244 CERTAIN ANTIQUITIES OF EASTERN MEXICO [eth. ann. 25 



the second Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz is little different from other 

 more modern settlements. In searching for the ruins near the second 

 Vera Cruz, the writer unexjiectedly found a group of instructive earth 

 mounds that have never been described by archeologists. These 

 mounds, visible from the train, lie on the opposite bank of the river 

 from the old settlement of the Spaniards, about half a mile from the 

 station, Antigua. They are arranged irregularly about a level space 

 that may have been a plaza and closely resemble some of the earth 

 mounds of the Mississij^pi valley. The remains of Quiauistlan, which 

 lie near the site of the first Villa Rica foiuided by Cortes, were not 

 visited by the author. 



RUINS OF XICOCHIMALCO 



The true route of Cortes to INIexico immediately after he left Cem- 

 poalan is indicated I13- Chavero," after Orozco y Berra. Goinara says 

 that for the first three daj's after leaving the Totonac metropolis the 

 army traversed a friendly countrj' and came to Japala, where it was 

 well received. This friendly pueblo was not the present city of that 

 name but another called Jalapa Viejo, situated about a mile from the 

 present site. On the foui'th day, continues Gonuira, the army came 

 to Sicuchimatl and thence went on to Theuhixuacan. According' to 

 Bei'nal Diaz the army went from Cempoalan to Jalapa, from which 

 it marched to a settlement called Socochima; he does not mention 

 Gomara's Theuhi.xuacan. It is evident that the pueblo Socochima of 

 Bernal Diaz is the .same as Sicuchimatl of Gomara, the difference in 

 spelling Indian names being a very natural one and frequent in other 

 writings. 



It is highly desiral>le in tracing the route of Cortes from Jalapa 

 over the Cofre del Pirote to the plateau, to identify the .site of Sicu- 

 chimatl. Gomara has mentioned several characteristic features of 

 Sicuchimatl* that applj' to Xicochimalco, called Xico Viejo, one of the 

 ruins near a modern pueblo of the .same name, Xicochimalco. This 

 ruin is about a day's march from Jalapa or four days' from Cempoalan, 

 and is situated in an almost inaccessible place in the mountains, 

 approached by a trail so .steep that it might well be called an artificial 

 stairwaj', a fact mentioned by Gomai'a and others. At the base of 

 the lofty and precipitous cliff' upon which Xico Viejo stands are 

 the cultivated ffelds in which are walls, fragments of potter}', and 

 other evidences of a past population. One of the early writers asserts 

 that jNloctezuma could draw 50,000 warriors from this region. Cer- 

 tainlj' a handful of men coidd have prevented a large army from 



o Mexico & trav^rs de los Siglos. p. 844. 



ii The writer has been aided in identifying Sicuchimatl by legends current in the modern town, Xico. 

 As in the study of Ilopi archeology, much can he learned regarding the inhabitants of ruins, from 

 migration traditions, so .\ztec legends still repeated in Indian pueblos shed much hght on many 

 Mexican ruins. 



