The houses of the common people were mere huts, built of reeds or unburnt bricks, and thatched with straw. They had commonly but one room, in which the whole family, with all the animals belonging to it, were huddled together. The dwellings of the higher classes were built of stone and lime. They were generally of two stories, and had many chambers. The roofs were flat, with terraces, on which the inhabitants could enjoy the cool evening air, after the parching heat of the day in those torrid regions. So great was the honesty of the people, that they had no doors to their houses; but considered themselves sufficiently secure with only a screen of reeds hung before the entrance; and through this no one would dare to pass without permission. The palaces of their kings were of stone, and so magnificent, that Cortez could hardly find words to express his admiration. One of them was so large that all his army, consisting of several thousand men, was conveniently quartered in it. The Mexican historians say that while the Aztecs were only an insignificant tribe, living on the borders of the lake, having no land to cultivate, they were obliged to take whatever fare the marshes round the lake produced. Thus they learned to eat roots of marsh-plants, frogs, snakes, and other reptiles, and a sort of scum which they found floating on the water. They retained their relish for this wretched food in the season of their greatest plenty. [Illustration] They made their bread of maize or Indian corn, in the following manner. They first boiled it with a little lime, to make it soft, and then ground it on a smooth, hollow stone. They next kneaded it up with a little water, and made it into flat round cakes, like pancakes; these they baked on large flat stones, as they were ignorant of the use of iron. The bread is said to have been very palatable. Although the Mexicans, at first, had very little land of their own to cultivate, they discovered a very ingenious method of supplying this want. They platted and tied together branches of willows and other plants which are light and strong, and upon these they laid a covering of earth about a foot deep. They thus had a little floating field, about eight rods long and three wide, upon which they raised all kinds of herbs, and especially flowers, of which the Mexicans were extremely fond. Whenever the owner of the garden wished to change his situation, either to get rid of a troublesome neighbor, or to be nearer his family, he got into a little vessel, to which the garden was attached, and dragged it after him to the desired spot.