway, for- merly the highway to Puebla. On right is seen the marshy borders of Lake Chalco, alive with wild-ducks. At Ayotla, a very picturesque adobe town with hedges of organ-cactus, fresh fish are sold in baskets (four redes) and a cheese made hereabouts, put up in rushes (one real), that is not nearly so good as it looks. From this point the volcanoes come into sight, and are the chief feature of the landscape during the remainder of the journey. At La Compania tramways lead to Chalco (on the right) and to Tlalmanalco (on the left). Beyond La Compania, on the left, is the town of Cuatlenchan, built upon the long steep side of a high hill that is crowned by the church. The line skirts the base of the Sacro Monte (see Amecameca) and cuts directly across the pathway formerly followed by the religious processions between the parish church and the shrine. Until the little town of Ozumba is reached the grade is upward, from the level of the Valley of Mexico to a pass in the encircling mountains. A very fair break- THE INTEliOCEANIC RAILWAY. 8/39 fast is served at Ozumba for four reales. Wine, one dollar a bottle ; beer, two reales ; excellent pulque free. This place is famous for its delicious bread. From Ozumba the descent begins. Its steepest por- tion is in the next ten miles, where the line twists back- ward and forward along the sharp declivity in order to obtain a sufficiently easy grade. At several points in this curving descent three lines of track at different eleva- tions lie close together. From Nepantla, famous as the birthplace of Sor Juana Inez de la Cruz (see Ame- cameca), the descent is much less steej^ ; but all the way to Cuautla the road is down hill. Throughout this de- scent the rugged scenery, dominated by the snow- capped volcano, is surpassingly line. For a long while during the descent the great church of San Miguel, in the Indian town of Atlatlahutla, is in sight on the right ; and when the train passes south of it the large monas- tery, now abandoned, is seen. The town really is large, but the many straw-thatched huts are so small, and so hidden by the trees, that the great church seems to stand alone. Another Indian village farther on, Tete- tlecingo, is notable for the curious nomenclature of its inhabitants. Among the leading families are the Scor- pions, Squashes, Snakes, Peaches, Fleas, Apricots, and Spiders ! The curious little circular buildings of adobe, with conical thatches of straw, frequently seen during the descent, are used in some cases as granaries ; when a little elevated from the ground, with a place for a fire beneath, they are used as vapor-baths. Near Yecapixtla, on the left, are seen a number of large trees, looking very like open umbrellas. The level regularity of their lower branches is due to the cropping of cattle : every twig within reach has been eaten away. As Cuautla is approached the large sugar hacienda of Santa Ines is 860 MEXICAX GUIDE. seen on the right. Beyond Cuautla (see p. 494) the hue continues through the cane-country, girdled by magnificent mountains, to Yautepec — a charming Httle town in which all the picturesque features of Cuautla are repeated, and are intensified by advantages of situa- tion which Cuautla does not possess. This is the pres- ent terminus of the line. Hence horses may be taken to Caernavaca, a ride of about five hours ; and from Cuernavaca the return to the City of Mexico may be made by diligence. F. MINOR LINES OF TRAVEL. Railways. The most important I'oad, other than those already named, is the International — a line 383 miles long that was opened for traffic, March 1, 1888, and that extends from Piedras Negras (opposite the Texan town of Eagle Pass) to Torreon, on the line of the Mexican Central. A through Pullman car is run from Spofford, on the Southern Pacific, to Torreon. At Eagle Pass the train is halted ; and at Piedras Negras there is a stop of about half an hour for supper and for examination of luggage by the customs officials. In order to provide for all contingencies in the way of waiting for trains at Torreon, a small hotel has been erected there. It is advisable to telegraph to the Mexi- can Central ticket agent at El Paso an order to reserve Pullman car accommodation for points beyond Torreon. On through full tickets, from points in the United States to points in Mexico, 150 pounds of luggage will be car- ried free ; on local tickets, between points in Mexico, the free allowance is 33 pounds. For diligence connec- tions, see the company's time-table. From a point near ML:S'Oli LINES OF TFvAVEL. 861 Sabinas a branch road is projected to run to Lanipazos (on the line of the Mexican National) and is completed as far as Hondo, where a soft coal is extensively mined. The most important town on the line is Monclova, founded by order of the vicero}^ of the same name in the year 1686. The International Eailway, substantially, is a part of the Southern Pacific system, and was built without any subsidy from the Mexican Government. ^ The Sonora Eailway was built under a concession granted September 14, 1880 ; was ready for traffic in October, 1882, and was opened formally, November 25tli following. This line extends from Benson, Arizona, through the frontier town of Nogales, southwest to the port of Guaymas (see ]). 496) on the Galf of California, a distance of 363 miles. The baggage allowance be- tween Benson and Nogales is 100 j^ounds ; between No- gales and points south, 30 pounds. The train service is maintained with ordinary railway cars. ^ A very profitable little road has been built between Merida and the port of Progreso, a distance of 23 miles, with branches from Merida to Calkin i (27 miles) ; Merida to Sotuta (25 miles) ; and Merida to Tixkokob (20 miles), that is mainly engaged, as is also the line from Progreso to Conkal (19 miles), in the carriage of henequen. From Vera Cruz a line extends (44 miles) through Medellin to Alvarado (see p. 432). From Puebla lines extend to San Marcos and Libres (58 miles), to San Martin' Tesmalucan (23 miles), and to Izucar de Matamoras (28 miles). The branch line from the Mexican Kail- way at Esj^erauza toward Oajaca has been completed as far as Tehuacan (31 miles) ; the Sinaloa and Du- rango road has been built from Altata to Culiacan (38 miles) ; and 67 miles of road have been built on the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. Many of the short lines 362 MEXICAN GUIDE. named above are operated by animal traction. The Mexicans have taken very kindly to tramways. They are cheaper to build and to operate than steam railways, and are a less violent transition from pack-trains, carts, and stage-coaches. On both the city and suburban lines freight-cars are run, and the freight traffic of the longer lines of tramway is an important item in the general receipts. Diligence Lines. The very fair diligence service throughout the greater portion of Mexico enables an en- ergetic traveller, blessed with a fair allowance of health and bodily strength, to go almost anywhere. Informa- tion in regard to the lines of Southern and Southwestern Mexico may be obtained in the Capital, at the Officina General de Diligencias, in the rear of the Yturbide Hotel. The time-tables of the several railways give information in regard to diligence connections. Coastwise Steam Lines. Local agents must be consulted in regard to dates. Vera Cruz and New Orleans, calling at Tuxpan and Tampico. Sailings semi-monthly. Frogre&o and Frontera, calling at Champoton and Car- men. Sailings irregular. Pacific Mail Steamship Co. Steamers leave New York and San Francisco semi-monthly, calling at Acapulco, Manzanillo, San Bias, and Mazatlan. California and Mexican Steamship Co. A steamer leaves Guaymas on the 17th of each month for La Paz and Mazatlan. Redo Line. A steamer leaves twice each month from Guaymas for La Paz, Altata, Mazatlan, San Bias, Cham- ela, and Manzanillo. Note. In order to facilitate necessary future extension, in^ cident to the rapid growth of railways in Mexico, a gap of seven pages here is provided in the plates. 370 MEXICAN GUIDE. VL PUEBLA DE LOS ANGELES. Station to Hotel. Tramways lead from the several railway stations to the Plaza Mayor, fare Q^ cents. Car- riages from the principal hotels meet arriving trains at the station of the branch line of the Vera Cruz Kail- way. The drivers of these carriages will attend to the transfer of luggage, at a charge of two reales for each l^iece. Hotels. At the Hotel Diligencias, a very picturesque establishment, reasonably comfortable rooms, and fair food can be had for $2 a daj^ and upward, according to rooms. Very similar accommodations, though with less picturesque suiToundings, can be had at the Hotel Es- panol at the same price. The Hotel "Universal is not quite so good as these, though its j^rices practically are the same, but it is worth seeing because of its curious tiled walls and tiled patio. The Gran Hotel de America, at the northeast corner of the Plaza Mayor, has a pleas- ant outlook, but does not profess to be quite first-class The rates here are : for a room facing on the Calle de la Compafiia, six reales a day ; meals (coffee, breakfast, and dinner), six reales a day. At all of these hotels a con- siderable reduction wdll be made for terms of a week or a month. Baths. The warm baths of San Pablo, five blocks west and three blocks north of the Plaza Mayor ; and of Santiago, on the west side of the Paseo Nuevo, are de- lightful. There are baths also in the Estanque de los Pescaditos, two blocks north and three blocks east of the Plaza Mayor ; and in the Hotel Universal in the first block from the northeast corner of the Plaza Mayor. c PUEBLA DE LOS ANGELES. 371 Public Offices. The post-office is in the block east from the southeast rear corner of the cathedral. The telegraph office is one block east and half a block north of the Plaza Mayor. The custom-house is in the second block east from the southeast corner of the Plaza Mayor. The office of the diligence company is in the Hotel de Diligencias. Shopping. The more characteristic products of Pu- ebla are baskets and mats made of colored straw, that may be bought in the market ; fruit and other objects wrought from Puebla onyx, which, with clay figures, may be bought in the principal shops ; tiles and pottery (see page 10) which can be bought to the best advantage at the potteries — as the Fabrica de Guadalupe and other establishments east of the Matamoras (Cholula) railway station ; and a peculiarly good soap that may be bought in the grocery stores (liendas). Tramways and Carriages. — Tramways extend from the Plaza Mayor to all parts of the city, cars are run at intervals of fifteen mmutes. Fare, 6^ cents. Carriages may be hired in the Plaza Mayor for four reales an hour. The most comfortable carriage to be hired in the city can be procured at the Hotel Espaiiol for six reales an hour. Railway Excursions. — Several railways centre in Puebla, affording j)ossibilities of interesting excursions into the surrounding country. All of these, with the ex- ception of the steam line to San Marcos, and thence to San Juan de los Llanos, are operated by animal traction. Private cars can be hired at reasonable rates, excej)ting on the San Marcos steam line, and for any hour. A car to and from Cholula, seating sixteen people, can be hired at the Matamoras station for $10 — and affords by far the pleasanter way of making this expedition. 372 MEXICAN GUIDE. Site and Characteristics. — Puebla, capital of the state of the same name, a city of 70,000 inhabitants, at an elevation of 7,100 feet above the sea, is at the extrem- ity of a branch line from the Mexican Railway, 117 miles from the City of Mexico, and 207 miles from Vera Cruz. It maintains extensive manufactories of cotton cloth, pot- tery, and glass-ware, together with minor manufactures, and is the centre of a very considerable general trade. It is built on uneven ground, on the side of a gently slop- ing hill; a fortunate arrangement that makes its drain- age excellent, and that, by lessening the severe effect of its aggressive right-angles, adds materially to its pic- turesqueness. The two great volcanoes, Popocatepetl and Ixtaccihuatl, are in full view, west of the city, and, be- ing much closer than to the City of Mexico, and without intervening foot-hills, are far more impressive and mag- nificent. (See below, Suburbs.) The streets are de- lightfully clean, and comparatively broad. The street- crossings are little causeways — very necessary during the rainy season. A striking feature of the city is the lavish architectural use of richly colored glazed tiles. Not only upon the domes and outer and inner walls of the churches are these tiles used, but for exterior and interior decora- tion of a great majority of the houses. One of the most curious houses in the city, in the first Calle de Mercaderes, has its entire front covered in tile mosaic work. In this respect the church of Nuestra Seuora de la Luz and the ex-convent of Santa Rosa (now an insane asylum) also are remarkable. For purposes of use and decoration a great deal of excellent wrought-iron work will be found in both churches and houses — the finest example being the beautiful gratings of the choir in the cathedral. The Plaza Mayor is a pretty garden in the centre of the city The new paseo, on the western edge of the PUEBLA DE LOS ANGELES. 373 city, is a melancholy pleasure-gTound, forsaken and for- lorn. The old 2^CL8eo, in the northeast quarter of the city (see below, Suburbs) is one of the most charming places in Mexico. The principal market, one block west and two blocks north of the Plaza Mayor is exceptionally in- teresting. The colored-straw baskets and mats, for which Puebla is celebrated, with other curious Indian manufactures, may be bought here. The Jardin Botan- ico, seven blocks north and one block west of the Plaza Mayor, is a pretty spot, in which is the distributing reser- voir {caja de agua) of a department of the city water-works. Public Entertainment. The leading theatre of the city is the Guerrero, on the north side of the Plaza Mayor. The Teatro Principal is in the Plazuela de San Francisco, four blocks north and two blocks east of the Plaza Mayor. The theatre of the Sociedad Artistico- Filarmonica is in the Calle del Correo Vie jo, one block south and half a block west of the Plaza Mayor. The old bull-ring is on the east side of the Paseo Nuevo, live blocks west of the Plaza Mayor ; the new bull-ring is close to the church of San Francisco. There is a tivoli connected with the baths of San Pablo ; another with the baths of Santiago, and a third with the baths of the Es- tanque de los Pescaditos. Suburbs. A very good thing to do, the morning after arriving in Puebla, is to walk to the northeastern corner of the town, thence through the old paseo and up the hill beyond to the fort of Guadalupe, thence across to the fort of the Loreto, and thence down the causeway and back into the city. If sufficient energy remains unexpended, the traveller will do well then to mount the cathredral tower (fee, one real). The result of this expedition will be to give him a very good understand- ing of the topography and general features of Puebla. 874 MKXlvJAN GUIDE. Walking two blocks east from the Plaza Mayor, and four blocks north, the Plazuela de San Francisco is reached. Turning here to the right, beside the hand- some fountain, and passing the old bull-ring on the right and the chapel of Dolores on the left, the Atoyac is crossed on a stone bridge, and the triangular plazuela is reached on which fronts the church of San Francisco (which see) and, on the right, the monastery building, now a barrack, and the disused church of the Tercer Olden. Here, on the left, the paseo begins : a little park terraced above the Atoj-ac (a tiny stream in the dry season), and thickly planted with fine old trees. From the farther end of the paseo — which is not more than a quarter of a mile long — a path leads upward, passing on the left the curious mass of churches composing the Gal- vario and the little church of the Piadosas, and on the right the fine church of San Juan del Rio, with corru- gated dome of brick-work. Be3'ond these churches the ascent is steeper, but the path — along the ancient cause- way' that is carried on an old stone bridge across a deep gulch in the hill-side — is not especially difficult. Up and down this causeway went the religious processions in the days when the hill was crowned not by a fort, but by the church of Guadalupe that has given it its name. This hill is famous in the annals of Mexican history, for here was won, in 1802, the battle of the Fifth of May. Strictly speaking, this victory was only a repulse. The Mexican forces, 2,000 strong, commanded by General Zaragoza, were defended by earthworks and fortifications improvised by cutting down the walls of the church of Guadalupe. An additional force of 2,000 Mexicans occupied other points in and about the city. The French troops, 0,000 strong, under General de Lorencez, attacked the fort with great vigor. They were sig- PUK13LA DK LOS ANGELES. 375 nally repulsed. In itself this battle was not a very im- portant one ; but it njarked a turning-point in the af- fairs of the nation, and its moral effect, in inspiring the Mexicans to continue their gallant defence of their coun- try-, cannot be overestimated. A far more brilliant affair occurred here five years later, when, the situations being precisely reversed. General Porfirio Diaz took Puebla by storm (April 2, 1867), and made prisoners of its French defenders. In the interval between these battles the ex- isting stone fortications on the hill of Guadalupe had been erected. The interior of the church of Guadalupe now is a kitchen garden, in which the garrison — a pleas- ant old fellow, who will be delighted to earn a couple of rea/es by showing the points of interest, and giving a somewhat imaginative account of the battle — grows let- tuces. At the side of the church is the great cistern, within which may be seen a cross wrought in the ma- sonry, that in former times supplied the sanctuary with water. Adjoining the church is the ruined house in which dwelt the padre capellan. In the roofless cloister lie two brass 18-pounders, with the date of their foun- ding and founder's name, "J. & E. Hall, 1844." In the rear of the ruined house a stairway descends into a crypt, that in war-time was used as the magazine. From the northeast angle of the fort is to be seen one of the great views of the world : three snow-crowned volcanoes, and a fourth mountain that stops just beneath the snow-line, at 13,000 feet above the level of the sea. Due east, over the low hill of Amaluca (where General Forey's headquarters were established), is seen the crest of Orizaba ; to the left, the Cerro del Tecolote (a long, broken hill rising between two smaller ones) ; to the left, the height of the Malintzi ; to the left, far away, the Cerro del Conde ; to the left, a gradually rising line that, 376 MEXICAN UUIDE. in the west, culminates in the peaks of Ixtaccihuatl and Popocatepetl. In the foreground, a little north of west, is the fort of the Loreto ; over beyond the city is the Cerro de San Juan, crowned by an hacienda with three great arches in its fayade ; and directly over this hill is seen the church of Los Remedios upon the Pyramid of Cholula. From the northwest angle of the fort the city of Puebla is seen spread out like a map. The church with a red fa9ade is San Jose ; beyond this, on the other side of the city, is San Augustin ; to the left, with square, two-story tower and grayish-white dome, Santo Do- mingo ; nearly in front of this, with dark, brownish tower, the Concepcion ; to the left, with brilliant little yellow dome, Santa Teresa ; to the left, with small red dome San Cristobal ; to the left the towers of the Cathe- dral ; close to this, still to the left, the great yellow dome of the Carmen, and the red dome of San Angel de Analco ; to the left, the blue dome of the Compaiiia, surrounded by trees; to the left, the glistening white dome of the Soledad ; and then the great tower of San Francisco ris- ing beside the Atoyac at the foot of the hill ; just south of the city are seen the suburbs of Jonaco and Los Remedios. A half mile north of this fort, at a lower level, on the hill of the Loreto, is the fort of the Cinco de Mayo, that encloses the abandoned church of the Loreto within its walls. This quaint little church is the foundation of a pious Lidian of the past century, whom the Virgin of the Loreto miraculously preserved from death, on this very spot, in the midst of a dreadful tempest. The fort, al- though really of recent construction, is of so antique a type that it might very well have been planned by that eminent military engineer, the late Captain Tobias Shandy. A few soldiers do garrison duty here, but no PUEBLA DIO LOS AXOELES. 377 very severe discipline is maintaiued, and the fort may be entered without a pass. For the accommodation of processions to and from the old church, a causeway was built descending to the city. This is now ruinous, and the fine arch at its lower extremity, on which, with other figures, is a carving of the Santa Casa de Loreto, and which is surmounted by a ruinous figure of San Miguel, is falling into decay. Passing the red-domed church of Santa Anita, on the left, the Atoyac is crossed on a stone bridge just below a pretty little fall. The turn to the right, by the cavalry barracks, leads directly to the plaza and church of San Jose. Education. Colleges and schools are maintained by the State, municipality, church, and various societies. The Colegio del Estado, formerly the Colegio Carolina, in the second block east from the south side of the Plaza Mayor, founded in the past century under the adminis- tration of the Jesuits, is a Avell-appointed institution, pro- vided with cabinets of natural history, physics, chemistry', a library, of 12,000 volumes, and a staff of twenty-eight professors. Li this building is the interesting State museum, and the State meteorological observatorj-. The school of medicine, one block south of the cathedral, in the street running east and west, compares favorably with the similar institution in ihe capital. In this build- ing is housed the public library (open daily, excepting Sundays and feast-days, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., and from 3 to 5 P.M., in which is a collection of 26,000 volumes. Other notable educational institutions are : the Colegio Seminario, founded by Bishop Romano in 1579 ; the Escuela de Artes y Oficios (trade school), in the second block east from the northeast corner of the Plaza Mayor ; the Colegio de Infantes ; the Escuela Normal, and the Coleo^io Catolico del Sa^rado Corazon. ::]78 MEXICAN GIT IDE. Academy of the Fine Arts. — Midway in the second block east from the northeast corner of the Plaza Ma^^or. Open to the public on Mondays and Thursdays from 10 A.M. to 12 m. Charitable Institutions. An institution in which, with reason, the citizens of Puebla take great pride is the Casa de Maternidad (Lying-in-Hospital), recently erected upon what was the plaza of San Agustin (one block south and three blocks west of the Plaza Mayor). This admirable charity was founded by the will of Luis Haro y Tamarez, who bequeathed $50,000 for its founda- tion and $100,000 for its endowment. The State Hos- pital General, founded before the year 1659 by Bishop Palafox y Mendoza, is a well-appointed institution, maintaining more than 150 beds. There are also hos- pitals for the insane ; a charity hospital for children, founded in 1877 ; a State orphan asylum, founded by Bishop Palafox y Mendoza early in the seventeenth century ; a poor-house ; an office for gratuitous vaccina- tion. A Junta de Beneficencia admirably supplements the workings of these and minor charitable institutions. Public Buildings. The sessions of the State Legis- lature are held in the old Commercial Exchange (Alhon- diga), on Ihe north side, east corner, of the Plaza Mayor. The courts sit in the building (formerly the Colegio de Sm Pantaleon) midway in the second block south from the southeast corner of the Plaza Mayor. The State Penitentiary, west of the northern end of the Paseo Nuevc, is one of the best-appointed and best-managed institutions of its kind in Mexico. It was projected in 1S44, and recently has been completed in a very satis- factory manner. Incorporated in its structure is a por- tion of the old church of San Xavier. The city main- tains a jail and house of correction. PUEBLA DE LOS ANGELES. 370 The Cathedral. The corner-stone of the first church was laid in the year 1532, by Bishop Zumarraga ; and four years later, August 29, 1536, was laid the corner- stone of the first cathedral. Both of these buildings have disappeared ; although it is probable that a portion of the nave of the first church is a part of the present Sagrario. The date of the founding of the existing cathedral is uncertain ; but it is known that by the year 1636 the building was well advanced. It was conse- crated April 18, 1649 ; but since that date material additions have been made to it, including the south or " new " tower, erected some time in the last century. It is built upon the south side of the Plaza Mayor, and is slightly elevated upon a stone platform, or terrace. Upon the limits of this terrace, enclosing the atrium, an iron railing is in course of erection (1886) that, with a monument within the atrium, will constitute a memorial to the late Pope Pius IX. This work, under the direc- tion of the Sociedad Catolica, was begun with solemn ceremonials September 1, 1878. The railing compre- hends statues of the Twelve Apostles ; intermediate pi- lasters representing the Doctors of the Church, with the especial heresies or heretics over which or whom they have notably prevailed ; crosiers, representing the Apos- tolic jurisdiction ; the arms of the Kepublic ; angels crowning the pillars, in reference to the angelic protec- tion that the city of Puebla claims in its name, and in fact has received. Upon the principal gate will be basso- relievos representing the founding of Puebla ; the lay- ing of the first stone of the Cathedral ; the consecration of the Cathedral ; and the commission having the erec- tion of the monument in charge. Crowning the pillars of the gateway will be statues of Charity and Hope. Upon many of the panels of the railing are inscribed 380 MEXICAN GUIDE. the names of the donor, or donors, of that particular sec- tion. Elevated upon its terrace, the Cathedral stands out boldly from the surrounding buildings. On the west front rise two lofty towers, and between these is the main entrance, surmounted by stone mouldings and basso-re- lievos in white marble. Over the central doorway is the date, 1664, when this portion of the building was finished, and above this is a crow^n from which depends the insig- nia of the order of the Golden Fleece. Over the door- way to the right is a basso relievo representing San Francisco receiving the Stigmata ; and over the entrance to the left one of Santa Eosa presenting the crown of flowers to the Infant Christ in the Virgin's arms. The building is 323 feet long by 101 feet wide ; has an in- terior height of 80 feet, and is surmounted by a fine dome. An inscription upon the ' ' old " tower tells that it (the tower) cost $100,000. Li this tower are eighteen bells, the largest of which weighs upward of nine tons The building is of very massive construction, with heavy buttresses, the whole of a dark stone resembling blue basalt. In its interior adornments this cathedral is the finest in Mexico ; although the effect of the lofty nave is much injured by the choir, surmounted by the organs and trib- unes, in its centre. The aisles are divided off by massive columns, and the floor is laid in colored marbles. The interior is in course of renovation (1886), under the di- rection of Senor Leandro Tello, a native of Cholula, and of Indian extraction. The sound judgment and excellent taste displayed in his work is another evidence of the ar- tistic instinct inherent in the Mexican people. The high altar, begun in 1789 and finished in 1819, is the work of Manuel Tolsa, and cost more than $110,000. It is com- PUEBLA DE LOS ANGELES. 381 posed of a great variety of Mexican rtiarbles, the onyx peculiar to Puebla predominating. Tlie bronze jfigure of the Purisima, crowning the tabernacle, also is by Tolsa, and the other decorative figures are after his de- signs. Beneath the altar is the sepulchre of the bish- ojDs, a rich and beautiful crypt in which Puebla onyx is used lavishly. The choir, of stone, is closed toward the altar by beautiful iron, swinging, gratings, wrought in 1697, by the master Mateo de la Cruz. The two organs are encased in richly carved wood, and adorned with figures of angels blowing trumpets. The side entrances are through carved wood doors. The interior is a marvel of marquetry work, of which the culmination is the door, with its inlaid picture of St. Peter, that gives access to the shriue above the Bishop's seat, where is preserved a thorn from the crown of Christ. All of this beautiful work, including the music-stand surmounted by a figure of San Juan Nepomuceno, is the work of the master Pedro Muiios. On the stalls, inlaid, may be read the date when Munos began his work, 1719, and the date when he completed it, August 24, 1722. Between the choir and the altar, a little to the left, is the pulpit and sounding-board, carved from Puebla onyx. Outside of the aisles are the several chapels, each en- closed with a fine iron railing. The Capilla de los Reyes was restored in 1886, but in admirable taste. The dome is painted by Villalpando. There is an old and faded picture of the Assumption, of good quality. The shrine contains the little figure of Nuestra Senora de la Di- fensa, a little miracle-working lady with very charming attributes. The Capilla de San Jose contains a notably fine fig- vu*e of San Jose by the Puebla sculptor, Jose Villegas 382 MEXICAN GUIDE. Cora, and admirable figures of Santa Ana and San Joa- quin. Here is preserved a very beautiful ivory crucifix, sent as a present to Bishop Vazquez, by Gregory XVI. The tomb of this good bishop is in front of this altar, and some part of his virtues are told upon the marble slab let into the floor. The Capilla de los Eelicarios has a beautiful old altar of carved and gilded wood in which pictures are inserted. Here, in a silver urn, are preserved the bones of the beato Sebastian de Aparicio (see below. Church of San Francisco), together with many antique little boxes and urns in which relics of one sort and another are pre- served. Ranged in rows on each side of the chapel are busts of many saints. In the breast of each of these fig- ures, visible behind a small pane of glass, is a scrap of the bones of the saint himself. The Sacristy is in keeping with the cathedral. The walls are covered with paintings set in carved and gilded frames. The chests of drawers for the vestments are of a dark wood, richly carved. Two beautifully carved tables, covered with slabs of onyx are in the room ; and wrought of onyx also is the laver against the east wall. The Chapter Room {nala capitular) is a vaulted and domed apartment hung around with portraits of fifteen of the Bishops of Puebla. The set is not complete here, the remaining portraits being in the Episcopal Palace. In the centre of the west wall hangs a beautiful painting of the Assumption, and a portrait of Gregory XVIII. To the right of these is a portrait of the Emperor Charles V. and beneath, a portrait of Fray Julian Garces, first Bishop of Puebla. To the left is a portrait of Leo X. and beneath, a portrait of the late Bishop of Puebla, Sr. Dr. D. Francisco P. Verea. Partly obscured by the pic- tures are very rich hangings of Flanders tapestry, that Pl'EBLA 1)E LOS AXGELES. 883 tiadition declares were presented to tlie Cathedral by Charles V. There are some fine carved chairs here, and a carved table with a top of onyx. In the adjacent ves- try is a collection of portraits of eminent canons of the cathedral. In addition to those named, the more notable pictures in the Cathedml are : On the north outer wall of the choir four pictures by Ibarra — an allegorical representation of the Holy Sacrament ; an Assumption ; the Apparition of Nuestra Sefiora de la Merced to San Raymundo de Peiiafort (one of the best pictures in the Cathedral) ; and a Santa Leocadia. On the south wall of the choir are two more pictures by Ibarra ; a Virgin and Child, to whom San Jose and San Miguel are offering the fabric of the Cathedral, and a Child Jesus on a globe, with the Virgin, surrounded by a glory of angels. On this south- ern side of the choir, on the altar of that saint, is a very good figure of San Nicolas, by Cora. In the Caj^illa de la Soledad are very impressive pictures illustrating the Passion. In the Capilla de los Relic&rios is a lovely painting, very dark with age, of the Dolores of Acazingo. In the Capilla de San Pedro is a very fine San Francisco. The fourteen pictures of the Stations of the Cross are by Cabrera, but as they were " restored " in 1885 their value as examples of that artist's work has vanished. In the Sacristy, the Triumph of Mary (north wall), the Triumph of the Cross (east wall), Faith destroying Idolatry, and the several allegorical works hanging above these, are all by Echave. The Last Supper (west wall), Christ wash- ing the Feet of the Disciples (east wall), and the Virgin protecting the chapter (south wall), with the pictures above of the Apparition of the Virgin del Pilar and San Yldefonso receiving the Scapulary, are all by Ibarra. Adjoining the Cathedral is the parish church of the 384 MEXICAN GUIDE. Sagrario, a quaint and interesting building that contains some fine carvings b}' Cora ; a beautiful font of onyx in the baptistry, and, over the altar, a picture by Zendejas, of especial interest in that it was his last work and was painted when he was ninety-two years old. San Francisco- After the Cathedral, this is the most interesting church in Puebla. It was founded in 1532, in a very humble way, by the good Franciscan brother Motolinia, who selected for it the effective site above the Atoyac, where now, in front of the church, is the beginning of the Paseo Nuevo. The existing church building dates from 1667, although in later times it has received some alterations and additions. Its tower is unusually high and well proportioned. The structure is of a dark, bluish-brown stone, with a facade of brick or- namented by panels of tiles, and by carvings in stone and statues. The central basso-relievo represents San Francisco receiving the stigmata. Adjoining the church to the south is the convent building, now used as a mili- tary hospital ; and beyond the hospital, w^estward, are the now abandoned chapels of the Santa Escuela and the Tercer Orden. The convent property extended as far west as the existing bull-ring, which occupies a part of the ancient garden. The interior of the church is cruciform, without aisles ; and the great single nave is so fine in its proportions and size, and is covered b}' so noble a vaulted roof, that not even the Doric absurdities introduced in later times have wholly spoiled it. The choir, in a gallery over the en- trance, is upheld by an exceptionally flat arch. Tradition declares that the architect who planned this arch enter- tained grave doubts as to its stabihty. Therefore, when it was finished, he incontinently betook himself to parts unknown, leaving the monks to take the risks attendant PUEBLA DE LOS ANGELES. 385 upon removing tlie false-work. These, prudentl}', took out the supporting beams by setting fire to them : and to the wonder of all the arch remained firm. And it continues firm now, at the end of two hundred years. The high altar is of relatively modern construction and is not especially impressive. In the tabernacle is pre- served the greatly venerated image of Nuestra Sefiora de los Kemedios, usually styled La Conquistadora. This little figure, about eight inches high with a tiny baby upon its arm, carved in wood, and now worm-eaten and crumbling, was i^resented in Coyoacan by Cortes to his friend the Tlascallan cacique Don Axotecatl Cocomitzin, in thankfulness for the aid given by this chieftain at the time of the Conquest. Tliis fact is attested, and the identity of the image is established, by documents duly drawn on the 22d of August, 1582. The interior of the church is violently frescoed. The only paintings in it that merit any attention are those in the choir — the one portion of the church proper that has not been harmed by renovation. In the choir, too, are some finely carved wooden stalls, and a delightful old organ. Opening from the north side of the church, separated from it by a grating of wrought iron, is the chapel (formerly of the Conquistadora) of San Sebastian de Aparicio — a lay brother of the Franciscan order, born 1502, died 1600, who first introduced oxen and wheeled carts into Mexico ; who for many years drove an ox-cart post over the Vera Cruz road between Jalapa and the capital, and who in 1542 began, and for a long while thereafter continued, an ox-cart post over the danger- ous Tierra Dentro road, through the Chichimec coun- try, between the City of Mexico and Zacatecas. In the course of his long life Fray Sebastian encountered many perils, and, being loved by the Blessed Virgin and 17 B8G MEXICAN GUIDE. certain of the saints, great numbers of miracles were wronglit in his behalf. The especia% interesting feat- ure of his chapel is the collection of paintings illustrat- ing his life, in which msinj of these miracles are set forth. Strictly speaking. Fray Sebastian is not yet a real saint. He was made a beato by Pius VI., in the year 1790, and now is in a fair way to be canonized at no distant day. Two other pictorial lives of saints are hung upon the walls of this chapel : San Diego de Alcala and San Pas- cual. The chapel has not been renovated, fortunately, since long before it was relinquished (October 14, 1794) by her little Ladyship, the Conquistadora. It is a well- proportioned cruciform structure, built before the jed.v 1672, wdth a dome over the nave and a smaller dome over the choir. In the west transept is a very quaint picture of the apparition of Our Lady of Aranzazu, in which, notably in the figure of the shepherd, there is excellent workmanship. The bones of Fray Sebastian, enclosed in a silver case, formerly were enshrined in the beautiful old altar. They now are in the Capilla de los Relicarios of the Cathedral. The image now upon the high altar is that of San Antonio de la Torre — a curious old picture of the saint holding the infant Christ upon his arm, brought hither when the Chapel of San Antonio in the base of the tower was closed. There are some excellent wood-carvings in this chapel, probably by Cora. The sacristy of the church contains interesting por- traits of the first Franciscan missionaries to Mexico, usually called the " Twelve Apostles," and a Last Supper and Holy Sepulchre, of fair quality. In the lavatory is a beautiful laver of tile-work, over which is a portrait of the eminent Franciscan missionary in Mexico (1683- 1726), Fray Antonio Margil de Jesus, with the disci- PUEBLA DE LOS ANGELES. 