place to recount the story of its fall. Our present
inquiry is concerned solely with the remains of its prehistoric age.
The enthusiastic Spaniards would have us believe in a city of Oriental
magnificence. We have no illustrations of this pueblo. It was almost
completely destroyed by Cortez before its final surrender in August,
1521. It was then rebuilt as the capital city of New Spain. Of course,
all traces of its original buildings soon disappeared. What we can learn
of its appearance is derived from the accounts of the early writers,
which we will examine in their proper place. After having surveyed the
entire field of ruins, we will be much better qualified to judge of the
vague statements of its former grandeur. A few relics have, indeed, been
found buried beneath the surface of the old city. They illustrate the
culture of the people, as will be noticed further on.

Directly across the lake from the Pueblo of Mexico was that of Tezcuco,
the head-quarters of the second powerful tribe of the Aztec Confederacy.
Traces only are recoverable of its former buildings. At the southern end
of the modern town were found the foundations of three great pyramids.
They were arranged in a line from north to south. Mr. Mayer says of
these ruins: "They are about four hundred feet in extent on each side
of their base, and are built partly of adobe and partly of large, burned
bricks and fragments of pottery."<5> He tells us further that the sides
of the pyramids "were covered with fragments of idols, clay vessels, and
obsidian knives." From other discoveries, it would seem these pyramids
were coated with cement. The suggestion is made that on one of these
pyramids stood the great temple of Tezcuco, which, an early writer tells
us, was ascended by one hundred and seventeen steps.

Illustration of Bas-Relief, Tezcuco.--------

In another part of the town a sculptured block of stone was found, of
which this cut is given. "It appears to be the remains of a trough or
basin, and the sculpture is neatly executed in relief. I imagine that it
was designed to represent a conflict between a serpent and a bird, and
you can not fail to remark the cross distinctly carved near the lower
right-hand corner of the vessel." Bullock, who traveled in Mexico in
1824, has left a brief description of the ruins of what he calls a
palace. "It must have been a noble building.... It extended for three
hundred feet, forming one side of the great square, and