reaching their destination. This aqueduct was built by the Spaniards, and contains the agua delgada, or soft water. It has nine hundred arches of about fifteen feet in height, each of which is said to have cost $1,000. At San Cosme the aqueduct terminates, and the water is conducted underground in pipes to the heart of the city.
The causeway that leads to Popotla and Atzcapotzalcois bordered on either side with a deep ditch into which the water drains and becomes stagnant. The surrounding region, which is now much lower than the causeway, was formerly a part of the great Mexican lagoon. Many of Cortes's soldiers were drowned here on the "sad night."
The suburb of Guadalupe is remarkable for its cathedral and chapel. It is reached by horse-cars from the Plaza mayor in about thirty minutes. The cathedral is a massive brick edifice, with four towers around a central dome. The interior is noted for the solid silver railing, about three feet high, which leads from the choir to the high altar and extends around the edge of the latter. The famous picture of the Virgin hangs in the high altar. The choir is adorned with artistic wooden carvings, and there is a large organ on each side of it. There are a great many ex-votos hung on the wall of the cathedral near the main entrance. They are principally cheap oil-paintings and wax-work.
The sanctuary of Guadalupe is, perhaps, the most celebrated in the Republic, and the story of how it was built and named after Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe is interesting. The tradition is as follows: An Indian called Juan Diego worked in the vicinity of Guadalupe. On one occasion, while crossing the hill of Tepeyacac that rises behind the town, he saw a rainbow, in the middle of which was a beautiful woman encompassed by a white cloud. Upon approaching the figure, the Indian was told that she was the mother of God. The Virgin said that she desired a
