MEXICO. 



l'J3 



Mnice. diate Yawls ; and judges were appoinUd for each de- 

 > . ^ partment, whose decision? are said to have been formed 

 with a degree of order and equity resembling the prac- 

 tice of highly civilized societies. 7- For the support of 

 government, lose* were laid upon land, upon the acqui- 

 sitions of industry, and upon commodities of every 

 kind ; and were levied according to equal and esta- 

 blished rules ; but, as the use of money was unknown, 

 these taxes were all paid in kind, and the public store- 

 houses were filled with every kind of natural produc- 

 tion, manufactured articles or work .of art, from which 

 the emperor supplied his attendants in peace, and his 

 armies durintr "ar, with food, clothing, and ornaments. 

 People of inferior rank, neither possessed of land, nor 

 engaged in commerce, instead of taxes, were bound to 

 render personal service, in cultivating the crown lands, 

 mnd carrying on public workf. 8. Several regulaliont of' 

 police among them indicate a considerably improved 

 state of government 1'he relays of courier* stationed 

 at proper intervals to convey intelligence from one part 

 of the empire to the other ; the structure of the capi- 

 tal in a Lake with artificial dykes and long causeways 

 creeled in the water, the plan of their aqueducts, or 

 conduits fur conveying a stream of fresh water into the 

 ilong one of the causeways ; the appointment of a 

 number of persons to clean the street*, to light them by 

 fires, and to patrole as watchmen during the night, are 

 all marks of nigh refinement and order. 9. Their pro- 

 gress in various art* evinces most decisively the civili- 

 sed habita which they had attained. They represented 

 men, and animals, and other objects, by such a disposi- 

 tion of various coloured feathers, as is said to have pro- 

 duced all the effects of light and shade, and their orna- 

 ments of gold and silver have been also described as 

 equally curious. At the same time, it is to be kept in 

 mind, that the specimens of these ornaments and uten- 

 sils deposited in the cabinet of the king of Spain, are 

 affirmed to be very coarse and uncouth representations 

 of the human form and other objects, and to be desti- 

 tute both of grace and propriety. 



fainting*. The earliest and one of the most authentic specimens 

 of those paintings, by means of which the Mexicans 

 supplied their wsnt of written records, was published, 

 as has been noticed, by 1'urchas in 66 plate*, divided 

 into three parts: the first of which (according to expla- 

 nations obtained from the natives) contains the history 

 of the Mexican empire under its ten monarch* ; the se- 

 cond represents the tribute which each conquered town 

 paid into the royal treasury ; and the third is a code of 

 their domestic, political, and military institutions. But, 

 if we may judge from the specimens and explanation* 

 given by M. Humboldt in his American researches, 

 nothing can well be conceived more clumsy in execu- 

 tion, more vague in the interpretation, or more uncer- 

 tain as historical records, than these boasted devices. 

 The mote simple of these hieroglyphics represent a 

 town by the rude delineation of a house with certain 

 emblem*, sometimes natural objects, and sometimes 

 mere artificial figures, to distinguish one from another. 

 Sane of them are mere fanciful figures. A monarch, 

 far i******"**, who had extended his empire by force of 

 arms, is represented by a painted target, ornamented 

 with darts, placed between Jin figure and the emblems 

 of the towns which he bad subdued. In designating 

 numbers, they had reached the farther step of mere 

 nal signs, ex pi easing a small number by so 

 ' circles as units, but assigning to large integral 

 wn their peculiar marks. A small utand.r 

 Bf,for isXMua. represented 80, a feather 400, a sack 



VOL. XIV. PART I. 



8000; and so on, says Clavigcre, as far as 48,000,000. Mciie*. 

 A flag, divided by two cross lines, and half coloured, ''^"V^ 

 denoted 10 ; and if three quarters were coloured it sig. 

 nificd 1 5. A flag followed by three dots or points ex- 

 pressed 23, &c. 



Their mode of computing time is considered as a Compata. 

 more decisive evidence of their progress. Their civil <|"n of 

 year was a solar year of Sfi5 days, and consisted of 18 time- 

 months, each containing 20 days. The five interca- 

 lary, or rather supernumerary days, were considered 

 as unlucky days, on which no work should be done 

 or sacred rite performed, and were devoted solely to 

 amusement. The day was reckoned to begin at sun- 

 rising, and was divided into four intervals, by the ris- 

 ing and setting of the sun, and its two passages over 

 the meridian. Each month of 20 days was divided 

 into four weeks of five days each. Thirteen years 

 formed a cycle, to which they gave a particular name, 

 and four at' these constituted a period of 5-2 years, 

 which they denoted by another term. Two of these 

 periods of 52 years formed what they called un old 

 age. At the end of 52 years, IS days were interca- 

 lated to bring their time up to the seasons, which 

 makes their year agree with the Julian period of 365 

 days and li hours, and discovers a considerable degree 

 of philosophical accuracy. 



A variety of considerations concur, on the other hand, 

 in proving the civilisation of the Mexicans to have 

 been extremely imperfect. Their mode of carrying on Wars, 

 war was altogether savage, and they fought chiefly 

 to gratify their vengeance, by shedding the blood of 

 their enemies. They estimated the glory of a victory 

 by the number of prisoners; and all the captives 

 were invariably butchered and devoured with the most 

 barbarous excesses. Their funeral rites were equally 

 bloody ; and, on the death of any distinguished per- 

 son, a certain number of his attendants were put to 

 death, and buried in the same tomb. 



Their agricultural productions were by no means Agrjcul. 

 so abundant as to furnish a plentiful subsistence to tbeture. 

 nation ; and various precautions were employed to pre- 

 vent a rapid increase of population. There was little 

 intercourse between the different provinces of the em- 

 pire ; and scarcely any roads to facilitate such com- 

 munications. They were destitute of money, and of Money. 

 any universal standard for estimating the value of 

 commodities. All their commerce was carried on by 

 barter, except that nuts of cocoa {from which choco- 

 late, the favourite drink of the higher ranks, was 

 made,) had begun to be used as a medium of ex- 



Their architecture wa altogether rude and imper- Architee. 

 fret ; and, even in their larger cities, the houses were ture. 

 mere huts of turf and stone, thatched with reeds, and 

 without windows. Nor do the public buildings and 

 houses of the nobility appear to have been constructed 

 of more durable materials. 



The religion of the ancient Mexicans was of the Religion. 

 most gloomy and revolting description. Their divini- 

 ties were represented as delighting in vengeance, and 

 were exhibited under the most detestable and horrify- 

 ing forms. Their temples were decorated with the 

 figures of the most ferocious and destructive animals 

 with which they were acquainted ; and fear was the 

 only principle instilled into the minds of their votaries. 

 The most rigid mortifications and excruciating penan- 

 ces were the means employed for appeasing tin- wrath 

 of the gods ; and the worshippers sprinkled the altars, 

 as they approached, will) blood, drawn from their own 

 



