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.
Pages:
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209