After this he gave orders for a very thick wall, with two open canals, made of stone and lime, of which one was always in use when the other required cleaning. A building extremely useful and Montezuma valued hmiself so much upon the ;

invention, that he ordered his own effigies and that of his father, which bore a pretty near

* Cronica c"e la Nueva-Espana, por Francisco Lopez de Gomara; Madrid, 1749 j p. 79, (originally printed at Saragossa, 1552.)

t Humb. N. Spain, vol. ii., p. 31.

PRELIMINARYESSAY. 75

resemblance to his, to be engraved on two stones, with an ambition to perpetuate his me- ; * mory by so signal a benefaction done to the city. '

Montezuma's reign commenced A. D. 1502. The city was captured on 13th August, 1521 196 years after its foundation by the Aztecas. Clavigero mentions another aqueduct constructed by the predecessor of Montezuma, Ahuizoth, from Copoacai to Mexico of which the chief object was to supply the failing waters of the salt water lake that surrounded Mexico and which had become difficult of navigation.! " The water," says our author, " was conveyed with many superstitious ceremonies, some of the priests offering incense, others sacrificing quails, and anointing the lip or border of the aqueduct with blood ; others sounding musical instruments, and otherwise solemnising the arrival of the water. The high priest wore the same habit with which they represented Chalclichuitlical, goddess of the water."

A very rainy season succeeded which caused the lake to rise and overflow doing much damage. In consequence the new aqueduct was destroyed.