es. lib. 7. 



There are two provinces in this coun trey, the one 

 called j4%tl*#,\vliich is to fay a place of Herons : the o- 

 thcr TKttifauc*** which fignifies a land of fuch,whofe 

 grandfathers were divine . The Inhabitants of thefe 

 provinces havethcir houfes, their lands tilled,gods ; cu- 

 ftomes, and ceremonies, with like order and governc- 



ment to thcNavAUlau^ and are divided into feaven 

 Tribes or Nations :andTor that they havea cuftomein 

 this province, that every one of thefe linages hath his 

 place and private territory. The Ntvatalca paint their 

 beginning and firft territory in figure of a cave,and fay 

 that they came forth of feaven caves to come and peo 

 ple the land of Mexico, whereof they make mention in 

 their Hiftorie, where they paint feavcn caves and men 

 comming forth of them . By the fuppiitation of their 

 bookes,it is above eight hundred yeeres fince thefe Na. 

 vatalfas came foorth of their country, reducing which 

 to our accompt, was about the yecrc of our Lord 710. 

 when they left their country to come to Mexico , they 

 flayed foure fcorey cares vpon the way; and the caufc 

 of this their long ftayin their voyage, was, that their 

 gods (which without doubt werc*divells, and fpake vi- 

 fibly vnto them ) had perfwaded them to feekenew 

 lands that had certainc fignes. And therfore they came 

 difcovering the whole land 3 to fearch for thefe tokens 

 which their Idolls had given them^and in places where 

 they found any good dwellings, they peopled it, and 

 laboured theland,and as they difcovered better coun 

 tries, they left thofc which they had firft peopled- leav 

 ing ftill fome , efpecially the aged, ficke \ olkes,and the 

 weary 5 yea they did plant and build there, whereof we 

 fee the remainders at this day. In the way where they 

 paffed, thcyfpentfourefcorc yeares in this manner of 



K k i Icafurdy 



