28 COLUMBIAN HISTORICAL EXPOSITION AT MADRID. 



Its locality is marked by the presence of a number of small mounds, 

 the remains of the ancient temples and dwellings of the former inhabit 

 ants. Near by, on the site of this ancient city, is seen a curious con 

 struction called the chief temple, now badly mutilated by excavators 

 and the effects of time, but which has been ingeniously restored in 

 wood by Seilor Plancarte in a model exhibited in this collection. The 

 character of the architecture is quite distinct from that which prevailed 

 among the Aztecs or among the nations east of them near the Gulf of 

 Mexico. It is not easy, from the examination of the model, to explain 

 the purpose of the structure, and, unfortunately, here, as elsewhere, the 

 native arts and traditions met the fate of a general destruction at the 

 hands of the ruthless invaders. 



The remainder of Sefior Plancarte s collection, which numbers in all, 

 2,803 specimens, is derived from other sources and other localities, and 

 are attributed by him to various surrounding tribes. Of many of these 

 we are in considerable uncertainty as to their relationship. These 

 tribes are as follows: Matlazincas, Otornis, Tepanecas, Acolhuas, Mex- 

 icanos or Nahuas, Chalcas, Tlaxcaltecas, Huexotzincas, Ouetlaxtecas, 

 Mixtecas, Zapotecas, and Mayas. 



The objects from these have a general similarity to those already 

 described, and they do not bring before us any notable difference in the 

 civilization of the peoples from whom they were derived. There is nec 

 essarily some uncertainty as to the localization of the tribes, and there 

 is not in all instances a sufficiently clear indication as to where the 

 objects individually were obtained. 



His statement that practically all the specimens belonging to the 

 Otomis are characterized by a marked deficiency of skill, showing that 

 they had little knowledge of the arts, is in accordance, indeed, with the 

 general opinion about these people, but is in contradiction to several 

 excellent authorities who are inclined to the belief that the assertions 

 in reference to the rudeness of the Otomis is mainly owing to the fact 

 that the statements to this effect were taken from other nations, and 

 especially from the Aztecs. 



The general display of the Mexican Government was under the care 

 of Eev. Paso y Troncoso, director of the National Museum of Mex 

 ico, and celebrated for his acquirements in the Aztec language as 

 well as for his intimate acquaintance with the history of his country. 



The articles exhibited included both objects of use among the early 

 tribes, and also a large number of their manuscript records, many of 

 which were brought to the notice of visitors for the first time. Among 

 the latter should especially be mentioned the painted records (lienzos) 

 known as those of Tlascala, Jucutacuto, etc., as well as two codices, 

 respectively called by the names Porfirio Diaz and Baranda. These 

 have been recently issued by the Government of Mexico, and deserv 

 edly rank high among the modern native documents following closely 

 upon the era of the conquest. Similar to them in character was a 



