g three splendid
pearls as a present. Cortes "in return threw over the young king's neck
a chain of cut glass, which, where glass was as rare as diamonds, might
be admitted to have a value as real as the latter."

The army of Cortes next marched along the southern side of Lake Chalco,
"through noble woods and by orchards glowing with autumnal fruits, of
unknown names, but rich and tempting hues." They also passed "through
cultivated fields waving with the yellow harvest, and irrigated by
canals introduced from the neighboring lake, the whole showing a careful
and economical husbandry, essential to the maintenance of a crowded
population." A remarkable public work next engaged the attention of the
Spaniards, viz., a solid causeway of stone and lime running directly
through the lake, in some places so wide that eight horsemen could ride
on it abreast. Its length is some four or five miles. Marching along
this causeway, they saw other wonders; numbers of the natives darting in
all directions in their skiffs, curious to watch the strangers marching,
and some of them bearing the products of the country to the neighboring
cities. They were amazed also by the sight of the floating gardens,
teeming with flowers and vegetables, and moving like rafts over the
waters. All round the margin, and occasionally far in the lake, they
beheld little towns and villages, which, half concealed by the foliage,
and gathered in white clusters round the shore, "looked in the distance
like companies of white swans riding quietly on the waves." About the
middle of this lake was a town, to which the Spaniards gave the name of
Venezuela[22] (i. e., "Little Venice"). From its situation and the style
of the buildings, Cortes called it the most beautiful town that he had
yet seen in New Spain.

[Footnote 22: Not to be confounded with the Indian village on the shore
of Lake Maracaibo, to which (with similar motive) Vespucci had given
that name--now capital of a large republic.]

After crossing the isthmus which separates that lake from Lake Tezcuco
they were now at Iztapalapan, a royal residence in charge of the
Emperor's brother. Here a ceremonious reception was given to Cortes and
his staff, "a collation being served in one of the great halls of the
palace. The excellence of the architecture here excited the admiration
of the general. The buildings were of stone, and the spacious apartments
had roofs of odorous cedar-wood, while the walls were tapes