Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Notes |
CHAPTER XVII: THE LAKE OF MEXICO [p.57]
THE city of Temistitan is surrounded by mountains on all sides, except between North and East. Towards the South there are very high mountains, including the volcano Popocatépetl, round as a heap of wheat, and four leagues or a little more in height. In its highest part it has a mouth a quarter of a league in circuit, from which twice a day and sometimes in the night a mighty cloud of smoke bursts out impetuously, and no matter how strong the wind may be does not vanish, but rises to the first region of the heavens, and there mingles with the clouds, ceasing to be plainly visible. This mountain is eleven leagues from México, and about that city are other mountains of great height, some of them ten leagues from México, and others eight. All these mountains are covered with snow for the greater part of the [58] year, and in the foothills on both sides are most beautiful towns and villages. There are other mountains, but not very high, being between plain and mountain, and both sides of these are covered with thick woods of pines, ilexes, and oaks. At the foot of the sierras commences a sweet-water lake which has a shore-line of more than thirty leagues; half of it in the direction of the mountains is very good sweet water: the other half gives birth to a current that runs furiously to the north, and from there it is of salt water.40 In the sweet-water lake, there are great growths of tall, beautiful reeds, and many fair villages and small towns, such as Cuetavaca which is now called Venezuela [Tlahuac], which is large and pleasing; another is called Mezquique [Mixquic], which is larger. Then there is Caloacan [Culuacan], rather smaller than either.41 Then there is Suchimilco,42 which is the largest of them all and remains a little out of the lake and nearer to the shore. There is another Huichilubusaco [Churubusco], and another called Mexicaltzinco [59] which is between the sweet water and the salt. All these towns were on the sweet-water lake and many of them in the middle. The sweet-water lake is long and narrow, and the salt one is round. In the sweet water there are some small fish; in the salt part they are still smaller.43 |