387 pie who accompanied him ujDon his dangerous mission to JaHsco. There are some pictures here, also, from the closed convent and closed outlying churches ; and others, from the same sources, in the curious little burial chapel east of the chapel of San Sebastian Aparicio. Of these a few are interesting because of their subjects or quaint treatment. The chapel of the Cordon, oj^ening from under the choir, has been dismantled ; and that of San Antonio de la Torre has been not only dismantled but walled up. The chapel of San Juan, north of the church and sepa- rate from it, has been entirely abandoned to secular uses. The chapel of the Tercer Estacion, just east of the chapel of San Juan, is disused. The chajDel beyond this, on the opposite side of the street, San Cj^renio, never was a part of the Franciscan establishment. The old burial- ground of the convent, in the rear of the chapel of the Tercer Estacion, difficult to gain access to, is both inter- esting and picturesque. La Com pan ia. This Jesuit foundation, under the in- vocation of the Espiritu Santo, and under the patronage of Don Melchor de Covarrubias, dates from April 15, 1587. The existing church, completed in the year 1690, is a massive and elegant building, the exterior orna- mented with a rich and effective arabesque in stucco and surmounted by towers and a tiled dome. The two large towers rest on open arches, through which the side- Avalk of the street is carried ; and these archways, as well as the open porch between the towers, may be closed by wrought-iron gratings. Flying buttresses, rarely seen in Spanish-American architecture, are sprung across the roof of the aisles to the walls of the nave. The interior effect is of space, lightness, and strength ; but the massive character of the v/ork is relieved by an 388 MEXICAN guidp:. elegant richness of detail. The altars are of a compar- atively modern date, and the chief interest of the interior, after its architectural qualities, centres in its paintings and carvings. The fourteen pictures of the Stations of the Cross possess much merit ; there are finely carved figures of the Twelve Apostles upon the twelve corinthian columns which support the vaulted roof, and there is a very good figure of San Ignacio Loyola on the altar at the end of the south aisle. The sacristy contains some beautiful marquetry work, dating from 1726 ; a great picture by Joseph Camero. " The Triumph of Mary ; " and a very rich altar contain- ing pictures by Juan de Villalobos. In a niche in the dome of the sacristy is a carving, life size, three quar- ters length, of the patron. In the ante-sacristy is a fine "Descent from the Cross," and a fascinating old table of inlaid work. San Cristobal. This church was founded, in con- nection with a foundling hospital, in the early part of the seventeeth century. In later times (Dec. 9, 1687) its invocation was changed to that of the Purisima Con- cepcion, but it commonly is spoken of by its primitive name. The fa9ade is of dark stone, similar to that used in the cathedral, and similarly is relieved by carvings and by inserted basso-relievos of white marble. The interior effect of extraordinary richness is produced by the ceil- ing of intricate stucco-work into which figures are introduced. Under the vault of the choir is a portrait figure of the Venerable Fray Juan Escoto. The very fine figure of San Cristobal, in the choir, and other carv- ings are by Cora. One or two of the pictures are worthy of attention. The pulpit is of onyx. The curiously raised seats at the sides of the nave are for men ; the seats in the nave are for women — an arrangement very unusual, PUEBLA DE LOS ANGELES. 889 possibly unique. In the j-ear 188G this church was re- stored — with a wholesome and commendable attention to the strict meaning of that much abused word. Other Churches. Other especially notable churches are : Santa Clara, notable for its fine arched roof — and for the buttresses added shortly after it was erected to kee}:) this roof from caving in, and also for possessing in its relicdyio thorns from the crown of Christ ; San Antonio (formerly known as Santa Barbara) a church much rev- erenced because in the monastery of which it was a part San Felipe de Jesus, the Mexican proto-martyr, lived his by-no-means-saintly novitiate, and because it possesses in its relicdrio a scrap of this saint's skin ; the beautiful old church of Nuestra Senora de la Luz, notable even in Puebla for its lavish tile-work ; the curious group of churches composing the Calvario ; the church of San Jose — the saint who protects Puebla from lightning, and whose image venerated in this church is carved from a lightning-riven tree — in which is a very rich sacristy and the beautiful chapel of Jesus Nazareno ; the church of La Soledad, upon which vast sums of money have been spent and which contains a singularly fine camarin. In all, there are forty-five churches in Puebla ; and in the careful study of these any one with a taste for the cu- rious and quaint can spend several delightful months. History. Concerning the founding of Puebla an ed- ifying local chronicler writes:* "Passing by the tra- dition that in ancient times, before the blessed light of Christianity ever shone in these parts, the unregenerate heathen saw visions of angels marshalled in mighty hosts in the heavens above where the city now stands, let * Puebla Sagrada y Profana. Informe dado a su muy ilustre Ayuntaniiento el Aiio de 1746. Por el M. R. P. Fray Juan Villa bancliez, religiose del coiivento de Santo Domingo. 390 MEXICAN (iUIDE. US come at once to a stable groundwork of ascertained fact. In the year of our Lord 1529 came to Tlaxcala the illustrious Fray Julian Garces, the first consecrated bish- op of the Catholic Church whose feet, shod with Pon- tifical holiness, ever trod in this heathen Edom. Even before his coming the project had been mooted of found- ing somewhere in these parts a town that might be a resting-place in the long and weary walk from the coast to the City of Mexico. With this project the new Bishop was in hearty accord ; yet was he uncertain in his mind as to where best might be placed the new town. "As all know, it ofttimes happens that one dreams in the night of those things of which one thinks most by day. Thus it was that one night this venerable gentle- man, being retired to the humble bed upon which he took his scanty rest, dreamed a prophetic dream. In his vision, while his spirit was controlled by a superior power, he beheld a most beautiful plain {liermosisima vega) bounded by the great slope of the volcanoes west- ward, broken by two little hills a league asunder, dotted by many springs, and cut b}' two rivers which gave abun- dant water and made all things fresh and green. And as he gazed, in pleased amazement, at this charming place, lo ! he saw two angels who with line and rod measured bounds and distances upon the ground — as do those who plan the founding of great buildings and mark where shall be wide streets and open squares. And having beheld this vision, the Bishop awoke. " Straightway he set himself, that very hour, to search- ing for the site that, as his vision had shown him, was chosen of the angels. And as he walked, being, no doubt, divinely ordered in his goings, he came to the very plain t^at he had seen in his dream. Then gladly he ex- claimed : ' This is the site that the Lord has chosen PUEBLA DE LOS AXGELES. 391 through his holy angels ; and here, to His gloiy, shall the city be ! '" Fray Toribio de Benevente, better known as Motolinia, gives in his "Historia de los Indios de Nueva Espana" a different version of the founding — an account that exalts the minor friars at the expense of the angels. He writes : " The City of the Angels which is in this New Sj)ain, in the Province of Tlascala, was founded with the approval and by the order of the Audencia Real, being President the Bishop Fuenleal, at the urgent request of the minor friars [Franciscans]. These friars begged that there might be made a town of Spaniards who should themselves culti- vate the earth in the manner and fashion of Spain, with- out wishing or having allotments of Indian slaves ; that thus there might be gathered together in useful employ- ment the many going about the country vagabond and idle. Therefore the city was founded on the 16th of April — being the day of Santo Toribio — in the year 1532. On this day came the inhabitants that were to be, forty families of Spaniards ; and the Indians of the surround- ing towns, a great multitude, most willingly helped the Christians — bringing materials for the first houses of straw, and singing joyfully as they gave their aid. And before the plan of the city was marked out upon the ground, was celebrated the first mass." Although styled Puebla de los Angeles — in recognition of its miraculous founding — for three centuries and a half, the official name of the city now, in memorial of the victory of the Fifth of May, is Puebla de Zaragoza. From a military stand-point Puebla is the key to the City of Mexico, and excepting only the capital no city in the republic has changed hands so frequently with the varying fortunes of war. The chief events in its history have been the battles for its possession. Only to men- 392 MEXICAN GUIDE. tion the more notable of these : It was captured by Yturbide, August 2, 18*21 ; occupied by Scott, without opposition, May 25, 1847 ; successfully defended against the French, May 5, 1862 ; captured by the French, May 17, 1863 ; captured from the French by General Diaz, April 2, 1867. VIL CHOLULA. Practical Information. Cholula is reached by a tramway from Puebla, a distance of eight miles. A special car can be chartered for the trip, for a party of sixteen or less, for $10. The regular cars (fare 2 reales) leave at 7 a.m., and 2.30 p.m., and leave Cholula, return- ing, at 9.45 A.M. and 5.15 p.m. On Sundays and feast-days the service is increased (consult local time-table). The tramway continues beyond Cholula to Atlixco. For an all-day expedition food should be carried from Puebla. Something to eat, however, may be procured at the little Fonda de la Reforma. Sights by the Way. The ride from Puebla, across the beautiful Atoyac Valley,. is very pleasant. On leaving the station is seen : on the left, the church of Guadalupe and the penitentiary (formerly, in part, the church of San Xavier) ; on the right the ruined church of San Mi- guelito and the cotton-mill of the Juego de Pelote ; and, beyond, the yellow dome of the church of the Corazon de Jesus and the red dome of the church of Nuestro Se- nor de los Trabajos. The line leaves the city through the arch of the Garita de Mexico, and for a short distance runs parallel with the tramway leading to San Martin Outside the Garita, on the left, is seen the hacienda of San Juan, a heavy stone building with arcaded front crowning a little hill. The mound of Cholula, with the CHOLULA. 393 volcanoes rising beyond, is in sight ahead, and grows more impressive as it is approached. On the left, a handsome stone viaduct carries the highway to the City of Mexico across the valley. The Atoyac is crossed on a stone bridge, from which, to the right, is seen the hacienda and cotton-mill of Santo Domingo, and ahead, to the right, the tower of the Sanctuary of GuadalujDe standing upon a low hill. The church of Cuautlancingo also is seen on the right, and on the left the church of Quamospa. The station at which the car stops is at the base of the mound. The Town of Choi u la. This place, a large city in the time of the Conquest, now is a desolate little tow^n of less than 5,000 inhabitants. It is laid out with s/v^ere regularity, surrounding a central plaza. To the west of the plaza is the market-place, still called by its primitive name, Tianquiz (market). Of the public buildings the churches are the more important. In the northeast cor- ner of the plaza stands the old Franciscan establish- ment (the monastery, of course, now closed) founded prior to 1529. The existing church, dedicated to San Gabriel, was finished probably in 1604. Its most nota- ble feature is the high altar, a modern construction that cost $10,000. Adjoining the church is the chapel of the Tercer Orden and the Royal chapel (capilla real). This latter, built because the church — though very large — was too small to hold the vast numbers of Indians who came to mass, is still known as the capilla de Iqs natii- rales. It is a curious structure, now falling into decay, the great roof of which is composed of little domes, up- held by sixty-four large round columns. On the steps of the court is carved the date 1608, while on the stone cross is graven 1660. Probably the earlier date refers to the founding of the chapel, and the latter to its final 17* 394 MEXICAN GUIDE. completion— much delayed by the fact that the first diapel fell down during the night succeeding the day of its dedication. Upon the«columns of the inner court of the monastery are painted the portraits of twelve of the friars who lived here in early times, including Fray Miguel Navarro and Fray Juan Osorio. On the north- west corner of the plaza is the parish church of San Pedro Tlatiltenanco, erected (probably) early in the sev- enteenth century. There are upward of twenty other churches in the city, of which several are abandoned : and also the church of Nuestra Senora de los Kemedios on top of the Pyramid, and the chapel of Nuestra Sefi- ora de Guadalupe, on a natural hill west of the city. The Pyramid of Choi u la.* East of the Cerro de la Cruz, separated from it by plantations containing magueys and an occasional copal tree, rises the colossal mound to which, since the time of Humboldt, the name of Pyramid of Cholula has been given. It stands out boldl}^, with the beautiful church of Nuestra Senora de los Remedios on its summit, almost overshadowing the town of Cholula beneath. In close proximity the mound presents the appearance of an oblong, conical hill resting on projecting platforms of unequal height. At one corner the tramway has been cut through its structure, and at several places excavations have been made ; w^hich changes, with the growth of vegetation, have somewhat modified its general outlines as these ap- * Tlie account here given of the mound of Cholula is in part a transcript of that published by Mr. A. F. Bandelier in his '' Re- port of an ArciiEeological Tour in Mexico in 1881,'' a work that no studious traveller in Mexico should be without. This account differs in some important particulars from accepted high authori- ties ; but it is used here because it is believed to be the highest authority. CHOLULA. 395 peared at the time of the Conquest. This is proved by the earhest picture of the mound now preserved — the blazon of the coat of arms, of which the mound is a l^art, granted to the city of Cholula in the year 1540. Strictly speaking, the existing copy of this blazon is not a picture. It is a sculpture or graving in black lava, and is now preserved in one of the houses at the corner of the Calles Heal and Chalingo. It suggests a four-storied pyramid with a truncated top. Overgrown as the mound now is with verdure, and partly with trees, and with a fine paved road leading to its summit, it looks strikingly like a natural hill, upon the slopes of which the washings of the rain have laid bare bald bluffs, and into which the descending waters have cut crevices. However, the several terraces, irregularly disposed in the matter of levels and widths, still may be clearly dis- cerned. The lines of the base, including their irregu- lar windings, give the following measurements : north line, 1,000 ft. ; east line, 1,026 ft. ; south line, 833 ft. ; west line, 1,000 ft. Ascending the western face of the mound, there is a steep ascent, with a vertical rise of 71^ ft, to the first level, having here an average width of 213 ft. This level is intersected obliquel}' by the paved road of Spanish construction. The second ascent, with a vertical rise of GG ft., ends at the summit of the mound, a polygonal platform paved and surrounded by a fine wall. The ascent is made by a stairway (of Span- ish construction) of hewn stone, fourteen feet wide. A portal with a stone cross inside it forms the landing. Four cypress trees are planted upon this upper plateau, which forms a court around the church. The length of the plateau from east to west, approximately, is 203 ft. ; and its length from north to south 144 ft. There are two other entrances to the upper court, one on the 396 3IEXfCAN GUIDE. north, and the other on the south, to which paved roads, not steps, lead. The present appearance of the summit is due entirel}^ to the Sj^aiiiards. There is not a trace of aboriginal work ui3on it. The materials of which the mound is constructed are earth, broken limestone, little pebbles, and occasional particles of lava. The earth is in the form of adobe bricks, and also is used as binding material in which the bricks are embedded. The bricks are sun-dried, not burnt. Limestone broken into slabs was used for steps, and for the stairways by which the mound was ascended ; and pulverized carbonate of lime, mixed with pebbles and lava fragments, for the inter- vening ledges and the coating of the stairways. All of these materials were obtained near by. The size of the bricks used in the mound vary, as does their chemical composition : the one fact pointing to different epochs of constiTiction, the other to varying sources w^hence material for construction was drawn. And from these facts the assumption is probable that the mound was liuilt slowly, and with labor famished from different localities in its vicinity. From all of which, and from other minor facts of a confirmatory nature, Mr. Bande- lier draws this general and very reasonable conclusion as to the purpose for which the mound was built : " The central hill I have designated as a former mound of wor- ship. Its shape and size, as well as tradition and the statements of eye-witnesses, agree in confirming this view. If we regard it, then, as such, it stands iii refer- ence to the other parts of the structure as the centre of a settlement on the level ground. If we imagine the plateau and aprons around it covered with houses, pos- sibly of a large size, like those of Uxmal and Palenqae, or on a scale intermediate between them and the com- munal dwellings of Pecos and many other places in New TLAXCALA. 397 Mexico, we have then on the mound of Cholala, as it originally was, room for a large aboriginal population. The structure accordingly presents itself as the base of an artificially elevated and therefore, according to Indian military art, fortified pueblo." As to the builders of this remarkable mound, Mr. Bandelier comes no nearer to a positive conclusion than a qualified eliminative negative to the effect that seemingly it certainly was not built by the Nahuatl or Indians found in possession at the time of the Conquest. The authorship of the work therefore may be referred either to Olmecs or Toltecs. Upon its top there was found by the Spaniards a temple dedicated to Quetzalcoatl, which, with characteristic promptitude, they threw down, and substituted in its place a Christian temple. At a later date the existing church was erected, a handsome building with two towers and a dome that, proportionately to the size of the building, is unusually large. VIII. TLAXGALA. Practical Information, This town may be visited on the way from Puebla to the City of Mexico — taking the morning train from Puebla to Santa Ana, and the afternoon train from Santa Ana to Apizaco, wliere con- nection is made with the up train from Vera Cruz. There are two hotels in the town, San Carlos and San Francisco. The former is the more desirable, and has the additional advantage of being directly across the street from Petra's foncla. One dollar a day is charged for rooms ; and Petra charges one dollar a day for the very fair food and excellent pulque which she provides. Single meals cost four reales. The tram-car passes Pe- 398 mexica:\^ guide. tra' sfo7ida, but a few steps from the plaza, and it is well to alight there and order breakfast before beginning sight-seeing. There are baths in the Hotel de San Francisco. Santa Ana to TIaxcala. A tramway extends from the station of Santa Ana across the valley to the town. Four trips are made each way daily, connecting with all trains ; fare 18 cents. The car passes from the station through the quaint little town of Santa Ana, and ten minutes later through the town of San Pablo Apetitlan — a fine wrought-iron cross on church tower — and thence down into the Valley of the Atoyac (called here, also, Axotla) at a gallop. After crossing the river is seen to the right the church of San Esteban, built upon the foundations of the house occupied at the time of the Conquest by the chief Tlahuexolotzin. The trip occu- pies about half an hour. Site and Characteristics. TIaxcala, a city of 4,000 inhabitants, capital of the little State of the same name, stands in a broken, hilly region, far down on the eastern slope of the mountains w^hich shut in the Valley of Mexico. It has no business interests to keep it alive ; and about it is an air of picturesque decay that makes it, in view of its stirring and romantic past, all the more fascinating. It straggles about a forgotten little plaza, and wanders up the hill-side toward the ancient convent of San Francisco, and down toward the river-side. The houses are of adobe, for the most part of but a single stor}^, and more or less out of repair. On the east side of the plaza is the Casa Municipal, two stories high. This is one of the oldest buildings in the town ; dating, in whole or in part, from the founding here of the Spanish town immediately after the Con- quest. The great stone figure in the entrance-way is not TLAJi:CALA. 399 an antique. In the Counftil Room are copies of the por- traits of the four chiefs whose staunch adherence to the interests of the Spaniards made the Conquest of Mexico by Cortes possible. Tliese are : Lorenzo Mazihcatzin, chief of Ocotetulco ; Gonzalo Tlahuexolotzin, chief of Tepeticpac ; Bartholome Zitlalpopoca, chief of Quia- Imiztlan, and Vicente Xicohtencatl, chief of Tizatlan. The originals of these portraits were included in the very valuable collection of prehistoric relics, and relics of the early period of the Spanish domination, that Boturini took out of the country in 1742 — all of which was lost at sea. The portraits which hang on each side of the portrait of Hidalgo are of Don Mariano Macedo, and Sr. Dr. Miguel Guridi y Alcocer, Territorial repre- sentatives of Tlaxcala in the National Congress of 1825. The curious piece of silken embroidery represents the first battle between the Spaniards and Tlaxcalans. In the adjoining archive room are preserved ; the grant of arms to Tlaxcala, beautifully illuminated on parchment, and bearing the signature of the Emperor Charles V.; a very interesting collection of idols un- earthed at various times in and near the town ; tiie standard given by Cortes to the Tlaxcalan chiefs ; the robes which the chiefs w^ore when they were bajDtized ; the genealogical tree of the chief Xicohtencatl ; the city's charter, a beautifully illuminated parchment book bound in vellum, with the portrait of the grantor, Philip n., and his signature, with the date : Barcelona, May 10th, 1585. In the record-room are preserved many curious land -titles, and other official documents, run- ning back to the sixteenth century. In the outer corri- dor is a great treasure-chest, divided within into com- partments for copper, silver, and gold coin. The keys pertaining to the four locks were held by four officers 400 MEXICAN GUIDE. of the cit}' who collectively ^ were responsible for the treasure. Churches. The most interesting church in the city is that of San Francisco, a foundation of 1521. The ap- proach to this is up a paved way, bordered by a double row of old trees, and under a triple archway that unites the bell-tower with the convent buildings (now used as a barrack). Tiie hill-side is terraced and the outer wall of the atrium and the outlying bell-tower are on the brink of a considerable descent. The roof of the church is upheld by richly carved cedar beams. Over the entrance to the chapel of Guadalupe is a beautifully carved screen, richly gilded. In keeping with this fine wood-work is the beautifid old altar, into which are inserted illustra- tions of the life of the Virgin painted in 1669. The altar of Dolores was erected by the Capitan Don Diego de Tapia in 1661 para entlero de los ninos angeles, " for the burial of the angel children." On the south side of the church, near the entrance, is a picture of Nstra. Sra. de Europa, and on the north side Nstra. Sra. de la Antigua, both very old and exceedingly queer. Near the chancel are three medallion pictures : a Trinity, Santo Domingo, and San Juan Nepomucno — the central picture especially good. The chapel of the Tercer Orden, opening from the church, is very rich in carved and gilded wood- work, into which pictures are inserted. The high altar is strikingly fine ; in the shrine is the Mexican Virgin del Pueblito, upheld by San Francisco. In this chapel is preserved the pulpit from which the Christian faith first was preached in the New World, as is told in the inscrip- tion : " Aqui tubo principio el Santo Evangelio en este nuevo mundo." Here also is preserved the font in which the four Tlaxcalan chiefs were baptized in the year 1520. TLA XC ALA. 401 in two of the altars are remains of wood-carving in low- relief, colored — ver}^ curious. In the sacristy of the church are several curious old pictures, of no especial merit ; the primitive vestments ; an ancient carved table ; and an ex voto picture presented in the far past by the chief Zitlalpopoca. On the hill-side, above the church, is the comparatively modern chapel of Nstro. Sr. del Vecino, and above this a burial-place entered under a high stone arch. Below the church is the new bull-ring. The parish church, a little removed from the plaza, has a beautiful fayade of stucco, brick, and blue tiles. The interior has been spoiled by modern " improvements " and shocking frescos. In the baptistry, at right of en- trance, is a picture representing the baptism of the Tlax- calan chiefs. The beautiful little chapel of the Sagrario, in which is a very good picture of Nstra. Sra. de la Luz, is the redeeming feature of the church. In the sacristy is a curious picture of the apparition of Nstra. Sra. de Ocotlan. The dome of the church was destro^^ed by an earthquake in October, 1864, as a tablet at the left of the entrance records. Close by the j)arish church is the Ca- pilla Real — built expressly for services for the Indians — now in ruins. The curious fayade remains almost un- injured, with the arms of Spain on the base of each tower, and a statue of Philip 11. Inside the choir-arch there is an inscription, but no date, Santuario de Ocotlan. This famous shrine is upon a hill, a little more than a mile southeast of the Plaza. Tradition declares that in the first years succeeding the Conquest, a certain godly Indian, whose name was Juan Diego, was most faithful in ministering to his fellow- townsmen smitten by a great pestilence that then raged in these parts. Tiiinking to procure better water for the sick to drink, he passed from the church of San Fran- 26 402 MEXICAN GUIDE. Cisco; where he had been at prayers, toward the river. And when he had come to the place where the holj^ well now is, where then was a grove of great pine-trees, called by the Indians ocotes, he heard calling him a sweet voice, which said : " God save thee, my son. Where goest thou ? " And he beheld standing there the Blessed Vir- gin. And to her he said : "I go to bring water to them who are sick." And she answered : "I will give you wa- ter that will not only quench the thirst of them who are sick, but that will cure their infirmity." And lo ! from beneath a great ocote there gushed forth a sweet and lively spring ! Then did the Blessed Virgin bid Juan Diego search in that spot and he would find her holy image. And having thus spoken, she vanished from him, leaving him animated by a hol}^ and tranquil jo}^ And when, with the religious from San Francisco, he made search — for he was minded not to go upon this quest alone — he found the image where the Blessed Virgin had declared that it would be. Then the fathers placed it in the church of San Lorenzo, where it was venerated and wrought many miracles ; and with gladly given alms the shrine was built for it upon the hill, above the sacred spot where, at the Virgin's command, the water had gushed forth. And there this shrine, greatly beautified in modern times (that is to say in the seventeenth century), remains to this day. The way to the shrine leads past the little chapel of San Nicolas, and, up the glaring hill-side, a little to the left of the chapel erected over the holy well. The sanctu- ary is a curious structure, with contrasting ejffects of Avhite and red, standing upon the crest of the hill — from which there is a magnificent view. In the large adjoin- ing building dwells the Padre Capellan ; and here are apartments for the dignitaries of the church, who in times TLAXCALA. 403 past came hither in great numbers on the day of fes- tival, the anniversary of the apparition, Maj' 3cl. The chancel, transepts, pulpit, and dome, are a mass of very rich and beautiful carving, the work of the Indian sculp- tor, Francisco Miguel — who to the execution of this carving, and to that which beautifies the camarin, devoted twenty-five years of his life. The altar is beautifully wrought of silver ; and the holy figure is enclosed in a glazed silver shrine. Upon the figure's forehead hovers, miraculously, a tiny star that vanishes, and again appears. The nave was modernized between the years 1852 and 1854 at the charges of the Senora Dona Maria Josefa Zabalza, but in a manner at once rich and elegant. This devout lady was a person of excellent taste, for an in- scription, at the south side of the entrance, tells that she refrained from modifying the work in the chancel and transepts "because of its antiquity and merit" — for which virtue of omission may her spirit rest in peace ! On the north wall of the nave are portraits of the chap- lains who began and completed the church — Don Juan de Escobar and Don Francisco Fernandez de Sylva — de- voutly kneeling on each side of the Virgin of the Apoca- lypse. On the south wall is a picture of Nstra. Sra. de la Luz. In the ante-sacristy the story of the miraculous apparition is told in pictures painted by Manuel Caro in 1781 ; there is a very good "Last Supper" and "Pas- sion," by Joseph Joachim Magon, painted in 1754 ; beau- tiful carved benches and table ; and curious windows of Puebla onyx which let in a soft and mellow light. The camarHn, in the rear of the high altar, is a won- derful work of art : an exquisite arabesque of most deli- cate stucco-work, into which are introduced figures of the Twelve Apostles and the Doctors of the church ; the whole colored and gilded. The paintings by Juan de 404 MEXICAN GUIDE. -Villalobos — the " Virgin of Ocotlan," and a " Life of the Virgin " in panels — have good quahty, but are decidedly inferior to the delicate carving. The floor is covered with two thicknesses of Mexican antique tapestry, and the room is full of small and curious objects, in the study of which an hour or more may be very satisfac- torily passed. IX. ZACATEGAS. Practical Information. A tramway extends from the railway station across the city, passing within a block of the hotel, to the Hacienda de la Merced. Cars every half hour, from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Fare, 6^ cents. Trunks of ordinary size are carried by cargadores from the railway station to the hotel for two reales each, though more will be demanded. The best hotel is the Zacate- cano (formerly the Augustinian convent), where the rate is two dollars a day ; single meals, four reales ; for a bad second choice (same rates), the Hotel Nacional. Poor baths on the Plaza Mayor, four reales. Very shocking- carriages — which are to be shunned — are for hire in the Plazuela de San Juan at six reales the hour. In this plazuela common pottery is sold. Site and Characteristics. Zacatecas (a name vari- ously derived from a tribe of Indians known as Zacate- cas ; and from zacallan, place where gTows the grass called zacote), capital of the State of the same name, lies on the line of the Mexican Central Kailway, 785 miles south of El Paso, and 439 miles north of the City of Mexico. It has a population of about 30,000 souls. It is crowded into a narrow ravine, and, although deep in this valley, is very nearly 8,000 feet above the level of the sea. Owing to its great altitude, its winter climate ZAOATECAS. 405 is cold aud trying. Lacking a sufficient water-supj)ly, it is dirty and abounding in bad smells. The prevalent diseases are typhus and pneumonia, each of which works great havoc in the poorly clothed and insufficiently fed population. Its situation, Avhile highly objectionable from a sanitary j^oint of view, renders it eminently pict- uresque. Above the ravine in which it is built the mountains rise on every hand ; their slopes dotted with massive stone buildings in which the work of silver reduc- tion is carried on. Dominating the city is the curious mountain ridge, the Bufa (buffalo), upon which stands the little church of Los Remedios, founded in the year 1728, under the patronage of Don Jose de Rivera Ber- nardez. The ascent to this chapel was a favorite peni- tential pilgrimage in former times, and penitents who had been very wicked indeed made the ascent upon their knees. The pilgrimage to the church of Guadalupe (noticed below) also was a means by which the evil-doers of Zacatecas were brought back to grace in the godly days antedating the Reform. Nor are these peniten- tial pilgrimages abandoned even now. On the hill of the Bufa a battle was fought, March 2, 1871, between a revolutionary army under the generals Trevifio, Guerra, and Garcia de la Cadena, and the Juarez forces under General Sostenes Rocha — resulting in the defeat of the revolutionists. The city is one of the most important mining centres in the republic — though in late years the output of sil- ver has decreased very materially. Among its more im- portant mines at the present time are the Veta Grande, Zacatecas, and Panuco. In the district a great number of mines are worked, and the city, as the source of sup- ply for this active region, possesses a very considerable business importance. A great deal of coarse red pottery 406 MEXICAN GUIDE. is made in and near the city ; a visit to a pottery will prove very interesting. The more important features of the city are its mines ; its reduction works, in which the patio process of treating ores is carried on ; its mint (which may be visited by permit) ; State government building, churches, orphan asylum, and hospital. Per- mits usually can be obtained to visit the mines ; de- scended not by ladders but by notched sticks. But pru- dent people, who yet are not prudent enough to stay out of mines altogether, will wait until, at Guanajuato, thejr can descend into the bowels of the earth by the com- paratively easy means of a stone stairw^ay. Women- visitors are strongly objected to by the Zacatecas miners, as their entry into a mine is believed to bring bad luck. One of the several reduction works certainly should be visited. The market, in a series of terraces on the hill- side, is curious and worth seeing. In the outskirts of the city is an alameda— a well-meant attempt at a pleasure-ground that has not been crowned wdth abso- lute success. The city for the most part is built of a dark, reddish-brown stone that produces a somewhat sombre effect. Churches. The primitive parish church was erected in 1559. The existing building (now the cathedral) was begun in the year 1612, and the first service was held in it December 8, 1625. It was not completed, how- ever, until a century and a quarter later. It was dedi- cated, with most imposing ceremonies, August 15, 1752, under the advocation of Nuestra Sefiora de la Asuncion. It is built of brown-stone, well cut, and is ornamented with many carvings. The west front, above which rises the tower, is especially rich, being decorated with life- size statues of Christ and the Apostles set in niches be- tween columns. This front is broken by cornices into /iA^^A 1 ii,UA.