Mexico City’* Canal De La Vlga. Spanish Explorers Found the Valley of Mexico a Real New World Venice Prepared by National Geographic Society, Washington, D. C.—WNU Service. □EXICO CITY’S mag nificent cathedral, richly adorned Sag rario, and extensive national palace greatly impress the present-day visitor as he stands and gazes across the Zocalo, or Great Square, for the first time. But suppose the scene should fade away and be replaced by that which greeted Cortez and his followers in 1519. The modern traveler would be as enchanted by the barbaric splendor before his eyes as were the Spaniards, and, like Bernal Diaz del Castillo, soldier-chronicler of the Conquest, he might well be moved to ask. “Are not these things a dream?” For the civic center of Mexico City was once the Tecpan, or Temple enclosure, of Tenoch titlan, the Aztec capital. Where the cathedral and Sagrario now stand rose the great pyramid topped by its temples to the gods of war and of rain. The national palace occupies the site of Monte zuma’s palace. In the plaza stood the massive circular stone used for sacrificial combat. Behind the stone rose the temple of the god of the air, and not far distant was the sinister mass of the skull-rack where were placed the heads of victims offered to the gods. In front of this stood a devo tional altar for worship, and near by was a pool of water for ceremo nial observances. Numerous other temples were scattered about the enclosure. There were houses occupied by the priests, palaces for officials, even a zoo and an aviary. Aztec lnnuenre sun seen. Other parts of the metropolis sug gest similar contrasts, for this cap ital city of early Aztecs and mod em Mexicans is a veritable store house of New World history. On all sides the eye is met by rem nants of ancient glories side by side with Twentieth-century splendors. There are places where only a few short steps separate the finest of aboriginal art from the ultra modern murals of Diego Rivera. Sixteenth-century buildings adjoin apartment houses of the latest style. Smiling faces of natives thronging the streets bear the stamp of Aztec lineage. Ancient industries are reflected in today’s gold, wood, and feather work; and architectural ornamen tation on newly rising structures exhibits the influence of Aztec de sign and symbol It is this pleas ing blend of old and new that gives the city its unique charm. me story ol the Aztecs is much tetter known than that of many New world peoples. There are na tive manuscripts called “codices," detailing in pictographic form cer tain phases of their history. De scriptions of the city and accounts of the life and customs of its inhab itants were written by some of the Conquistadores and by several of the priests who accompanied them. Besides the pictographic stories which supplement the Spanish rec ords, helpful narratives were penned by a few native scholars, taught to write by their conquerors. Added to these documents is the evidence still being obtained from extensive archeological and histori cal researches by experts of the Mexican government and by other investigators, from both America and Europe. The foundation of the Aztec na tion and its subsequent florescence occurred at a time when the Old world was sunk in the depths of the Middle ages. Entering the Valley of Mexico early in the Fourteenth century as a crude hunting people, the Aztecs found various communities around the borders of a great lake and came into contact with a culture which was very high. According iso some accounts, they settled near Chapultepec and came under the influence of the Acolhua cans, from whom they received many cultural traits. Between about 1367 and 1376, the Acolhua cans drove them out and forced them to take refuge on two small reed-covered mud banks or islands in the center of the lake. The settlements on the Islands grew Into two towns, Tenochtitlan and Tlaltelelco. They appear to have risen side by side and pro-* gressed as independent units fori more than a century, although the space between them was reduced to a little more than a broad canal. Late in the Fifteenth century, Tlal telolco was conquered by the sixth ruler of Tenochtitlan and the two were united to form one great city. The legendary explanation for the choice of the present site of the city is not in full agreement with the historical facts, but is more pic turesque. According to tradition, the Aztecs were told that when they saw an eagle eating a s^fpent there they should stop and found their dynasty. Upon reaching the borders of a large lake they saw a beautiful island, and the priest who led them beheld a huge eagle with a strug gling snake in its talons. The bird came to rest on a cactus plant and proceeded to kill and devour the reptile. The Aztecs were over joyed at this, because their prophe cy was fulfilled, and they set about establishing their city. The tradition is symbolized today by the eagle, serpent, and cactus in the Mexican coat of arms and flag. Origin of Floating Gardens. As long as the Aztecs were weak and hemmed in by their foes, they subsisted on flsh, birds, aquatic plants, and such vegetables as they were able to grow on floating gardens, or chinampas. The lat ter were formed by heaping up soft mud from the lake on rafts made from reeds and wattlework. These floating islands gradually Increased in size. The interlacing roots of the plants made them more compact and eventually an chored them to the bottom of the lake. More and more were built and as their number increased they became a series of rectangular plots separated by canals just wide enough for the passage of canoes. The gardens of Xochimilco, not far from Mexico City, are a pres ent-day illustration of this type of made land and communicating wa terways. By the time of the Conquest Ten ochtitlan was a veritable New world Venice; in fact, one of the Span iards with Cortez, and the conquer or himself, called it that One of the soldiers in his journal describes it as a place of many wide and handsome streets formed half of hard earth like a brick pavement and half of canal, so that the people moved about either by land or by water. The Aztecs did not become a real power in the volley until their fourth ruler, Itzcoatl, 1427-1440, became head of the “kingdom.” Itzcoatl had a famous general named Max tli, who conquered many neighbor ing cities and tribes and exacted from these subject peoples tribute which enriched the Aztecs. From this time on, under five suc ceeding rulers, Tenochtitlan pros pered and expanded, until by the time of the conquest tribute was pouring into the coffers of Monte zuma II from all of southern Mex ico, the Vera Cruz coastal plain, and even from Guatemala. They Were an Industrious People. Agriculure was important, and, while many vegetables were raised In the environs of the city, most of the products came from surround ing precincts. A variety of maize, or Indian corn, was developed which matured rapidly, an essential quality for the high, arid plateau country. Other products were sweet potatoes, tomatoes, squash, beans, peppers, cacao or chocolate, tobac co, cotton, hemp, rubber, and copal. The gold and silversmith’s art was highly developed. There were numerous wood carvers, workers in stone, makers of elaborate tur quoise mosaics, and producers of featherwork. Other groups spun thread from cotton and wove it into cloth; the tailors fashioned it into garments, jstill others made the elaborate headdresses worn by officials and warriors. There were sandal-mak ers, basket weavers, pottery mak ers. and tanners of skms SEENand HEAR » around the \