USE OF COPPEIl BY THE ABORIGINES. 



179 



etc." — (Herrara, Vol. I., p. 250.) WhsQ the Spaniards first entered the province 

 of Tuspan, they found the Indians in possession of an abundance of copper 

 axes, which, in their greediness, they mistook for gold, and were much morti- 

 fied upon discovering their mistake. " Each Indian," says Bernal Diaz, " had, 

 besides his ornaments of gold, a copper axe, which was very highly polished, with 

 the handle curiously carved, as if to serve equally for an ornament as for the field 

 of battle. We first thought these axes were made of an inferior kind of gold ; we 

 therefore commenced taking them in exchange, and in the space of two days had 

 collected more than six hundred ; with which we were no less rejoiced, as long as 

 we were ignorant of their real value, than the Indians with our glass beads." In the 

 list of articles exacted as an annual tribute from the various departments of the 

 Mexican empire, as represented by the Mexican paintings, were " one hundred and 

 sixty axes of copper" from the southern divisions. 



Fig. 54 is copied from the tribute tables, and illustrates the form of the 

 axes required to be paid to the emperor. This seems to have been the 

 usual form, which, however, was sometimes shghtly modified, so as to 

 give them a broader cutting edge. The following example, Figs. 55 and fk. 64. 

 56, are drawings of originals obtained by Du Paix, and published among the 

 plates of his antiquarian tour. They are engraved of one fourth their actual size. 



\ 



SSs.. 





-'mm 





"iiiiiLL" 



.^ 



They were part of a deposit of two hundred and seventy-six, of like character, 

 found buried in two large earthen vases, in the vicinity of Oxaca, and are of alloyed 

 copper, and cast. " Such," says Du Paix, " are much sought by the silversmiths, 

 on account of their fine alloy." 



----^1 



Fig. .57 is a chisel, of similar composition, found in the vicinity of Mexico, and 

 also figured by Du Paix. It is engraved one fourth of the original size. 