-> three stories, and is surmounted by a cross. Tlie dome is tiled. The interior is decorated in white and gold. Before the confiscation of church property the interior adornments of this church were exceeding^ magnificent. The font alone, of solid silver, was worth $100,000. When the See of Zacatecas was erected, January 26, 1862, this church became the cathedral, and was conse- crated as such in 1864. Jesuit fathers came to Zacatecas in the year 1616, and in the year following their first church was erected. This having fallen into decay, the present church. La Compania, was begun February 19, 1746, and was com- pleted December 14, 1749. It was dedicated May 24, 1750. Standing on a levelled space upon the mountain- side, this large cruciform church, with its fine towers and tiled dome, presents a very striking appearance. The church contains a number of interesting pictures and carvings. The church of San Francisco, founded July 2, 1567 (the existing building modern), and the quaint church of San Juan de Dios, also should be vis- ited. The Merced now is a public school ; the church of San Agustin is owned by the Presbyterian Mission. Suburb of Guadalupe. A detached section of the Mexican National Railway connects Zacatecas with the suburb of Guadalupe. The tram-cars run out by gravity at a high rate of speed, and are dragged back by six mules harnessed three abreast. Trains of first- and sec- ond-class cars leave each end of the line every hour be- tween 6 A.M. and 7 p.m. Fare (first-class), 15 cents. Run- ning time : Going, 30 minutes ; returning, 45 minutes. The nucleus of this outlying town is the Colegio de Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe, founded in the year 1707 by Fray Antonio Margil de Jesus, from the Colegio de la Santa Cruz de Qaeretaro. The larefe cruciform church, built in 1721, has a o'ood iUili^VH^A^N LrUlJUJb. fa9ade of red sand-stone, coarsely but effectively carved, surmounted by two fine towers. The interior has been materially modernized. In the sacristy is a striking "Last Supper," a good " San Benaventura receiving the Sacrament," and a very fine " San Francisco on the Monte Alverna," all painted, in 1720, by Antonio de Torres. On the stairway leading from the lower to the upper cloister is an ex-voto to San Jose, by Ibarra (1751) ; a colossal San Cristobal, by N. R. Xuarez (1722) ; and a San Francisco suj^porting the Virgin of Guadalupe that, despite its poor quality, is interesting because it shows, in its lower plane, the more prominent of the brothers who were cloistered here when the pict- ure was painted (about 1730), and also — in the Fran- ciscan habit, but distinguished by a blue shirt — the pat- ron of the foundation, Bernardez. In the upper cloister are a quaint portrait of Bernardez in very worldly gai'b, and a good " Last Supper."' The Chapel of the Purfsima (built 1845-55 ; the very elegant interior finished in 1886) justly is esteemed as the finest modern ecclesiastical structure in Mexico. The convent-building is occupied by the Orfanatorio de Guadalupe, founded by General Trinidad Garcia de la Cadena, January 13, 1875. More than one thousand orphans are maintained here, and are educated in letters and the mechanic arts. (Zarapes, of orphan-manufacture, are for sale here.) The school is largely self-supporting. History. The first discovery of silver at Zacatecas w^as made, September 8, 1546, by Juan de Tolosa. Less than two years later, January 20, 1548, the town was founded by Baltasar Tremino de Bafmelos, Crist6bal de Onate, and Diego de Ibarra ; and so rapidly did it in- crease in population and wealth that by a royal order of January 8, 1585, it was raised to the rank of a city. X. AGUAS CALIENTES. Practical Bnformation. The main plaza, on which are the hotels, is reached from the railway station b}^ trara- wa}' (fare, 4 cents), and trunks are brought from the station by a compound system of tramwaj's and cargadores at a charge of three reales. The Hotel Central is to be pre- ferred to the Hotel de la Plaza because of its upstairs rooms. The rate at either is $2 a day ; single meals, four reales. The Hotel San Marcos is only open about the time of the annual fair (April 23d to Ma}^ 10th), dur- ing which period the rates of all the hotels, and of every- thing else that has a rate in the little city, are increased. The best baths, famous all over Mexico, are close by the railway station. The large tanks — open to the sun- shine, the temperature of the water about 96° F. — cost two reales the hour ; hot tub-baths, two reales ; cold tub- baths, 20 cents. An extra charge of 5 cents is made for soap and towels {ropa). The Bafios Grandes, a half-mile or so east of the railway station, are less well appointed. Two tramways extend from the Plaza Mayor to the railway station. Narrow-gauge : cars every twenty min- utes, from 6 A.M. to 8 p.m. ; running time, twelve min- utes. Broad-gauge : cars every 15 minutes, from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. ; running time, 8 minutes. Fare on either : 4 cents. Connecting with the broad-gauge line, artramway extends from the railway station to the Bafios Grandes : running time, 5 minutes ; fare, 4 cents. A narrow-gauge line extends from the north side of the Plaza, past the Jardin de San Marcos, to the river. Cars leave each ter- minus every half-hour, from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. ; running timo, 12 minutes. Fare : to Jardin de San Marcos, 4 cents ; to the river, 5 cents. Carriages of an eccentric type may be hired on the west side of the Plaza Mayor for four reales the hour — a rate that is increased in fair-time. 410 MEXICAN GUIDE. Site and Characteristics. Aguas Calientes (hot waters), capital of the State of the same name, is so called because of the numerous hot springs found here- abouts. It is on the line of the Mexican Central Railway', 860 miles south of El Paso and 364 miles north of the City^ of Mexico ; stands in the midst of a fertile, well- watered plain at an elevation of 6,100 feet above the level of the sea, and has a population of about 15,000 souls. Because of its mild yet refreshing climate, and because of its gardens and vineyards and flowers and many trees, this is one of the most delightful places in Mexico. The city is regularly laid out ; the houses, with but a few exceptions, are only one story high — built of adobe, with window-frames and door-frames of stone. There is much good stone-work, and some good work in wrought iron, of Nvhich last the best examples are the very beauti- ful cross surmounting the fayade of the parish church, and the almost equally good crosses surmounting the domes of the Encino and San Diego. There is a prettily laid out main plaza, in which is a monument — whereon, until it was thrown down in 1821, stood a statue of Fer- dinand VII. — that now serves to commemorate the found- ing of the city (October 22, 1575), the declaration and achievement of Mexican independence, and the erection (May 23,-1835) of the State of Aguas Calientes. A half- mile or so west of the plaza is the beautiful Jardin de San Marcos. Tlie more important public buildings are the Palacio de Gobierno and the Casa Municipal, both on the south side of the main plaza ; the Teatro Morelos, completed October 25, 1885 ; the Parian and general market — each occupying an entire block and each sur- rounded by an arcade ; the Instituto Cientlfico, and the little Salon de Exposicion (on the west side of the Jardin de San Marcos), that is used as its name implies during the annual fair, and at other times as a school. AGUAS CALIENTES. 4ll In the Purroquia, the best picture (chapel on right of main entrance), representing scenes from the life of San Juan Nepomuceno, is by Andreas Lopez (1797). In the church of San Marcos is a very fine " Adora- tion of the Magi "by Joseph de Alzibar (1775) — who also painted the striking picture in the east transept of the little church of San Juan de Dios : a curious devocion, of which the central figure is San Jose. In the church of the Encino is a fine series : The Stations of the Cross, by Andreas Lopez (the " Descent from the Cross" ill supplied by another hand). The church of San Diego (beside which is the chapel of the Tercer Orden) both inside and outside, has a pleasing air of quaintness. In the sacristy is a large canvas, scenes in the life of St. Francis, by Juan Correa (1681). In the ante-sacristy is a good "Vision of St. Anthony of Padua," the artist unknown. Several other pictures de- serve attention. In the rear of the high altar is a beauti- ful camarin, added to the church in 1799 (fee, one real ; free service every Saturday morning at eight o'clock). In the crypt may be seen a much esteemed desiccated monk, sitting placidly in a jumble of skulls and bones. XL LEON. Practical Information. A tramway (fare, 6^ cents) connects the railway station and the city — a distance of about a mile. This tramway passes within a few steps of the Hotel de Diligencias. Luggage will be conveyed on platform cars for one or two reales, as the weight of the pieces may determine ; and in the city will be carried from the car to the hotel for a medio or a real. A car- riage can be had for four reales for one or four persons. 412 MEXICAN GUIDE. The Hotel de Diligencias is fairly comfortable. An annex to this establishment just across the street affords extra rooms should the hotel proper be full. Terms : $2 the day for lodging and meals. There are hot and cold baths, costing two reales, in the Hotel de Colon. Site and Characteristics. Leon, a city of about 80,000 inhabitants, in the State of Guanajuato, lies on the line of the Mexican Central Railway, 965 miles south of El Paso and 259 miles north of Mexico; at an eleyation of 5,863 feet above the sea. It stands in the midst of a fertile plain, watered by the little river Turbio, and in its environs are many delightful gardens and an abundance of trees. Being a city of artisans, its houses for the most part are low and small ; nor does it contain many buildings of any sort especially interesting. As a man- ufacturing city its importance is great. Tanning, and the manufacture of leather goods — leather garments, shoes, and saddles ; the weaving of rebosos (the cotton shawl worn by all the women of the lower class) ; to- gether with a considerable manufacture of woollen goods, hats, soap, and of common ironware, including cutlery, constitutes its chief industries. The annual fair here formerly was one of the great fairs of the country. The city is regularly laid out ; has a central plaza and twelve minor plazas ; and among its more notable buildings are the Casa Municipal (city hall), Alhondiga (commercial ex- change), barracks, and jail. The main plaza has a foun- tain in its centre and is planted with trees. On one side of the plaza is the Casa Municipal ; on the other three sides, portales lined with shops. The market is interest- ing, but has no especial characteristics worthy of note. Just outside the city, on the road leading to Silao, is a picturesque causeway shaded by trees that is the paseo of the town. This pretty place is reached by a tram- LEON. 4:rs way from the plaza. On the road leading to Lagos, a short distance from the city, are hot and cold springs utilized for baths. Churches. The curacy of Leon was founded before the year 1586 — for in that year the first curate, Alonzo Espinoso, was slain by the Chichemec Indians. A por- trait of this unlucky cura was preserved until recent times in the sacristy of the parish church. During the ensu- ing two hundred years the curacy was administered by the Franciscans — by whom the existing parish church, dedicated to San Sebastian, was erected early in the last century. It was remodelled in 1834. Adjoining this is the small church of the Tercer Orden, also a Francis- can foundation. The one strikingly handsome church in the city (now the cathedral) is the Jesuit foundation of the Compafiia Nueva — built upon the site of the first church of the Corapania, a small building erected in 1744. The existing church was begun August 6, 1746, and was dedicated in the year 1765 under the in- vocation of Nuestra Seiiora de la Luz (Our Lady of Light). After the erection of the See of Leon (March, 1863) it was consecrated a cathedral, March 16, 1866. It is without aisles ; disproportionately long for its width (220 X 45 feet) ; has a fine dome and two unusu- ally high towers — these last completed in 1878. Here is venerated the original image of Nuestra Senora de la Luz, presented to the city by the Jesuit Father Jose Maria Genovesi about the year 1740. The originality of this picture is attested by a certificate upon its back signed by four eminent Jesuits. Nuestra Senora de la Luz was made the Patroness of Leon, May 23, 1840, when the city government solemnly swore allegiance to her ; an act that was approved by Pope Pius IX., De- cember 20, 1851. The church of Nuestra SeHora de los 414 MEXICAN GUIDE. Angeles, also a Jesuit foundation, contains some note- worthy carvings by the artist Sixto Munoz, a native of Leon. The oldest church in the city, La Soledad, is be- lieved to be contemporaneous with the foundation of the town. The churches of San Juan de Dios and San Felipe Neri also should be seen. History. When Pedro Almindez de Chirinos, one of the captains of Cortes, made his incursion northward into the Chichimec country, some of his soldiers entered the valley where Leon now stands and gave it the name of the Valle de la Senora. That there was a Spanish town here as early as the year 1552 is shown .by a royal order of Charles V., dated August 12th of that year, in which he refers to the Mexican town of Leon. The for- mal authorization for the creation of a town in this place was given by the Viceroy Almanza, December 12, 1575 ; and the formal foundation took place January 12, 1576. The royal authorization for this town, however, was not given in Mexico until March 22, 1712. It was made a city by the Legislature of Guanajuato shortly after the Independence. XIL GUANAJUATO. Practical Information. Railway tickets, and lug- gage checks, are good on the tramway leading up from Marfil as far as the station of El Cantador. From El Cantador the tramway continues to the Jardin de la Union, in the heart of the city. Fare, 5 cents ; luggage, 10 to 25 cents the piece. Cargadores will carry lug- gage from the tram-car to the hotel for one real the piece, or two reales for an extra-large trunk. The most desirable hotel is the Union (formerly the iUTANAJUATO. 415 Suiza, and still known by that name). Rates : $2 a (lay for each person occupying a room alone ; $3 a day for two people in one room (two beds). There is one pretty little apartment — bedroom, parlor, and balcony — the price for which, for two people, is $6 a day. The boarding-house of Dona Maria Carrada has only a few rooms, and these are not very good ; but the food is bet- ter than can be obtained elsewhere. The rate here is $1.50 a day; single meals, four reales. Both of these public houses overlook the Jardin de la Union. The Hotel Banos is less desirable, but it has the advantage of somewhat purer air. Rates : .$1.25 a day. There are good baths in the Hotel Banos. Hot or cold bath, 4 reales ; Russian bath, six reales. All the tramways centre at the Jardin de la Union. Line to El Cantador, every 20 minutes from 6.20 a.m. to 7.40 P.M. ; running time, about 10 minutes ; fare, 5 cents. Line through El Cantador to Marfil, ever}' 40 minutes from 6.20 a.m. to 7 p.m. ; running time, about 35 minutes ; fare, 10 cents. Line to the Presa, every half-hour from 6 a.m. to 9.30 p.m. ; running time, about 20 minutes ; fare, 10 cents. Guanajuato is very rich in pictures. The more impor- tant are : In the sacristy of the Parroquia, a San Andres Avelino d3'ing at the altar, and a San Juan Nepomuceno confessing the Princess Joan of Bavaria, both by Vallejo ; in the Compaiiia, the singularly fine series of saints, by Cabx'era ; the series illustrating the life of San Felipe Neri, after Cabrera, by Amado Mireles (the originals are in the church of the Oratorio, in San Miguel de Allende) ; the illustrations of the life of the Virgin, ar- tist unknown, unequal in merit, but including some fine works — all in the body of the church. Two large and noble canvases by Cabrera, in the sacristy : The Child 416 MEXICAN GUIDE. Jesns blessing San Francisco Regis and San Francisco Boija (west), and the Child Jesus blessing San Ignacio Loyola and San Francisco Xavier (east). " The Triumph of Mary," by Ibarra, in the choir, is in such bad condi- tion that the original merit of the work cannot be esti- mated. In the chapel of the Santa Casa (left of main entrance), a good copy of Murillo's San Juan de Dios (original in Academy of San Carlos) and a fine San Nicolas Tolentino (artist unknown) interceding for souls in purgatory. In the sacristy of San Diego is a very fine " Last Supper of San Francisco " (artist unknown). History. The name Guanajuato is a- corruj)tion of guanashuato — meaning, in the Tarrascan tongue, "hill of the frogs ; " and this name was given to the settle- ment because the Tarrascan Indians found here a huge stone in the shape of a frog that they worshipped. Tra- dition tells that the discovery of silver here — believed to have been in the mine of La Luz, in the San Bernabc vein — was made accidentally by some muleteers in the year 1548. The first formal settlement is believed to have been made in 1557 ; * the charter for a town was granted in 1679 ; and in 1711 the charter for a city. Giianajaato was captured by Hidalgo's mob of revolu- tionists (see p. 55) September 28, 1810. The present an- nual output of the mines is about $6,000,000. Site and Characteristics. Guanajuato, capital of the State of the same name, lies fifteen miles east of the line of the Mexican Central Railway. A branch road leads from Silao (986 miles south of El Paso ; 238 miles north of the City of Mexico) to the suburb of Marfil, a distance of tw^elve miles, whence a tramway extends into and through the city. * These early dates cannot be given precisely. The records of the city were burned in 1810. GUANAJUATO. 417 The city is built in a deep and narrow ravine, terraced on each side in order to give additional standing room for houses. The mouth of the ravine is at Marfil, and its further extremity, ending against the mountain side, has no outlet. The Plaza de Mejia Mora has an eleva- tion of 6,830 feet above the level of the sea. The gen- eral effect of the city — narrow and irregular streets, broken by sharp acclivities, along which are ranged for- tress-like houses — is eminently mediseval. This antique effect is lessened, however, by the bustling activity that pervades the place — and along the narrow streets are carried telephone and telegraph wires ! In the dry sea- son Guanajuato is notoriously unhealthy. In the season of rains, when it is washed clean, the health of the city is excellent. Owing to its situation, it is liable to dan- gerous inundations. Of the many violent floods which have occurred here, the worst was in the year 1760, when a great loss of life and property occurred. The latest serious inundation, also attended with a consider- able loss of life, was in the night of June 7, 1885. At the upper end of the ravine (reached easily on foot, or by the tramway) is the Presa de la 011a. Here the valley widens a little, and the stream descending from the mountains fills a succession of reservoirs built one be- low the other in terraces. Beside these reservoirs, and across the dams confining them, winds the road ; and scattered along the road are a number of handsome resi- dences, with gardens and many trees. In this charming place the band plays in afternoons and evenings of Sun- days and feast-days. In the city proper is the pretty Plaza de Mejia Mora — where a mural tablet designates the house in which the eminent engineer and first Mexi- can aeronaut, Benito Leon Acosta, was born. The most impressive building, dominating the city, is 418 MEXICAN GUIDE. the great Albondiga de Granaditas. This was erected by the Intendente Don Juan Antonio Eiano in the year 1785, and served — as its name implies — as a commercial exchange. As already stated, this building was capt- ured by Hidalgo ; and when Hidalgo was executed in Chihuahua, with Allende, Aldama, and Jimenez, the heads of these patriots were sent to Guanajuato and ex- posed upon the walls of this building. The spike upon w^hich Hidalgo's head was fastened still is pointed out. In front of the building is a bronze statue of Hidalgo. The Albondiga now is used as a prison, in which the prisoners are taught trades. This institution may be visited — but in a Mexican prison are many creeping and hopping things, which creep and hop from the unjust prisoners to the just visitors with a most undesirable celerity. The State Government is housed in a building, styled by courtesy a palace, that is situated between the parish church and the jail. On the plaza, in a house that once was the private dwelling of the ladies Yrizares, are the chambers of the State Legislature and offices of the courts. The Mint (which may be visited with a permit) is a handsome building after its kind. A new and hand- some theatre, built of a greenish stone native to the place, is in course of erection. The city maintains a school of jurisprudence, a preparatory school, a trade school, 25 primary schools and 25 rudimentary schools ; also, a fairly good public library. Travellers of mole-like tendencies should visit the mines here, for, being descended by stone stairways, they are the most accessible mines in Mexico. A permit to visit a mine usually can be obtained on application to the administrador. (See blank form of request, p. 92. ) Churches. The first church founded here, by the GUANAJUATO. 419 Jesuits, about the year 1557, subsequently became the chapel of the College of the Purisima Concepcion. In it Avas venerated the famous image of Nuestra Seiiora de Guanajuato, sent by Philip 11, in the latter part of the sixteenth century. The present parish church, dedicated to San Francisco, in which this image now is housed, originally was the property of the Juaninos, and was dedicated to San Juan de Dios. It was completed in its primitive form in the year 1696. Upon the suppression of the Juaninos it passed, September 9, 1828, to the possession of the Franciscans. It was then remodelled. The beautiful old altars were torn away, and the existing costly and commonplace altars were erected in their stead. Similar unpleasant changes w^ere made in the sacristy, and in the richly adorned chai3el in which Nu- estra Seiiora de Guanajuato had resided for more thkn a century and a quarter ; and what had been the camarin of this chapel was transformed into a baptistry. But even after these harrowing changes the church is inter- esting. It has a simple facade, flanked by two well-pro- portioned towers, in one of which is a large and sweet- toned bell. The interior is richly decorated in modern style, a lavish gilding being used uj^on the main altar and six side altars. In both baptistry and sacristy are pictures by Vallejo. The finest church in the city is the Compafiia, a Jesuit foundation, erected between the years 1717 and 1765, at a cost of $200,000, of which sum more than $80,000 was expended in blasting out a level space to build upon. The single tower contains an unusually fine group of bells — Mexican church bells are not hung in chimes — of which the great bell was blessed in 1852 by Bishop Ti- mon, of Buffalo, then temporarily in Mexico. The fayade is ornamented with statues of saints of the Jesuit Order, 420 MEXICAN GUIDE. and emblematic figures. Higli over all is a statue of the Virgin. The dome, completed in 1884, is a copy on a reduced scale of that on the Capitol at Washington. The church has a very noble interior : lofty nave and transepts and fine aisles, all of the soft gray stone of the country richl}^ carved. The main altar (completed in 1887) and the altars in the transepts (completed in 1888) also are of the native stone gray, chocolate-brown, and sage-green — harmoniously combined in an admirable scheme of delicate color. The very fine pictures in this church already have been referred to. San Diego, a small, cruciform church with a dilapidated churrigueresque fayade, has been modernized within. It contains a number of fairly good pictures ; and in the sacristy is the *' Last Supper of San Francisco," mentioned above. San Francisco and San Roque are both old churches, with painfully modern interiors. The Loreto is a pretty little circular building, modern and of good design. Guadalupe, high up the hill-side, has little of interest to offer as a reward for taking the hard walk that is required to reach it. Suburbs. Expeditions may be made to the outl^dng mining towns on horseback or muleback. A climb up the hill-side to the cross of San Miguel will give the less enterprising traveller a distant view of these towns — and a very fine view of the city. Above and beyond La Presa are some curious quarries, easily reached on foot, whence an excellent building-stone is obtained. Li taking out this stone great caves, with roofs supported by pillars, have i)een left. An engineering work, once of gi'eat importance, is the highway that leads from Guanajuato through Marfil to the level lauds below. This was begun in the year 1767, and was finished in the yeav 1852. QUEKKTAIiO. 421 XI [L QUERliJTARO. Practical Information. Carriages, for four j^eople or less, from tlic railway station to the hotel cost four reales. A tramway, also, runs to the city. Fare, G|- cents. Cargadores will bring trunks to the custom house, and thence to the hotel, for two r^ealea. The best hotel is the Ferro Carril ; the second best, the Hidalgo. Both are bad. Bates at either, one dollar a day. There are good baths in the Hotel Ferro Carril (free to lodg- ers there), costing two realea. All carriages carry red flags, and all cost four reales the hour. The drive to the Cerro de las Campanas occupies about an hour. A tramway extends from the Jardin de Zenea, past the Hercules mills, to La Canada, where there are some- what primitive cold baths (2 reales). Fare : to Hercules, 10 cents ; to Li Canada, one real. The running time to La Canada is about one hour. Site and Characteristics. Quer6taro, capital of the State of the same name, a city of 47,000 inhabitants, Hes on the line of the Mexican Central Eailway, 1,071 miles south of El Paso and 153 miles north of the City of Mexico, at an elevation of 5,900 feet above the level of the sea. The city is built upon a low, rocky ridge in the midst of a fertile agTicultural country. It is laid out, relatively speaking, irregularly, and in addition to its pretty main plaza has half a dozen minor plazas and a charming alameda. The main plaza is adorned with a fountain, a statue of the Marques de la Villa del Villar de la Aguila, and is planted with palms, bananas and other semi-tropical trees. In this pretty place it was the habit of Maximilian to take his evening walk during the siege, sitting often on the stone curb of the foun- tain ; which fact, coming to the knowledge of the be- 422 MEXICAN GUIDE. siegers, the plaza was the objective point of many shells. Maximilian was not hit, but the statue was — and was shattered irrevocably. The sadly neglected ala- meda, in the suburb near the railway station, reached by tramway from the main plaza, is also semi-troi^ical in the character of its vegetation, and is very pretty indeed. The building occupied by the State Legislature contains (with the relics of Maximilian named below) an interest- ing collection of portraits of the Governors of Queretaro. The building has attached to it a delightful garden. The most important public work is the fine stone aque- duct. This was begun, February 15, 1726, and was fin- ished, October 17, 1738, at a total cost of $124,791, of which sum $82,987 was contributed by the Marques de la Villa del Villar de la Aguila. The water is drawn from a source in the mountains about five miles from the city ; is brought through a tunnel, and thence is carried over seventy-four arches, the highest of which is ninety-four feet from the ground. This great work as- sures to the city an ample and wholesome water-supply. More than a score of fountains are scattered tlu'ough the city, of which the most notable, a handsome basin surmounted by a stone figure of Neptune, was set up in 1797, facing the Plaza of San Francisco. As a distributing centre Queretaro possesses a con- siderable business importance. Leather work is done here on a somewhat extensive scale, and a large amount of sugar is made in the near-by cane country. The manufacture of cotton cloth has been a prominent in- dustry for more than two centuries. The most impor- tant mill in this region, and in Mexico, is the Hercules, built in a ravine about two miles outside of the city. This establishment employs about five hundred Indian operatives, whose wages average three reales a day. Both QUERETARO. 423 steam and water power are used — the former supplied by an engine of 150-horse power, and the latter by an overshot water-wheel 46 feet in diameter. The mills are surrounded by massive stone walls, pierced for mus- ketry. Counected with the house of the projmetor are beautiful gardens adorned with flowers, trees, artificial lakes, and statuary — of which last the more notable piece is the statue of Hercules that gives the name to the mills. History. The name Queretaro is derived, according to some authorities, from querendaro, a corruption of the Tarrascan word querenda, meaning " the place of the stony peak," and referring to the city's site close beside a rocky hill. A more probable derivation is from the Tarascan word queretaro, meaning "a game of ball." At the time of the conquest there was here an Otomite town. In 1531 the Otomite chief Fernando de Tapia, a most zeal- ous convert to Christianity, gained permission to go forth and christianize the members of his tribe dwelling in this j)lace. In his native town of Xilotepec, and in the near-by town of Tula, he recruited a little army ; and certain godly priests went with him to baptize into Christianity such of the heathen as he might convert. Coming to Queretaro, he arranged wdth its people that champions presented by them and presented by him should fight together, but only with their fists and feet, that blood might not be shed ; and that, should his champions win, then the people of the town should be- come Christians and renounce forever their false gods. Then the champions fought, and all the multitude shouted, and beat drums, and shot arrows into the air. And while the fighting continued the light of the sun was lessened, and floating in the air above the combatants plainly was seen by all the blessed Santiago^ and beside 424 MEXICAN GUIDE. him a great ruddy cross ! Amazed and awed by tins prodigy, the people of Queretaro withdrew their cham- pions and willingly yielded themselves vanquished, and begged to be baptized. This wonder occurred, July 25, 1531, and because this was the Feast of Santiago, and because of that saint's miraculous manifestation, the Christian town was called Santiago de Queretaro. Upon the hill whei-e the champions had fought, the now Chris- tian Indians begged that there might be set up a stone cross in the semblance of that which had appeared to them from heaven. This, therefore, was done, and about the cross was built a chapel. In 1682 the existing church of the Santa Cruz was built. The most recent renovation of this building was in 1865. In 1655 Queretaro was made a city by a royal order given by Philip IV. As the time of the revolt against Spain drew near, it was prominent as a centre of the patriotic movement (see Historic Summary) ; in the wars that followed its people bore an honorable part ; and in later times it has taken its full share of sieges and assaults. The more notable events in its modern history are : The ratification of the treaty of peace with the United States in 1848 ; its defence by Maximilian against the Liberal forces under Escobedo in the early months of 1867 ; its fall — possibly the term surrender should be used — May 19, 1867 ; the execution, June 19th fol- lowing, of Maximilian, Mejia, and Miramon. Mr. Sew- ard, during his visit to Mexico in 1869, was received here with great enthusiasm. The Death of Maximilian. The court-martial that tried Maximilian and the generals Mejia and Miramon was convened i*i the Yturbide Theatre at 10 a.m., June 14. Maximilian, who was suffering from an acute attack of ill- ness, was not present. He was represented by counsel. J QUERETARO. 425 At 10 P.M., Jmie 15th, the court united m a sentence of death. The sentence was approved at once by General Escobedo, who ordered the execution to take place the next day. A telegram from Juarez, at San Luis Potosi, deferred the execution until the 19th. In this interval a strong effort was made to save the prisoners' lives. A protest had been received from the Government of the United States against the execution of Maximilian. This was emphasized by the petitions of prominent Mexicans. The Princess Salm-Salm — always a pictui'esque sort of a personage — rode the one hundred and twenty miles across country and on her knees implored Juarez to spare Max- imilian's life. Personally, it would seem, Juarez would have been glad to remit the death penalty. Politically, his faith was firm that clemency was impossible. He re- fused to annul his order. Maximilian, pending his trial and execution, was con- fined — after three days in the Convent of La Cruz — in the Convent of the Capuchiuas. This convent, a large stone building, now a dwelling, is in the street that leads from the Theatre Yturbide to the Cerro de las Campanas. The chamber in which he was confined, with Mejia and Miramon, is a large, vaulted room, with a heavily grated window. Opening from it, at that time, were three win- dowless cells which were occupied as bedrooms. From this place the prisoners were conducted, early on the morning of June 19th, to the Cerro de las Campanas. About half-way up the hill was an adobe wall, constructed during the siege as a breastwork, guarding the more im- portant fortification upon the summit — the last point to surrender, and where Maximilian was captured. In front of this wall the prisoners were stationed and ihe firing parties were told off. Maximilian had asked as a favor that he might be shot in the body, so that when his body 426 MEXICAN GUIDE. was sent to Austria his mother once more might look upon his face. This request was granted. According to Father Soria, his attendant confessor, his last words were : "I forgive all, and I pray that all may forgive me. And I pray that my l)lood, about to be shed, will flow for the good of Mexico. Live Mexico ! Live Indepen- dence ! " Mejia andMiramon fell dead at the first volley. Maximilian fell wounded to insensibility. A second vol- ley gave him death. It is believed that Mejia, to com- fort him in his last hours, assured him that Carlotta had died in Europe. It is certain, at least, that he had the consolation of believing her to be dead. His body was placed temporarily in a rough coffin and was taken to the Convent of the Capuchinas. Subsequently it was em- balmed, and, by order of Juarez, was enclosed in a rose- wood coffin, beautifully carved, which, in turn, was en- closed in a metal case. So it was sent to Austria. This unfortunate man, who was so cruelly betrayed to his death through the cowardly treachery of Napoleon III., lies buried at Miramar. Mementoes of Maximilian. In the building in which the State Legislature has its sittings are preserved : The table on which the death sentence was signed by the members of the court martial ; the coffin in which Max- imilian's body was brought from the place of execution ; his portrait ; the wooden stools on which Mejia and Miramon sat during their trial by court martial. Per- mission to visit the room in which the prisoners were confined in the Convent of the Capuchinas can be obtained from the owner of the dwelling-house into which that building has been transformed. The Yturbide Theatre, in which the court martial sat, remains unchanged. Fol- lowing the street that leads from the theatre past the Capucibiuas, one comes out, in twenty minutes or half QUEKETAKO. 