My 11, 8, 10, 4, is an article of food.
My 7, 12, 5, is much used by farmers.
My 18, 6, 12, 14, 18, is a kind of fish.
My 18, 8, 3, is a valuable ore.
My 9, 8, 15, 5, is a foreign fruit.

My whole is a great ornament to the country.

I am composed of 16 letters.

My 2, 1, 8, is a portion of water.

My 2, 12, 4, 15, 16, 8, has been the ruin of thousands.

My 16, 1, 15, 10, 8, is the most contemptible of all animals.

My 6, 14, 4, 15, is the name of a once celebrated tragedian.

My 3, 8, 15, 15, is the name of a town not far from Boston.

My 11, 12, 1, 15, 5, 9, is the name of a great country.

My 3, 4, 6, 7, is a sheet of water.

My 11, 13, 12, 9, is one of the elements.
My 1, 13, 12, is another.

My 11, 3, 8, is an insect.

My 15, 13, 3, 7, is the name of a river justly celebrated in ancient and modern history. C. B. F. Boston, February 1, 1842.

CHAPTER XV.

Description of Mexico.-Montezuma.-Landing of Cortez.-His reception.-Advances towards the Capitol.-War with the Tlascalans.

In the first part I have related, briefly, but with as much clearness as possible, the history of the Indians of the West Indian Islands, and of South America. I have described their customs and manners, and traced the progress of the Spaniards and other Europeans from the Landing of Columbus," till all the islands, and the greater part of the southern continent were subjected to the invaders. We will now turn to North America, and pursue the fortunes of the Red Man from the burning clime of Darien to the cold regions of the Artic

sea.

At the time of the discovery of the New World, the region which is at present known by the name of the Republic of Mexico, extending from the Pacific to the Gulf of Mexico, and from the United States to Guatemala, was called Anahuac. This vast country was inhabited by several independent nations, of which the Mexicans were by far the greatest and most civilized. Their capital city, Mexico, was situated on a group of islands in the Lake of Tezcuco, partly natural and partly formed by the labor of the inhabitants. The lake of Tezcuco lay in a large and beautiful valley, called the Vale of Mexico, in the central part of the country of Anahuac. From the shore, three great dykes or causeways, formed of stone and earth, led to the city, the appearance of which

must have been magnificent, even to men of enlightened Europe.

The houses of the common people were mostly low wooden buildings, arranged with the greatest regularity. But the dwellings of the nobility were of stone, and some of them spacious and magnificent. The city was adorned with numerous temples, the principal of which was the great temple of their god Mexitli, the Mars of the Mexicans. This was an enormous four-sided pyramid, one hundred and twenty feet high; on one side were steps to ascend to the top, which was a square platform. On this were two small temples, containing images of their gods and altars, on which, (horrible to relate!) great numbers of human victims were sacrificed every year, by this inhuman people.

The lake around was covered with vessels of all descriptions, and numbers of floating gardens, filled with the most beautiful flowers. Numerous canals were cut through the city, in which the boats of the natives were constantly passing, as in the great towns of Holland.

But all this greatness and splendor was not, as might be supposed, the growth of many ages of prosperity; from the foundation of the city, according to the account of the natives, to its capture by Cortez, in 1520, had elapsed a period of only one hundred and ninty-five years. The ancient history of the Aztec or Mexican nations, as given in their own annals, is as follows:

"During the twelfth and thirteenth centuries after Christ, a great number of nations or tribes arrived at Anahuac, from some country to the north; they are supposed by many to have come, originally, from Tartary, crossing over to America at Bhering's straits; but of this we have no certain proof. The first who arrived, found the country entirely unoccupied, except by a few stragglers, the remnant of a great and

highly cultivated people, called Saltees, who formerly possessed the country, and had been destroyed, or driven away by famine and pestilence. To them are ascribed the pyramid of Cholula, and many other works of power and skill; and to them the new comers were indebted for their knowledge of many of the arts of civilized life.

"The Aztecs or Mexicans were the last of the emigrating nations who arrived in this country. For a long time they remained an insignificant tribe, living in the most wretched condition, on the borders of the lake of Tezcuco, often in a state of slavery to the neighboring kings. At last, having regained their freedom, they settled, in the year 1325, on a group of islands in the lake, and here founded the city of Mexico.

"This city, after remaining for about twenty years a mere collection of wretched huts, suddenly began to increase with wonderful rapidity. By a long series of wars, undertaken partly through desire of conquest and partly for the horrid purpose of obtaining victims for their human, or, rather, inhuman sacrifices, the Mexicans rendered themselves masters of nearly all the country of Anahuac. A few states, however, among which was the brave little republic of Tlascala, still maintained their independence, almost at the gates of the capital."

Such was the state of affairs at the time when Montezuma II. mounted the throne, in the year 1502. Before, and for a short time after his accession, he was esteemed a prince of a mild and humble disposition, and of the greatest wisdom. But his real character soon began to appear. He showed himself haughty, arrogant, and cruel, and a merciless oppressor of the common people. At the same time, he was liberal to those who faithfully served him, and a brave, and successful warrior. He founded a hospital for his disabled soldiers, built