246 Observations on, a Collection of 



XIV. — Observations on a Collection of Chalchihuitls from 



Central America. 



By E. G. Squier. 



Bead April 5th, 1669. 



Among the articles of ornament used by the aboriginal 

 inhabitants of Mexico and Central America, those worked 

 from some variety of green stone resembling emerald, and 

 called by the Nahuatl or Mexican name chalchiuiU, chalchi- 

 huitl, or ckalchiuite,* were most highly esteemed, and are 

 oftencst mentioned by the early explorers and chroniclers. 

 The word chalchiuitl is defined by Molina, in his Vocabulario 



M \no (1571), to signify esmerahht l>"j<(, or an inferior kind 

 of emerald. The precious emerald, or emerald proper, was 

 called quetzaUteili, from the quetzal, the bird known to science 

 as the trogan rcsplendrn* (the splendid plumes of which, of bril- 

 liant metallic green, were worn by the kings of Mexico and 

 Central America :i- regal insignia), and ilzU, stone J i. e. the 

 stone of the quetzal. 



The value attached to the chaZchihuitl by the ancient Mexi- 

 cans will appear from the testimony of the chronicler Bernal 

 Diaz, which is supported by that of all the historians of the 

 1 1 jcovery and Conquest. The first messengers that Monte- 

 zuma sent to Cortez, on his landing at San Jnan de Uiua, 

 brought, among other presents, " lour chalchihuitls, a species 

 <.f green Btone of uncommon value, which is held in higher 

 estimation with them than the smaragdus." (Lockhart's 



Translation cf Bernal Diaz, vol. i. p. 93.) Subsequently, after 

 having firmly established himself in Mexico, Cortez required 

 of the Emperor Montezuma thai he should collect tribute from 



• I have followed Ihe orthography of ilic word throughout, aa given iiy the 



various author! quoted. 



