MORGAN. | LANDS AMONG ANCIENT MEXICANS. 85 
Torquemada admits, assigned to it by a higher power ; the tribal government 
itself held No pomain which it might apportion among subdivisions or to 
“individuals, either gratuitously or on condition of certain prestations, or 
barter against a consideration! The tribal territory was distributed, at the 
time of its occupancy, into possessory rights held by the KINDRED GROUPS AS 
sucH, by common and tacit consent, as resulting naturally from their organi- 
zation and state of culture” 
“The patches of solid ground, on which these ‘quarters’ settled, were 
gradually built over with dwellings, first made out of canes and reeds, and 
latterly, as their means increased, of turf, ‘adobe,’ and light stone ‘These 
houses were of large size, since it is stated that even‘at the time of the con- 
quest ‘there were seldom less than two, four, and six dwellers in one house; 
thus there were infinite people (in the pueblo) since, as there was no other 
way of providing for them, many aggregated together as they might please.’ 
Communal living, as the idea of the ‘calpulli’ implies, seems, therefore, to 
have prevailed among the Mexicans as late as the period of their greatest 
power.’ , 
‘The division into ‘‘ quarters” is every where represented as resulting from common consent. But 
nowhere is it stated that the tribal government or authority assigned locations to any of its fractions. 
This is only attributed to the chiefs, on the supposition that they, although elective, were still hereditary 
monarchs. 
? There is no evidence of any tribute or prestation due by the quarters to the tribe. The eustom 
always remained, that the ‘ calpulli” was sovereign within its limits. See Alonzo de Zurita (‘‘ Rapport 
sur les différentes classes de chefs de la Nouvelle-Espagne,” pp. 51-65). Besides, Ixtlilxochitl says: 
(‘‘ Hist. des Chichim,” cap. XXXV, p. 242), ‘‘Other fields were called Calpolalli or Altepetlalli.” Now 
calpulalli (from ‘‘ calpulli,” quarter or kinship, and ‘‘tlalli,” soil), means soil of the kin, and altepetlalli 
(‘‘altepetl,” tribe), soil of the tribe. Clayigero even says that the lands called .“‘ altepetlalli,” belong- 
ing to the communities ‘‘of the towns and yillages, were divided into so many parts as there were 
quarters in the town, each quarter having i's own, without the least connection wi'h the other.” (Lib. VII, 
cap. XIV.) This indicates plainly that the kinships held the soil, whereas the tribe occupied the terri- 
torial expanse. The domain, either as pertaining to a ‘‘lord,” or to a “state,” was unknown among 
the Indians in general. Even among the Peruvians, who were more advanced than the Mexicans in 
that respect, there was no domain of the tribe. 
3See Torquemada (Lib. II, cap. XI, and Lib. III, cap XXII). Duran (cap. V). The quotation is 
from Herrera (Dee. II, Lib. VII, cap. XIII, p. 190), and is contirmed by Torquemada (Lib. III, cap. XXIII, 
p. 291), and especially by Gomara (‘‘ Conquista de Méjico,” p. 443. Vedia, I). ‘‘ Many married people 
(‘‘muchos casados”’) live in one house, either on account of the brothers and relations being together, 
as they do not divide their grounds (*‘ heredades”), or on account of the limited space of the pueblos ; 
although the pueblos are large, and even the houses.” Peter Martyr of Angleria (‘‘De Novo Orbe,” 
translated by Richard Eden and Michael Lok, London, 1612, Dec. V, cap. X, p. 228), says: ‘ But the 
common houses themselves as hygh as a mannes Girdle, were also built of stone, by reason of the 
swellyng of the lake through the floode, or washing flote of the Ryvers fallying into it. Vpon those 
greate foundations, they builde the reste of the house, with Bricke dryed, or burned in the sunne, inter- 
mingled with Beames of Tymber, and the common houses have but one floore or planchin.” We are 
