PAPERS EEI.ATING TO ANTilUOPOLOGY. 311 



No. 11. JJeic a])[)ears to bo tbo i>laco wheie, according to the chroni- 

 cler, they reisted at the foot ol" a tree, whicli appears in the center, witli a 

 "fabulous bird'' at its foot. Towards the bottom the priest is seated, 

 with the censer in front of hini and a trumpeter at his feet. On the 

 same side, but higher up, is seen the same figure of a priest in an iden- 

 tical position. At his feet two individuals areseatedas if in conference. 

 A trumpeter standing at his side is playing his instrument, while two 

 persons in front of him an^ reverently talking to him. One head also 

 is seen near him. In the middle two figures, with blow-pipes, are stir- 

 ring up the lire of a brazier, and at their sides are six objects probably 

 representing molds, into which they pour the melted metal, which is 

 undoubtedly copi)er. In the form of these moulds we recognize various 

 (mtting instruments used by the ])reseut Indians; and iu our archaeo- 

 logical collectiou we have two of them, taken from a tomb, both of cop- 

 per. Again we see the priest, who appears to be directing this oijcra- 

 tion, and behind him three persons v.'ho appear to be making the molds. 

 Various figures of men are seen in the background, some standing, some 

 sitting ; two of them hold in their liands the cuttiisginstruments already 

 determined. The semicircular one is the one called coa (Mexican Coatl.) 

 and the other is called by the Taiascos iliiamu* The color of these 

 objects is red. The i)yramid is present, and we see also a foot-print 

 and a porringer. The line indicating the road, which has reached this 

 point undivided, here divides into two ; the most focal soon terminates, 

 the other extends farther. For the first time we see two houses, of con- 

 struction similar to the present ones, and from which issue the lines men- 

 tioned. These constructions appear to us to be by the same person who 

 wrote the inscriptions, and were intended to show that in this place the 

 Tarascos first fixed their residence. We are confirmed in this opinion 

 by the two figures seen on the roof of the smaller; for, taking away the 

 house, they appear to be occupied in extracting some heavy object from 

 the ground. On the house, they indicate nothing to ns. The inscri[)- 

 tion reads: Vtiacico. nicamjmiilitcnenaxinliqui Ian. ynix \\ qtiieh nauat- 

 lacatl mucemtemacomican. In this inscription we have Tarascau and 

 Mexican words, and others unknown to ns. This is what we make of 

 it: Vnacico, a or tJte i>alm ; ni, goes or walks ; ca, there; 7iymuhtcnc, the 

 others ; naxinJtqui ([)roper]y written it should be naxaqui), sit down, or 

 rest, or remain here; Itui. ynix (properly canihuex), they set out or 

 march ; quick, we do not know the meaning or whether it is Tarascau or 

 JMexican ; nauallacatl, a Mexican word of which we know not the mean- 

 ing; muccmte, we know neither the origin nor signification : macomican, 

 jointly, at the same time. 



No. 12. The central line takes us to this picture. Here we see a house, 



' This instrument serves them as an ax, chisel, adz. paring chisel, and hammer. 

 When us8d as an ax, it is placed in a special handle ; also when used as an adz. 

 The word //liamit is equivalent to our metal. Here the name "iron" is vulgarly given 

 to every metallic instrument ; for examiilc, a carpenter, iu complaining of the want 

 of tools useful in his profession will say, " I do not work for want of ' irons.' " 



