<>},.«, rvai ' Wheobwn of 



autifal fountain ©f water near it, the color of which, aeeord- 



mema/da, " was between blue and greent" Oortea, 



rding to the same authority, was often called " OKal* 



. which is the same a- captain of greal valor, hecause 



the color of emerald, and the emeralds arc held 

 in: stimation among the nations." {Monorchia Indiana, 



When a great dignitary died, his corpse was 

 richly decorated for burial with gold and plumes of feathers, 

 and " they put in hi- mouth a fine stone resembling emerald, 

 which they call chalchifvuitl, and which, they saw they place 

 a heart." <//>., vol. ii. p. 521.) 



- ihagun, in <>ne place, describee the chalchihuiil as " a _/'</*- 

 of very green color, or a common emerald." Elsewhere 



- into a very full description of the various kinds of 



ii Btonea which the Mexicans held in esteem, and as his 

 account may materially aid in identifying the chalchihwitl, it 



ibjoined entir< : 



■ The emerald which the Mexicans call quetsalitetU is pre- 

 cious, of great value, and is ><> called, because by the word 

 <ju,1z<iir< they nnan to saj a very green plume, and by itetli, 

 flint. It is smooth, without spot ; and these peculiarities 



mg to the good emerald : namely, it is deep green with a 



•1 -urt'ace, w ithoiit stain, trans]. areiit. ami al the same 



time lustrous, There is another kind of stone which is called 

 anelzalchalchivitt,&o called because it is vor) green andresem- 

 bles the ohalohwM y the beet of these we of deep green, trans- 

 parent, ami without spot ; those which are of inferior quality 

 have veini pots intermingled. The Mexicans work these 



into various sha] >rae are round and pierced, others 



. cylindrical, and d; others triangular, hexagonal, 



,.. re are still other Btone called ehalchivties, 



•i dun not transparent), mixed with white; 

 ro much used by the chief-, who wear them fastened to 



a ."i of rank. The lower orders 

 He not allowed to wear them. . . . There 



