RUINS OF XOCHICALCO. 79 



The feathers are those of the bird known as Quetzal, 

 by the Indians of Quetzaltenango, and those of Central 

 America, where the bird is rather common. It is the 

 *Pharomacrus Mocinae of la Llave, or Long-tailed Trogon, 

 in English, Couroucou in French, the finest bird of 

 America. 



It has two long golden-green middle tail feathers about 

 one yard long. 



The helmet has the shape of a mitre, and corresponds 

 exactly with what the historians Clavijero, Sahagun, Solis and 

 others say about Cholula, another temple, not very far off,, 

 built also in honour of Quetzalcoatl. 



Quetzalcoatl, the Mexican god, is supposed to be the 

 founder of the celebrated Tiillan or Tula. When that town 

 was deserted by his order, he came to Cholula, but this 

 emigration took a long time and it is reasonable to suppose that 

 he stopped and remained some time in Xochicalco. From 

 Cholula it is supposed that he went to Goatzacualco where he- 

 embarked. But I think that if he really went there, he passed 

 first to Oaxaca, near which city, he built the now famous 

 ruins of Mitla, and from there, went to Quetzaltenango 

 and Central America, or possibly, from the latter place to 

 Guatzacualco. Lastly the name of Xochicalco, or House of 

 Flowers, is also in favour of my opinion; as it is a well known 

 fact in the ancient history of Mexico that Quetzalcoatl is the 

 one, who first abolished human sacrifices among these people, 

 and replaced them with sacrifices of animals and flowers. 

 Now it only remains to say that the first inhabitants of that 

 department must have been Toltecs, afterwards Chichimecs, 

 and it is not certain that they were under the dependence of 

 Moctezuma, when Mexico was conquered by Fernando Cortez. 

 It is more probable that like their neighbours, the Indians of 

 Mechoacan, they were independent from the Mexicans. 



The resume of all this is, that when Cortez conquered 

 Mexico it was not until later on, about 1522, that he heard from 

 StncichcTf the King of Mechoacan, who submitted peacefully 

 to his authority, about the countries, whose coasts are washed 

 by the Pacific Ocean. Cortez sent several expeditions to ex 

 plore these countries, which resulted in the discovery of the 

 Pacific Coast, from Tehuantepec to the Gulf of California. 

 Meanwhile, he retired for a time from Mexico, and built a 

 fine residence in Cuernavaca. 



*See Humming Bird, 1891, Vol. I, pp. 6, 18, 19. 



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