Page:Travels in Mexico and life among the Mexicans.djvu/251

 of the latter, in conjunction with its great evaporation, its area has been greatly diminished, so that, instead of surrounding the city as in former days, its nearest shore is three miles from it, measuring from the plaza.

For three hundred years the sewers of the city have attempted to discharge into the lake; and though the latter has gone on evaporating all this while, yet the flow of filth has never ceased, and the level of the lake still remains but six feet below that of the city. The sewers are constantly charged; beneath the pavement of the city of Mexico is the accumulated filth of near five hundred years! As a consequence, despite the rarity of the atmosphere at this high altitude, malaria spreads itself upon the air, and fevers of a mild type prevail here.

Numberless plans have been submitted to the government for draining the lake and relieving the city of its surcharge of corruption; some have been accepted, but none have been attempted, though a fund for the purpose was started years and years ago. A wealthy American company was the latest to bid for this contract, and even went so far as to obtain a liberal concession from Congress and the Executive. Through the city of Mexico, by this plan, sewers are to be constructed flushed by the waters from the lakes, which are carried to a common conduit, where the sewage is purified by deposition, the solid matter to be used for fertilization and the water carried away in the canal. The whole length of the canal would be about fifty miles, the expense about $7,000,000.

Having now a period of peace and prosperity, with a friendly nation kindly building all her railroads necessary to develop internal commerce, Mexico will undoubtedly turn her attention to the purification of her capital, that it may become in future years the Mecca of pilgrims in search of health, as well as of those looking for magnificent scenery.