Page:Appleton's Guide to Mexico.djvu/99

Rh to the Government, are imposing and commodious. The largest edifice in Mexico is the national palace at the capital. It has two high stories and a frontage of 675 feet. Most of the houses have one story, and are provided with a patio, or courtyard, in which flowers and fruit-trees are planted. The roofs are generally covered with tiles, of which red is the prevailing color. In the principal cities a second story is added; but in the capital, and in the mining towns of Guanajuato and Zacatecas, where land is quite valuable, the buildings contain three, and often four (including the entresol), floors. While the larger edifices are constructed of igneous rocks, such as porous amygdaloid, trachyte, and porphyry, the dwelling-houses are usually made of brick and stuccoed. The roofs of the former are flat, and commonly furnished with a low wall, whereas those of the latter slant from the ridge-piece and are provided with eaves. In some cities the eaves are of sufficient size to afford protection to the pedestrian from the sun and rain.

As a rule, all buildings in Mexico are erected in the most substantial manner. The walls are of great thickness, and cellars are rarely seen. The windows are generally covered with railings of Biscay iron, reminding the traveler of Spain. Balconies are added to those above the ground-floor. Many private residences of the better class have porte-cochères, and a fountain in the paved courtyards. The dry climate is favorable to the endurance of the edifices, and many houses built soon after the Conquest are still in a fair state of preservation.

In the villages on the table-land, the most common building material is adobe, or sun-dried brick. The peasants living in the tierra caliente and tierra templada, commonly use sugar-cane stalks and palm-leaves in making their huts.

Tourists are advised to spend much of their time in