96 HOUSES AND HOUSE-LIFE OF THE AMERICAN ABORIGINES. 
springs, and if there were none, they went to his brothers. Females held 
nothing whatever, beyond their wearing apparel and some few ornaments 
for personal use. 
“The ‘tlalmilli’ itself, at the demise of a father, went to his oldest son, 
with the obligation to improve it for the benefit of the entire family until 
the other children had been disposed of by marriage’ But the other males 
could apply to the chief of the calpulli for a ‘tlalmilli’ of their own;’ the 
females went with their husbands. Single blessedness, among the Mexi- 
cans, appears to have occurred only in case of religious vows, and in which 
case they fell back for subsistence upon the part allotted to worship, or in 
case of great infirmities, for which the calpulli provided.* No mention is 
made of the widow participating in the products of the ‘tlalmilli, still it is 
presumable that she was one of those whom the oldest son had to support. 
There are indications that the widow could remarry, in which case her hus- 
band, of course, provided for her. 
“The customs of Inheritance, as above reported, were the same with 
chiefs as well as with the ordinary members of the tribe. Of the personal 
effects very little remained, since the higher the office was which the de- 
ceased had held, the more display was made at his cremation, and conse- 
quently the more of his dresses, weapons, and ornaments were burnt with the 
body. Of lands, the chiefs only held each their ‘tlalmilli’ in the usual way, 
as members of their kin, whereas the other ‘official’ lots went to the new 
incumbents of the offices. It should always be borne in mind that none 
of these offices were hereditary themselves. Still, a certain ‘right of suc- 
cession’ is generally admitted as having existed. Thus, with the Tezcutans, 
the office of head war-chief might pass from father to son,* at Mexico from 
1Gomara (‘‘Conq. de Méjico, p. 434): ‘It is customary among tributary classes that the oldest 
son shall inherit the father’s property, real and personal, and shall maintain and support all the brothers 
and nephews, provided they do what he commands them. The reason why they do not partition the 
estates is in order not to decrease it through such a partition . . . . ” Simancas M.S. 8. (‘‘Re- 
cueil,” etc.; ete., p. 224): “Relative to the calpulalli . . . . the sons mostly inherited.” 
2 Zurita (p. 55): ‘He who has no land applies to the chief of the tribe (calpulli), who, upon the 
advice of the other old men, assigns to him a tract suitable for his wants, and corresponding to his abil- 
ities and to his strength.” Herrera (Dec. III, Lib. IV, cap. XV, p. 185). 
3 Such unmarried females were the ‘‘nuns” frequently mentioned by the old writers. We shall 
have occasion to investigate the point in our paper on ‘‘The ancient Mexican priesthood.” As attend- 
ants to worship, they participated in the tributes furnished towards it by each ecalpulli, of which we 
have spoken. 
‘Zurita (p. 12). Gomara (VediaI, p. 434). Torquemada (Lib. IX, cap. IV, p. 177; Lib. XI, 
cap. 27, p. 356, etc. etc.). 
