606 APPENDIX. 



Thus he tells us that his travelling comrade, Hammond, feli 

 mortally wounded in Iximaya ; the audacious Heurtis, betrayed by 

 a sweetheart, was sacrificed to the angry gods ; and the " faithful 

 Antonio" disappeared for ever. The bloodhounds, too, although 

 of " the purest Spanish breed," somehow or other could not trace 

 the hero's footsteps. Aware that " to pass the gate was impossible," 

 he and fifteen of his party most opportunely found ropes at hand. 

 By these they descended the wall, forty feet high, during the night, 

 and then swam across the moat. Clever and hardy adventurers ! 



Arrived at the place where the young traitor priest was waiting 

 with the two Aztec children, our hero took possession of them. 

 Another conflict ensued in which "many of the horsemen were 

 slain." He then " reluctantly parted with most of his faithful 

 Indians ! " and secured his own retreat. But as the young priest 

 Vaalpeor might possibly have been unpleasant evidence in times 

 to come, he, most fortunately for Velasquez, took to his bed and 

 died. 



Now, I ask, what are we to call this " History of the Aztec Lilli- 

 putians ; " dedicated to his Royal Highness Prince Albert, by 

 Professors Anderson and Morris ? One single word will suffice : 

 FICTION. 



A remark or two here may not be out of place. Some forty years 

 ago, I went in quest of Lake Parima. No mule or horse could 

 possibly have gone with me. All was forest and fallen trees, and 

 densely matted underwood in many places, and huge projecting 

 rocks, and creeks, and swamps, and quagmires. These were real 

 impediments to discovery. 



Not so with Don Velasquez. He marched easily on to Iximaya, 

 with his " cavalcade of mules and baggage" proof quite sufficient that 

 there was a road clear and open from the known country whence he 

 started, to the very walls of the city. Then it follows, of consequence, 

 that if the narrative of Velasquez be not a fiction, this road must have 

 been open to other explorers, who would certainly have discovered 

 Iximaya, which, on account of its situation, has been unknown to the 

 world for three long centuries. My own opinion is that the Aztec 

 Lilliputians are nothing more nor less than accidental dwarfs ap- 

 proaching to idiotcy. 



