rit
of transition in its inhabitants. This is partly due to the ruthless
American industrial invasion, which, whilst it has valuable elements
for the country, should not be allowed to stamp a shoddy modernism upon
the more dignified antiquity of environment. This tendency, however,
has not yet had time to show itself, except in a few instances in the
capital. Nevertheless, some portions of the City of Mexico have already
been spoilt by the speculative Anglo-American builder, who has
generally called himself an architect in order to perpetrate appalling
rows of cheap _adobe_ houses or pretentious-looking villas, made of the
slimmest material and faced with that sin-covering cloak of _tepetatl_,
or plaster "staff." Even some of the principal streets of the capital
have been disfigured with hideous pretentious business structures, for
which the Anglo-American element, whether in fact or example, has been
responsible. If the Mexicans are wise they will sternly refuse to adopt
much of steel construction or of "staff" and corrugated iron covering
imported from the north, but to limit their buildings to native
materials of stone or brick and their elevation to two or, at most,
three storeys. The skyscraper is at home in New York or Chicago; in
Mexico (or in London) it is the abomination of desolation. In San
Francisco the outraged earth endeavoured to shake them off a year or so
ago in an earthquake! An attractive feature of Mexican houses is the
flat roofs, or _azoteas_. These are often made accessible from the
interior and adorned with plants and flowers, and even the heavy
rain-storms of certain regions do not seem to influence this type of
construction or demand the rapid watershed of the gabled roof. During
the time of the conquest of the City of Mexico these _azoteas_ formed
veritable coigns of vantage for the Aztecs, who poured down a hail of
darts and stones upon the besiegers.

The _plaza_ of the Spanish-American city is its main centre. Thence the
principal streets emerge, and there, upon its prettily planted and
shady promenade foregather the people to listen to the _serenata_, or
playing of the band on frequent occasions. The Mexicans are
passionately fond of music, and a wise governmental sentiment has found
that it is a useful part of government. Therefore it is decreed that
the bands shall play, free of cost, to the multitude. In some cities
the plaza-promenade has two paved footpaths adjoining each other--the