204 OBSERVATIONS CONCERNING 



our continent, nor do I learn that it is ever ufed by them. 

 But there are iome reafons for believing that formerly it 

 was an article of ufe, or of fuperftitious regard, among 

 the anceftors of the prefent Indians. My much-lamented 

 friend, Major Jonathan Heart, who was killed in the 

 defeat of General St. Clair's army, on the 4th of November 

 1 79 1, informs us, that " a quantity of ifmg-glafs" was 

 found on the breafl: of a fkeleton in one of the tumuli, 

 among the great ancient works, near the junilion of the 

 rivers Ohio and Mufliingum.* The Abbe Clavigero fays, 

 that " little looking-glafles of the ftone Itztli/' together 

 with earthen pots, jars, &c, were found among the great 

 ancient works, called Cafe-grandi, in California. This 

 itztli was nothing more than the mica membranuLca j and 

 the works, juft mentioned, are faid to have been built by 

 the.Mexicans, in their peregrination towards ib.e fouth.-f- 

 Among the Mexicans, no ftone was more common 

 than the itztli, " of which, according to C!a\igero, there 

 is great abundance in many places of Mexico.]:" The 

 Mexicans applied the itztli to various uiefiil, and to fome 

 fuperftitious, purpofes. Of this foflil they made " beautiful 

 looking-glaffes fet with gold, and thofe extremely iharp 

 razors which they fixed in their fwords, and which their 

 barbers made ufe of. They made thofe razors with fuch 

 expedition, that in the fpace of one hour an artificer could 

 finifli more than a hundred."§ They alfo made lancets 

 for bleeding of the itztli, |1 knives, and fpears. " After the 

 introdudion of the gofpel they made facred ftones of it 

 which were much valued."^ 



* See the Columbian Magazine, or Monthly Mifceilany, for May, 1787. 

 p. 427. 



f The Hiftory of Mexico. Vol. I. p. 114 and 115. 



X Ibidem, Vol. I. p. 17. § Ibid. p. 421. 



([ Ibid. p. 428. % Ibid. p. 17. 



Perhaps, 



