Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 74

The Queen of the Lakes: A Romance of the Mexican Valley By Captain Mayne Reid, this serialized romance is set during the American occupation of Mexico City. The protagonist, a U.S. cavalry officer, encounters Captain Rafael Moreno, a Mexican officer on parole, during a street robbery. After intervening in their fight, the American agrees to replace Moreno's stolen watch by treating six officers to supper. The narrative then shifts to the Paseo de las Vigas, an eastern promenade near the protagonist's quarters, where he observes the canal Santa Anita and its traffic of flat punts operated by Aztec Indians carrying agricultural produce and flowers from the lakes to the capital's markets. The officer becomes captivated by a young indigenous girl he observes in one of the passing boats, distinguished by her classical beauty and white flower wreath. The story emphasizes the exotic landscape and the cultural contrasts of occupied Mexico City.