country seemed to be one vast
garden, most carefully tended, and everywhere cut up by little canals,
whence water for irrigation was drawn. Scattered everywhere about the
valley were single houses embowered in trees, and from where we stood we
could see also four or five little towns, which also were plentifully
shaded. And on the lake many boats were passing, of which several were
of a considerable size, and were fitted with curiously shaped sails. And
all this exquisite tropical beauty of ample water and luxuriant foliage
shone richly beneath the bright splendor of a deep blue tropical sky.

Yet that which most strongly attracted our attention was not this
charming display of the manifold excellencies of God's handiwork, but
rather a wonderful manifestation of the handiwork of man. Over against
us, on the far side of the lake, slantingwise from where we stood, rose
a mass of buildings of such vastness and such majestic design that at
the first glance we took it to be one of the square-topped mountains
which are found not uncommonly in this portion of the world, and around
the bases of which are sloping heaps of the fragments of rock which
have broken away through countless ages from their weather-worn sides.
Yet in a moment we perceived that what we saw was a walled city built
upon a great promontory, that jutted out from the mountain-side; and in
the same breath Fray Antonio and I called out together, "It is the city
of Culhuacan!"

As we uttered this name Tizoc turned towards us quickly, and with a
startled, troubled look upon his face. "They are not of our race," he
said, as though speaking his thoughts aloud; "yet the sacred name, that
among us only a few know, is known to them!" and the troubled look upon
his face deepened as we went onward.

The way by which we descended was a narrow road carried zigzag down the
cliff--for the pass by which we had entered the valley was fully six
hundred feet above the level of the lake--and at short intervals along
its course this road was defended by walls of very solid masonry,
pierced with openings so narrow that only one man at a time could pass
through them. That the walls were for defence was shown by the piles of
metal bars on the inner side of each opening--the side towards the
mountain--so arranged that in a moment they could be slipped into
sockets in the stone-work, thus closing effectually the way.

Perceiving that we regarded with surprise this curious system o