427 an hour, iiiDon a rugged plain. Westward is seen tlio long, gray Cerro de las Campanas. The road almost disappears before the plain is crossed. The hill is cov- ered with loose fragments of rock, and the place of the execution — about half-way up the ascent — is marked by three stone pillars enclosed by an iron railing. When this simple monument was erected, in 1887, the names of the three men were marked upon the pillars with metal let- ters—which promptly were stolen, probabh^ by the all- pervading relic-hunter ! The wall in front of which the prisoners were ranged has been completely washed away by the rains. Traces of the redoubt on top of the hill, where Maximilian surrendered, still may be distin- guished. From this crest is a very beautiful view of the city, the great plain surrounding it, and the mountains beyond. Churches. The Church of San Francisco, now the cathedral (the See of Queretaro was erected in 1863), was founded almost immediately after the Spaniards possessed the town. The existing church was com- pleted in 1698, since which time it has been repaired and modified. Its present handsome appearance dates from 1727, when it was carefully restored and enlarged by Fray Fernando Alonzo Gonzalez, Commissioner- General of the Indies. The beautiful choir was added at the end of the last centur3^ In the church are pre- served two notable images, that of Jesus Nazareno, exe- cuted in 1760 by the sculptor Bartolico (so called) ; and that of San Diego de Alcala, executed in 1606 by the master Francisco Martinez. Near the church is the Chapel of the Loreto, containing a replica of the Santa Casa. The existing Church of the Oratorio of San Felipe Neri, was begun in 1786, under the patronage of Don Melchor Noriega, and was completed with the fortune 428 MEXICAN GUIDE. bequfeathed for this purpose by his widow in 1793. It contains a fine sacristy, and a very elegant high altar of jasper and alabaster. The Church of Santa Clara, for- merly a part of the now extinct Convent of Santa Clara, is interesting as having been founded by a rich Indian, the Cacique Diego de Tapia, son of the Fernando de Tapia by whom the primitive town was christianized. The act of this pious Indian was induced by a desire to settle in life his only daughter ; to which end he readily accepted the projDosition of Fray Miguel Lo- pez to build a convent in which his daughter should be the first novice. The existing church was finished in July, 1633. Don Diego de Tapia also founded, in 1586, the Church and Hospital of the Purisima Concepcion — the existing church being finished in 1726. Other nota- ble churches are San Antonio, Santo Domingo, San Agustin, the Carmen, the Merced, Santa Teresa, and Santa Rosa. The Church of Santa Cruz (once attached to the now extinct college of the same name), built in 1688, contains some curious images and the famous stone cross that was set up and worshipped by the first con- verts to Christianity, more than three centuries and a half ago. A short distance west of the city is the little town of San Francisco ; so very small a town that it is, and al- ways has been, called simply the 2}ueMito. Here is the shrine of Nuestra Sefiora del Pueblito, one of the famous shvines of Mexico. The very holy image in this place is a figure two-thirds life-size, representing the Virgin of the Conception. It was wrought in the year 1682 by Fray Sebastian Gallegos, a sculptor monk in the convent of San Francisco in Queretaro, especially for the purpose of being brought to this place, and so turning from their persistent idolatry the Indians liv- VERA CRUZ. 429 iug- hereabout. The image has wept many times, has sweated, has assumed on occasion a most fierce expres- sion of countenance, and has wrought man}^ notable mir- acles — all with the happiest possible effect upon the In- dians afore-mentioned. The church in which the image now is housed was erected in 1766 under the patronage of Don Pedro Urtiaga. This unfortunate shrine was despoiled during the civil wars ; and subsequently lost its charm of quaintness through furious renovation. XIV. VERA CRUZ. Practical Matters. Ships anchor, usually, a little south of the island of San Juan de Uliia, and are boarded by the health-officer and port-captain, by whom is given the necessary license to land. A swarm of boats sur- rounds the ship, and the boatmen yell landing rates and cry the names of the hotels. In fair weather the fixed price for landing passengers is four redes for a single person in a boat and three redes apiece in a boat-load of two or more. For an ordinary trunk the charge is two redes; for a valise, one red. In bad weather these rates are increased. In very bad weather a landing cannot be made at all. In point of fact, the boatmen pay no atten- tion to the tariff, but try to get as much as possible. The landing must be bargained for, and the traveller who gets himself and his luggage ashore for four or six redes will do very well. This should include delivery of luggage at the custom-house. The custom-house inspection (see p. 83) is made in the government building at the land end of the mole. When passed, luggage should be sent at once to the railway station. The carter's charge for each piece is 480 MEXICAN GUIDE. two reale^. Several persons can combine in hiring a cart for one dollar, and, by sending a load of six or eight pieces, reduce the rate. The regular tariff for carriages is four reales an hour, or course of more than fifteen min- utes. The street-car fare is 6^ cents. It is best to buy railway tickets and check luggage in the afternoon pre- ceding the morning of departure (see Mexican Kail- way). At the leading hotel, the Diligencias, the rate for board and lodging is $2.50 a day. At the Hotel de Mexico, which has the advantage of facing directly upon the water, equally satisfactory accommodations are pro- vided for 12 a day. At the Vera Cruzano and Oriente the rate is 11.50 a day. Site and Characteristics. Vera Cruz is a city of 10,000 inhabitants (with a very considerable floating pop- ulation), on the Gulf coast of Mexico, 263 miles (by rail) east of the capital. It is built in a sandy, desolate re- gion, and during four months of the year is very un- healthy. There is music, usually in the evenings, on the main plaza. The alameda is an outburst of tropical foli- age. Beyond the alameda is the negro quarter. The market-place is picturesque, and very good fruit is sold there. At the extremity of the city, near the cemeter}'', is the penal establishment of the Presidio Militar, a large fortress-like building. Here are housed the prisoners employed at work u23on the streets. Other points of in- terest are the mole, the fortifications, the churches, the Casa Municipal (built in 1627, but modified in later times), the public library (in the former Franciscan con- vent), and the vultures {zopilotes) who are licensed scav- engers. The Fort of San Juan de Uli'ia was begun in 1582, and was finished about the middle of the last cen- tury'. It was occupied by the French in 1838 ; the VERA CKUZ. 431 Americans in 1847 ; the French, English, and Spanish in 1865 ; and was the seat of the Juarez Government at the time of the promulgation of the Laws of the Reform. A pleasant expedition may be made to the fort by boat. The legal fare to go and return is one dollar for one or two persons, and four reales for each additional person. Another expedition, much longer, may be made to the Island of Sacrificios — to which the legal fare for one or five persons, including the return, is six dollars, and four reales for each additional person. Churches. The parish church, dedicated, June 13, 1734, to Nuestra Seuora de la Asuncion, fronts upon the Plaza Mayor. The Church of San Francisco, a founda- tion of 1568 (the existing building of much later con- struction), was closed in 1834. The tower is the light- house " Benito Juarez ; " and the convent building- contains the public library. This church was maintained by a sea-tribute, levied uj)on the shipping of the port. The churches of the Compailia and San Agustin both date from 1619, having been then rebuilt after the seri- ous fire of that year. In San Juan de Ulua is the chapel of Nuestra Sefiora de la Escalera, to which image-offerings are made in return for safe journeys by sea. History. Grijalva landed here in the year 1518 (s9e p. 41). The first landing made by Cortes, April 21, 1519, was upon the site of the present Fort of San Juan de Ulua. On the ensuing day he landed where the pres- ent city stands ; * and because his landing was made up- on Good-Friday, and because the accounts were good of gold in that land, he gave to the town that he then * Altliougli the town has been moved no less than four times, the last moving— in the year 1600, in conformity with orders sent from Spain dnring the viceroyalty of the Conde de Monterey — brought it back to its primitive site. 432 MEXICAN GUIDE. and there founded the name of the Villa rica de la Santa Vera Cruz — the Rich City of the Hoty True Cross. This town has been a great seaport, and, because of its dire unhealthf ulneas, the terror of seafaring men during the past three centuries. During the period preceding In- dependence the commerce of the port averaged $12,000,- 000 annually of importations, and $18,000,000 of expor- tations — the odd $6,000,000 being about the annual average of the royal revenue derived from New Spain. The exports, moreover, included merchandise from China and the East that was brought across the countr}^ In the last fifty years of the Spanish domination the export trade from Vera Cruz averaged upward of ^20,000,000 ; and when the country revived, after the revolution of 1810-21, the exports increased to $26,000,000. The opening of railway communication with the United States already has diminished greatly the commerce of the port (see p. 13). Medellin and Alvarado. An expedition from Vera Cruz that should be attempted only by very leisurely travellers, whose liking for queer things is stronger than their liking for personal comfort, is to Medellin and Al- varado. The first of these little towns, named by Cor- tes after his native town in Estramadura, is sixteen miles south of Vera Cruz, at the confluence of the rivers Jainapa and Atoyac. It is a favorite place of resort of the people of Vera Cruz, and aftbrds excellent baths. On the opposite side of the river, at Paso del Toro, begins the tramway to Alvarado, a little fishing-town on the right bank of the broad river Papaluapan, 53 miles south of Vera Cruz. The inhabitants of this town claim descent from the Spaniards who fought in the battle of Lepanto, and the anniversary of the battle is celebrated here as a great feast-day. From Medellin to Alvarado J ALA PA, 433 the tramway runs through a tropical jungle, and for the sake of this picturesque ride, and the odd incidents sure to occur by the wa3',^he journey is to be made. At Alvarado there is a forlorn little hotel, kept by Miguel Vives, where the night may be passed. XV. JALAPA. Practical InformatSon. In making the expedition to this delightful town a full day must be allowed for the journey from Vera Cruz, and another for the return. (See Mexican Eailway.) The hotels in Jalapa — Mexi- cano and Veracruzano — at either of which the rate is J2 a day, are reasonably comfortable. A tramway ex- tends to Coatepec (fare, one reM). A more romantic way of getting to this very picturesque little town is to walk or ride hj the old road leading to it from Jalapa through the forest, a distance of six or seven miles. Coming out from this tree-covered pathway, the traveller sees one of the great views of the w^orld : the valley of Coatepec, and over this the Cofre de Perote and Orizaba — from snow- peaks to hot lands at a glance. In the east a faint blue line shows where the sea is. Site and Characteristics. Jalapa is a city of 14,000 inhabitants, in the State of Vera Cruz, at a distance of 70 miles b}' tramway from Vera Cruz, at an altitude of 4,300 feet above the level of the sea. The city is a curious, old-fashioned place — old-fashioned even in Mexico, where the fashion of everything is old — with streets as refresh- ingly crooked and irregular as they are picturesque and miraculously clean. It lies upon undulating ground, on the slope of the hill of Macuiltepec ; most of its streets 28 484 MEXICAN GUIDE. are very steep ; its houses are iu the old, heavy Spanish style, with windows almost flush with the pavement, defended by iron bars. In the^ background of the city, over hills and ravines and lesser mountains, is seen the great Cofre de Perote (the white mass of porphyry, re- sembling a chest, whence its name of cofre, showing upon its dark side) ; and towering above all is the snow- peak of Orizaba. The city is famous throughout Mex- ico for the exceeding beauty of its women and of its situation. From these, its pleasing characteristics, arise the saying that Jalapa is a part of heaven let down to earth, and the jDroverb : Las Jalapenas son halagiienas — " bewitching, alluring are the women of Jalapa." A less pleasing characteristic, its frequent daj's of mist and rain — at once the cause of, and a very serious drawback upon the enjoyment of, its green loveliness — has given rise to 3'et another saying hereabouts. During these melancholy days the Jalapeiio, muffled in his zarape and smoking dismally, mutters: '' Ave Jfaria j^ici^isimay que venga el sol ! " — Holy Virgin, let the sun shine ! The probability of sad weather therefore must be considered in deciding upon making the excursion. The best- known product of Jalapa is the "jalap" of old-fashioned medical practice that hereabouts abounds. The government j^alace on the Plaza Mayor is a some- what pretentious building that is chronically at odds with its surroundings. The theatre is small, but built in good taste. The Cartographical Institute is the centre of the Ordnance Survey. The completed State map of Puebla is a satisfactory earnest of what may be expected from this useful and well-managed institution. The cathedral (consecrated as such November 18, 1864), small and ill-shaped, formerly was the parish church ol -Nuestra Seiiora de la Concepciou ; founded in the six- JALA PA. 435 teeiith century, and rebuilt in 1773. A new cathedral is in course of erection. The Franciscan estp.blishment, closed long before the passage of the Laws of the Re- form, was founded by Cortes, and the first chur«h was finished in 1555. From the roof of this building there is a very fine view. San Juan de Dios also is a very ancient foundation. The hospital formerly attached to this establishment now^ is administered by the munici- pality. Other churches which may be visited are oan Hipolito, a foundation of 1641 ; the Beaterio of San Francisco de Sales, founded about 1750 ; San Jose, erected in 1770, and the Calvario, founded in 1805. But the peculiar charm of Jalapa is not its churches nor its few old buildings, but the beautiful natural scenery amidst which it lies. In addition to the trip to Coate- pec, mentioned above, an expedition, on horseback, should be made to the town of Jilo tepee, lying in the bottom of a deep valley, about seven miles away. Jalapa (meaning "place of w^ater and sand") was an Indian town at the time of the Conquest ; and because of its j)osition on what, for a long while, was the main road between Vera Cruz and the City of Mexico it early became a place of importance. After the organization of the Republic it was for a time capital of the State of Vera Cruz. Between the years 1720 and 1777 a great annual fair was held here for the sale of the goods brought yearly by the fleet from Cadiz ; whence is de- rived the name Jalapa de la Feria, frequently applied to the city in documents of the last century. 480 MEXICAN UUIDE. XVL ORIZABA. Practical Information. A tramway extends from the station into the town, passing the doors of the hotels. Fare, Qt\ cents. The two hotels — La Borda (Engiish spoken) and the Diligencias — are very fair ; both clean, with comfortable beds and good food ; both command very beautiful views ; at both the rate is $2 a day, with a considerable reduction for terms of a week or longer. The starting-point of the lines of tram-cars is close to the hotels. One line extends to the railway station ; another (cars marked Dolores) traverses the town ; and a third (cars every hour — running time, twenty-five minutes) extends to the pretty suburb of the Yngenio, and thence, a little beyond, to the Nogales station on the Mexican Railway. Travellers with only hand-bag- gage can take the car to the Yngenio an hour before the train from Vera Cruz is due ; alight in front of the church at Yngenio ; see this, the mill, and. the pretty lake, and then, at the Nogales station, take the train for the City of Mexico. On the line of this tramway, just outside the garita, is the pretty Angostura garden, where strawberries and flowers may be bought. Another l^leasant expedition, an hours drive, is to the Cascade in the Rincon Grande. Three hours beyond the Rincon Grande is the finer cascade of Tuxpango. Other falls in the vicinity of the town are near the Barrio Nuevo, and at Santa Ana. Orchids abound in this region. In the course of these suburban expeditions, victims of the orchid habit can collect many rare varieties. Site and Characteristics. Orizaba is a town of 15,000 inhabitants, in the State of Vera Cruz, on the line of the Mexican Railway, 82 miles from Vera Cruz, ORIZABA. -iTi 181 miles from the City of Mexico, at an elevation of 4,000 feet above the level of the sea. The town lies in a little valle}' surrounded by very fine mountains. The peak of Orizaba, hoAvever, cannot be seen, save a tiny strip of glittering white over the crest of the Cerro de la Esca- mela, and even this only from the upper rooms of the Borda. The other surrounding hills are : the Borrego, where a cross marks the burial-place of the French soldiers killed in the affair of June 13-14, 1860 ; the Eanchito de Cristo ; Jalapilla ; San Juan del Rio ; the Rincon Grande ; and La Perla. The town is composed, for the most part, of low houses with red-tiled roofs ; it is crossed by two small streams, and by the little river Orizaba (through a rocky ravine filled with tropical plants), all of which unite near by in the Eiver Blanco. There is a pretty little alameda, adorned wdtli a monu- ment to the patriot Ignacio de la Llave, a notable bene- factor to this town, erected in 1877 ; a trim little plaza, upon which faces the handsome theatre ; a market, made up of many little sheds (the market-day is Thurs- day), where excellent fruit may be bought. Just north of the alameda is the Escuela Modela, occupying the buildings used for the exposition in 1881. Churches. Santa Teresa, formerly El Calvario, is the oldest foundation in the town. Primitively this w^as the parish church, and the first building was a little house thatched with strav/. The Calvario (adjoining the church proper, and no longer in use) was erected in 1564, being the first church of stone built in this town. Here Bishop Palafox y Mendoza, in 1642, placed the Santa Cristo that still (being now in the adjacent new church, erected in 1833) is greatly venerated. The present parish church, dedicated to San Miguel, is a large and handsome building, standing in a great stone- 438 MEXICAN GUIDE. paved atrium, and presenting an admirable architectural effect in mass. The interior, spoiled in part by unduly large pillars, is heavy ; all the beautiful old altars were taken away in 1834 ; the walls are covered with crude, cold color, api^lied in tasteless design. From the north- ern side projects the large chapel of the Corazon de Jesus, and from the southern the chapel of the Rosario. The organ was built by a lay brother of San Felipo Neri, Miguel Pizarro. In the sacristy is a magnificent chest of drawers, of ebony inlaid with ivory, in which the priestly vestments are stored. The church was begun in the last decade of the seventeenth century, and was finished about the year 1720. The tower was completed in 1732. It contains a clock, of French manufacture, erected in 1867. San Jose de Gracia (close by the hotels) is a large and imposing group of buildings comprehending the church proper, the chapel of the Tercer Orden, and the convent. This is a Fernandino foundation of 1793. The plans — not strictl}' followed — were prepared by Tolsa ; work v/as begun in 1802, and about 1810 the church was finished. The general effect of the interior is good architecturally ; but, being so recent an erection, there is an enth-e ab- sence of that quaintness and mellowness of age that in most Mexican churches is the essential charm. The frescos are by the elder Barranca, as are nearly all the other pictures. San Juan de Dios is a foundation of the early part of the seventeenth centur3\ At this time certain charitable townsmen of Orizaba, Don Pedro Mexia, Don Sebastian Maldonado, and Don Juan R-imon, feeling sad at heart because so many travellers coming from the fever-stricken coast fell ill in Orizaba, and died there because there was none whose business it was to care for them, found in ORIZABA. 4^y their souls the good desire to erect a- hospital within "which such sick wayfarers might be received. And this, with the approval of the Viceroy, given July 18, 1618, they did ; and the hospital, and with it a little church, was completed in the ensuing year and placed in the charge of the Hospitaller Brothers of San Juan de Dios. In 1696 an earthquake so injured the primitive church that a new church, that now existing, was built. In the exterior north wall of the transept is the date when the body of the church was completed, January 6, 1714. On the tower is the date November 12, 1738, when the tower was begun. The whole was finished, and was dedicated under the invocation of the Immaculate Con- ception, in the year 1763. This church, after having been closed for a number of j^ears, was reopened in 1873. The primitive liospital is a mass of ruins ; but the char- ity, under the direction of the Ayuntamiento, survives. Other churches which may be visited are the Carmen, Santa Gertrudis, San Miguel, and Guadalupe. The un- finished dome, seen from the railway station, pertains to an abortive chapel in the Campo Santo. In all the churches are pictures by Gabriel Barranco, an artist born in Orizaba, and w^hose life has been passed in his native town. His work, naturally, has many limitations ; but it possesses positive merits, when at its best, of color and drawing, and is most interesting in the character, as well as in the quality, of its expression. Its least successful feature is its composition. The groups are not well held together, and the lack of em- phasis upon a central figure tends to weaken the whole. An illustration of both his good and bad qualities is his " Christ Tormented," in the church of San Jose de Gracia, at the end of the west aisle. In the sacristy of this church his " House of Nazareth," in which there is much tenderness, shows — in such touches as the Mexican mat upon which the Child is seated, the dress of San Jose and the Virgin, the tea-pot on a shelf against the wall, the tools on the carpenter's bench — a genuine simplicity of feeling that certainly tends to anachronism, but that certainly is very lovable. This man's work is not an echo, but a continued embodiment of the art feeling of Italy and Germany (even more than of Spain) of three centuries ago ; and under conditions of isolation iden- tical with those under which lived and worked a very large number of the minor artists of that time. Senor Barranco, now a very old man, has been compelled by blindness to abandon his brushes ; but his son, Gabriel Barranco the younger, is an artist of much the same quality as his father. This young man very well may live to continue into the twentieth century a class of art work that distinctly belongs to the sixteenth. History. Orizaba is a Chichimec foundation that antedates the Conquest. Primitively it was known as Ahauializapan (meaning "joy in the water"); a very trying name, that has passed through these modifications : Aulicava, Ullizava, Olizava, Orizaba. Here Cortes left a small force on his march inland that, but for the lucky arrival of Sandoval, would have been massacred after his departure. Being above the fever level, this always has been a favorite resting-place on the journey up from the coast. It has been also a place of retreat during the summer for the people of Vera Cruz, as well as a pleasure resort in the winter for the people of the plateau. It was a favorite resort of Maximilian's. Although it must have been a place of some importance as early as the year 1553 (a document of that date mentioning the ex- istence of a flour-mill here, and so implying the pres- ence of a considerable Spanish population), it did not receive its charter as a town until the year 1774. The town several times was besieged during the War of In- dependence. In the night of June 13-14, 1862, a little force of one hundred French Zouaves surprised and routed, on the CeiTO del Borego, a Mexican force of be- tween four and five thousand men. XVIL PACHUGA AND REAL DEL MONTE. Practical Matters. A tramway extends from Irolo to Pachuca, a distance of 37 miles (first class fare, ^1.20). Cargadores will carry luggage from the railway station to the near-by Hotel de Diligencias for a real or two. The hotel is reasonably comfortable. Rate, $2 a day. Apart fmni the interest attaching to the mines hereabout, the scenery of this region is very fine — notably at Regla, where is a fine canon of basaltic formation. Taking Pachuca as a base, several days can be very pleasantly spent in making expeditions into the picturesque and interesting surrounding country. Site and Characteristics. Pachuca, capital of the State of Hidalgo, is a mining city of about 14,000 inhab- itants, 85 miles distant by rail from the City of Mexico, at an elevation of 8,000 feet above the level of the sea. The city lies in a basin, and the surrounding mountains everywhere are scarred wdth the openings of mines. On the hill to the north, the Cerro de la Magdalena, were the famous workings of the Rosario, Candado, and Xacal, all on the Analcos vein. The more important mine now in bonanza is the Santa Gertrudis. Li all, about eighty mines are clustered together here. In the district, the workings are more than two hundred and sixty. The city is very irregularly built ; the streets narrow, crooked. 4:-i2 MEXICAN GUIDE. and steep. The more important buildings are the Caja, a . handsome structure surmounted by towers, founded in 1G70 by Don Sebastian de Toledo, Marques de Mancera, as a treasury for the royal tribute received from the mines, and as the place of sale of quicksilver (a govern- ment monopoly) ; the Casa de Diligencias, fronting upon the Plaza of the Diligencias ; the Casa Colorada, built in the eighteenth century by the philanthropic Conde de ]\egla for a public granary. The aqueduct also was built by the Conde de Eegla, but the source of supply is de- fective, and Pachuca suffers greatly for want of water — though less since the spring of the Pefia Eedonda was made available in 1883. One of the several amalga- mating works should be visited. That of the Loreto, spanning the water-course that flows through the city, is most accessible and is the largest in this region. The Church of San Francisco, with its adjacent Chapel of the Tercer Orden, is a foundation of 1596. The existing church, erected under the patronage of Doila Beatriz de Miranda, was completed in the year 1660. In the chapel of the Tercer Orden lies buried Fray Cristobal de la. Cruz. The buildings formerly used as a missionary col- lege now are occupied by a school of mining engineering, for the practical training of graduates of the Mineria in the City of Mexico. The Feast of San Francisco, lasting from September 30th to October 8th, is celebrated with much enthusiasm, manifested in bull-fights, cock-fights, and general drunkenness. Sunday, the market-day, is celebrated in a very similar fashion. History. Shortly after the Conquest a shepherd dis- covered the rich silver workings here, and a mining camp at once sprang up that, about 1534, was made a town. Here was invented, in 1557, by Bartolomc de Medina, the so-called " patio process " for the amalga- PACHUCA AND HEAL DEL MONTE. 448 mation of silver ore. Among the more famous of the uncient mines was the Trinidad, whence was extracted $40,000,000 in silver in ten years. The period of the revolt against Spain, and of the subsequent civil wars, reduced the fortunes of the city to a very low depth. It was seized and sacked by I'evolutionists, April 23, 1812, when $300,000 worth of silver was taken from the Caja, and the records of the city were destroyed. Until 1850, its fortunes continued to decline, and its popula- tion greatly diminished. In this year the Rosario Mine came into bonanza — at once reviving the city's dormant prosj)erity. Real del Monte. This famous mining town is reached over the fine road, now deteriorated, built to it from Pachuca in the flush days of the English company. The town lies in a mountain-enclosed amphitheatre ; is brightened by gardens, and by cultivated patches on the surrounding slopes ; is a perfect labyrinth of narrow streets and narrower alleys, and is about as picturesque as a town well can be. The notable buildings are the great Maestranza, occupying an entire block, in which are the general offices, store-rooms, machine-shops, etc., of the mining company ; the similar edifice, though smaller, pertaining to the Ca3'etano mine ; the Presidio, in which were housed the convicts employed as laborers ; the Casa Grande, in which dwells the superintendent ; the parish church, and the church of the Vera Cruz. The general effect of the town — peaked-roof houses with chimneys, surrounding the works of the mine — is much more English than Mexican. Tlie chimneys are very necessar}^ for the elevation (9,100 feet) produces a chilly, damp atmosphere, much rain, and occasional snow. In the Cerro dc Judio is the English burying -ground, approached by a pretty causeway from the Dolores Mine. at r '-^1 444 MEXICAN GUIDE. In 1739 the Biscaj'an, Pedro Jose Romero cle Terre- ros, had acquu'ed a capital of 160,000 in mining in Que- retaro, and with this fortune set out for his home in Spain. On his way he passed through the Pachuca dis- trict, and was so impressed with the promise of the Real del Monte region* that he remained there and set about opening the mine. He spent his $60,000, and a considerable sum boiTOwed at a very high rate of inter- est, before he had any return. Then the mine came into bonanza, and between the years 1762 and 1781 yielded $12,500,000. Up to the year 1819 the mines had yielded upwards of $30,000,000. In this year they were abandoned, owing to the disturbed political condition of the country ; and a year or two later passed into the pos- session of a limited stock company organized in England under the name of the Real del Monte IVIining Company. The corporation took charge of the mines in July, 1824 ; and although the property was in a ruinous condition the company's shares, the par value for which was .£100, sold up to £16,000 in the coarse of the ensuing j-ear. Enormous sums were spent in putting the property in order — no less than 1,500 tons of machinery was packed up from the coast — and the entire management was marked by a reckless extravagance. The net result of the investment — when, in October, 1848, the company went into liquidation — was a deficit of $4,000,000. In all, silver to the value of $16,000,000 had been taken out ; but in carrying on the work $20,000,000 had been spent. A Mexican company was organized in 1850 that ac- quired the property and mining plant at an almost nominal sum, and that has earned very satisfactory re- turns. LOS REMEDIOS. 445 XVIII. LOS REMEDIOS. Practical Matters. This is a trj'ing expedition, in- volving an early start and a walk of more than three miles in the sun. The morning train is taken on the Mexican National Railway (coffee and bread can be pro- cured at the Colonia Station) to San Bartolome Naucalpan, fifteen minutes out. From the station walk noi-th through the httle town — stopping at tliQfonda, on the left hand side, to order breakfast to be ready against the return — to a railway track ; follow from this point the path lead- ing up the hill- side, to the left. As soon as the town is cleared, the sanctuary is in sight on the hill beyond. The view in the course of this walk is wonderfully fine. On the return, a very fair Mexican breakfast will be found ready at the fonda, costing four reales, with a good, very light, beer at one real the bottle. The spare time before the arrival of the train for Mexico can be employed in visiting the parish church. There is one good picture in this church — a dead Christ, with the Virgin, San Jose, Santa Ana, and San Joaquin — in the south transept, re- markable for the free use of gold in connection with the color. The Sanctuary. The high mass of buildings seen as the sanctuary is approached has much more the ap- pearance of a fortress than of a shrine. The large build- ing adjoining the church was erected at the charges of the Ayuntamiento of the City of Mexico for the housing of the resident clergy ; and for the accommodation of the gTeat dignitaries of the Church and State on the occa- sion of the annual festival, September 1st ; and on the oc- casions when these functionaries came to bring the holy 446 MEXICAN GUIDE. image in state to the city, that its aid might be invoked. The great cloister that surrounded the inner wall of the atrium was erected to shelter the Lidian pilgrims who slept in this open place. Almost all of this cloister now is in ruins, and all the buildings are falling into decay. The shabby facade of the church is simple and, there being but one small tower, rather lop-sided. Above the doorway is a sad little figure of the Virgin, bereft by time and weather of the bright colors that once made it a very gay little Virgin indeed. The interior is very bare, the pictures, illustrating the history of the Virgin, having been long since removed. The altar dates from about fifty years ago, and is not nearly so good as the altar that it replaced. The silver railings which enclosed the chan- cel took wings, together with the great silver maguey, the jewels, and the other substantial riches of the shrine, upon the adoption of the Laws of the Kef orai. In front of the chancel a small slab of Puebla onyx inserted in the floor bears the inscrijDtion : " This is the true spot where was found the most holy Virgin, beneath a maguey, by the Chief Don Juan de Aguila Tobar in the year 1540 ; [being the spot] where she said to him, in the times of her ap- pearance to him, that he should search for her." This slab, in 1796, replaced a pillar (now in the inner cloister) that had upon its top a little maguey in which was a caiw- ing of the image. Under the main altar the Cacique Don Juan is buried. The pictures in the sacristy are neither well painted nor interesting. In the ante-sacristy are the illustrations of the life of the Virgin that were inserted into the an- cient altar. In the ante-camarin are good paintings by Francisco de los Angeles (1699) of the Twelve Apostles. Here also is the veritable chest, according to tradition, in which the Indian chief souoht to make the imaiie a LOS KEMEDIOS. 447 prisoner, and from which it escaped and came back to this hill. The camarin has a roof of very elegant stucco work, but not to be compared, in its cold whiteness, with the splendor of the camarin at Ocotlan. It is here, to favored visitors, that the holy image is shown — a little wooden figure, about eight inches long, coarsely carved, lacking one eye and a part of the nose, and very dark brown with age. In its arms is the tiny figure of the Child. A few pearls, small ones, still are left for the Vir- gin's adornment ; but her great treasures, including her rich vestments, have been carried away. Even the lamps upon the altar, once silver, now are tin ! In the shrine mth the image is preserved, in a silken case, the gourd — many times broken, and held together by bands of iron and of brass— in which the good Indian offered the holy image food to content her with his house and keep her with him. The Water-works. It is the especial function of this Virgin to bring rain ; but in the matter of supplying her own chosen abode with water she has manifested a reprehensible carelessness. For the purpose of bring- ing water to the sanctuary, the great aqueduct, the tank upon the hill-side above, and the two water-towers, were built at the charges of Don Alonzo Tello de Guz- man, who began the work in the year 1620 and who, a few years later, completed it, together with the hand- some stone fountain near the entrance to the atrium, at a cost of $15,000 — a very small sum, even with Indian slave labor, for so great a work. But Don Alonzo's magnificent project was without result. According to Don Ignacio Carrillo y Perez, the official historian of the shrine, the aqueduct was a failure, "because the levels were not properly estimated, or because the con- duit was wrongly laid, or because the most Holy Virgin 448 MEXICAN GUIDE. wished that it should fail — to the end that those who visited her sanctuary might gain some merit by the trouble that they must take to satisfy their thirst." Yet this same historian states, upon the authority of " a most veracious person, a resident of this sanctuar}^" that the aqueduct was repaired, and that water did enter the fountain during the years 1723-24. And some support is given to his assertion by the fact (to which he does not refer) thnt upon the little water-tower, near the foun- tain, is a stone bearing a long inscription — all of which has become illegible, save the date, *' April, 1724." Legend and History. After leading a romantic and somewhat adventurous life in Spain, this holy image was brought to Mexico by Juan Rodriguez de Villafuerte, one of the soldiers of Cortes. During the first and peaceful occupation of the city of Tenochtitlan, now Mexico, it was permitted to be set up in a shrine upon the great Teocalli among the Ajtec gods. It was carried thence on the night of the retreat from the city, the Noche Triste, by Villafuerte ; when he, and all that was left of the army of Cortes, sought shelter in the temple of Otoncapulco, that stood upon the hill of Totoltepec, where now is the Holy Virgin's shrine. And by the tem- ple, being too sorely wounded to carry it farther, he hid the image beneath a maguey, and left it there. In the year 1540 a certain Indian chief, a Christian, Don Juan de Aguila Tobar — who also is known by his heathen name of Cequauhtzin — while hunting upon this same hill, beheld a vision of the Holy Virgin, who told him to search beneath a maguey for her image. And this happened not once but several times, and then the Indian found the image and took it to his home. But the image returned again to this hill. Then did he bring it again to his house, and in a dish made of a gourd LOS REMEDIOS. 