ansacted, whilst on the opposite sides are clubs,
shops, or other main centres of business or pleasure.

Generally, the upper storeys of the buildings in the _plaza_--except
the ecclesiastical--overhang the footpaths, or, rather, are built over
them, supported by the characteristic _portales_, or series of arches
and pillars facing the roadway. This type of structure is prevalent in
almost all the older Spanish-American cities. It is a feature of
Mexican and Peruvian cities, and is encountered even in remote places
such as Arequipa and Cuzco, the old Inca capital in the heart of the
Andes, where it was introduced by the Spanish builders.

[Illustration: SPANISH-COLONIAL ARCHITECTURE: THE PORTALES OF CHOLULA.]

A similar type of architecture, especially as regards the houses,
characterises all Mexican cities and towns. The plan of town dwelling
is that with interior _patio_, wide _saguan_, or entrance door, and
windows covered with outside grilles, either of bars or of wrought-iron
scrollwork. From this _patio_, which in the wealthier houses is paved
with marble, the doorways of the lower apartments open. The houses are
of two storeys, and access to the upper is gained by a broad staircase
which terminates on a wide balcony, or, rather, gallery, above the
_patio_. From this gallery the doors of the upper rooms open. A
balustrade runs round the outer side of the gallery, and this is
generally covered with flowering plants, ferns, and palms, in pots or
tubs, which lend an air of coolness and luxury to the interior. Above,
the _patio_ is open to the sky, except that the overhanging roof of the
house covers the gallery, from which it is supported by pillars. The
whole arrangement is pleasing, and adapted to the climate, and the
foreigner who has become accustomed to it finds that it possesses
certain advantages which the houses of his own country do not enjoy.

On the other hand, this plan of building has grave drawbacks. The
absence of a garden or grounds in front of, or surrounding the house,
gives a restricted feeling. The main difference between an English and
a Mexican house is that the Briton loves to cut off too-close
intercourse with humanity by retiring his dwelling far from the road,
whilst the Spanish-American builds his fronting immediately upon the
street. In these houses, moreover, the rooms generally open one into
the other, which is far from the Northerner's idea of privacy. This
fact, indeed, is born of a