308 ARCHEOLOGY OF MTCnOACITAN. 



sande myself of its truth, because in (le})ictin,2: their. fn\st migrations on 

 an ancient linen preserved in the village of Cucntacato, a league dis- 

 tant from Uruapan, the 'Tarascos' represented these nine nations as 

 setting out from the seven caves of the west, and as passing the narrovr 

 arm of the sea or large river, whicli ]iasses from north to south, on 

 wooden rafts or hurdles made of large (;anes fastened together. We 

 see from this that these Tarascos are of those nine families who came 

 with the Mexicans conducted by that fabulous bird ; nnd although it 

 may be a fiible, it is certain that they came moved by some hidden im- 

 l)ulse which urged -them on. They marched in a troop from this place 

 Aztlan (for thus it was called) to another place where there was a very 

 large tree. The devil, as oracle of this people, made them stop in the 

 sliade of this tree, in the trunk of which they erected an alter to the idol 

 llnitzilolvehtli, whence the idolatry of these people took its origin. 

 They sat down to eat with the mistrust excited by a novelty experienced 

 for the first time, and when they were more at ease the tree began creak- 

 ing and split in the middle. The heads of families and chiefs of bands 

 took this event as a bad omen, and, leaving olf eating, they consulted 

 their god. He then called the Mexicans aside and said to them : 'Dis- 

 miss those eight families and tell them to go, to follow whatever road 

 and to stop wherever they please; you remain.' This was done, some 

 reniaini!ig, the others setting out and following the road towards the 

 east. Some peopled one place, the others another." There is no doubt 

 that this is the linen or painting to which the chronicler refers, but it 

 may be easily inferred that he knew it only by rei)ort, for he chaiiges 

 some tilings and omits others. lie does not say, for <'xamp!e, that the 

 hurdles or rafts have the form of turtles (Testudo), and he does notex- 

 j)lain the rest. Let us now try to do it. 



Let us take as a starting point the upper right-hand corner of the 

 photogra]>h, and for the sake of more clearness let us number the pict- 

 nr(\s progressively. 



No. 1. Here is seen the cave from which go forth the chiefs of the nine 

 tribes. One of them wears the red jacket and carries in his right hand 

 a circle or disk with a handle, and appears to be conferring with another, 

 dressed in like manner, who carries a large walking-stick, api)arently 

 with the "fabulous bird" spoken of by La Rea resting on its upper ex- 

 tremity. IJetween the two is seen a censer, identical in form with one 

 in our possession taken from a " yacata" in Zamora. At the feet of both 

 persons are playing some cornet or clarion players, over one of whom is 

 a kind of flourish, the signification of which we do not know. The re- 

 maining chiefs are in a reverential attitnde ; the others are already em- 

 barked on their turtle-shaped rafts, indicating perhaps that the navi- 

 gation or march has begun. Others look as if they wished to throw 

 themselves in to swim. We do not know what is meant by the two 

 stooping figures and the eight heads, nor by tlu^ one riding an animal 

 resembling a dog. The vessel ]>1;h'(m1 abov«' him nMuinds us of nothing. 