449 set before it to eat tempting things. But the image re- sisted the food and returned to this hill. Then did he enclose the image in a great box, fastened with strong locks ; and to make the matter still more sure he slept upon the box's lid. But in the morning the image was gone, and he found it once more upon the hill of To- toltepec, beneath the maguey. Then he told to the Fathers of San Gabriel, in Tacuba, in which town he lived, of these strange things which had befallen him ; and these perceived that a miracle had been performed, and a sign given showing that on the hill of her choice the Virgin should have built a temple in her honor. And so it was done — and the more because the Virgin showed, by many other notable miracles, that she wished it so to be. The existing chui-ch, replacing a ruinous chapel, was erected a.t the charges of Don Garcia Albornos, Obrero Mayor of the City of Mexico. It was begun in May, 1574, and was finished in August, 1575. The vaulted roof and dome were added early in the seventeenth centuiy, the records showing that, after the completion of these im- provements, the church again was dedicated. May 25, 1629. The camarin was added, between the years 1692- 95, at the charges of Dr. Francisco Fernandez Marmo- lejo, Oidor of the Real Audencia, and his wife Dofia Francisca de Sosa ; a master workman in stucco being brought from Puebla expressly that he might do this work. Nuestra Senora de los Remedios was the Patroness of the City of Mexico, and was especially invoked in sea- sons of drought to bring rain ; but was invoked also when pestilence or other calamity fell upon the city. When her services were required she was brought into the city in most solemn state, even the Ai'chbishop and 29 450 MEXICAN GUIDE. the Viceroy following humbly in her train; and in the Cathedral, with splendid and impressive ceremonies, her aid was besought. With the Vkgin of Guadalupe this Virgin of Succor divided the highest religious hon- ors of the land. Her shrine was mag-nificent ; the value of her jewels and vestments was more than a million of dollars. Her downfall was the result of her entangle- ment in j)olitics. After the battle of Las Cruces, Octo- ber 30, 1810, when the Koyalist forces were driven back . to Mexico by Hidalgo, Our Lady of Succor was brought into the cit}^ with solemn ceremonies ; her aid w^as in- voked against the rebels, and she formally was made Generala of the armies of the king. She thus became the representative of the Spanish faction, as the Virgin of Guadalupe was representative of the Mexican. The feeling among the Mexicans grew so bitter against her that, when Independence was secui'ed, the order actually was issued — though it w^as not executed — for her banish- ment from the country ! Although the ill-feeling against her has lessened, La Gachupina, as she was derisively called, never has recovered her lost ground. The more notable festivals now celebrated in the church of Nues- tra Seiiora de las Remedios are the feast of her day, September 1st, and one peculiar to the Indians on the fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost. As this latter is mentioned by Vetancurt, it certainly has been obsei'ved for at least two hundred years. XIX. SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE. Practical Matters. The railway station is a little more than a mile from the town. Very ancient candages are on hand to meet arriving tmins, and will carry four SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE. 451 passengers or less to the hotel for ionrreales, and trunks for two 7^eales each. These carriages are available also for expeditions to Atotonilco, to which the rate should not exceed three, or at most, four dollars The Hotel Allende, on the little Plaza Mayor, is a handsome build- ing, dating from the early part of the last century. The rate here, hitherto, for board and lodging, has been fl.50 a day. This season the rate probably will be raised to two dollars a day. The hotel is reasonably clean, and the food, strictly Mexican, is by no means bad. The beds are ver}'- hard. A good Mexican-brewed beer is sold for one real the bottle. The baths, mentioned be- low, are among the most delightful in Mexico. Site and Characteristics. San Miguel de Allende is a city of 15,000 inhabitants in the State of Guanajuato, on the line of the Mexican National Railway, 254 miles from the City of Mexico (the present northern terminus of the southern division), at an elevation of 6,000 feet above the level of the sea. The city is built upon a de- clivity above the valley of the Laja, and beneath the mountain known as the Cen-o de Montezuma — concern- ing the enchantments of which mountain, until the great cross was put upon it, any well-informed citizen will be able, and glad, to convey much valuable information. The little plaza is terraced on its down-hill side, produc- ing, in conjunction with the great Gothic church that fronts upon it, and the arcades at its right, a very pict- uresque effect. In the southern subui'b of the to\^Ti are many beau- tiful gardens, made fertile by the water that flows from a great spring, the Chorro, on the hill-side above. The hill-side is laid out in terraced gardens, through which wind stone-paved paths and stairways ; and immediately about the spring are conveniently-arranged baths — 452 ]\tEXICAK GUIDE. slightly warm in winter, and in summer cool. From a mirador in front of the bath-houses a fine view of the town and of the valle}'^ and distant mountains be^^ond may be had. Churches. The parish church, dedicated to San Miguel, erected about the middle of the past centmy, now is in course of transformation into a Gothic edifice. This curious change was planned and has been carried on by a native of the town who has had no training as an architect, and whose working drawings for the most part have been traced on the ground where the stone-masons are at work. The front and towers are nearly finished, and, while the structure will not bear scrutiny, the gen- eral effect is excellent. The interior of the church re- mains as it was left after a severe course of renovation between the years 1840 and 1846. There is an interest- ing camarin in which is venerated a Crucifix known as the Seuor de la Conquiata. Beneath the main altar is a crypt in which distinguished ecclesiastics and civilians are buried. Adjoining the parish church is the church of San Eafael (the Santa Escuela) in which there are some curious figures of saints — notably of San Antonio Abad, in fine old Spanish costume, who having lost his primitive pig has had supplied in its place a most sinis- ter looking pig" of modern Mexican manufacture. Ves- pers, or any convenient service, should be heard in this church, the music being remarkabty fine. The Oratorio ' of San Felipe Neri was founded in San Miguel in the year 1712. The most beautiful thing in the city, one of the most beautiful things in all Mexico, is the chapel of the Casa de Loreto that is attached to this church. This ex- quisite creation, a jewel in carved wood, color, gilding, delicate metal-work and glazed tiles, was the gift, in the year 1G35, of the Sefior Don Manuel Tomas de la Canal SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE. 453 and the Seuora Dofia Maria Herras cle Flores, his wife — whose portraits are j)reserved in the Santa Casa. The palace in which this pious gentleman and his wife lived is now the Hotel Allende, and the very original decora- tion for a hotel — tlie figure of the Virgin of Loreto carved in stone over the main entrance — is a relic of these its former occupants. The family of Canal is now extinct in this line. In the rear of the Santa Casa is a shrine in which are the bones of San Columban, preserved in a wax body and greatly venerated. Several other churches are well worth looking at : the Concepcion, a part of the ex-convent of Capuchinas, still preserving its convent chapel separated from the church by a double iron grating, and containing, in a cloister, some very gTotesque pictures ; San Francisco, with its adjoining ex-monastery ; Nuestra Sefiora de la Soledad ; and three or four more. The chapel of the Calvario stands at the top of a very steep street, and below it, extending to the plaza, where the first is, are the four- teen Stations of the Cross. Sinners did penance in for- mer times by ascending this steep place upon their knees, stopping at each of the Stations to make the proper praj'er. Near to the Calvario is the little Beate- rio * of Santo Domingo, attached to which is a small church built on two levels — the chancel being a terrace above the nave — on the side of the hill. The space re- served for the beatas is partitioned from the body of the church by a wooden grating. In a dark, crooked pas- sage, partly cut through the hillside, uniting the church and the Beaterio, is a dark cell, formerly used for penance and correction. The primitive town of San Miguel was *A beateno is a community of women not vowed, not cloistered, not wearing the liabit of an order, but simply devoted to good works. 454 MEXICAN GUIDE. founded nearly three miles west of the present city ; and on this ancient site the first small church, known as San Miguel Viejo, is still in existence, being now upward of three hundred years old. On the crest of a high hill in the rear of the old town is an altar — that from below seems to be a watch-tower — where services are held on certain festival days. History. Local historians insist that San Miguel was founded by the Franciscan Fray Juan de San Miguel in the year 1542 — when w^as built the little church, a league westward of the town, now styled San Miguel el Viejo. Historians at large insist, and in this the}^ are right, that the formal foundation of the town was in the year 1560, under an order from the Viceroy Velasco to establish hereabouts an outpost against the Chichimec Indians. Both accounts are harmonized by the reason- able supposition that the Viceroy's post was placed close by the Franciscan mission. This city has an important place in the history of Mexican Independence. The eminent patriot Ignacio Allende was born here January 20, 1779 — from which fact his name was added to that of the town shortly after Independence was secured. Allende was with Hidalgo in Dolores and gave vigorous aid to the rising of September 16, 1810 ; and when Hi- dalgo marched to San Miguel, the Queen's regiment, to w^hich Allende belonged, then stationed there, was in- duced to join the revolt. Atotonilco. About ten or twelve miles north of San Miguel is the celebrated Santuario de Jesus Nazareno de Atotonilco, whence Hidalgo took the banner blazoned with the Virgin of Guadalupe that became the standard of Independence. Apart from its interesting historical associations, this very curious sanctuary is well worth a visit in itself. It was founded, in a place famous for MORELIA. 455 robberies and murders, by the venerable Father Felipe Neri de Alfaro, in the year 1748. There is a main church, dedicated to Jesus Nazareno, and five large chapels. Unfortunately, the interior of the church was renovated in the year 1849. Pictures by Ibarra and Rodriguez Juarez still are in place. XX. 3I0RELIA. Practical Matters. A tramway extends from the railway station into the city, passing the doors of the hotels. Fare, %\ cents. Trunks, two reale^ each — with a trifle to the servant who brings them from the car to the bedchamber. The new Hotel Oseguera promises to be one of the most comfortable hotels in Mexico. Very fair quarters and food will be found also at the Hotel de Michoacan. At either the rate is |2 a day and upward, according to size and location of room. The nearest baths to the hotels (unless baths should prove to be a part of the Oseguera establishment) are those of the Soledad. Better baths, in the eastern suburb, are those of the Bosque and Recreo. The post-office is in the third block east from the southeastern corner of the cathedral. Morelia is famous for its dulces — jams of guava, peach, pear, and other fruits. These may be bought in the shops on the main plaza. The curious lacquered-ware of Uruapam may be bought in a house diagonally across and north from the post-office, in the street running east and west ; where also may be bought the famous Uruapam coffee. An excellent guide-book to Morelia (for sale for six redes in the bookstores on the main plaza) has been prepared by Senor Lie. Juan de la Torre. Even persons who do not read Spanish will 456 MEXICAN GUIDE. do well to purchase this book because orf its accompau}'- iiig map. Site and Characteristics. Morelia, capital of the State of Michoacan, is a city of about 30,000 inhabitants, on the line of the western division of the Mexican Na- tional Railway, 235 miles from the City of Mexico, at an elevation of 6,200 feet above the level of the sea. It is built upon a hill that rises in the midst of a lovely val- ley, is very clean, very dry, has an equable and delight- ful climate, and in general and in detail is one of the most thoroughly satisfying cities in Mexico. At the peak of the town is the cathedral, standing between the gardens in the plazas of the Martyrs, to the west, and of La Paz, to the east. From this central elevation the streets descend in all directions toward the encircling meadows. There are several minor plazas, and in the eastern suburb — reached by tramway or, more satisfac- tority, on foot along the picturesque causeway of Gua- dalupe — is the charming Paseo de San Pedro. At the northeast comer of this park, beyond the recently reno- vated chapel of San Pedro, is the ruinous chapel of the Concepcion — possibly the primitive church of Morelia, erected probably in 1541. To the east of the park are the foundations of the State Penitentiary, modelled uj)on the plan of the Eastern Penitentiary of Pennsylvania. This important work was begun in 1849 (under the law of De- cember 24, 1848), and was progressing in a very satisfac- tory manner when, in 1851, the Dictator Santa Anna confis- cated the fund of more than $100,000 reserved in the State Treasury for its prosecution. On the northern side of the city, near the cemetery of the Urdiales, is the abandoned Paseo de las Lechugas, and a partially completed stone bridge across an unfinished drainage-canal. This drain- age project came to an untimely end in 1869. The Cal- MORELIA. 457 zada de Guadalupe was begun in the year 1732, by Bishop Calatayud, in order to make an easy and a pleas- ant approach to the sanctuary of Guadalupe. It is a raised stone causeway (about forty feet broad and four- teen hundred feet long), with stone parapets and stone benches along its sides, shaded by double rows of elms. The causeway was much improved in the latter part of the last century. The oldest elms were planted in 1791 by the then Intendente, Don Juan Antonio de Riafio — who was slain when the city of Guanajuato was captured b}' Hidalgo. The water-supply of the city is derived from a sx3ring about four miles distant, whence the water is conduct- ed through a handsome stone aqueduct. This notable structure was erected in a year of famine, 1785, by the then Bishop of Michoacan, Fray Antonio de San Miguel Igiesias, in order to provide work, and so means to pro- cure food, for the starving people. Under the great arch of the aqueduct that spans the Calzada de Guadalupe is an inscription, in part illegible, commemorating this good bishop's charitable and useful work. The main pla/a, called of the Mart3a-s, is ornamented by a pretty garden, dating from 1870, and is surrounded on three sides by arcades. Here Matamoras was exe- cuted, February 3, 1840 ; a fact commemorated by a mural tablet in the centre of the arcade on the eastern side. The dismal name of the plaza is derived from the very unjust execution here, December 8, 1830, of a com- pany of revolutionists. The plaza on the eastern side of the cathedral, also adorned with a garden, is that of La Paz. The Plaza of San Francisco, in front of the church of that name, was created on the site of the former burial-place in 1860. The market is held here. The Palacio del Gobierno, fronting the cathedral, for- 458 MEXICAN GUIDE. merly was the Colegio Seminario. In this building are the chambers devoted to the State Government, the State archives, and a pubhc Hbrary (mainly from the library of the Colegio de San Nicolas) of 15,000 volumes. This building- was begun in 1732. It was occupied by the State Government in May, 1859. The house in which Morelos was born, September 30, 1765, marked by a commemorative tablet, is at the corner of the second block south from the cathedral. Continuing south on this same street to the first street on the left, and fol- lowing this one block, the house in which Morelos lived is seen. Here are preserved his portrait and the hand- kerchief that was about his head w^hen, after trial by ihe Inquisition, he was shot, December 22, 1815. The house in which Yturbide was born, September 27, 1783, is in the first block east of the cathedral, on the left. In the house midway in the block, on the south side of the Plaza de los Martires, the first secret meetings in favor of National Independence were held ; and in the house opposite the Hotel Oseguera a party of conspir- ators against the Spanish Government was captured in 1809. The Casa Municipal is in the second block west from the southwest corner of the plaza. The Ocampo Theatre is at the corner of the second block north from the northwest corner of the plaza. The bull- ring, one of the finest in the country, is in the block west of the end of the aqueduct. It is built entirely of stone, Avill seat 3,000 spectators, and cost $20,000. It was opened, with great ceremony, November 1, 1844. The hipodromo is in the street running east and west, two blocks south of the plaza. The Hotel Oseguera is in the building, materially modified, erected for an episcopal palace by Bishop Juan Ortega Montaiiez about the year 1685. When this handsome building was completed, MOKE LI A. 459 and was furnished at a great cost, there was some httle talk in Moreha about the propriety of a churchman's dwelHng in so much hixury. And this talk coming to the Bishop's ears, he straightway presented his palace to the brothers of San Juan de Dios that they might make of it a hospital ; and such it was for many years ! The hospital thus founded, now in the ex-convent of the Ca- jiuchinas, is maintained by the city government. Churches. The cathedral was founded in Tzintzun- tzan in the year 1538 ; was removed toPatzcuaro in 1540 ; and to Valladolid (now Morelia) by a decree of Novem- ber 9, 1579. What probably was the primitive cathedral building in this city, the present church of La Cruz, is a bare little place ; that is interesting, however, because of its agCo The jDresent cathedral was begun in 1640 ; and was dedicated, without the towers, in 1706. The organs were put in place in 1732 ; the towers were completed in 1744 ; the main altar and some of the side altars were rebuilt in 1845 ; the whole interior was I'epainted and regilt in 1880. The handsome iron railings and gates which enclose the atrium were erected in 1854. The silver railings, with silver images, candlesticks, and ves- sels, were removed from the cathedral, September 23, 1858, by the Federal Government. This act was in con- sequence of the refusal of the chapter to pay a contribu- tion of $100,000. The value of the property removed is estimated at about $400,000, exclusive of the value of the workmanshij). Even with tliis loss, the valuables remaining to the cathedral permit the mounting of the services with unusual magnificence. The exterior of the cathedral is impressive. On the north front rise two peculiarly l^eautiful and majestic towers. The isolation of the building — standing be- tween the plazas of the Martyrs and La Paz — greatly 460 MEXICAN GUIDE. adds to its commanding effect. The interior has lost its charm of antiquity ; but, the renovations having been effected in good taste, still remains strikingly magnifi- cent. The woodwork about the choir is especially fine. In the rich sacristy are some interesting paintings by Kodriguez Juarez. On the eastern side of the building, communicating with it, is the Sagrario, the head parish church of the diocese. Here is the silver font in which both Morelos and Yturbide were baptized. The church of San Francisco is a foundation of 1531. The existing church was erected early in the seventeenth century ; the nave being completed, probably, in 1610, which date may be read over the main portal. Unfortu- nately, the interior was renovated in 1828. Tradition af- firms that a secret passage leads from the vaults of San Francisco to a point in the meadows outside of the city. In order to make room for the market now in front of this chm-ch (opened May 5, 1872) the chapels of the Tercer Orden and Rosario, together with the fourteen chapels of the stations of the cross, were destroyed, and the ancient grave-yard was taken possession of. In the rear of the church is a ruinous little chapel in which, it is believed by a considerable faction, was celebrated the first mass. Another considerable faction believes that the first mass w^as celebrated in the ruined chapel of the Concepcion, east of the Paseo de San Pedro. The church of the Augustinians, a foundation of 1550, is dedicated to Nuestra Seiiora de Socorro, and contains an image of this Virgin, especially venerated because it was presented to this convent by San Tomas de Villa- mieva. The existing church was begun in 1650, and was finished a few years later. It had the misfortune to be renovated in the year 1838. In this church are preserved portraits of Fray Alonzo de la Vera Cruz, the founder MORELIA. 461 (1540) of the University of Tiripiti'o and (1552) of the University of Mexico ; of Fray Juan Bautista, "the Apos- tle of the Tierra Caliente," who died December 20, 1567 ; and of the eminent chronicler Diego Basalenque, who died in Charo in the year 1651. The sanctuary of Gau- daliipe, built in the year 1708, adjoins the ex-monastery of San Diego (now a hospital). The church was enlarged in 1776, and the main altar, by the architect Nicolas Luna, was erected about the year 1815, The organ is in a richly carved case, and the organ-loft is upheld by caryatides admirably carved. The chains which fence off the atrium of this church formerly were used as shackles for prisoners in the chain-gang, until the constitution of 1857 did away with this and all other infamous punish- ments. The Carmen, a very handsome building, dating from 1596 (renovated 1839), contains some notable pict- ures by Juan and Nicolas Juarez, and a portrait of Bishop Palafox y Mendoza, by Cabrera. The Com- pania, including the college that was a part of the Jesuit foundation, is a mass of buildings very rich archi- tecturally. The existing church dates from 1681 ; but the isolated tower is almost a century older (the date 1582 still may be deciphered upon it) and pertained to the first church built here. The college buildings are used for a trade-school. Other churches which may be visited are Santa Catalina de Sena, Las Teresas, and the Capuchinas, all of which jDcrtained to convents of nuns ; the Merced and San Jose. Colegio de San Nicolas. This is the oldest exist- ing collegiate institution in Mexico. It was founded in Patzcuaro, by Bishop Quiroga, in the year 1540, and w^as translated to Valladolid (now Morelia) when, in 1580, that city became the seat of the See of Michoa- can. It was then consolidated, October 10, 1580, with 462 MEXICAN GUIDE. the college established in Valladolid before 1566, by Fray Juan de San Miguel. A royal order of November 23, 1797, established in the college a law-school. The institution was involved in the troubles incident to the war of independence, and from 1810 until 1847 was closed. In this latter year, through the efforts of Don Melchor Ocampo, it was reopened ; but was closed again during the Dictatorship of Santa Anna, and during the reign of Maximilian. The injuries done to the college building during the French occupation compelled its rebuilding. The college was reopened in temporary quarters March 16, 1869, and took possession of its new building, on the ancient site, in May, 1882. In the col- lege the portrait of Bishop Quiroga is preserved. One of the first pupils in this institution was Don Antonio Huitzimengari y Mendoza, son of the Calzontzin (see Patzcuaro) so cruelly murdered by Munoz. In later times it included among its pupils Morelos and Ytur- bide. Baths of Coincho. These baths are upon the line of the railroad about ten miles out from Morelia, in a very picturesque region. The waters issue from the ground at almost 100° Fahr. There are no conveniences for bathing — even towels must be taken along — and pro- visions must be carried from Morelia, for nothing to eat can be bought. History. The City of Valladolid, now Morelia, was founded, May 18, 1541. In this year, according to the Augustinian chronicler Fray Diego Basalenque, " the Viceroy Mendoza found a very charming (muy Undo) site for a city, having the seven qualities which Plato de- clares such a site should have ; and there he founded a city with the name of his own country, Valladolid, join- ing together some of the most noble people that were PATZCUAKO a:n^d tzixtzuntzan. 463 to be found iu all the earth to be its citizens, so that at once a small but very noble city was there." It is very certain that no one having any knowledge of the beauty of Morelia, and of the " hidalgma " of its kindly inhabitants, will deny that it is a small but very noble city even until this day. Morelia suffered greatly during the revolutionary war, and at this period its population fell from upward of 20,000 to less than 3,000 souls. In honor of the patriot Morelos, the name of the city was changed from Valla- dolid to Morelia by an Act of the Legislature of Mi- choacan of September 12, 1828. XXL pAtzcuaro and tzintzuntzak Practical Matters. A coach carries passengers from the railway station into Patzcuaro at a charge of two reales, and baggage is brought in at the rate of two reales for each piece. The Hotel Concordia is the more desirable, but the beds are very hard, and the food is poor. At the Hotel Quiroga the food is a trifle better, but the rooms are not so good. The rate at either hotel, for food and lodging, is %2 a day for the better rooms. On " fish days," Tuesday and Friday, the excel- lent fish from the lake usually are served. Horses may be hired for the expeditions to Tzintzuntzan, Uruapam, and other points of interest, from Seilor Pablo Plata. The hiring of canoes on the lake can be accomplished through the landlord of either of the hotels. It is probable that by January a steamboat will have been launched upon the lake — to the detriment of the pictu- resque, but providing an easy way of getting to man}' in- teresting points which now are accessible only to robust 464 MEXICAX GUIDE. travellers. Patzcuaro should be visited early in the win- ter. As the rainy season approaches the atmosphere be- comes thick, and this obscurity is increased b}' the numerous fires of charcoal-burners, to the serious injury of the landscape effect. Site and Characteristics. Patzcuaro (meaning in the Tarascan tongue " place of delights " ) is a city of 8,000 inhabitants, in the State of Michoacan, at the pres- ent western extremity of the Mexican National Railway, 274 miles from the City of Mexico, at an elevation of 7,200 feet above the level of the sea. It is built upon hilly, broken ground, the streets are narrow and crooked, and the general effect is picturesque to a degree. There is a pretty central plaza surrounded by arcades, several minor plazas, and within the city are included upward of fifty blocks of houses. A considerable trade is trans- acted here between the plateau eastward and the hot country below to the west. The local market, held on Friday, always is interesting. Hammered cop^^er vessels, feather pictures, very small carvings in bone, and micro- scopic work-boxes (little affairs of an inch or inch and a half long, properly fitted inside, and provided with lock and key), are among the products of the place, of which specimens should be secured. The city is sup- plied with water from an abundant spring, which, ac- cording to tradition, gushed forth from the rock struck by Bishop Quiroga with his staff. The facts that an altar was built over the spring, and that the staff still is pre- served in the cathedral in Morelia, attest the truth of this tradition. From the Hill of the Calvario, at the place known as Los Balcones, or Las Sillas, where stone seats have been placed by the Ayuntamiento, there is a very lovely view — the irregular city, the lake, with its three islands, its forty-seven surrounding towns, and its gTeen PATZCL ARO AND TZINTZUNTZAN. 465 shores ; n,nd in the background the tree-clad mountains. The path to this charming place is the causeway leading- past the fourteen stations of the cross to the church of the Calvario. A very good view of the lake also may be had from just in the rear of the Hotel Concordia. Churches. Upon the removal hither of the seat of the See of Michoacan, Bishop Quiroga set about building a cathedral of very great size. License for this work was given by Julian III., in a bull published, July 8, 1550, and construction was pushed rapidly. Unfortunately, the ground upon which the building was placed proved to be unstable beneath the great weight, for which reason the project was abandoned. Only the nave was finished ; and this, the seat of the See having been re- moved to Moreha, now is the parish church. It will hold 3,000 people. This building was badly shaken by the earthquake of April 7, 1845, and again by that of June 19, 1858. While the great cathedral was in course of erection, the seat of the See was the church that subsequently be- came the Compaiiia. It was at the request of Bishop Quiroga, made direct to Loyola, that the Jesuits came to Mexico — although their actual arrival was not until after his death. Very properly, therefore, in this church that he founded and that the Jesuits subsequently occupied, is his sepulchre. In the altar on the evangel side (left side on entering) his bones are preserved in wrappings of silk. The figure of Nuestra Sefiora de la Salad, made by order of Bishop Quiroga, is preserved in the church dedicated under this advocation. The exist- ing church, built at the end of the seventeenth century, pertained to the richest nunnery in Patzcuaro, and was exceedingly curious and interesting. Unfortunately, it was renovated in 1845. Other churches which may be 30 466 MEXICAN GUIDE. visited are San Agustin (close by the Hotel Concor- dia), a foundation of 1576, the existing church dating from the latter part of the seventeenth century ; San Juan de Dios, founded about 1650, but renovated in 1841 (the hospital is maintained by the municipality) ; San Francisco, founded by Fray Martin de Coruna, " the apostle of Michoacan," and containing his tomb ; Guada- lupe, built at the beginning of the present century. The interesting chapel of the Humilladero — rather more than a mile from the Plaza Mayor, on the road coming from Morelia— marks the spot where the Indians received peacefully the first Spaniards that ever were in these parts. Lake Patzcuaro is a body of fresh water nearly twenty miles long by ten miles broad. It encircles three islands : Xanicho, with a population of upward of 1,000 ; Xaracuaro, with a population of about 100, and Pacanda, on which are a few families. All of this island popula- tion, together with the greater portion of the dwellers upon the mainland near the lake, is supported by fish- ing. Xanicho is a progressive little community, main- taining schools for girls and for boys, and boasting a queer little church, San Geronimo. In the year 1791 a feliica (sprit-rig sail-boat) was put upon the lake to serve as a model for the Indians ; and in 1857 a six-oared barge was placed here with the same laudable purpose. But the Indians, while expressing abstract approval of these fine craft, continued to use their canoes. The little steam-boat, put in commission in 1888, makes the circuit of the lake daily, starting at 7 a.m. and returning about 5.30 P.M. (Excursion $1). The landing at Tzintzuntzan is bj^ canoe. Tzintzuntzan (an imitative name : the sound of humming-birds, which abound here). By trail or boat, PATZCUAEO AND TZINTZIINTZAN. 467 this town is about 15 miles from Patzcuaro. The ride is a hard one. Provisions must be carried along, for there is not even ^fonda in the town. Tzintzuntzan was the capital of Michoacan in the time of the Tarascan chieftaincy. Its population before the Conquest is stated at 40,000 souls. Its present pop- ulation is less than 2,600. The town, built of adohe, straggles over two low hills lying close to the eastern edge of the lake. With the translation in 1540 of the seat of the See of Michoacan to Patzcuaro, the importance of the town vanished and it rapidly fell into decay. The Franciscan establishment here was closed in 1740, and all that now remains of the convent is a ruined cloister, in the midst of which is a tangled garden. Near by is an orchard of extraordinarily large olive-trees, planted here three centuries and a half ago ; and beneath the olive-trees is the ancient burial-place. The chapels of the Tercer Orden and the Hospital still exist, though falling into ruin ; and the convent church, a bare, shabby place, is in a little better order only because it has been made the parroquia. The one industry of the little town is potting, and the potteries will be found worth a visit. In the forlorn Casa Municipal is an interesting picture of the Calzontzin Sinzicha receiving Christian- ity. Excavations w^ere undertaken here in 1855 by Father Aguirre, with the result of laying bare the beginning of a subterranean passage. Without any acts of violence, but simply by filling up the excavated place, the Indians put a stop to the further progress of the work. The only really important point of interest in Tzin- tzuntzan — seeing which more than balances all the diffi- culties and discomforts of making the expedition even on horseback — is the picture in the sacristy of the par- ish church : an Entombment, attributed to Titian. Sur- 468 MEXICAN GUIDE. rounding the dead Christ are the Virgin, Magdalen, Saint John, and seven other figures, all life-size. The tradition concerning this picture asserts positively that it is by Titian, and that it was sent to Bishop Quiroga by Philip n. — and in substantiation of this assertion the figure at the extreme right, in the background, is pointed to as that of the royal donor. Intrinsic evidence sup- ports the tradition. The extraordinarily fine color, the composition, the grouping, the attitudes of the individual figures, the treatment of the lights and shades, and the quality of the bit of landscape in the background, all seem to indicate Titian as the master. An effort on the part of the Archbishop of Mexico to purchase this work was unsuccessful. The Indians absolutely refused to per- mit the picture to be taken away. Iguatzio. This little town lies close to Tzintzim- tzan, with which it communicates by a well-paved road. It is remarkable because of its many prehistoric re- mains : A pyramid that now serves as a plaza de annas; the remains of a fortress or tower ; sepulchres from which ornaments, idols, arms, and implements of various sorts have been taken. Two timbered subterranean passages found here remain unexplored. Tradition de- clares that they communicate wdtli the passage discov- ered in TzintzQutzan in 1855. The paved surface road- way between the two towns also antedates the coming of tlie Spaniards. History. After the conquest of the Valley of Mexico, embassies jDassed betw^een Cortes and the Tarascan Cal- zontzin (i.e., chief) Sinzicha ; and in the end the Tarascan ruler begged that Cortes would send him teachers to teach his people how to worship the powerful Christian gods. And missionaries went to them, and many of them became Christians ; and all were inclined to listen to the preaching PATZOUAKO AXD TZIXTZUNTZAN. 469 of the Christian faith. The end of this good order of things came through the evil acts of Nino de Guzman. This man, the President of the first Audencia, came into Michoacan at the head of an army, with which he had set out for the conquest of JaHsco. He levied upon the Calzontzin for 10,000 men and much treasure. The men were provided ; but the tribute to the Spaniards having almost exhausted the chief's treasury, very little treasure could be brought. Guzman believed that the treasure was being concealed from him. Therefore he burned the Calzontzin to death ; and other horrid tort- ures he applied to other chiefs. And the people, mad- dened with terror, fled from their homes to the moun- tains and refused at all to return. To remedy the many evils done in Mexico by the firrst Audencia, for the ill-doing was not confined to JMichoacan, the Emj)eror Charles V. selected very care- fully the members of the second Audencia from among the wisest and best men of Spain. And one of its mem- bers was an eminent lawyer, the Licenciado Yasco de Quiroga. Being come to Mexico, and hearing of the condition of things with the Tarascan Indians, Don Vasco himself went, in the year 1533, to the dej^opulated towns ; and wdth an admirable patience and gentleness and love, prevailed at last upon the terror-stricken In- dians to have faith in him and return to their homes. The Bishopric of Michoacan then was founded, and this mitre — having been renounced by Fray Luis de Fuen- salida — was offered to Quiroga, though he was then a layman, by the Emperor Charles V. Therefore Quiroga took holy orders, and, having been raised quickly through the successive grades of the priesthood, was consecrated a bishop, and took possession of his See in the church of San Francisco in Tzintzuntzan, August 22, 1538 ; being 470 MEXICAN GUIDE. himself at this time sixty-eight years old. As bishop he completed the conquest through love that he had be- gun while yet a layman. He established schools of let- ters and the arts ; introduced the manufacture of copper ware and other metal working ; imported from Spain cattle and seeds for acclimatization ; founded hospitals : and established the first university (San Nicolas, now in Morelia) that ever was in New SjDain. This holy man died at XJruapam, while engaged upon a diocesan visi- tation, on the evening of Wednesday, March 14, 1565, being nearly ninety-six years old. To this day his per- sonality is a living force in Michoacan ; his name is rev- erenced, his memory is loved. The City of Michoacan was founded by a royal order given, February 28, 1534, by the Emperor Charles V., and the territory over which this city had jurisdiction included both Tzintzimtzan and Patzcuaro. In all an- cient documents the two towns are referred to as a single city. In moving the seat of his See, therefore, Bishop Quiroga did not go outside of the chartered limits of the City of Michoacan. Very little of Tzintzimt- zan was left after the migration, for the colony that was planted in Patzcuaro consisted of twenty families of Spaniards, and upward of 30,000 Tarascan Indians. The seat of the See was translated finally to Yalladolid (now Morelia, which see) by a decree of November 9, 1579. XXII. 3I0NTEREY. Practical Matters. A tramway extends from the railway station to the Plaza Mayor, fare 6^ cents. Carriages may be hired at the station for four reales for I four passengers or less. Trunks can be brought in on MONTEIJEY. 