The Viceroy Don José Iturrigaray, was induced, by these repeated warnings to resume the project of a canal, so traced as to effect a communication between the Northern extremity of the lake of Tĕzcūcŏ and the tunnel of Nŏchistōngŏ, the length of which, from the Calzada of San Cristobal to the sluice of Los Vertideros, would be about 34,888 yards, or 37,978 Mexican Varas.
This idea was originally suggested by Martinez, but rejected by the Government on account of the expence, which consists not so much in the length of the canal, as in the necessity of deepening the whole of the cut of Nochistongo, from Los Vertideros to a little beyond the Boveda Real, (a space of 12,280 Varas,) in order to bring it to a level with the waters of the lake of Tezcuco. Notwithstanding this circumstance, the undertaking was commenced in 1805, but was suspended upon the imprisonment of Iturrigaray in 1808, and entirely lost sight of during the civil war. In the present state of the country, it is improbable that it will be resumed, for some years at least, during which time the Mexicans must entrust their protection to the Virgin of Guădălūpĕ, to whose kind attentions they are already so much indebted.
I visited Huĕhuĕtōcă in February 1826. The village is in a wretched state, and affords no sort of accommodation; but this we were fortunate enough to find at the Hacienda of Xālpă, which is situated about a mile from the bridge, at which the great
