lled with mist that lay in dense billows resembling those of the sea,
through which hills and temple tops started up like islands. By slow
degrees as we passed upon our downward road the vapours cleared away,
and the lakes of Tezcuco, Chalco, and Xochicalco shone in the sunlight
like giant mirrors. On their banks stood many cities, indeed the
greatest of these, Mexico, seemed to float upon the waters; beyond them
and about them were green fields of corn and aloe, and groves of forest
trees, while far away towered the black wall of rock that hedges in the
valley.

All day we journeyed swiftly through this fairy land. We passed through
the cities of Amaquem and Ajotzinco, which I will not stay to describe,
and many a lovely village that nestled upon the borders of Lake Chalco.
Then we entered on the great causeway of stone built like a road resting
on the waters, and with the afternoon we came to the town of Cuitlahuac.
Thence we passed on to Iztapalapan, and here Guatemoc would have rested
for the night in the royal house of his uncle Cuitlahua. But when we
reached the town we found that Montezuma, who had been advised of
our approach by runners, had sent orders that we were to push on to
Tenoctitlan, and that palanquins had been made ready to bear us. So we
entered the palanquins, and leaving that lovely city of gardens, were
borne swiftly along the southern causeway. On we went past towns built
upon piles fixed in the bottom of the lake, past gardens that were laid
out on reeds and floated over the waters like a boat, past teocallis and
glistening temples without number, through fleets of light canoes and
thousands of Indians going to and fro about their business, till at
length towards sunset we reached the battlemented fort that is called
Xoloc which stands upon the dyke. I say stands, but alas! it stands no
more. Cortes has destroyed it, and with it all those glorious cities
which my eyes beheld that day.

At Xoloc we began to enter the city of Tenoctitlan or Mexico, the
mightiest city that ever I had seen. The houses on the outskirts,
indeed, were built of mud or adobe, but those in the richer parts were
constructed of red stone. Each house surrounded a courtyard and was
in turn surrounded by a garden, while between them ran canals, having
footpaths on either side. Then there were squares, and in the squares
pyramids, palaces, and temples without end. I gazed on them till I was
bewildered, but all seemed as nothin