471 carriages for two reales ; or may be sent in on a cart for the same price. (Travellers arriving by the night train probably will find these prices materially increased, and will have to make as good a bargain as the circumstances of the case will allow.) The least objectionable of the hotels is the Hidalgo ; the next least objectionable is the Yturbide. At either the transient rate is f2.50 a day. The only baths in the city, very poor ones, are those of the Refugio, costing two reales. Carriages, of a shaky sort, may be hired for four reales the hour ; or six reales the hour on Sundays and feast-days. A tramway extends east and west through the city — up the Calle del Dr Mier and down the Calle de Comercio — passing close beneath the hill on which stands the Obispado Viejo. Fare each way, 6^ cents. The tramway between the Plaza Mayor and the railway station connects at the lat- ter point with the tramway to Topo Chico. Running- time to railway station, 30 minutes ; thence to Topo Chico, 40 minutes more. Through fare, 18f cents. The Hot Baths. At Topo Chico, about three miles north of the railway station, are hot baths reputed to possess valuable curative qualities in nervous, rheumatic, and other diseases. The temperature in the tabs is about 100° F. A small hotel, at which the transient rate is $2.50 a day (a considerable reduction is made for terms of a week or longer), has been opened here, and a bath-house has been erected — the latter well appointed, save that the tubs are made of wood. Tub baths cost f oui- 7'eales ; tank baths, two reales. Site and Characteristics, Monterey, cajoital of the State of Nuevo Leon, is a city of about 20,000 inhabitants, on the line of the Mexican National Railway, 172 miles southwest of Laredo, at an elevation of 1,800 feet above the level of the sea. Although invaded by an American 472 mexicajS" guide. Colony, this city still is essentially Mexican ; and a traveller who cannot take time for a long* journey into Mexico readily may obtain here in a week or a fort- night a very good notion of Mexican manners and cus- toms, as well as a comforting association with the roman- tic and picturesque. The city is built upon broken ground in the midst of a great plain, from which rises on the east the Cerro de la Silla (4,149 feet) and on the west the Cerro de las Mitras (3,618 feet). To the south is the magnificent sweep of the Sierra Madre. A spur of the Mitras juts out above the city to the west, and on this is perched commandingly the building known as the Obispado Viejo. In the very heart of the city is the great spring, the Ojo de Agua. The little Plaza Mayor is a charming garden, in the midst of which is a quaint fountain. Fronting upon the plaza is the handsome ca- thedral, and near by is the ancient church of San Fran- cisco — where, in the old convent garden, grows a single stately palm. Northwest of the city is a neglected ala- meda ; beyond this the curious Campo Santo, and in this vicinity are bushy lanes very pleasant either for w^alking or riding. Along the highway leading west from the city are many charming countrj^ places — casasde recreo : houses standing in great gardens fed by abundant water and full of fruit and flowers. In the northeastern quarter of the city is the bridge of the Puri'sima, on which there w\as some sharp fighting in 1816. The more important build- ings, aside from the churches, are : The Casa Municipal, on the west side of the Plaza Mayor ; the Episcopal Palace, just south of the cathedral ; the State Government build- ing ; the large theatre. The bull-ring is merely a shed. West of the city, on a spur of the Mitras, is the building mentioned above, the old Episcopal Palace ( Obispado Viejo). This very picturesque building, now occupied as an artil- MONTEREY. 473 lery barrack and falling into decay, was erected between the years 1782-90 by Bishop Verger ; not as his formal abiding-place, but as a i^alacio de recreo — where his Epis- copal dignity might unbend a little, and where, after his labors, he might find refreshment and ease. North of the city is a ruinous mass of buildings known as " the black fort." Here was begun, about 1792, the first ca- thedral. The site was abandoned for that occupied by the existing cathedral ; and upon the available founda- tion was reared the Citadel at the time of the American invasion. Churches. The cathedral is a modern structure, begun in the last decade of the last century and conse- crated July 4, 1833. It never was remarkable for the richness of its decorations, and its various injuries and losses in war times have left it still more bare. At the time of the American attack upon the city it was used as a powder-magazine — and only a series of lucky acci- dents saved it, amidst the bursting shells, from being- blown into fragments. The building is very massive, and its exterior effect, while rather heavy, is decidedly impressive. The oldest religious foundation in the citj- probably is the church of San Francisco, that dates, pos- sibly, from 1560 ; and that certainly was not founded later than 1596. Upon the site of the primitive church building is a ruinous structure that dates from the early part of the seventeenth, century ; and adjoining this is the existing church, dating from 1730. The convent now is the city jail. The church of Nuestra Seilora del Eoble, in which the miraculous image of Our Lad}^ of the Oak is enshrined, is a large and handsome building, begun in the year 1855, and as yet not quite completed. In the convent of the Caridad, now occupied by an ad- mirably organized charity school, is an unfinished clois- 474 MEXICAN GUIDE. ter with very elegnnt hanging key-stones. The convent of the Capuchinas now is used as a hospital. South of the city, on the foot-hills of the Sierra, are the chapels of Guadalupe and Lourdes — the last completed in 1882. Excursions. Garcia, or Pesqneria, 20 miles south of Monterey by rail, is a very picturesque little adohe town. Near by are two notable caves, which may be visited in company with Sefior Sanchez, a trustworthy guide. Pj'o- visions should be carried along, as there is no fonda . in Pesqueria. The Potrero, a meadow surrounded by very high mountains and reached through a fine cailon, may be visited from Monterey by carriage — an interesting drive (along the great highway to the south) to the town of Santa Catarina, and thence to the Potrero — in all, about 12 miles. This is a favorite place for picnic parties. Excursions also may be made to the cotton-mills at Santa Catarina, to the village of Guadalupe, about four miles east of the city, and to the hot baths at Topo Chico, men- tioned above. History. The first settlement here, made about the 3^ear 1560, was known as Santa Lucia ; and the little stream that crosses the city from west to east still bears this name. The formal settlement was made in Sep- tember, 1596, by Fray Diego de Leon ; at which time was conferred the title of city and the name of Monterey — in honor of Don Gaspar de Zuiiiga, Conde de Monte- rey, the then viceroy. At the time of the American in- vasion Monterey was garrisoned by a force of upward of 9,000 men, commanded by General Ampudia. The city was attacked by General Taylor, commanding a force of 7,000 men, September 21, 1846, and, after three days of hard fighting, surrendered on the 24th. The most brilliant feature of the attack was the storming of the Obispado Viejo by General Worth on the morning CUEKNAVACA. 475 of the 21st, and of the height above on the ensuing day. Possession of these positions virtually assured the sur- render of the city. XXIII. CUERNA VA GA. The Journey. A regular line of c/i%e??ms plies be- tween the City of Mexico and Cuernavaca, leaving the city at 6 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and returning on the following days. The fare each way, including an allowance of twenty-five pounds of lug- gage, is $4.50, Mexican money. Seats should be secured in advance at the general offices of diligencias in the rear of the Hotel Yturbide. A rough and uncomfortable drive of more than two hours can be avoided b}" taking the tramway to Tlalpam, and there claiming the re- served seats. This journey of a day is a thoroughly characteristic bit of diligence travel, with the added ad- vantages of following a road that leads through wonder- fully fine scenery to a very picturesque and historically interesting town — the favorite dwelling-place of Cortes, and the favorite dwelling-place also of Maximilian. From Tlalpam the road ascends steadily, and by steep grades, the pass between Ajusco and TajDucia — giving a tine view northward of the Valley of Mexico, with Tlal- pam and the Pedregal in the foreground ; Coyoacaii, Churubusco, and San Angel in a line beyond ; Tacubaya and Chapultepec still further ; the City of Mexico in the middle distance, and in the background the Guadalupe Mountains. At El Guarda (where breakfast is served), an old defensive outpost nearly 10,000 feet above sea- level, the highway'' from Xochimilco and points to the eastward enters the main road by a pass on the eastern pide of Tapucia. Some distance beyond this point, at 476 MEXICAN GUIDE. Cruz del Marques (where the Marques del Valle de Oa- xaca, otherwise Cortes, set up a cross to mark the north- ern boundary of his Cuernavaca estate), the long descent begins — and does not end until Cuernavaca is reached, about 2 P.M. Practical Matters. The Diligencias, at which the diUgencia brings up, is a fairly comfortable hotel in a strikingly picturesque situation. The rate is 12 a day. Arrangements may be made at the dillgencia office for horses, or for a coach, for expeditions into the surround- ing country. If the negotiation is conducted with a cour- teous diplomacy very reasonable terms may be secured. There are excellent baths in the town and in the sub- urbs. Site and Characteristics. Cuernavaca (literally, "cow-horn," a corruption of the primitive name Quauh- nahuac, meaning, " where the eagle stops ") is a city of 12,000 inhabitants, the capital of the State of Mo- relos. The Cuernavaca Valley lies at an elevation of nearly four thousand feet above sea-level, and, being abundantly watered, is one of the most fertile regions, and one of the most important sugar-producing districts, in Mexico. The town of Cuernavaca, at an elevation of 4,900 feet above the sea, is built uj^on a headland that projects into the valley between two steep barrancas, or ravines. Be- ing plentifully supplied with water, the whole town is a garden, and is almost buried in abundant masses of trees. The winter climate is very delightful, and excel- lent fruit abounds here ; with which tropical luxuries are the tropical drawbacks of venomous insects and rep- tiles. The streets of the town are narrow and crooked, with the single exception of the Calle Nacional. The houses for the most part are roofed with red tiles — pro- CUERNAVAGA. 477 ducing a very pleasing effect when the town is looked down upon from the Cerro de Calvario and the red roofs are seen amidst the green masses of the trees. The Plaza Mayor is irregular in shape, and is adorned with a garden. The Plaza de Mercado is a recent erection, at a cost of $20,000. What was the palace of Cortes is now the State Government building, including the cham- bers of the legislature, the courts, jail, and offices. The building had fallen into a ruinous condition, when it was repaired and devoted to these uses in 1872. The other place of especial note is the Jardin de Borda — the garden surrounding the house built by the rich miner, Joseph de la Borde. The garden lies on a terraced slope and is full of fruit and flowers. There are great tanks, and every- where little running streams. In the day of its perfec- tion this place was a realization of a dream of fairyland. Even now, though falling into decay, it is very beauti- ful. Joseph de la Borde, or, as he was known in Mexico, Jose de la Borda, born in the year 1700, came from France to Mexico when but sixteen years old ; and by his fortunate mining ventures at Tlalpujaima, Tasco, and Zacatecas, he made a fortune of $10,000,000. Uj)ward of a million was spent in the creation of this garden. Another million was spent in building and decorating the great chiu'ch at Tasco. Churches. January 2, 1529, there came to Cuerna- vaca, to found the church and convent of San Francisco, certain brothers of the Franciscan order, among them Fray Juan Torribio Benevente, called Motolinia ; and the establishment founded under such worthy auspices w^as one of the most important that jDertained to the order in Mexico. The church, large, high, commanding, is a single great nave, with several dependent chapels. In the tower is a clock that tradition tells was in the 478 MIi:XICAN GUIDE. clock-tower of the Segovia cathedral, and thence was sent by Charles V. to Cortes. Other churches are the Tercer Orden, the Asuncion (the parish church), San Pedro, Guadalupe (built by Jose de la Borda the younger), and the Calvario, on a height just outside the city. Suburban Expeditions. Near the city are the Springs of Guadalupe, and others, whence the water- supply is drawn ; and in this region are three cascades. The larger of these, about 25 feet high, is in the ravine of Tlaltenango ; there is another in a little ravine off from that of Amanalco, and the third, over basaltic rocks, is in the barrio of San Antonio. This suburb of San An- tonio is reached by way of a well-built road. There are potteries here which will repay a visit, and below the water-fall is a charming lake. In the rear of the house called the Casa de Cortes (not to be confounded with the Palacio de Cortes, in the city proper) is a solitary rock upon which are prehistoric carvings ; and on the crest of a little hill near by is a lizard, about eight feet long, carved in stone. A league to the southeast, on a hill called Quauhtetl (meaning stone eagle), is an eagle nearly a yard across, carved in stone. A very interesting ex- pedition may be made to one of the many sugar hacien- das in the vicinity. Several of these are worthy of note because of their antiquity — as that of Temisco, a great building in the old SiJanish style erected soon after the Conquest. At the hacienda of Atlacomulco may be seen, in addition to the growing cane, plantations of coffee and oranges. History. Cuernavaca was captured by Cortes, aided by his Tlascalan allies, before siege was laid to the City of Mexico; and from its capture dates its foundation as a Christian town. In the municipal archives, documents AM EC AM EC A. 479 relating to the conquest and settlement may be seen. The valley of Cuernavaca was included in the grants made to Cortes by the Emperor Charles V. ; and upon his estate here, his favorite abiding-place, he began in Mexico the cultivation of the cane. It was uj^on this estate that the last years of the Conqueror's life in Mexico were passed. Excursions. From Cuernavaca an interesting, but rather rough, expedition of eighteen miles on horseback may be made to the ruins of Xochicalco. These, re- garded variously as remnants of a temple or a fortress, surmount a rocky eminence nearly two miles in circum- ference. Their most important feature is a portion of a As^ell-constructed stone building that measures seventy- six by sixt3'-eight feet. A still rougher expedition, of three or four days, may be made to the famous caves of Cacahuamilpa, about forty-five miles to the sonth. The return from Cuernavaca to Mexico may be made by the^ diligencki, or by hiring horses and riding across to Yautej)ec, in the very early morning, and thence by rail. (See Interoceanic Railway.) The ride is through the beautiful cane country, with magnificent mountain scenery constantly in sight. XXIV. AMECAMEGA. Practical Information. The Hotel FeiTO Carril, close to the railway station, is a bare little place, with very hard beds ; but it is clean, the food is very fair, and the landlord, Senor Manuel Tirada, is a gentle, obliging man whose good-natured desire to do ever}'- thing that a landlord ought to do really is one of the attractions of the place. Rates, '^52 a day for food and lodging. For terms of a week or longer the rate is re- 480 MEXICAN GUIDE. duced to 12 reales a day. A crude red wine is sold for $1 the bottle ; good Mexican-brewed beer, two reales the bottle ; excellent pi6/(/Mt?, free. The desirable rooms to secure are those in the southeast corner of the hotel, commanding — across the high peaked roofs of the town — the great view of the volcanoes. (See Interoceanic Railway. ) Site and Characteristics. Amecameca, a town of 10,000 inhabitants, in the State of Mexico, on the line of the Interoceanic Railway'', lies at the eastern base of the volcanoes, on the farther side of a wide valley, at an elevation of 7,600 feet above the level of the sea. A visit to Mexico that does not include a short sta}^ here is incomplete — for the view from the terrace of the Sacro Monte (almost as good from the w^indows of the hotel) is one of the great views of the world. If possi- ble, the visit here should be made in January, when the crests of the mountains are not likely to be obscured by clouds. The Sacro Monte. A secondary attraction, in it- self very w^ell worth a visit, is the shrine of the Sacro Monte. The little hill thus named, rising abruptly from the plain, and covered with a thick growth of trees, was the favorite abiding-iDlace of the good Fray Martin de Valencia, one of the " Twelve Apostles." (See The Re- ligious Orders.) This holy man was greatly beloved by the Indians, for his goodness to them ; and he was so loved of wild creatures that many little animals came to live near him upon the Sacro Monte, and great flocks of sweet'Singing birds sang to him from the branches of the trees. His home was the cave, that now is the ca- marin of the shrine. And it is said that after his death and burial at Tlalmanalco the Indians secretly removed his body thence and buried it here in the cave ; that his AMECAMECA. 481 presence might be with them, and that his bones might rest in the place where he had so loved to dwell. In the shrine is preserved a greatly reverenced image of the dead Christ, called of the Holy Sepulchre {Santo Intierro), that tradition declares Fray Martin himself placed here about the year 1527. This is possible, yet it must be noted that the chronicler Mendieta, while mentioning the Sacro Monte, and the fact that Fray Martin dwelt here, does not mention the image as being here also. Another legendary account of the matter is that certain muleteers, who were carrying holy images to a southern town, lost from their train hereabouts the mule upon which this image was packed. And when the mule was found he was standing quietly in the cave upon the mount. Thus it was seen of all the townspeo- ple that the image was pleased to abide here with them for their protection ; therefore they bought it of the muleteers and placed it in a shrine in the cave that it had chosen to be its home. Whichever of these legends is true, at least it is certain that the image has been in this place for more than three centuries — since before the year 1550. It is made of a very light material, probably the pith of corn-stalks prepared with some sort of gum, and although it is life-size it weighs but a little more than two pounds. A great pilgrimage is made to this shrine every year, in Holy- Week. When these pilgrimages began is unknown — possibly they are survi- vals, as in the case of the shrine of Guadalupe, of a rite antedating Christianity. The beginning of the annual festival (for it really is a festival, not a fast, as it strictly should be) is on Ash-Wednesdaj^, when the image is brought down from its shrine and placed in the parish church, and when a fair is held in the town. The great fair of the year is held in Holy- Week ; and on Good- 31 482 MEXICAN GUIDE. Friday the feast culminates in the return of the image to its shrine. Preceding its return, a masque of the Passion is played in the atrium of the parish church. This is a most curious and interesting exhibition, in which the actors are Indians ; a veritable bit of the Mid- dle Ages in which may be seen in crude realism what at Oberammergau has become little more than a mere the- atrical performance. It is much better worth seeing than is the more conventional celebration in the cathe- di'al in the City of Mexico. Until the year 1885 the bringing down and carrying up of the holy image from and to its shrine was attended with solemn ceremonials and a great procession — the law forbidding religious pro- cessions to the contrary notwithstanding. In 1S86, for the first time in more than three centuries (the new law being then enforced) the processions did not take place. In the interest of the picturesque it is to be regretted that this curious custom has come to an end. The re- turn of the image, up the winding causeway to its shrine on the hill, after dark on Good-Friday evening, accom- panied by a great multitude of Indians bearing torches, was one of the most curious and most striking spectacles to be seen in Mexico. This festival, like that of Guada- lupe, is managed mainly by the Indians themselves. Visitors on Ash-Wednesday should not fail to see the religious dance in the porch before the shrine. In wit- nessing this festival at Amecameca, or any religious fes- tival in which the majority of the participants are In- dians, not only good breeding but personal safety re- quires the manifestation of all outward signs of respect, and entire absence of anything, in word or gesture, that implies amusement or contempt. In order to provide for the annual procession, a stone causeway has been made upon the hillside, in the course AMECAMECA. 483 of which is a Utile chapel and the fourteen Stations of the Cross. Very devout pilgrims make the ascent of this rough, stony place upon their knees. The shrine proper is an octagonal building of comparative!}^ recent erection, to which the cave is the camarin. A great mauy ex votos hang here — thank-offerings from those whom the Santo Intierro miraculously has preserved from dan- gers, or directly saved from death. From the terrace is the great view of the volcanoes. The large church and convent southward, in the valley, are the most obvious features of the little town of Ayapango. On the crest of the Sacro Monte, at a considerably higher level than the shrine, is the chapel of Guadalupe. In this is a painting of certain of the hermit saints by Villalobos. A really good picture, nearly rotted from its frame, the Virgin of the Castle, hangs high upon the eastern wall. In the hard clay hereabouts are seen crude gravings of hands and feet, occasionally with the cross. These are the work of pilgrims, in tangible evidence that their hands and feet have been upon the holy place. Another curi- ous custom of the pilgrims, " for good luck," is that of leaving some part of their possessions — usually a rag torn from their dress, with hairs from their head — fastened upon the trees of the holy hill. History and Matters of Interest. The town of Amecameca was founded before the Conquest. The cu- racy was established and the parish church was begun b}" the Dominicans in 1547. The existing church dates from about the year 1709. It is a large and handsome building, containing some curious carvings by Miranda, and a fairly good picture of Christ bearing the Cross. It is dedicated to Nuestra Seiiora de la Asuncion and San Sebastian. Over the arched entrance to the atrium the legs of San Sebastian remain — the rest of this unfor- 484 MEXICAN GUIDE. tunate saint having fallen in the earthquake of 1884. Upon the arch under which passes the way from the ! church to the Sacro Monte is a statue of San Simon Sti- lites. Upon the wall of the abandoned chapel of the Santa Escuela is a giazed tile bearing an inscription of gratitude to Yturbide, " our Liberator ;" and asking that, in thankfulness and Christian charity, prayers be said for the repose of his soul. The little chapel of the Eo- sario, in the eastern part of the town, has rather good; carved w^ooden doors, a fair altarpiece, and excellent carved figures of Santa Ana and San Jose. What was the most interesting relic in the town, the surviving tower ' of the very ancient foundation of San Juan, was destroyed' by the earthquake of 1884. The material of the tower was used in the construction of the Casa Municipal on i the west side of the Plaza Mayor. Near the town of Amecameca, at Nepantla, was borm ihe " musa Mexicana," Sor Juana Inez de la Cruz, the celebrated Mexican poetess of the seventeenth century. The present literary celebrity of the town is due to the fact that the present Vicario Foraneo is Sr. Br. D. Fortino Hipolito Vera, the learned editor of the new edition of Beristain y Souza and a recognized authority in Mexican ecclesiastical history. Ascent of Popocatepetl. Amecameca is the point of departure from the railway in making the ascent of Popocatepetl. Provisions for the expedition can be ob- tained at the Hotel Ferrocarril — canned meats, and Avines and liquors, however, should be brought from the city. Arrangements for horses, guides, etc., can be made with Sr. Juan Noriega Mijares, the proprietor of the large shop, La Flor de Amecameca, on the north side of the Plaza Mayor. A note from General Ochoa, the owner of Popocatepetl, will greatly facilitate these ar- MI^^OK CITIES AND TOWNS. 485 rangements ; as well as a cordial reception by his agents at the sulphur works on the mountain. The first night is passed at General Ochoa's rancho, Tlamacas, at an elevation of 13,000 feet. On the ensuing morning the ascent should be begun at a very early hour ; on horse- back to the snow line, and thence upward on foot. The descent into the crater can be made by means of the bucket and windlass used by the sulphur- gatherers. The second night, also, is j)assed, in returning, at Tlamacas. Amecameca is reached in time for mid-day breakfast, before returning to Mexico on the afternoon train. The cost of this expedition, for a jmrty of four — including railway fares, meals at hotels, and all other incidental expenses — is about $25 apiece. The expedition is a very exhausting one, and should be undertaken only by strong persons in good health. It is especially perilous to those suffering from affections of the heart. Its dis- comforts are manifold. The sulphur rancho consists of a draughty shelter, and a terribly bad smell ; the walk upward through the snow is a severe physical strain. The more necessary preparations i6r the ascent are : Light but warm woollen clothing, including woollen mittens ; cotton-cloth swathings for the feet ; an outfit of thick blankets — which are not to be had at Tlama- cas, and which the severe cold at night renders indispen- sable ; smoked glasses, and plenty of nourishing food. XXV. MINOR CITIES AND TOWNS. Acambaro. A town of 10,000 inhabitants, in the State of Guanajuato, on the line of the Mexican National Railway, the point of junction of the Western Division with the main line, 178 miles from the City of Mexico. 486 MEXICAN GUIDE. There is a restaurant at the railway station, where the service is bad and the food tolerably good. Meals here cost six reales. A small hotel in the town affords poor meals for four reales each, and doubtful rooms at a dol- lar a day. Acambaro (meaning, in the Tarascan tongue, "the place where the maguey abounds ") lies in the Lerma Valley, in the midst of a fertile and beautiful country. Lying on the line of the old highway to the west coast, it formerly was a halting-place of some importance, and even at one time had a considerable trade of its own. It was in this period of prosperity that the great stone bridge — replacing an earlier structure — w^as built across the Lerma by the Ayuntamiento of the town. Now it is of no importance at all — only a delightful do-nothing, down-at-heel, little Mexican town. However, the manu- facture of woollens is carried on here in a small way ; and if the inhabitants — who mainly are Tarascan and Otomite Indians — ever realize that their town is an im- portant railway junction, it is possible that the commer- cial fortunes of Acambaro may revive. From the stand- point of the picturesque this will not be a desirable change. With its tumble-down one-story adobe houses, its pretty, little, neglected plaza, where the Mexican eagle sits on a fountain complacently eating his snake, and with townsfolk who are content to sun themselves and be thankful that sunshine is so cheap and so plen- tiful, the town is very satisf actor}' just as it is. The town, in the present State of Guanajuato, was founded September 19, 1526, by Nicolas Montafies de San Luis, Cacique of Xilotepec, an Otomite ally of the Spaniards, who also went with Don Fernando de Tapia to the conquest of Queretaro. This cacique has left be- hind him a most quaint and delightful diary of his mil- MINOK CITIES AND TOWNS. 487 itary operations, the temptation to quote at length from which is very strong indeed. On the 20th, the day after the founding, Don Nicolas and his little army paraded with much dignity through what were to be the streets of the town ; then they assisted at the celebration of the mass in a temporary chapel erected where the parish church now stands ; and after the mass the town officers were named. The convent and church of San Francisco, the latter now the parish church, were founded contemporaneously with the founding of the town. Both were rebuilt, of stone, in 1529 ; and in 1532 the existing church was begun. It was completed a few years later, and is one of the oldest church buildings in Mexico. Fortunately, its interior has not been changed, at least not within the past two centuries — and there is about the place a com- forting feeling of conservative antiquity. This church was sacked during the war of the Independence by the revolutionists. Adjoining it is the deserted convent, and a hospital of which only the chapel survives. The large church-yard is shaded by great trees. In one corner of this enclosure stands the unfinished chapel, of handsome design and built of well-cut stone, that was begun by the then cura, Fray Macedonio Romero, in 1850, as a thank -offering for the town's escape from cholera. It was to have been dedicated to Nuestra Senora del Re- fugio— and ma}^ be yet, should escape from another pes- tilence ever stir up the towns-people to complete it. The one other church of importance, Guadalupe, is not es- pecially interesting. In the street of Amargura is a curi- ous series of fourteen little chapels, the stations of the cross, ending at the chapel of the Soledad on the crest of a low hill. Good drinking-water is brought to the town by an 488 MEXICAN GUIDE. aqueduct built in the year 1527 by the Franciscan Fray Antonio Bermul. Acambaro, commanding the great western highway, is a point of mihtary importance, and for this reason has had rather more than its share of sieges and assaults. It was here that Hidalgo con- centrated his army previous to moving on the City of Mexico in 1810. Celaya. A city of 18,000 inhabitants, in the State of Guanajuato, on the lines of the Mexican Central and Mexican National Eailways (which here cross), 1,042 miles south of El Paso and 182 miles north of Mexico. A tramway (fare, 6^ cents) extends from the railway statioDS to the main plaza. Ruinous carriages may be hired for four reales, for one or four people. Trunks will be brought to the hotel by cargadores for two reales. The best hotel, a bad one, is the Solis, at which the rate (which maj' be increased this season) is one dollar a day. The best baths are the Boliches ; but the tepid baths of the Delicias also are good. At each the rate is two reales, Celaj'a, built in the broad valley of the Laja, but at a distance of more than two miles from the stream, is a cit}'' of some commercial importance. Woollen cloth, cotton prints, rebosos, soap, and sweetmeats are its prin- cix^al manufactures. It has a commercial exchange (alhondiga), and its commerce was sufficient to warrant the building of the long and massive causeway that crosses the bottom lands of the Laja, and assures a dry and safe road in the rainy season. The founders of the city were sixteen married men, with their wives and families, and seventeen young bachelors ; and with these were many Tarascan and Otomite Indians who did dig and delve. This company, acting under the orders of the then Viceroy. Don Martin Enriquez de Almanza, MINOR CITIES AND TOWNS. 489 effected its settlement October 12, 1570. And the founders, being for the most part Biscayans, gave to the town the name of Zalaya, which w^ord, in the Basque tongme, means level land. Eighty-five years later, by a royal order given by Philip IV., October 20, 1655 (but not published in Mexico until December 7, 1658), Celaya was made a city. And the fact that this dignity was conferred long before a similar dignity was conferred upon Guanajuato is a source of much complacent satis- faction to the Celayan chroniclers. The present city, built upon slightly rolling ground, and not severely rect- angular, is attractive in its general features, and in cer- tain of its architectural details it is extraordinarily fine. All of the architectural beauty of the city is due to a sin- gle man : Eduardo Tresguerras — architect, sculptor, and painter. This remarkable man was born in Celaya, May 13, 1765, and died there, August 3, 1833. He is buried in the chapel (close by the parish church) that he himself built for his sejDulchre, and dedicated to Nuestra Sefiora de los Dolores, to w^hich Virgin he was especially devoted. His best painting, probably, is his portrait of his wife, that is preserved, as are some of his best sculptures, in private hands. His great work, famous throughout Mex- ico, is the noble church of Our Lady of Carmen, remark- able alike for its size, its grandeur, its beautiful simplicit}^ conjoined with dignity, its lightness, and its grace. It is surmounted by a tower and dome, both renowned for their extraordinary beauty. The church, in the form of a Latin cross, the nave 220 feet long by 55 feet wide, and 69 feet high, was erected (on the site of an earlier church destroyed by fire) between the years 1803 and 1807. It is enriched with some notable frescos by Tresguerras. In the chapel of the Last Judgment, in addition to his striking frescos, is his painting in oils of 490 MEXICAN" GUIDE. Our Lady of Carmen. Here also, representing him at the ages of 35 and 63 years, are portraits of this "Michael Angelo of Mexico," as Tresguerras is not inaptly called. In the church proper, but so hung as to be almost in- visible unless the main doors are opened, is a strong picture by Nicolas Rodriguez Juarez, painted in 1695, and in perfect condition, "The Triumph of Mary." This was in the primitive church, and was rescued from the fire. A very picturesque group of churches and chapels is that of which San Francisco is the centre. San Fran- cisco was founded about the year 1570. The existing church, excepting the fayade and dome, of later con- struction, dates from 1715. Its beautiful altars were erected early in the present century by Tresguerras. The adjacent quaint parish church, and the church of the Tercer Orden — in which the altars are by Tresguer- ras — both date from early in the seventeenth century, and both belonged to the Franciscan establishment. Within this group is the chapel of Dolores built by Tres- guerras for his burial. The church of San Agustin, a block or two away from San Francisco, was founded in 1603. The existing church dates from 1610. As a whole it is not especially impressive, but the tower, built by Tresguerras, is strikingly fine. Saving an interesting market, a theatre, and some few public buildings, there is very little to be seen in Celaya but its churches. But anyone with a love for the beau- tiful will find in the church of the Carmen alone a suf- ficient reward for the inconveniences which a pilgrimage thither involves. Chihuahua. A city of 12,000 inhabitants, capital of the State of the same name, on the line of the Mexican Central Railway, 225 miles south of El Paso ; 1,000 MINOR CITIES AND TOWNS. 