Page:Pictures of life in Mexico Vol 2.djvu/73

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 Valley of Mexico.—Lakes.—Principal Roads.—Old City of Tenochtitlan.—New City.—City of Mexico.—Puebla—Xalapa.—Perote.—Gueretaro.—Guanajuato.—Zacatecas.—Durango.—Santa Fé.—Caneles.—Tamazula.—Cuernavoca.—Cuautla.—Yucatan.—Tabasco.—Chiapa.—Vera Paz.

Valley of Mexico or Tenochtitlan, is of oval form, and is situated in the centre of the Cordillera of Anahuac, on the ridge of the basaltic and porphyritical mountains rising from the south-south-east to the north-northwest. It has five lakes—those of Tezcuco (near which lies the city of Mexico), Chalco, Xochimilco, Zampango, and Xaltocan. Tezcuco, one of the two great lakes, being of salt water.

Six principal roads cross the mountains which enclose this valley—the old road of La Puebla, by the Llanos de Apan and San Bonaventura; that of Pachuco by the Cerro