Identifier: mexicoitsancient01enoc (find matches)
Title: Mexico, its ancient and modern civilisation, history and political conditions, topography and natural resources, industries and general development;
Year: 1910 (1910s)
Authors: Enock, C. Reginald (Charles Reginald), 1868-1970
Subjects:
Publisher: New York, Scribner
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

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gallery the doors of the upperrooms open. A balustrade runs round the outer sideof the gallery, and this is generally covered with floweringplants, ferns, and palms, in pots or tubs, which lend anair of coolness and luxury to the interior. Above, thepatio is open to the sky, except that the overhangingroof of the house covers the gallery, from which it issupported by pillars. The whole arrangement is pleasing,and adapted to the climate, and the foreigner who hasbecome accustomed to it finds that it possesses certainadvantages which the houses of his own country do notenjoy. On the other hand, this plan of building has gravedrawbacks. The absence of a garden or grounds infront of, or surrounding the house, gives a restrictedfeeling. The main difference between an English anda Mexican house is that the Briton loves to cut off too-close intercourse with humanity by retiring his dwellingfar from the road, whilst the Spanish-American buildshis fronting immediately upon the street. In these
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CITIES AND INSTITUTIONS 181 houses, moreover, the rooms generally open one intothe other, which is far from the Northerners idea ofprivacy. This fact, indeed, is born of a race character-istic—the closer association between the members offamilies which obtains with the Latin race. The guestin these houses—somewhat to his embarrassment if hebe an Englishman—sometimes finds a glass door, withno means of screening him from observation, the divisionbetween his apartment and that of some other—possiblya reception-room ! Moreover, light and ventilation oftenseem quite secondary matters, for as a rule the rooms—in the case of the interior one—simply open on to thepatio gallery above it if it be the second floor, withglass door and no windows. Consequently, if light orair are required, it is necessary to keep these open,and this is, of course, difficult at night. The Mexicanthinks nothing of sleeping in a closed-up room all night,and shuts his doors and windows—where windows exi

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