491 miles north of the Citj of Mexico. A tramway from the station i)asses the Casa Robinson (fare, 6^ cents). Fare by omnibus, four reales. Carriages (by bargaining), two reales for each passenger. Trunks, by express wagon, two reales each. The least objectionable hotel is the C.isa Robinson, an American hotel of the frontier t3'pe, but clean. Rates : $2.50 and $3 a da}^ At the Hotel de la Plaza the rate is 1^2 to $2.50 a day. The baths of the Santuario, reached by tramway (yellow car, ten minutes), are excellent. Rates : cold, 18f cents ; warm, or tank, 37^ cents. Carriages may be hired in the hotel for $2.50 the first hour and $1 for each subse- quent Iiour. It is little worth the while of travellers going farther south to stop at Chihuahua at all. The market, set off in departments, is interesting — but not so interesting as many other Mexican markets ; the old paseo is neglected and shabby, while the new paseo has no esj)ecial indi- viduality. The one strong feature of the city is the very handsome parish church (sometimes st^ded, incorrectly, a cathedral) dedicated to San Francisco. This fine building was erected between the years 1717 and 1789, with the proceeds of a tax of one real on the half-pound of silver (producing, it is believed, the sum of $800,000) that was levied upon the product of the celebrated Santa Eulalia mine. The building is rather unusually high for its width, as is the case also with its towers, giving an ef- fect of lightness and gTace not often seen in Spanish- American architecture. It is admirably placed, so that from almost any point outside of the town its slender towers are seen rising against a background of low- lying hills and blue sky. Uj^on its richly ornamented fa9ade are thirteen statues — San Francisco and the Twelve Apostles. In the recesses of the supporting arches of 492 MEXICAN GUIDK. the dome are basso-relievos of the Fathers of the Church. Ill one of the towers may be seen a bell that was broken by a cannon-ball during the bombardment of the city by the French in 1866. Tradition tells that an inclined plane of earth was raised against the towers as they Avel'e built, up which was carried the material used in construction ; and that this plane extended across the whole width of the plaza ere the work was done. The Church of the Compafiia, a Jesuit foundation built under the patronage of Don Manuel de Santa Cruz in the year 1717 ; the Oratorio de San Felipe Neri, and the Santu- ario de Nuestra Seilora de Guadalupe, also may be vis- ited. In the last-named, at the end of the alameda^ is a notable figure of San Ignacio Loyola. Other objects of interest are : The Mint, formerly the Hospital Real, in one of the tower rooms of which Hidalgo, Allende, Al- dama, and Jimenez Avere confined during the time pre- ceding their execution ; the monument that marks the spot where these patriots were shot, July 31, 1811 ; the aqueduct, three and a half miles long, running for a con- siderable portion of this distance upon low stone arches, built in the latter part of the last centur}'. An interest- ing expedition, requiring a full day, may be made to the Santa Eulalia mine. Permission to visit the mine usually can be obtained at the city office of the superin- tendent. Chihuahua (meaning "the place where things are made"), anciently Taraumara, and later San Felipe el Eeal, was founded by Diego de Ibarra in the year 1539. It stands in the midst of a desolate, mountain-girdled l^lain ; is built for the most part of adobe, and, in com- mon with adobe-hm\.i towns, is picturesque rather than impressive. In former times this city was the seat of the considerable trade that was carried on between MINOR CITIES AND TOWN'S. 493 Northern Mexico and the United States. Annual cara- vans passed between this point and Santa Fe, where an exchange of commodities was effected with the American traders, whose caravans came southwestward over the Santa Fe trail. After fighting the battles of Bracito and Sacramento, Colonel Doniphan's command occupied Chihuahua early in 1847 ; and thence made the memo- rable march southward to a successful junction with the forces of General Taylor. Cordoba. A town of about 6,000 inhabitants, in the State of Vera Cruz, on the line of the Mexican Railway, G6 miles from Vera Cruz and 197 miles from the City of Mexico, at an elevation of 2,710 feet above the level of the sea. A tramway extends from the station to the town, a distance of about a mile ; fare, 6^ cents. Barely tolerable food and lodging will be found at the little hotel. Rates, $2 a day. Cordoba was founded by order (April 18, 1618) of the Viceroy Don Diego Fernandez de Cordoba, as a refuge station on the road from Vera Cruz to the capital. It was built upon the little hill of Xitango, in the fertile valley of the Rio Seco, and presently, as the centre of a rich agricultural region, became an important town. Sugar-cane was grown ; sugar-houses and distilleries were established ; tobacco was grown as early as 1756 ; a little later Juan Antonio Gomez introduced coffee and the Manila mango ; and within the present century plantations of cinchona have been set out. Natural products of the place are bananas, oranges, guavas, jDine- apples, granaditas, chirimoyas, and other tropical fruits. Since the year 1812, when the first decree emancipating slaves was promulgated in Mexico, the material pros];)erity of the town steadily has declined. But this very decline has increased its charming picturesqueness. Its rich lux- 494 MEXICAN GVWE. uriance of tropical vegetation, its impressive mountain scenery, and its air of cheerful content with its condi- tion of lost prosperity, combine to make it one of the most attractive little towns in Mexico. HappiW, there is not much to be done here in the way of regular sight- seeing. The church of San Antonio, founded by the Franciscans in 1686, the existing building completed in 1725 ; the convent, hospital, and church of San Hipolito, founded iu 1793 ; the dilapidated and uninteresting- house on the plaza in which Maximilian passed a night on his way inland from Vera Cruz ; the . little theatre ; the market — the great market-day is Sunday, before noon — iu which may be seen the Indian women from Amatlau, wearing coral and silver ornaments and a thor- oughly Neapolitan head-dress — these are the sights of Cordoba. Any citizen of Cordoba will be glad to have a chance to mention the fact that here, August 24, 1821, was concluded the treaty, between General Yturbide and the Viceroy O'Donoju, that recognized the inde- pendence of Mexico. It is not probable that the citizen will add that in the damp, hot summers ague is com- mon here, and that yellow fever occasionally appears ; nor will it be courteous for the traveller to touch upon these unpleasant matters. It is well to keep them in mind, however, and not visit Cordoba later than the month of March. Cuautla. A city of 11,000 inhabitants, in the State of Morelos, on the line of the Interoceanic Railway, 85 miles southeast of the City of Mexico, at an elevation of 3,500 feet above the level of the sea. The Gran Hotel de San Diego is just across the plaza from the railway station. Trunks may be sent across by cargadores for a real each ; bags for a medio each. The rates at the hotel, from S2.50 a day upward, are high ; but the food is un- MINOR CITIES AND TOWNS. 495 usually good, and the rooms, for a provincial hotel in Mexico, unusually comfortable. Very fair wines may be bought, but at extortionately high prices. There are fair\aths in the city, and very good sulphur-baths a little east of the town, near the river. There is very little to see in Cuautla in the way of old buildings. The parish church, dedicated to San- tiago, a foundation of 1605, is quaint and interesting. The church and convent of San Diego, also a seventeenth century foundation, now are used as the railway freight and passenger stations. From the roof of the church a very fine view is had of the canefields and mountains beyond. An expedition may be made to the sugar Hacienda de Sta. Ines, a few miles away on the line of the railroad ; for which a platform car, with a horse to draw it, may bo hired at the railway station. A still finer hacienda near by is Coahuixtla, which may bo visited on horseback. The Spanish-built portion of the town is rectangular and commonplace. The great charm of Cuautla is its tropical luxuriance and picturesqueness. The straight, unattractive streets need be followed but a little wa/to come into lanes, hedged with banana- and orange-trees, that go rambling away among gardens, and along which, half hid among the dense foliage, are scattered^ Indian huts. Everywhere is running water. East of the town is the river Xuchitengo, the nearly dry course of which, though dry only in the dry season, is spanned by a massive stone bridge, from which there is a view of the broad valley and the hills beyond, and the great peak of Popocatepetl towering in the north. Seen from this, the southern side, the snowcap is only a triangular tuft on the western slope. Cuautla was conquered by Cortes, and was inchided in his orioinal oraut of lands. Subsequently it reverted 496 MEXICAN OUrDE. to the crown. Its founding as a Spanish town dates from the estabhshment here of the Dominican mission in 1605. The town officially is st^'led Cnantla Morelos, in memory of its heroic defence by the patriot Morelos during the war of the Independence. The Koyalist general, Calleja, attacked the town February 19, 1812, and was repulsed. He then besieged it in form. The siege lasted for more than two months and a half, and while neither force w^ould risk an attack numerous skirmishes occurred during this joeriod. Morelos sought to hold the town until the beginning of the rainy season, when the hot, wet w^eather certainly would bring sick- ness among the unacclimated troops from the highlands. But famine frustrated this plan. So short of food did the garrison become that a cat sold for six dollars, a lizard for two dollars, and rats for a dollar apiece. Unable to hold out, Morelos successfully' evacuated the town. This heroic defence and successful retreat — leading to a series of brilliant assaults elsewhere by the little army that Morelos commanded — did much to in- sjDirit the patriot cause. Yautepec. From Cuautla the excursion may be con- tinued to Yautepec, fourteen miles farther south and the present terminus of the railroad. In this delightful little town all the picturesque features of Cuautla are rejDeat- ed, and are increased by advantages of situation which Cuautla does not possess. From this point horses may be taken to Cuernavaca (a ride of about five hours), and the return thence to Mexico made via diligencia. Guaymas. A town of about 4,000 inhabitants, on the coast (Gulf of California) of Sonora ; the tide-water ter- minus of the Sonora Railway. There are two small hotels here — the Cosmopolitan and Central, of which the former is the more desirable. The rate at either is $2 a MIN-OR CITIE^^ AND TOAV^NS. 497 da}^ The food is of the country, but the traveller at least is sure of good oysters — for which the town is fa- mous. Li common with the other towns of the west coast, Guaymas is built upon the shores of a land-locked bay surrounded by high hills — a veritable frying-pan in sum- mer, bat in the winter dry and pleasantly warm. The town is long and narrow, and is built for the most part of adobe ; a few houses are of brick and stone. Owing to its picturesque situation, and the picturesque charac- ter of a part of the country traversed by rail in reaching it, Gua^'mas is very well worth visiting. A still stronger attraction that it holds out is that from this point (see Coastwise Steam Lines) steamers ply regularly to La Paz, Mazatlan, San Bias, and Manzanillo ; thus affording an oi^portunity for an easily made expedition to these very interesting old ports, and along the beautiful west coast. This is not a trip to be made by persons in deli- cate health, for various inconveniences and some few pri- vations are encountered by the way ; but sturdy trav- ellers, with a liking for the quaint and a love for the beautiful, will reckon the gain in these aesthetic direc- tions as outweighing the loss of personal comfort. Lagos. A town of about 10,000 inhabitants, in the State of Jalisco, on the line of the Mexican Central Rail- way, 929 miles from El Paso and 295 miles from the City of Mexico, at an elevation of 6,100 feet above the level of the sea. A tramway (fare, Q\ cents) extends from the railway station to the main plaza, within a block of which is the one hotel— the Diligencias, $2 a day. Trunks, by cargadores, for two reales. It is quite worth while to stop at this prett}' little town for a day or two, solely for the sake of benefiting by Don Pedro's culinary skill. M. Pierre Pont is a Gascon, an old soldier, and a 498 MEXICAX GUIDE. cook of noble parts. With a word of compliment in his native French to put him upon his mettle, he can be counted upon to produce dishes which will astonish even travellers with cultivated palates ; while his sound red wine will warm their hearts. The importance that Lagos possessed, as the point of departure of diligences for Guadalajara and San Luis Potosi, now has passed away. Maravatfo. A town of 5,000 inhabitants, in the State of Michoacan, on the line of the Mexican National Rail- waA^ 138 miles from the City of Mexico. At the little Hotel de Diligencias rather remarkably hard beds and eatable food can be had for |2 a day. The town has a lake on one side of it and a sandy hill on the other, and so contrives to be both dusty and damp. Fevers are common, with diseases of a bilious type. In 1850 the town was ravaged by cholera. Despite these drawbacks, this is an attractive little place. There is a pretty main plaza ; two other plazas in the suburbs of San Nicolas and San Miguel ; fountains afford a good supply of water ; several of the churches are interesting, and the general effect of the irregularly built houses, with red-tiled roofs, is eminently picturesque. The parish church, dedicated to San Juan Bautista, a Franciscan foundation, is a large, cruciform, heavily built structure in which there are some interesting carved altars. Other churches worth visiting are the Columna, Nuestro Senor de los Herreros (Our Lord of the Black- smiths), the Hospital, San Nicolas, and San Miguel — these last in the suburbs of the same names. The brido-e o that here crosses a tributary of the Lerma was built in the early part of the present century by the diligence company. The primitive town, the little remnant of which is known, as Maravatio el Alto, was about fifteen miles MINOR CITIES AND TOWNS. 499 south of the present site, and was a Tarascan foundation — • the eastern outpost of the dominion of Michoacan. Here the Spanish town was founded in 1535. In 1540 the land where the town now is was granted to the Viceroy Mendoza, and in 1541 the existing foundation was made. Tiie oldest house in the town, dating from 1573, stands on a line with the grave-yard of the parish church. Pigs and sheep are raised hereabout in large numbers. The shoes made in Maravatio are celebrated for their ex- cellence. Merida. Capital of the State of Yucatan, a city of 80,000 inhabitants, reached by rail from the port of Pro- greso. Wind and weather favoring, and time permitting, it sometimes is possible to visit this city while the steamer is discharging and taking in cargo. The railway has been built to accommodate the large and rapidly growing trade in henequin fibre, of which Merida is the centre. The distance by rail is about 30 miles ; the running time about two hours ; the fare $1. In Merida there is a lit- tle hotel, the Bazar, at which a fair Mexican meal can be had for six reales. There are very delightful baths. Three lines of railway extend for short distances into the interior. A leisurely traveller, with a tendency toward antiqua- rian research, will do well to stop over a steamer at Merida and make a trip of exploration to the ruins of Uxmal, sixty miles distant to the south. Merida was founded about the year 1542, after the conquest of Yucatan by the Montejos, father and son — the latter succeeding to the command of the forces em- ployed in this war of conquest that began in 1*526. The more interesting buildings of the present city are its churches. The existing cathedral, succeeding a still ear- lier one, was completed in the year 1598, at a cost of 503 MEXICAN GUIDE. $300,000. The fayade is ornamented by statues of Saint Peter and Saint Paul (the finely sculptured royal arms were covered with plaster in 1822), and is surmounted by a balustrade guarding a footway between the two towers. In the southern tower is a clock, made in London in 1731. The vaulted, carved roof is supported upon sixteen very massive columns, which divide the nave from the aisles ; and above it rises a fine dome, also carved. The existing high altar, completed in 1762, is of wood, richly carved and gilded, and was surmounted originally by the royal arms ; a tabernacle, erected a few years ago, although fine in itself, obscures the earlier work, and does not at all harmonize with it. From the chancel a passage-\\-ay leads to the curious circular choir in the body of the building, in which there are some good wood-carvings. Four handsome chapels and the sacristy are worth}' of notice. Even in Merida many persons believe that the church of San Juan de Dios was the primitive cathedral ; this mistake arising from the fact that in the interval be- tween the destruction of the first and the comj^letion of the existing cathedral this church was used as the cathe- dral of the diocese. San Juan de Dios is a very ancient foundation. The existing church, with its adjacent hos- pital and monastery, was completed in the year 1625. The monastery and hospital are extinct, and the church has fallen into decay. The ex-Seminario de San Pedro, founded in 1711, is now used b}' tlie Legislature, and as a theatre. San Juan Bautista is a miracle-working church, or was in its early years. Very soon after the foundation of the city a plague of locusts came ujDon the land, and as a means of staying this plague — there being some un- certainty as to which saint had jurisdiction in the j?rem- ises — lots were cast to find from what quarter aid should be asked : and the lot fell upon Saint John the Baptist. MINOR CITIES AND TOWNS. 501 Thereupon a mass was said to this saint, and the locusts disappeared. Then the church was erected, and for a long while the fields were safe. But the church was neglected as time went on, until the year 1618, when, on the eve of St. John, the locusts once more appeared, and in such quantities as never before were known. A vow then was made by the Governor and the Bishop to attend each year at a mass to be said in the church on the festival of St. John ; and since that time the locusts have been held in check. The church was rebuilt in the year 1771. Other notable churches are the Compailia de Jesus, the Candelaria, San Francisco, and Santa Lucia. Saltillo. Capital of the State of Coahuila, a city of 10,000 inhabitants, on the line of the Mexican National Eailway, 234 miles from Laredo, at an elevation of 5,200 feet above the level of the sea. Carriages may be hired at the railway station for two reales, for four persons or less. Trunks will be carried for two reales each. The Hotel Tomasichi, on the Plaza Mayor, is the least un- desirable of the several bad hotels in the town. Kate : $2.50 a day. There are no hot baths in Saltillo. The baths of the Alta Mira are large tanks of cold w^ater— well-sunned, however, and clean. The price is one real for each half-hoar, including soap and towels. The baths of San Lorenzo, two or three miles from the town, are similar to those of the Alta Mira. The one good carriage in the town may be hired from Daniel Sada for six reales the hour. The city lies close to the northeastern edge of the plateau, and its peculiarly agreeable summer climate causes it to be much resorted to during the hot months by the dwellers upon the hot lands below it to the east. It is especially famous for its manufacture of zarapes ; there are cotton-mills in the neighborhood, and a con^ 502 MEXICAN GITIDE. siderable business is clone in goat- and sheep-skins. There is a pretty central plaza, and a charming alameda. On a hill near the city is a fort built during the French occupation. Saltillo was founded in 1586, but was not made a city until 1827— at which time was added to its name that of the revolutionary heroine Leona Vicario. Salvatierra. A city of 10,000 inhabitants, in the State of Guauajuato, on the Hue of the Mexican National Eailway, 197 miles from the City of Mexico, The most desirable one of the three small hotels is the Diligeu- cias— $2 a day. In former times the town was a small trading centre. Its only importance in a business way now is due to the large woollen factory established by Don Patricio Valencia. There are several churches worth visiting. The largest and handsomest is the par- ish church dedicated to Nuestra Seiiora de las Luces, built in the early years of the present century after de- signs by Tresguerras. It has a peculiarly fine tower. A fine stone bridge across the Lerma dates from a few years after the city's foundation. Salvatierra was founded in the year 1643, in lands be- longing to Don Andres Alderete and his wife, who re- ceived in return for their gift of a site an annual allow- ance of $2,000 from the royal treasury. They further stipulated that their foundation should be granted a charter as a city, and that it should be named Salva- tierra in honor of the then viceroy. All of which stipu- lations were accorded in the royal order that issued in the year 1643. The city has been very hardly dealt with during the civil wars— as, indeed, has this whole region of the Bajio in which it stands. Silao. A city of 15,000 inhabitants, in the State of Guanajuato, on the line of the Mexican Central Eailway, 986 miles south of El Paso and 238 miles north of the MINOR CITIES AND TOWNS. 503 City of Mexico. Eeasonably comfortable and clean rooms can be had at the hotel at the railway station for six reales a day. Meals can be had in the railway restaurant for one dollar ; or, rather better, at the Httle French restaurant just across the way for six reale.<<. Coffee and bread at the railway restaurant costs two reales ; at the French restaurant one real This is the point of departure of the branch line, fifteen miles long, to Marfil. (See Guanajuato.) The city now is of little commercial importance— al- though there are a few flour-mills here— but is decidedly pictm-esque. The parish church, dedicated to Santiago, was begun near the end of the seventeenth century and was fintshed in 1728. Its curious and beautiful wooden altars were replaced by the existing abominations in 1835. The most notable feature of the church is its slender, graceful spire. The church of the Sefior de la Vera Cruz was built at the beginning of the seventeenth century, to house a Santo Cristo given in the port of Vera Cruz to certain Indians of Silao by Spanish missionaries. The figure is of papier mache or some kindred material, and tradition declares that it dates from before the Moorish conquest of Spain. Other churches which may be visited are the Santuario del Padre Jesus, built in 179$ and repaired in 1841 ; and the church of San Nico- las, sadly modernized in 1832. Silao was founded by Don Francisco Cervantes Rendon about the year 1553. It was made a town in 1833, and in 1861 a city. Toluca. Capital of the State of Mexico, a city of 16,000 inhabitants, on the line of the Mexican National Railway, 45 miles from the City of Mexico, at an eleva- tion of 8,600 feet above the level of the sea. A tramway leads from the railway station, through the Calle de la Independencia— past a statue of Hidalgo with 504 MEXICAN GUIDE. I curiously twisted legs— to the pretty little Plaza Mayor. Fare, G^ cents. There are two hotels here — the Leon de Oro and the Gran Sociedad, neither very good. The rate at each is |2 a day ; single meals, six reales. Ex- cellent beer can be bought here for one rea/ a bottle. There are good baths near the hotels. The magnificent scenery on the way hither is the single and sufficient reason for coming up by the after- noon train— at which time are the best effects of light and shade — and returning on the ensuing morning to the City of Mexico. Even in the case of travellers who intend going to Morelia and Patzcuaro, it is quite worth while either to start in the afternoon and continue the journey from Toluca on the ensuing morning, or to make the shorter expedition independently of the longer one— so exceedingly beautiful is the afternoon view. Toluca has an air of newness and j^rosperity that is uncommon in Mexico, and that, while no doubt pleasant to the townsfolk, is not at all to the liking of travellers in search of the picturesque. Yet, in point of fact, this is one of the oldest Spanish settlements in Mexico. The site was included in the grant of the Emperor Charles V. to the Marques del Valle de Oaxaca, otherwise Cortes, and a settlement was made here before 1533. A few years later Toluca was made a town, and in 1677 it was made a city. The capital of the State of Mexico was removed hither in 1831. The State buildings, fronting on the trim Plaza Mayor, with its monument, were erected in 1872, upon the site of the house formerly occupied by Don Martin Cortes, son of the Conqueror. They are the finest buildings of this sort in the Kepublic. In the audience-room are preserved portraits of the governors of the State of Mexico. The Palace of Justice is in the building, partly rebuilt in 1871, of the convent of San MINOR CITIES AND TOWNS. 505 Juan cle Dios. There is a handsome theatre, the Prin- cipal, another theatre, Gorostiza, and a bull-ring. In the suburbs is a pretty alameda — refreshingly un cared for — near which is the church of the Santa Vera Cruz, with a fa9ade decorated with colored figures of saints, presenting an appearance much less devout than gro- tesque. The parish church is the chapel of the Tercer Orden, pertaining to the former Franciscan establishment. The site for the Franciscan church and convent was given by the Matlalzinca chief whose Christian name was Juan Cortes. The primitive church, probably a slight building of wood, was replaced in 1585 by a larger structure of stone, and this, in turn, in the seventeenth century, by the church of which the large chapel of the Tercer Orden was a part. The church was razed in 1874, and upon its site a magnificent temple is in course of erection. Its completion bids fair to be in the very remote future, for in twelve years the massive walls have not been raised twelve feet. The existing parish church includes a portion of the church built in 1585. In a passage leading to it from a side street — a passage quite at variance with the present plan — may be seen an old arch, upon which is inscribed : " This gallery has not been straightened, to the end that this arch, and the two at the end of the sacristy, may be preserved ; these be- ing parts of the first Catholic temple that ever was in Toluca." The front of the church is carried up in an ojDen gable — in the nature of an exaggerated Carmelite bell-gable — that is both curious and effective. The in- terior of the building is almost the only thing in Toluca that is not exasperatingly new. One other gratifyingly ancient article is to be seen in a side chapel (that was the primitive church) of Nuestra Sefiora del Carmen. This is 506 MEXICAN GUIDE. a very curious little portable organ of Mexican manufact- ure — possibly the first organ made in America. In tlie same cliapel is a very fine "Virgin and dead Christ." A little more than two miles west of the citj' is the church of Nuestra Senora de Tecajie, in which is pre- served a miraculous and miracle-working image, much venerated by the Indians — a picture, painted on coarse cotton-cloth, representing the Assumption of the Virgin. This shrine has been in existence for more than two cen- turies. Near the city is the extinct volcano of the Nevado, known also by the primitive name of Xinantecatl. In the crater is now a lake, in the centre of which is a whirlpool. From the crest of this mountain — the ascent is comparatively easy — is a magnificent view\ Within a few leagues of Toluca grows the curious arhol de las manitas — "the tree of the little hands," so called because of the shape of its flower. Tula. A town of 1,500 inhabitants, in the State of Hidalgo, on the line of the Mexican Central Railway, 50 miles (two hours and a half) from the City of Mexico. By taking the earl}' morning train out, and the late after- noon train in, the traveller will have six or seven hours for sight-seeing. There is a little hotel, the Diligencias, in the town, at which an eatable meal can be obtained for four reale.8. It should be ordered, for the hour de- sired, immediatel}' upon arriving. Tula, anciently Tollan (meaning "the place of reeds," or, possibh% " the place of many people"), is believed to have been a Toltec foundation, and was an important Otomite tow^n at the time of the Conquest. It was one of the first of the outlying towns to embrace Christianity, and its people were stanch allies of the Spaniards in ex- tending their conquests. The special points of interest MINOK CITIES AjS^D TOAVNS. 507 here are Toltec remains and the very curious ancient church. At the Hotel de DiHgencias a guide may l3e obtained to the ruined town. Cosme Luque, who worked under Charna}^, will be the best guide for persons speaking Spanish. The way to the ruins lies along the road, shaded by great ash-trees, that leads to Ixmiquilpan, or the Cardonal ; thence across the river Tula, and up the Cerro del Tesoro, where the puehlo examined by Char- nay will be seen. The building is of uncut stone, laid in mud, and covered with a hard cement. The floors are coated wdth this same cement, of a ruddy tint. The largest room in the building is only about twelve or fifteen feet square. At the other extremity of the hill is another puehlo, larger than the first, and usually called the casa grande, or " great house." In this there are about thirty small rooms, built at different levels and connected by staii'ways. In the plaza of Tula are some interesting prehistoric rehcs, the more notable being a portion of a column and the lower half of a colossal statue. The baptismal font in the chui'ch is a remnant of Toltec work ; as is also an inscribed stone near the chui'ch-door. Many of the houses in the town have set into their walls carved stones from the Y\m\eA pueblos. A church was built in Tula within a year or two after the Conquest. The existing chui'ch, a Franciscan foun- dation, dedicated to San Jose, was begun by Fray Alonzo Bangel in the j-ear 1553, and was completed by Fray Antonio de San Juan in the year 1561. It is built of a light-colored stone, and such is its massive appearance and great solidity— the walls are nearly seven feet thick — that it seems less like a church than a fortress. It was, indeed, primitively intended to be used both as a church and as a place of refuge from the assaults of the Ohiche- 508 MEXICAN GUIDE. ! mec Indians ; a fact that accounts for its battlemented roof and the heavy wall surrounding it. The building is 192 feet long by 41 feet wide, and 82 feet high. The single tower is 125 feet high. The character of the stone- work is exceptionally good. Two relatively modern chapels have been added to the original structure. The church contains a number of pictures which, less because of their artistic quality than because of their great age and quaint crudity, are exceedingly interesting. In the archives are preserved many manuscripts in the Mexi- can tongue. The convent, finished in 1585, is much decayed. In the cloister, now used as a military stable, still may be seen pictures illustrating the life of San Francisco. To this convent, in its early years, was at- tached the eminent Fray Alonzo Urbana {obit Septem- ber 19, 1592), a most notable master of the Otomite and Nahuatl tongues. The atrium, surrounding both church and convent, is terraced above the present street, and is surrounded by a massive stone wall. Salamanca is well worth a visit of a day, in order to see the very beautiful wooden altars, richly carved and decorated, in the church of San Agustiu. Carriages take passengers from the railway station to the hotel for one real each; the fare by the omnibus is 6^ cents. Cargadores will take trunks to the custom-house, and thence to the hotel, for one real each, provided this rate is arranged in advance. The httle Hotel San Agustin is very primitive, but clean. Eate, $1.50 a day. Irapuato an unimportant town, is the point of de- parture from the line of the Mexican Central Railway of the Guadalajara branch. A tramway extends from the railway station to the Plaza Mayor, passing the hotels Vargas and Guerrero. Both of these hotels are wretch- ed. The rate at either is $1.50 a day. The best baths are those of Nuestra Sefiora del Carmen, Hot bath. GlJADALAJAllA AND SAN LUIS POTOSl. 509 25 cents ; cold bath, 12^ cents — prices whicli include soap and towels. There are a few fairly good pictures in the towai, in- cluding a fine Virgin of Guadalupe, by Cabrera, in the church of San Francisco, and some curious portraits in the sacristy ; in the Parroquia (east side chancel) a tol- erably good "Virgin of the Apocalypse," by Tresguerras, and some interesting portraits in the ante-sacristy ; in the Soledad (ante-sacristy) a very charming " Virgen de la Purlsima," decidedly in the style of Cabrera, and pos- sibly his work. XXVL GUADALAJARA AND SAN LUIS POTOSf. Guadalajara. The railway station, near the Jardin de San Francisco, is within a few blocks of the Plaza Mayor ; to which a tramway extends. Carriages maybe hired for four reales ; trunks will be carried by cargadores for a real — though they will demand two. Of the several tolerable hotels may be named the Cosmopolita, Nuevo Mundo, Hidalgo, Progreso, and Humboldt — of which the Cosmopolita ($2 a day) is the most desirable. An ex- cellent system of tramways, centring in the Plaza May- or, renders all parts of the city easily accessible ; and a line also extends into the northern suburb of Mezquitan. In the plazas of the Aduana and Le Soledad carriages may be hired at four reales the hour : a rate that is increased on Sundays and feast days to six reales. A carelessly prepared, but useful, map of the city, costing one dollar, may be bought in the sliop of Eusebio Sanchez, Calle de la Aduana, No. 4. In the market of the Plaza de Toros may be bought the pottery for which Guadalajara is famous. 510 MEXICAN GUIDE. Site and Characteristics. Guadalajara, capital of the State of Jalisco, is a cit}' of about 90,000 inhabitants, on a branch of the Mexican Central Railway, 380 miles northwest of the City of Mexico. It is built in a pleas- ant valley, abundantly watered, and has an elevation of 6,100 feet above the level of the sea. The climate is mild, the mercury rarely falling below the freezing-point, and maintaining an annual mean of 70° F. The city is about two miles across in all directions, and is divided by the httle river San Juan de Dios into two parts ; of which parts the western is much the larger. It is regu- larly laid out and, excepting in the neighborhood of the Jardin de San Francisco, the streets cross each other at right angles ; but it is broken by the picturesque wind- ings of the river, and is rendered still more pleasing by its many well-shaded and flowery pubhc parks. The dwell- ing-houses, for the most part, are of a good sort, many of them handsome ; the shops wear a comfortable air of opulence, and the churches and public buildings are unusually fine. The suburbs abound in pretty gardens. In the northwest quarter is the charming Alameda ; and extending from this point southward, along the banks of the river, almost to the Garita de Mexicalcingo, is the dehghtful Paseo, shaded by great elms. Other public resorts of this nature are the Parque Alcalde, the gardens of San Francisco and Escobedo, and the Calzada de San Pedro— this last much used as a ]paseo during the rainy season. The general effect of the city is exceedingly blithe and agreeable ; and the traits of its inhabitants are in keeping with its cheerful air— for more lively, energetic, intelligent, and agreeable folk than the citi- zens of Guadalajara are not to be found in all Mexico. Manufacturing is carried on to a considerable extent, and the city is of commercial importance as a distribut- GUADALAJAIIA AND SAN LUIS POTOSl. 511 iiig centre for a large area of country. Among the more important industries are the making of cotton- cloth, silk, rebosos, stockings, fine pottery, glass, ice, cigars and cigarettes (the excej^tionally good tobacco grown about Tepic is manufactured here), musical instru- ments, leather and leather goods, and matches. There are several large printing and lithographing establish- ments. An admirable public school system is maintained. Among the more advanced institutions of learning are the Instituto de Ciencias, the Liceo de Varones, the Liceo de Ninas, the Seminario Conciliar, and the Escue- la de Artes (manual training school), founded in 1841. Public Buildings. The Palacio de Gobierno, fronting upon the Plaza Mayor, is a handsome structure erected in the year 1859 — replacing the earlier building, de- stroyed by fire, that dated from the year 1613. Here are housed the several departments of the State govern- ment. Tbe C.isa Municipal, on the south side of the Plaza Mayor ; the Casa de Moueda (mint), founded in 1811, the present building opened January 24, 1824 ; the Biblioteca Publica, containing about 24,000 volumes, opened December 18, 1875 ; the Hospicio de Pobres, founded in 1803 ; the vast Hospital de Belen, founded in 1791 ; the admirable Casa de Caridad — where is main- tained an admirably conceived and well-applied scheme of practical charity — founded in 1864 ; the Penitenciario, founded in 1843, arranged to inflict penance upon nearly 3,000 criminals at once : these are among the more im- portant of the public buildings of the city. The chief market, especially well stocked with fruit, is in the Plaza de Venegas, or Independencia ; here, and in the markets of San Juan de Dios and the Nueve Esquinas, with most picturesque adjuncts, provender of all sorts 512 MEXICAN (UHDE. is sold. The fine Teatro Degollado, projected by the then Governor of the State, Don Santos Degollado, in 1855, was begun March 5, 1856, and in 1866 — being still unfinished — was opened by the celebrated Mexican dloa, Peralta. The house has five tiers of seats and is handsomely decorated. Other theatres are the Princi- pal, Apolo, and Circo del Progreso, Churches. The See of Guadalajara (erected into an Archbishopric, March 16, 1863) was founded July 31, 1548, under the invocation of the Holy Virgin Mary and the Apostle St. James — at which time the cathedral church was a little building, thatched with straw, that had cost to erect (as contemporary records show) but twenty dollars. The first stone of the existing cathedral was laid by Bishop Ayala, July 31, 1571 ; and the com- pleted building was consecrated February 19, 1618. The broad fa9ade, in which is a clock, is flanked by two fine towers, much injured by the earthquake of May 31, 1818. In one of these towers is a bell, the CamjDanita del Correo, which is struck only when there is to be an- nounced to the citizens some fortunate event of great importance. Another bell, San Clemente, was rung in former times (after the shattering by lightning of the lantern of the dome) to ward off the thunder-storms which in summer rage hereabouts with great violence. But the mission of this bell is ended now, for the cathedral is well supplied with lightning-rods. The building, entered by three doors in the front, contains ten side altars, and a high altar of marble and bronze adorned with life-size statues of the four evangelists, that has replaced the former high altar of silver. The choir was moved to the western end of the nave in 1827. Adjoining the cathedral on the south is the Sagrario, begun in 1808 and completed in 1843. It is a hand- GUADALA.TAEA AND SAN LUIS POTOSI. 