These gardens very much resemble the floating islands in their construction of mud, heaped on a foundation of reeds and branches; and though they are not the real thing, and do not float, they are interesting, as the present representatives of the famous Mexican floating gardens.

They are narrow strips of land, with a frontage of four or five yards to the canal, and a depth of one hundred, or a hundred and fifty yards.

Between the strips are open ditches; and one principal occupation of the proprietor seems to be bringing up mud from the bottom of the ditch with a wooden shovel, and throwing it on the garden, in places where it has sunk.

The reason of the narrowness of the strips is that he may be able to throw mud all over them from the ditches on either side.
While we are busy observing all these matters, and questioning our boatmen about them, we reach Santa Anita.

Here there are swampy lanes and more swampy gardens, a little village of Indian houses, three or four pulque-shops, and a church.