ers,” 
MORGAN.) DIVISION OF THE LANDS. 89 
‘The second class was called ‘tlatoca-tlalli, land of the speakers. Of 
these there was but one tract in each tribe, which was to be ‘four hundred 
of their measures long on each side, each measure being equal to three 
Castilian rods." The crops raised on such went exclusively to the require- 
ments of the household at the ‘teepan,’ comprising the head-clief and his 
family with the assistants. The tract was worked in turn by the other 
members of the tribe, and it remained always public ground, reserved for 
the same purposes.” 
“Both of these kinds were often comprised in one, and it is even not 
improbable that the first one may have been but a variety of the general 
tribute-lands devoted to the benefit of the conquering confederates. Still 
the evidence on this point is too indefinite to warrant such an assumption. 
‘While the crops raised on the ‘teepan-tlalli,’ as well as on the ‘tlatoca- 
tlalli,’ were consumed exclusively by the official houses and households of 
the tribe, the soil itself which produced these crops was neither claimed nor 
possessed by the chiefs themselves or their descendants. It was simply, as 
far as its products were concerned, official soil.’ 
“The establishing and maintaining of these areal subdivisions was very 
simple with the tribes of the mainland, since they all possessed ample terri- 
tories for their wants and for the requirements of their organizations. Their 
soil formed a contiguous unit. It was not so, however, with the Mexicans 
proper. With all their industry in adding artificial sod to the patch on 
which they had originally settled, the solid surface was eventually much 
equal to three Castilian rods . . . .” See “Art of War” (p. 944, note 183). ‘The rod” (vara) is equal 
to 2.78209 feet English (Guyot). 
2Veytia (Lib. III, cap. VI, p. 195). It is superfluous to revert to the erroneous impression that 
the chiefs might dispose of it. 
3¢Patrimonial Estates” are mentioned frequently, but the point is, where are they to be found? 
Neither the “‘teepan-tlalli” nor the ‘‘tlatoca-tlalli,” still less the ‘“‘calpulalli,” show any trace of indi- 
vidual ownership. “ Eredad” (heirloom) is called indiseriminately ‘‘milli” and ‘‘cenemitl” (Molina, 
Parte Ia, p. 57). The latter is also rendered as “tierra labrada, 6 camellon” (Molina, Parte Ila, p. 26). 
It thus reminds us of the “‘chinamitl ” or garden-bed (as the name ‘‘camellon” also implies), and reduces 
it to the proportion of an ordinary cultivated lot among the others contained within the area of the 
calpulli. It is also called “ tlalli,” but that is the general name for soil or ground. * Tierras 0 eredades 
de particulares, juntas en alguna vega,” is called “tlalmilli.” This decomposes into “tlalli” soil and 
“milli.” But “vega” signifies a fertile tract or field, and thus we have again the conception of com- 
munal lands, divided into lots improved by particular families, as the idea of communal tenure neces- 
iarily implies. 