513 some building in the form of a Latin cross ; the facade adorned with statues of Faith, Hope, and Charity, the interior finished in the pseudo-Greek style. In addition to the cathedral and Sagrario, there are twenty-seven churches in the city and suburbs ; and two new churches, Los Dolores and San Jose, are in course of erection. Especially worth visiting are the Carmen, San Francisco, San Agustin, La Merced, Santa Monica, La Compania, Nuestra Senora de Aran- zazu, and Nuestra Seiiora de Belen. History. In the year 1530, in the course of the ex- pedition made by the Oidor, Nuilo de Beltran Guzman (see p, 469) for the conquest of the northwest, the Span- iards penetrated into Jalisco and gave to this region the name of Nueva Galicia. Here, in the year above- named, the Captain Juan de Onate founded the Villa del Espiritu Santo de Guadalajara — which name was given to the town in compliment to the Oidor, whose birthplace was the Spanish city of Guadalajara, in New Castile. But the site then chosen proved to be unde- sirable, and a year or two later the town was translated to the valley of Tlacotlan (this place being selected not by the free choice of the townsfolk, but by order of the Oidor) — where, by a royal cedula of the Emperor Charles v., dated November 8, 1536, it was granted a coat of arms as a city. But this second site, never desired by the townsfolk, became the more distasteful to them the longer that they remained in it ; and especially because they were exposed to the frequent and cruel assaults of the wild Indians. Yet they dreaded to move for fear of the wrath of the Oidor — although that functionary had been recalled to Spain to stand trial for his many crimes. While the men of the town, being in council together, debated what they should do in this case (as 514 MEXICAN GUIDE. the liistoriaii, the Licenciado Don Matins de Mota Padilla sets forth), a certain brave woman named Don a Beatriz Hernandez, who had listened impatiently to their faltering words, broke in upon them, crying : " Look at these fellows who are going on with questions and answers, and never coming to a point! The King is my master ! what has Don Nuno to do with us ? — he who has been the cause of all our troubles. Let us go where it is good for us to go, without asking leave of Mr. Guzman or Mr. Anybody Else — only of our master, the King ! " And then, with one voice, they all shouted : "Well spoken! Let us do as Dona Beatriz has de- clared ! " So commissioners were appointed to choose a site, and these decided upon a fair valley that in the Indian tongue was called Atemaxac ; and eight days later all of the townsfolk went out together, in good order, and in that fair valley made they thenceforward their home. In which spirited fashion was the present city of Guadalajara founded, in the year of our Lord 1541. San Luis Potosf. A tramway (first class fare, 12|- cts.) extends from the railway station to the main plaza. Carriages to hotel may be hired for two reales for one ; four reales for two, three, or four passengers. Trunks will be carried by cargadores for two reales. The more desirable hotels are the San Fernando and San Luis. Rates : $2.50 a day. Carriages may be hired for four reales the hour between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. ; six reales the hour between 6 and 8 p.m. ; one dollar the hour after 8 P.M. Two lines of tramway extend from the Plaza Mayor (one through El Axcala) to Santiago, and there connect with a line to El Saucito. Fare (first class) to Santiago, 12|- cts. ; Santiago to El Saucito (only second class cars are run), 6^ cts. Tramways extend also to (lUADALAJARA AXD SAN LUIS POTOSl. 515 Guadalupe and to Tequisquiapan, fare (first class) to either point, 12^ cts. ; and to the baths at La Soledad de los Ranchos, fare (first class), two reales. The best baths in the city are the Susec and Jordan. Rites : cold or plunge, two reales ; hot or shower, four reales ; Russian or Turkish, six reales. Site and Characteristics. San Luis Potosi, capital of the State of the same name, is a city of about 40,000 in- habitants on the line of the Mexican National Railway, 477 miles south of Laredo, and 362 miles north of the city of Mexico. It stands in the midst of a broad valley, formed by the outspreading of the Cordillera ; is regu- larly laid out, and contains a number of handsome edi- fices. Among these are the State Capitol ; the Alhon- diga ; the mint (in which about $3,000,000 is coined annually) ; the Lonja Mercantil ; the State Museum ; the Library, containing upward of 70,000 volumes ; the Teatro Alarcon ; the State College (Instituto), and the Hospital. The city is ornamented by numerous plazas and plazuelas, and is abundantly supplied with water by means of an aqueduct. Churches. The cathedral, formerly the paiToquia (the See of San Luis was erected by a Papal bull of August 30, 1854), faces the Plaza Mayor — an imposing building, the fayade in the Churrigueresque style, with handsome towers ; the interior a nave and aisles, with altars of cut stone. Other interesting churches are : San Francisco, San Agustin, La Merced, Guadalupe, and El Carmen. In the last named are several notable paintings, including illustrations of the lives of Santa Teresa and San Ellas by Vallejo, and a Dolores by Tresguerras — who also de- signed the high altar. History. The Franciscan mission of San Luis, Rey, was founded by Fray Diego de la Magdelena, in the year 516 MEXICAN GUIDE. 1583 ; and at the same time a military post was estab- lished here under the command of the Captain Caldera — a soldier toward whom the neighboring wild Indians were well affected, because he himself, by a Spanish father, was the son of an Indian woman who, among her own people, had been held in great esteem. " To Fray Diego came secretly an Indian chief, who loved gi'eatly that venerable father in God, and discovered to him in the near-by Sierra a very rich mine — which was the San Pedro mine, afterward most famous. Then this blessed monk, desirous that the King our master should possess this treasure, and that the wealth thereof should quicken w4th a larger life the missionary work among the bar- barians, gave to Captain Caldera (having thereto the Indian's consent) notice of what the Indian had told him. So was discovered the treasure-producing Cerro del Potosi ; to which this name of Potosi was given be- cause both the configuration of the mountain and the greatness of the riches stored there, made that place re- semble the mines of Potosi in Peru." By a royal order that issued in 1666, the town of San Luis Potosi was raised to the rank of a city. INDEX. Academy, Military, 308 San Carlos, 147 Acimbaro, 485 Acapulco, steamer to, 368 Acatlan, Sta. Cruz, 177 Aculco, battle, 56 Adobe, picture on, 344 Aduana, 142 Aeronaut Acosta, 417 Agricultural School, 352 Aguas Calientes, 409 Agustin, San, 144, 305 fire in, 176 Agustin, S. de las Cuevas, 311 Ahiutzotl, monument, 301 Ajusco, height, 6 Alameda, 48, 51, 277 Alamo, massacre, 63 Albuquerque, founding, 49 Aldama, execution, 56, 493 head. 418 patriot, 55 tomb, 169 Alhondiga de Granaditas, 418 Aliens, rights, 7, 16 AUende, bom, 454 execution, 56, 493 head, 418 patriot, 55 portrait, 141 tomb, 169 AUende, S. Miguel de, 450 Altamirano, Ignacio, 39 Altata, steamer to, 368 Altitudes, cities, 4 mountains, 6 Alvarado, armor, 164 leap, 390 Alvarado, town, 432 Alvarez, hospital founded, 356 Alum, 9 Amatlan, 494 Ambassadors, Hall of, 141 Amecameca. 479 American Cemetery, 389 Hospital, 3G3 Minister, 123 Ana, Sta., Ch., 188 Analcos vein, 441 Andocutin, hacienda, 354 Andres, San, hospital, 261 Angeles, Los, ch. City of Mexico, ?M4 Angeles, Nstra. Sra. de, 344 Angel, San, town, 305 Angostura, battle, 64 Angostura garden, 436 Animals, domestic, 7 wild, 7 Animas, Capilla de las, 170 Anna, Santa, see Santa Anna. Antonio Abad, S., 217 Antonio de las Huertas, S., 178 Apam, 337 plain of, 6 Aparicio, Sebastian de, 385 bones of, 382 Apostles of Mexico, 21 Aqueduct, Los Remedies, 447 Morelia, 457 Queretaro, 423 Zempoala, 358 Aqueducts, 51, 283 Aranzazu, Nstra. Sra. de, 195 picture of, 386 Araru, 354 Arbeu, theatre, 271 Arbol de las Manitas, 506 Archbishopric of Mexico, 21 Archbishops, portraits, 170 Arch, flat, 384 Archiepiscopal palace, 142 Architect, Tresguerras, 489 ' Archives, national, 147 518 INDEX. Arista, portrait, 141 Army, 18 Arrest, 15 Artesian wells, 283 Artists, 148 Artist, Orizaba, 439 woman, 148, 169 Arts, fine, 147 Arzobispado, 142 A silo de JVlendigos, 269 Asphalt, 9 Assembly of Notables, 69 Asylum, foundling, 263 Atarazanas, 135 Atotonilco, banner, 55 going to, 451 , shrine, 454 Atzcapotzalco, 313 tramway to, 122 Audencia, 46, 469 Augustinians, 205 Authors, 35 Auto de fe, 26, 137 Ayuntamiento, 137 Baggage, Cit. Mex., 102 extra, 96, 333, 343, 349, 356 Bajio, El, 6, 347 Bala, Nstra. Sra. de la, 242 Balcones, Los, 464 Ball, Our Lady of the, 242 Balvanera, La, 223 Bandelier, books by, 1 56, 163 Bank notes, 80 Bauner of the Conquest, 208 Independence, 454 Baptists, 32 Barranca del Infiernillo, 336 Barranco, Gabriel, 439 Basket for trunk, 98 Baskets, Puebla, 373 Bath, Montezuma's, 325 Baths, 90 Cit. Mex., 107 Coincho, 462 Bazaine, house, 288 traitor, 71 Beaterio, definition, 453 Beer, 88 Beggars, 94 Belen de los Padres, 212 Belen, prison, 139 Bells, Hill of the, 425, 427 Belt railway, 356 Beneficencia, La, 253 Benevolent Society, 253 Bergantines, 324 Bernardo, San, 235 Betlemitas, library, 147 order, 219 school, 219 Biblioteca Nacional, 144 Bishop Quiroga, 469 Zumarraga, 21 Bishopric of Mexico, 21 Yucatan, 21 Bishoprics, 22 Bishops' portraits, Puebla, sepulchre of, 381 Blind, school, 269 i Boarding-houses, 106 Boats, Vera Cruz, 429 Boca del Monte, 336 Bolson de Mapimi, 6, 345 Bone- work, 464 Bonitas, Las, 239 Bonnets, 109 Book, first printed, 46 stores, 110 Books, old, 139 Borrego, Cerro de, 437 Borda, Jardin de la, 477 Borde, Joseph de la, 477 Bracito, battle, 493 Bread of Ozumba, 359 Breakfast. Mexican, 105 Bric-a-brac, 266 Bridge, National, 54 " Brigantines," 324 Brigida, Santa, 237 Bucareli, tomb of, 51 paseo, 279 viceroy, 51 Buena Vista, battle, 64 Bufa, Cerro de la, 405 Buffalo, Bishop of, 419 Buildings notable, 286 Bull-fighting, 271 Puebla, 373 Bull-ring, Morelia, 458 Bm-ning to death, 469 Bustamante, 353 Butter, 109 Cabinet officers, 17, 123 Cabrera, 151 Cacahuamilpa, caves, 479 Calderon, battle, 56 Calendar Stone, 156 Calii'ornia annexed, 64 INDEX. 519 California, expedition to, 48 Calle de los Muertos, 333 Calles, Cit. Mex.,125 Calzada de Guadalupe, 457 Nueva, 287 Calzadas, Cit. Mex., 126, 380 Calzontzin Sizincha, 467, 468 Camara de Diputados, 14L Camarin, Amecameca, 480 Gaadalupe, 408 Los Remedies, 447, 449 Ocotlan, 403 Pueblito, 429 Camilo, San. 321 Camilist.s, 221 Campauas, Cerro de las, 435, 437 Canal, family, 453 Canal, Viga, 317 Canon Cathedral, 357 Laja, 351 Taltenango, 357 Zopilotes, 357 Cantabrana. Domingo de, 181 Capuchinas, 236 Guadalupe, 298 Cardonal, Santo Cristo de, 233 Cargadores (porters), 90 Caridad, La, 240 Carlotta, hospital founded by, 263 Carmen, Nstra. Sra. del, 314 at Celaya, 489 Carmelites, 314 Carmen, town, steamer to, 368 Cartogi-aphical Institute, 434 Carvings, prehistoric, 478 Casa de Azulejos, 288 Lore to, 453 los Masearones, 287 Maternidad, 262 Moneda, 142 Grande, Tula, 507 Mata,_303 skirmish, 04 Casas, Bartolome' de las, 47 Casas de huespedes, 106 Castaneda, La, 305 tramway to, 119, 130 Catalina de Sena. Sta., 236 Catarina Martir, Sta., 183 Cathe Iral canon, 357 City of Mexico, 165 P.iebla, 379 Cats for food, 496 Cattle range. 353 Causeways, 280 Cavalry, 18 Cave at Amecameca, 480 Cacahuamilpa, 479 Pesqueria (Garcia), 474 Cazadero, El, 347 Celaya, 488 Cemeteries, 289 Central Railway, 343 Cerro Gordo, 340 del Borrego, 335, 437 del Loreto, 376 de Montezuma, 451 de Quinceo, 359 del Sen or, 353 Chac-Mool, 162 Chamber of Deputies, 141 Chamela, steamer to, 362 Champoton, steamer to, 363 Chapultei:)ec, 300 storming, 64, 303 Chapala, Lake, 7 Charities, 254 minor, 368 Puebla, 378 Charity, Brothers of, 357 Sisters of, 239 Charles IV., statue, 375, 383 Charles V., portrait, 383 Chavez, see Echave Chihuahua, 490 executions in, 56 Choir, Puebla, 381 Cholula, town, 393 massacre, 45 pyramid. 394 Chorro, spring, 451 Christians, first, 20 Chroniclers, 35 Church, 19 beautiful, 489 collegiate, 397 Comonforfc and the, 65 first, 20 first blow at, 62 first, Cit. Mex., 171, 173 large, 4(55 visiting, 93 Churches, City of Mexico : Ana, Santa, 183 Animas, Chapel, 170 Antonio Abad, San, 317 Balvanera, La, 233 Belcn dc los Padres, 312 Bernardo San, .235 Brigida, Santa, 237 520 INDEX. Churches, City of Mexico : Camilo, San (Seminario), 221 Caridad, La, 239 Carmen, El, 214 Catalina de Sena, Sta., 226 Catarina Martir, Sta., 18o Cathedral, 165 Clara, Sta., 223 Colegio de las Ninas, 220 Concepcion, La, 221 Corpus Christi, 236 Cosme, San, 178 Cruz Acatlan, Sta., 177 Cruz y Soledad, Sta., 177 Diego, San, 213 Domingo, Santo, 200 Encarnacion, La, 228 Ensenanza, La, 238 Fernando, San, 220 Felipe de Jesus, San, 169 Francisco, San, 188 Gerinimo, San, 225 Hipolifco, San, 206 Hospital Real (Protestant) 255 Ine's, S. (SagradoOorazon), 229 Jesus Maria, 224 Jesus Nazareno, 240 Jose', San, 184 Jose de Gracia S. (Prot. ), 230 Juan de Dios, San, 216 Juan de la Penitencias, 226 Liizaro, San, 216 Lorenzo, San, 229 Loreto, 208 Maria de los Angeles, Sta., 244 Maria la Redonda, Sta. , 175 Miguel, San, 184 Monserrate, 215 Pablo, San, 174 Palma, Santo Tomas la. 178 Porta Coeli, 201 Profesa, La, 217 Regina Coeli, 184 Sagrario, 172 Salto del Agua, 246 Santiago Tlaltelolco, 199 Santisima, La, 245 Sagrado Corazon (S. Ines), 229 Sebastian, San, 175 Seminario (San Camilo), 221 Soledad, chapel, 174 Teresa la Antigua, Sta. 231 Teresa la Nueva, Sta, 235 Tomas la Palma, Santo, 178 Vera Cruz, Sta., 176 Churches, independent, 246 Protestant, 29 Protestant, services in, 134 Churches, parish, City of Mexico, 17i Churches, Puebla: Antonio, San, 389 Calvario, 389 Cathedral, 379 Clara, Santa, 389 ' Companla, La, 387 Cristobal, San, 388 Felipe de Jesus, S., 389 Francisco, San, 384 Jesus Nazareno, 389 Jose, San, 389 Luz, La, 389 Sagrario, 383 Soledad, La, 389 Churrigueresque, detinition, 173 Churubusco, 309 battle of, 64 tramway to, 121 Cigars, duties on, 84 manufacture of, 11 Cinco de Mayo, festival, 19, battle, 68, 374 fort, 376 library, 147 picture, 141 Cintura Railway, 356 Circulating libraries, 109 Circus, 271 Citadel, Cit. of Mex., 143 Monterey, 473 Citizenship, 16 City of Mexico, 134 Calzadas (causeways), 126, 280 churches (see above) City Hall, 136 Climate, 134 French occupy, 69 government, 137 markets, 137 population, 136 Scott captures, 64 siege of, 45 streets, list of, 125 water-supply, 136 Cindadela, 142 ! Claim of the pies, 67 i Clara Maria, 212 Clara, Santa, 223 j Climate, 4, 77 INDEX. 521 Clothing, 89 Oloth, cotton, 9 woollen, 9 Coaclies, hackney, 94, 101 City of Mexico, 113 Coal. 9 Coastwise lines, 362 Coatepec Valley, 433 Cobbler, 108 Coffee of Uruapam, 8 Cofre de Perote, 8, 434 Coinage, 144 Coincho, baths, 463 Coins, Mexican, 81 Colegio de la Paz, 367 de las nifias, 320 de S. Nicolis, 461 College, medical, 351 Colleges, City of Mexico, 347 Collegiate church, 397 Columbus monument, 385 Commerce, foreign, 11, 433 Vera Cruz, 11, 433 Committee of Regency, 58 Comonfort and Franciscans, 197 Comonfort, treachery of, 66 Compaiiia, La, Puebla, 387 Concepcion, La, 331 Congress, 17 first, 58 Conquest of Mexico, 41 Conquest, standard, 43, 164, 308 Conquistadora, La, 385 Conservatorio de Musica, 348 Constitution, 15 first, 56 of 1 824, 60 of 1857. 65 Convents, 33 Copper, 8 Copper-work, 464 C :>rdoba, 493 Treaty of, 58 Cora, sculptor, 381 Corpus Christi, 336 Corsairs, English, 48 Cortes, burial of, 343 church founded by, 340 Coyoacan, in, 307 Cuernavaca, in, 477, 478 descendants of, 42 fleet of, 43 hospital founded by, 354 landing of, 44 meeting Montezuma, 380 I Cortes, parents of, 43 I portrait of, 164 Cosme, San, 178 Cost of travel, 79 Cotton country, 345 cloth, 9 Court, Federal, 143 Courts of Law, 18 Coyoacan, 307 tramway to, 131 Cristobal, S. Puebla, 388 Cross of Queretaro, 423, 438 Cruces, Las, battle, 56, 353 Cruces, Monte de las, 354 Cruz del Marques, 476 Cruz, Juan a Ines de la, 36, 336, 359, 484 Cruz y Soledad, Sta., 177 Cuatlenchan, 327 Cuatla la Morelos, 494 Cuernavaca, 475 Cuitzeo, Lake, 7, 354 Cuna, La, 363 Currency, 80 Custom house, 83, 143 Cutlery, manufactured, 11 to buy, 109 Dakk Cell, -^53 Dead, street of the, 333 Deaf and dumb school, 269 Debt, English, 67, 75, 76 foreign, 67 Defensa, La, 381 Deputies, Chamber of, 17, 141 Desierto, El, 320 Dialects, native, 34 Diaz, Porfirio, at Puebla, 375 provisional president, 74 re-elected president, 75 revolt of, 73 Diego, Juan, font, 184 vision of, 390 Diego, San, 313 Dieguinos, 313 Diligence, City of Mexico, 113 lines, 363 Saltillo, 78 San Isidro, 78 Diputacion, 136 Discalced Franciscans, 213 Divino Salvador, Hospital, 360 Divisions, political, 13 Doctors, 89 Dolores, cemetery, 389 522 INDEX. Dolores, Grito dc, 55 tramway to, 119 Domingo, Santo, 200 Dominicans, 2o Dominican Order, 200 Dona Maria's, 415 Doniphan's advance, 64 Drafts, 80 Drain, Nochistongo, 328 Drake. ISir Francis, 48 Drawn-work, 109 Dress, 89 Dry season, 5 Dulces (sweets), 89 Celaya, 488 City of Mexico, 109 Morelia, 455 Durango, iron, 9 Dutiable articles, 83 Dyke of San Cristobal, 329 Eating, 87 Ecbave, pictures by, 152, 383 Education, 82 City of Mexico, 247 Puebla, 377 El Paso, town, 97 Empire, first, 59 second, 69 Encarnacion, bridge, 346 church, 228 town, 346 Engineers, mining, 443 England, trade with, 12, 13 English cemetery, 289 corsairs, 48 debt, 07. 75, 76^ Enscnanza, La., 238 Envoy, U. S., 128 Episcopal church, 124 Escueia de Medicina, 251 Preparatoria, 251 Espiracion, chapel, 201 Espiritu Santo, 208 Eulalia, Sta., mine, 491, 493 Excavations, 467 Exercise, 87 Exchange, 80 Excursion cars, 117 Expenses, 79 Exports, 12, 13 Express, City of Mexico, 113 local, 101 service, 96 Extra baggage, 96 Fair, Aguas Calientes, 409 Jalapa, 485 Fairlie locomotive, 335 Feast days, 19 Feasting sick people, 257 Federal Court, 142 Government, 17 Fees, 87, 90 Festivals, national, 19 Felipe de Jesus, S. church, 195 relics of, 169 Fernandinos, order, 220 Fernando, San, 220 cemetery, 289 Fifth of May, 19, 68 battle, 374 picture, 141 Fighting monks, 211 J^inmicicr, The Mexican, 110 Fine Arts, Puebla, 378 School, Cit. Mex.,147 Fire, God of, 162 First church, 20 pulpit, 400 Flag, Mexican, 57 Flat arch, 384 Fleet to Spain, 51 Flor de Maria, 351 Flores, Molino de, 336 Flow^er market, 188 Fondas, 91 Font, Juan Diego, 184 Food, 86 Foot-marks, 483 Foreign commerce, 11 Foreign debt, 67 legations, 133 Foreigners, rights of, 16 Forey, Marshal, 69 Fort, black, 478 Cinco de Mayo, 374 Guadalupe, 87(5 Founding Acambaro, 487 Foundling Asylum, 263 Fountain, enchanted, 315 Fourth of July celebration, 233 France and United States, 70 trade with, 12, 13 Franciscan, Order, 189 Franciscanos descalzos, 180 Franciscans, 23 conspiracy, 65, 197 Francisco, S.,'ch. Chihuahua, 491 City of Mexico, 39, 188 Puebla, 884 INDEX. 523 Francisco, S., Texcoco, 324 Free list, 83 Fremont in California, 64 French at Vera Cruz, 67, 68 cemetery, 289 intervention, 67 Fresnillo, 47, 346 Friends' Mission, 32 Fruits, 8 Gaceta de Mexico, La., 50 j Gachupina, La, 450 I Gage, Thomas, 320 Gante, Fr. Pedro de, 20, 171 Garcia (Pesqueria), 474 Germany, trade with, 12, 13 Geronimo, San, 225 Gold, 8 Goliad, massacre, 62 Gonzalez, impeachment, 75 President, 74 Good Friday, Amecameca, 482 Gothic church, 452 Government, 15 offices, 141 officials, 123 Grant in church tower, 179 lodgings, Cit. Mex., 251 on Mexican war, 303 Gregorio, San, 209 Grijalva, landing, 41, 431 Griibo de Dolores, 55 Guadalajara, 509 Guadalupe, aqueduct, 49 banner, 164 calzada, 457 festivals, 294 fort, 374 Guanajuato, 420 -Hidalgo, 300 treaty of, 64 in politics, 293 legend, 290 picture, 296 shrine, 295 spring, 298 springs, 478 tramway to, 118 Zacatecas, 407 Guanajuato, 414 Hidalgo at, 55 Guarantees, the Three, 57 Guarda, El, 475 Guatimotzin, bust, 278 monument, 285 Guatimotzin, tortured, 46 Guaymas, 496 steamers from, 362 Guercino, 153 Guerrero monument, 279 portrait, 141 statue, 286 Guides, 107 Guido, 153 Guzman, Nuno de, 469, 513 Hackney coaches, 94, 101 Cit. Mex., 112 Hall of Ambassadors, 141 Hand-marks, 483 Hands, tree of the little, 506 Harbors, 5 Hardware, manufactured, 11 to buy, 109 Hat stores, 108 Heights, cities, 4 mountain, 6 Henequen, export, 12, 13 Hercules mill, 422 Hidalgo at Acambaro, 488 at Guanajuato, 55 at Morelia, 55 conspiracy of, 55 execution of, 56, 493 head, 418 Liceo, 38 portrait, 141 relics, 164 statue, 417 theatre, 271 tomb, 169 Hipdlito, San, 206 hospital, 256 Hipolitos, order, 257 Historians, 35 Historical summary, 41 Historic houses, 286 Horses, saddle, 113 Hospicio de Pobres, 264 Hospital, American, 263 Concepcion Beistigui, 363 Divino Salvador, 260 French, 263 Jesus Nazareno, 254 Juarez, 261 Lying-in, 2G2 Morelos, 258 Municipal, 261 Real, 255 San Andres, 361 524 INDEX. Hospital, San Hipolito, 250 San Juan de Dios, 258 San Pablo, 261 Spanish, 263 Hotel rates, 79 Yturbide, 103, 287 Hotels, 91 Puebla, 370 City of Mexico, 103 Houses, notable, 286 House, tiled, 288 Huitzilopochtli, idol, 157 shrine, 309 Humboldt, house, 288 Ibarra, pictures, 153, 383 Iguala, Plan of, 57, 69 Iguatzio, 468 Illness, 89 Imports, 11 Imprisonment, 15 Ines Santa, 229 Independence, first martyr, 54 first step toward, 53 monument, 275 Independent Mexico, 58 Indian girls, convent, 336 Indians, terrified, 469 Indio Triste, 159 Inquisition, the. 25 Insane asylum, 360 International Rwy., 360 Interoceanic Rwy., 356 Intervention, French, 67 Interpreters, 107 Inundation, great, 328 Invalids, wintering place, 410 Irolo, 338 Iron, 8 Isabel, see Ysabel Iturbide, see Yturbide Iturrigaray, Viceroy, 54 Ixtacalco, 318 Ixtaccihuatl, height, 6 Jalapa, 433 railway to, 340 Jesuit schools, 351 Jesuits, arrival, 47, 308 suppressions, 34, 51, 309 teachers, 23 , Jesus Maria, 324 Jesus Nazareno, church, 340 hospital, 254 Jilotepec, 435 Jimenez, execution, 56, 492 head, 418 tomb, 169 Jose, San, 184 de Gracia, S., 330 el Real, S., 217 S. de los Naturales, 185 Juan de Dios, San oh., 216 de Dios, S. hospital, 258 de la Penitencia, S. , 236 Juarez, death, 73 enters Mexico, 1.3 hospital, 261 monument, 386 policy, 72 portrait, 141 President, 66 railway and telegraph, 73 re-elected President, 73 second re-election, 73 Juarez Brothers, artists, 151 Judiciary, 18 Jurisprudence, school, 353 KEY-STO>fES, hanging, 474 Kilometres and miles, 83 La Barca, diligence, 369 Lagos, 497 Laja, canon, 351 La Joya, 336 Lake Cuitzeo, 354 Piltzcuaro, 466 Lakes, 7 Lampazos, 353 Lancasterian Society, 353 Language, 34 La Paz, steamer to, 363 Laredo, 96 Las Casas, 47 picture, 154 Las Cruces, battle, 56 Latin, logic, and philosophy, 199 Laws of Reform, 24, 66, 73 Lawyer made Bishop, 469 Lazaro, San, 216 dyke, 47 Lead, 9 League, measure, 81 Leather work, 11, 413 Legations, foreign, 123 Legend, Malinche, 314 Legs of San Sebastian, 483 Legua, measure, 81 Leon, 411 INDEX. 525 Leonardo, 153 Leon, Patroness of, 413 Lerdo, President, 73 Villa, 345 Lerma, river, 355 town, 352 Lestonac, Jeanne de, 238 Letters, 94, 111 Libraries, 34, 109, 147 Library, Cinco de Mayo, 147 National, 144 Puebla, 377 Liceo Hidalgo, 38 Lightning Saint, 389 Literature'. 35 Liturgy, Mozarabic, 29 Llave monument, 437 Local express, 101 Locomotive, Fairlie, 335 Locusts, plague of, 500 Lodgings, City of Mexico, 106 Lopez, hospitals founded, 259 Lorenzana, bishop, 29 hospital founded, 2G3 Lorenzo, San, 229 Loreto, Santa Casa de, 452 cerro del, 374 Ustra Sta. de, 208 Los Remedios, 445 legend, 448, Luggage, City of Mexico, 102 extra, 96, 333, 343, 349, 356 Lunch-basket, 86 Lying-in Hospital, 262 Macao, bronze from, 168 Mad women cared for, 260 Mail, 94, 111 Maltrata, 336 Manufactures, 9 Manterola, Ramon, 40 MaQzanillo, steamer to, 362 Mapimi, Bolson de, 6, 345 Maps, go\ernment, 434 Maravatio, 498 Marfil, town, 420 Maria la Redonda, Sta. , 175 Marina, La, 44 Market, flower, 138 Markets, City of Mexico, 137 Marquetry, 3S1 Martinez, engineer, 328 monument, 276 Mass, first, 20 Masses, 45, 171, 324 Matamoras, execution, 457 portrait, 141 Matamoras, railway, 356 occupied, 63 May, Fifth of festival, 19 battle, 68, 374 Mazatlan, steamer to, 363 Maximilian, arrival, 69 burial place, 426 crowned, 69 execution, 72, 425 policy of, 69, 70 prisoner, 72 prison of, 425 relics, 164, 426 shot at, 421 tendered crown, 69 trial, 424 Measures, Mexican, 81 Medellin, 432 Medina, Bartolome de, 443 Medicina, Escuela de, 251 Medicine, 89 Medical school, first, 256 Mejia (Mexia), execution, 73, 425 ■ trial, 424 Mending, 108 Mendoza, Viceroy, 46 Mercedarians, order, 210 Merced, La, 310 Merida, 499 Mesa, de los Cartujanos, 349 Mescal, 11 Methodist church, 31, 124 Metlac ravine, 335 Mexicaloingo, 319 Mexican breakfast, 105 Financier^ The, 110 flag, 57 government officials, 123 measures, 81 States, 14 war, the, 63 Mexican Railway, 333 history, 340 opening, 73 Mexican Central Railway, 343 history, 348 opened, 75 Mexican National Railway, 349 history, 354 Mexico, City of, 134 siege of, 45 climate, 4 Mexico, coast of, 5 526 IxN^DEX. Mexico, conquest of, 44 discovery of, 41 harbors, 5 limits of, 3 physical features, 3 primitive, 41 routes to, 78 when to go to, 77 '■' Michael Angelo, of Mexico," 490 Michoacan, City of, 470 Miguel, San, ch., 184 Miles and kilometres, 82 Military Academy, 303 force, 18 Milliner, 109 Mineral del Oro, 351 products, 8 Mineria, La, 249 Mine, Sta. Eulalia, 344, 491, 492 Mines, 8 Mining, school of, 442 Minister, U. S., 123 Mint, City of Mexico, 142 Guanajuato, 418 Zacatecas, 406 Miramon, defeat, 71 execution, 72, 425 trial, 424 Missionaries, 20 Missions, Protestant, 30 Mitras, Cerro de las, 472 Mixcoac, 305 tramway to, 119, 120 Molino de Flores, 326 del Rey, SC3 del Rey, affair of, 04 Monclova, 361 founding of, 49 Money, buying, 80 Mexican, bO Monks, 23 fighting, 211 theatrical, 255 Monserrate, Nstra. Sra. de, 215 Monte de las Cruces, 354 Monte de Piedad, 265 collapse of, 74 Monterey, 470 capture, 64 Montezuma, Cerro de, 451 Montezuma's bath, 325 new house, 140 Monument, Ahnitzotl, 301 Charles IV., 283 Columbus, 285 Monument, Guatimotzin, 278, 285 Guerrero, 279, 286 Independence, 275 Juarez, 286 Llave, 437 Martinez, 276 Morelos, 286 Pius IX., 379 Monuments, 2^3 Moon, pyramid, 321 Morelia, 445 Hidalgo at, 55 Morelos, born, 458 at Cuautla, 56 execution, 29, 56 hospital, 258 name to Morelia, 463 portrait, 141 statue, 286 Mountain altitudes, 6 Mozarabic Liturgy, 29 Municipal Hospital, 261 Murillo, 153, 170 Musa Mexicana, 484 Museo Nacional, 155 Museums, 34 Miisica, Conservatorio de, 248 Nacional, Theatre, 270 Naphtha, 9 Napoleon, back-down, 70 National Archives, 147 bridge, 54 festivals, 19 library, 144 museum, 155 palace, 140 railway, 351 Native dialects, 34 Navy, 18 Neapolitan head-dress, 494 Neri, Felipe, S. CongregJicion, 218 Netzahualcoyotl, 35, 323, 325 Nevado de Toluca, 506 Newspapers, 34, 50, 110 New Mexico, conquest, 48 Nickel riots, 74, 81 Nicolas, Colegio de San, 461 Noche Triste, defeat, 45 memorial, 207 tree, 122, 312 Nochistongo, drain, 328 Nuevo, Paseo, 279 Nun, royal, :i25 INDEX. 527 Obispado Viejo, 473 Ochoa, General, 484 Ocotlan, Santuario, 401 Officials, government, 123 Old books, no, 139 "Old" tower, 380 Olive-trees, large, 467 ! Ojo de Agua, 472 I Oratorians, 218 I Orchids, 436 I Orders, religious, 23 Ordnance survey, 434 Orfanatorio at Zacatecas, 408 Organ, old, 506 Orizaba, height, 6 town, 43(i Orozco y Berra, history, 163 Ortiz, Dofia Josefa, 55 Otumba, 33S Overcoats, 89 Ox-cart (Aparlcio), 385 Pablo, San, ch,, 174 hospital, 261 Pachiica, 441 Padierna, affair of, 64 Palacio de Justicia, 143 Nacional, 140 Palo Alto, skirmish, 63 Panteones, 389 Parian, El, 274 sacking of, 275 Parish churches, Cit. Mex., 171 priests, 94 Parra, Felix, 154 Parr as, wine, 471, 501 Parties, political, 60 Paseo de Bucareli, 279 Nuevo, 279 del Pendon, 208 de la Reforma, 279 de la Viga, 278 Paso del Norte, 97 Passage, concealed, 460, 468 Passes, 92 Passion play, 482 Passports, 82 Patio process, 346, 406 invention, 47, 443 Patriots, 5(5 Patroness of Leon, 413 Pawn-shop, national, 365 PAtzcuaro, city, 463 lake, 7, 359, 466 Pedregal, El, 308 Pedregal, El, Scott crosses, 64 Pedro de Gantc, Fr., 20 Pedro S. and S, Pablo, 309 Penitentiary, Morclia, 456 Pensacola, founding, 49 Pesqueria (Garcia), 474 Permits, 92 Petroleum, 9 Picture by Titian, 467 commemorative, 181 Pictures, Cit. Mex., 147 Puebla, 383 Piedad, La, 316 tramway to, 130 Pies, claim of the, 67 Pig, Mexican, 453 Pirates, English, 4S Philharmonic Society, 371 Pilgrims, Amecameca, 483 Pius IX. monument, 379 Plan of Iguala, 57, 69 La Noria, 73 Tuxtepec, 74 Plains. 6 I Platina, 8 Plaza Mayor, City of Mexico, 373 del Seminario, 276 Pocket of Mapimi, 6, 345 Poetess, Mexican, 484 Poets, 35 Political divisions, 13 parties, 60 Politics, Virgin in, 450 Poor-house, 264 Popocatepetl, height, 6 ascent of, 484 Popotla, 312 Population, 14 Porta Coeli, 201 Portales, 139 Porters (cargadores), 90 Ports, 5 Postal regulations, 94, 111 Post-office, 94, 111 Potrero, the, 474 Pottery, 10 to buy, 108 Zacatecas, 406 Preparatory school, 251 Presbyterians, 31 President, 17 calling on, 133 lirst, 60 Presidential succession, 18 Pretty girls, college of the, 239 528 INDEX. Price, Gen., advance of, 64 Priestly aid, 93 Prieto Guillermo, 37 Prim, General, 68 Priocipal, theatre, 369 Printing-press, first, 46 Prisons, City of Mexico, 139 Profesa, La, 817 Protestant churches, 124 Protestantism, 29 Proverbs at Jalapa, 434 Puebla de Jos Angeles, 370 a walk in, 373 battle of, 19, 68, 374 cathedral, 379 chanties, 3'(8 Diaz captures, 71 education, 377 fine arts, 378 French capture, 69 history, 389 railway to, 339 Scott captures, 64 view near, 375 Pueblito, Nstra. Sra. del, 428 Puente Nacional, 54 Pull)it, first, 400 Pulque, 11, 88, 337 Pur sima, bridge, 472 Pyramids, Sun, Moon, 321 QUERETARO, 421 siege of, 71 Quemadero, 26, 277 Quetzalcoatl, 161 Quicksilver, 9 Quiroga, Bishop, 469 bones of, 465 Rainy season, 5 Rail-route to Mexico, 77 Railway eating houses, 86 Railway, Cintura, 356 International, 360 Interoceanic, 356 Mexican, 333 Mexican National, 349 Sonora, 301 subsidies, 76 Railways, City of Mexico, 112 minor, 366 street. City of Mexico, 113 Rats for food, 496 Real del Monte, 443 Roboso, definition, 412 Reform a, Paseo de la, 279 Reformation, the, 24 Reform, Laws of the, 24 made constitutional, 73 proclaimed, 66 Regency, 58 Regina Coeli, 184 Regla, Conde de, 255 Relics, Puebla, 382 Religion, 19 Religious foundations, 164 orders, 23 suppression, 24 Remedies, Los, 445 Resaca de la Palma, skirmish, ^ Restaurants, 91 City of Mexico, 103 Revillagigedo, Viceroy, 51 reforms by, 274 Revolution, first, 61 Revolutionary period, 53 Rincon Grande, 436 Rio Grande crossed, 63 Riot, Nickel, 74 of 1692, 273 ' Parian, 275 Rivera, 153 Rivers, 7 Roman Catholic Church, 19 Routes to Mexico, 78 Royal nun, 225 Rubens, 152 Ruins at Xochicalco, 479 Sacramento, battle, 64, 493 Sacrificial stone, 157 Sacro Monte, 480 Saddle-horses, 113 Sagrado Corazon de Jesus, 229 Sagrario, 172 Salm-Salm, Princess, 425 Salon de Conciertos, 271 Salt, 9 Saltillo, 501 diligence from, 78 Salto de Alvarado, 290 Salto del Agua, church, 246 fountain, 282 Salvatierra, 502 Sanctuary, right of, 183, 184 San Angel, town, 305 tramway to, 120, 121 j San Bias, steamer to, 362 ' San Carlos Academy, 147 : San Cristobal, dyke, 329 INDEX. 529 San Isiclro, town, 346 diligence from, 78 San Juan de los Llanos, rwy. to, 371 San Juan Teotihuacan, town, 331 San Luis Potosi, 514 San Marcos, railway to, 371 San Miguel de AUende, town, 450 Santa Anita, town, 318 Santa Anna, dictator, 65 revolt of, 61 Santa Eulalia mine, 344, 491, 492 Santa Fe trail, 493 Santiago Tlaltelolco, ch., 199 Santisima, ch., 245 Santo Intierro, image, 481 Saxapes, see Zarapes School, blind, 269 business, 253 correctional, 268 deaf and dumb, 269 jurisprudence, 353 preparatory, 251 trade, 269 Schools, 33 City of Mexico, 347 Scott's advance, 64 Sculptor, Indian, 403 Sea-ports, 5 Sea-route to Mexico, 78 Sebastian, San, 175 Saminario Conciliar, 353 plaza del, 376 Senate. 17 Senor de Burgos, 194 Senor de Sta. Teresa, 333 September 16th, 55 Scrapes, see Zarapes Serpent worship, 160 Servants, 90 Seward at Queretaro, 424 letter of, 70 Shackles, cast off, 461 Shoemaker, 108 Shopping, 139, 266 City of Mexico, 107 Puebla, 371 Shrines, visiting, 93 Sickness, 89 Sierra Madre, 4 Silao, 502 Silla, Cerro de la, 472 Si lias, Las. 464 Sinking church, 210 Silver, 8 currency, 80 ] Silver, jewelry, 109 Slidell, special envoy, 63 Social organization, 53 j Sociedad Filarmonica, 271 Catolica, 254 I Soledad, Capilla de la, 174 i Sonora Railway, 361 ! Spagnoletto, 153 i Spanish tongue, 34 Spain, trade with, 12, 13 * I Spring, miraculous, 464 Springs of Guadalupe, 478 Stamps, postage, 94, 111 Standard of the Conquest, 43 State government, 18 States, Mexican, 14 Steamboat (Patzcuaro), 466 Steamers, coastwise, 362 Stone, calendar, 156 of the sun, 156 sacrificial, 157 Street of the dead, 323 Street Railways, Cit. Mex. , 113 Streets, City of Mexico, 125 Subsidies stopped, 76 Subterranean way, 460, 468 Suburban tramways, 116 Sugar, 10 haciendas, 478, 495 Sumaya, La, 148, 169 Sun, pyramid of the, 321 stone of the, 156 i Suppression of religious orders, 24 Survey, ordnance, 434 Sweetmeats, 89 to buy, 109 Table-land, 4 Tacubaya, 304 tramway to, 119 Tacuba, 313 tramway to, 133 Tailor, 108 Tailors, alcaldes of the, 346 Tajo de Nochistongo, 338 Tampico, steamer to, 362 tapestry, Puebla, 383 Tarascan chief, 467, 488 Taylor's advance, 63 Taxation. 18 ; Tecajic, shrine, 506 Telegraph, 95 i City of Mexico, 112 Temisco, 478 , Tcuochtitlan, city, 1.34 530 INDEX. Tenochtitlan, siege of, 45 Cortes enters, 45 Teoyaomiqui, idol, 157 Tercer Orden, 194 Teresa la Antigua, Sta., 231 la Nueva, Sta. 335 Terreros, miner, 444 Terrified Indians, 469 Tetzcotzinco, 325 Texas, conquest of, 49 Republic of, 62 State of, 62 revolt of, 62 Texcoco, 323 Tierra Caliente, 5 Fria, 5 Templada, 5 Tiled house, 288 Tiles, Piiebla, 372 Tin, 9 Titian, picture by, 467 Thanksgiving Day, 410 Theatres, City of Mexico, 269 Puebla, 373 Theatrical Monks, 255 Thermometer readings, 5 Theological Seminary, 253 Thomas, Saint, IGl ''Three Guarantees," 57 Tlalnepantla, 327 tramway to, 122 Tlalpam, 311 tramway to, 121 Tlaltelolco, Santiago, 199 Tlamacas, 485 Tlaxcala, 397 Tlaxcalans, fights with, 45 Tolsa, Manuel, 149 Toltec remains, 507 l^oluca, 503 Tomas la Palma, Sto. , 178 Tomb of bishops, 381 Tonantzin, goddess, 290 Trade, foreign, 11 Tramways, City of Mexico, 113 suburban, 116 Zacatecas, 407 Treaty, Guadalupe-Hidalgo, 64, 300 La Soledad, 68 London, 67 Tree of the Noche Triste, 312 of the Little Hands, 506 Tresguerras, architect, 489 Trunk-mending. 108 Tula, 506 Tultenango, canon, 357 Turkey eating, 410 Tuxpaugo, 4o6 Tuxpan, steamer to, 362 Tuxtepec, Plan of, 74 '"Twelve Apostle.s," 21 Tzmtziintzan, 463, 466 Ulua, S. Juan de, 480 Underground passage, 460, 465' United States and France, 70 minister, 123 trade with, 12, 13 war with, 62 University of Mexico, 248, 461 Tiripitio, 461 Uxmal, 499 Vaccara, Andrea, 153 Valencia, Fr. Martin de, 480 Valladolid (Morelia), 462 Vallejo, pictures by, 214, 249, 252 Van Dyke, 153 Vara, measure, 81 Vegetable products, 8 Veils, Lord of the Seven, 176 Velasco, Viceroy, 47 Velazquez, 153 Vera, author, 484 Vera Cruz, Santa, ch., 176 Vera Cruz, city, 429 executions in, 74 French at, 67, 68 founding of, 44 Scott captures, 64 Verdad, Liceuciado, 54 Viceregal period, 46 Viceroy and Archbishop, 48 eccentric, 51 Viceroys, portraits, 164 View at Amecameca, 480 at Coatepec, 433 at Puebla, 375 Viga, canal, 317 paseo de la, 278 Vilar, 154 Villa Lerdo, 345 Virgin, Mexican, 450 in politics, 450 Spanish, 450 Vizcainas, 267 Volador, market, 137 Vultures, Vera Cruz, 430 War with United States, 62 VVatch-mcnding, 108 i:ndex. 531 Water-clock, heavenly, 222 falls, 43(5 melon, mayor, 365 supply, 282 works, abortive, 447 Wells, artesian, 282 Wells, Fargo & Co., 96 Wine, 88 of Parras, 471, 501 Writers, 35 Wood-carving, 381 Woollen cloth, 9 XiCACA, goddess, 327 Xanicho, 466 Xaracuaro, 466 Xochicalco, 479 Yaptepec, 360, 496 Yguala, see Iguala Yldefonso, San, 251 Yngenio, the, 436 Ysabel, Sta., 229 Yturbide, born, 458 emperor, 59 execution, 60 funeral, 189 portrait, 141 memorial, 484 sketch of. 57 tomb, 169 Yturbide, hotel 102, 287 Yucatan, bishopric of, 21 conquest of, 499 discovery of, 19 Zacatecas, 404 Zaragoza, Gen., 374 Zarapes, 10 to buy, 108, 408 Zempoala, arcos de, 358 Zendejas, last picture, 384 Zdcalo, garden. 275 Zopiiotes, canon, 357 Zumarraga, bLshop, 21 tomb, 170 31^77-6