Page:The Mastering of Mexico.djvu/177

Rh another that the majestic towers and houses, all of massive stone and rising out of the waters, were like enchanted castles we had read of in books. Indeed, some of our men even asked if what we saw was not a dream.

And when we entered the city of Iztapalapa, our quarters in palaces!—their spacious courts, their hewn stone and cedar and other sweet-scented wood! their great rooms canopied with cotton cloth! After we had taken a good look at this we went to the gardens, where I could not gratify myself too much with the trees which spread delightful scents, the rose bushes, the flower beds and fruit trees, the freshwater pond, and openings built of many-colored stones so that large canoes could pass to the garden from the lake. Water-loving birds of many kinds were swimming up and down the pond, and everything was charming. We could not find words to express our astonishment.

Escorted by all the great caciques who had thronged to us the past few days, we left Iztapalapa early next morning, and marched along the causeway, there about eight paces in width. Broad as it was, it was much too narrow to hold the crowds who kept coming to gaze at us. We could scarcely move along. The tops of the temples and towers were crowded also, while the lake beneath was alive with canoes bearing people eager to catch a glimpse