Extracts from My Mexican Journal, Part III [pp. 700-705]

SOUTHERN LITERARY MESSENGER.
might have defended himself equally well, and in
the event of his being compelled to abandon it,
he would have encountered less difficulty in recovering possession of it?
Thence we proceeded some distance-the moon
shone brightly-to see other remains of an ancient
structure, but being unsuccessful in our search,
we returned to the house of our kind friends, the
Camperos.
The town of Tescuco now contains about 5,000
inhabitants-the houses are of one story onlywith regular but unpaved streets, not very neat.
Its modern mediocrity must contrast strongly with
its ancient magnificence, if the early historians of
Mexico are to be credited. During the revoltu -
tion a ditch was dug around it, in order to repel
the attacks of cavalry. It was assailed several
times, and suffered some injury. It is by no
means a pretty town, but is situated amid a pretty
country, and supplied with good water.
DEc. 26. We appointed to-day to visit the mountain of Tescusingo. Before setting out, we made
another circuit about the town, and found on a wall
in front of one of the churches, a circular stone,
the circumference of which was curiously carved.
Near the northwestern corner of the Plaza is a
well constructed arch of tetzontli, cemented with
lime, which had been discovered in opening a
ditch-the extent and purpose of it are alike unknown. We next visited the house of the Most
Holy Trinity, La Casa de la Santissima Trinidad,
to examine an arch of stone, said to have been
taken from the ruins of the palace. Its figure is
beautiful-the whole is well wrought-and would
do credit to any edifice. If an antique, of which
there seems very little doubt, it proves beyond
any thing I have yet seen, the civilized state which
the Indians of Mexico had attained prior to the
conquest. The arch of three pieces, and four
stones which support it, believed to have once
formed a portal in the palace, are perfect. The
latter now are the sides of an entrance to a stable,
the arch lies neglected in the yard-two stones are
wanting to complete the supports to the arch.
We continued our walk to the ruins of an extensive building, upon which are growing numerous plants of the maguey. The layers of cement
are seen distinctly-very smooth and hard. An old
woman who lives near, has collected large pieces
of this cement with which she has paved the patio
of her house; so solid is it, that one of our companions believed it to be stone, until he had tested
it with the hammer.
At eleven o'clock we set out in our coach for
the mountain distant near two leagues to the eastward of Tescuco. About a quarter of a mile from
the town, we observed two circular carved stones
which we had not time to examine. After riding
a league over the plain, we stopped at the Molino
de las Flores-mill of flowers —a most romantic
VoL. 1-89
spot. Great labor has been expended upon the
race for conducting the water to the mill from the
natural dam of rocks, over which the stream during the rainy season, dashes in torrents into a rugged bed. The plain from thence to the foot of the
mountain being broken by deep barrancas-gullies-our carriage was unable to proceed farther.
We were, therefore, compelled to walk, against
our inclinations, for the sun was scorching, and
we were aware of the labor we must encounter in
the ascent of the mountain.
A walk of two miles brought us to the foot of
the mountain of Tescusingo, the steep sides of
which covered with iwpal,* we began to climb
slowly. After winding about midway up on the
western side, our guide conducted us to the mouth
of an apparently artificial cavern, with an entrance
about six feet high-descending a dozen steps it
takes a new direction. Having no lights we were
obliged to leave it unexplored. Continuing to ascend, we passed towards the southern declivity,
and soon met with cement, which in various parts
of the mountain denotes extensive remains of ancient edifices-with walls constructed of tetzontliand particularly with a large square stone hollowed
neatly like a drain; and a reservoir for water
appeared to have existed below it. We were now
about three-fourths of the distance up the mountain, and had attained a terrace, along which we
walked to the Bath of Tescusingo-the chief object
of our visit. This remarkable work is cut out of a
solid rock-hard feldspar porphyry-which hangs
like a bird's nest upon the steep side, which faces to
the south. An irregular platform of seven feet and
a half diameter appears to have been first cut into
the rock-the sides of the rock forming a wall
smooth on the inside, nearly two feet and a half
high, the outside left as nature made it-in the
centre of this platform a circular bath is cut out,
with a diameter of four feet seven inches, two feet
deep, with two steps to descend into it. A perforation in one part of the platform shows where the
water was admitted, and it escaped from the bath
by a cleft which extends from top to bottom. The
bath was probably covered with a roof-cavities in
the rock seeming to indicate where posts once
stood.
The view from this spot is the most beautiful
that could have been selected on the mountain;
and warmed by the sun, and sheltered from the
winds of the north, it was, also, the most delightful. The city of Mexico is seen distinctly, the
lake of Tescuco and populous plains intervening, in
the southwest; and to the south rise the snowy
mountains of Puebla.
From the bath, we continued our walk along
the terrace, upon which still exist traces of an
aqueduct, which, at the eastern extremity of Tes
* Nopal, a species of cactus.
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