ts, and dashing horsemen move about like animated
marionettes. Not far away looms against the blue sky the tall castle of
Chapultepec, while the clustered towers of Guadalupe, the Mecca of all
pious Mexicans, comes still nearer to the vision. The many outlying
villages upon the plateau, each with its central spire, recall the
lovely plains of Granada. The distant fields of maguey, the verdant
patches of alfalfa, luxuriant meadows, groups of grazing cattle, and the
two arched stone aqueducts are all prominent features presenting
themselves to the eye, together with the gardens and villas of Tacubaya
and San Angel. As we gaze at the unequaled panorama, which Humboldt
pronounced to be the most beautiful the eye ever rested upon, the
thought forced itself upon us that with all its scenic beauty, this
valley and plain of Anahuac has for centuries been cursed with crime and
barbarism. The whole scene is inclosed by a grand circle of mountains,
just far enough away to clothe them in charming purple. The rarefied
atmosphere adds distinctness and brilliancy of coloring to everything.
Two of these sky-reaching elevations are of world-wide reputation,
namely, Mount Popocatepetl ("the smoking mountain"), and Mount
Ixtaccihuatl ("the white woman"). The former presents so perfect a
conical form, while the summit is rounded into a dome of dazzling
whiteness, that it seems to far exceed the height of eighteen thousand
feet which is accorded to it; and though it does not rise abruptly from
sea level to its giddy height, like Mount Tacoma in the State of
Washington, still in shape it much resembles that noble elevation.

Cortez in 1520 and Scott in 1847 led their conquering hosts over the
elevated pass which nature had formed between these mountains. The two
summits are connected by a well-wooded ridge, itself some three thousand
feet in height, looking from a distance like a deep valley between the
grand mountains. While regarding the interesting scene, it was natural
to compare the loftiest elevation before us with that of the Valley of
Chamounix. Mont Blanc is a little less than sixteen thousand feet at its
summit above the sea. Popocatepetl is a little less than eighteen
thousand, but the latter rises from the plateau of Mexico, which is over
seven thousand feet above the sea, while Mont Blanc at the base, is only
thirty-five hundred feet above the ocean. Thus about two thousand feet
more of elevation is visible to the eye in the Swis