Proceedings, fyc. xxxix 



alloy. Examples of this are supplied by the Asiatic communities, and 

 others occupying the southern portion of Europe. The South Ame- 

 rican tribes, which were favored with the use of tin and copper, also 

 reached a higher stage in social improvement than others which were 

 ignorant of the existence of tin. Certainly, the tribes of Mexico and 

 Peru had as much reason as other communities to admire the dis- 

 covery and residts of bronze, the greatest and most important that 

 ever was made in that section of the world discovered by Columbus. 

 This new discovery became not merely of material interest among 

 the Astecs and Peruvians, but it also was the means of a moral in- 

 fluence, because this new metallic compound served the Peruvian 

 ruler, in the eyes of the multitude which he governed, by making it 

 appear as if placed in direct communication with the sun, the object 

 adored by the aboriginals and their Inca as their god. Human skill 

 having invented the reflectmg-mirror, made the rays of the early 

 morning sun ignite the combustibles on the altar, whereupon sacri- 

 fices were offered in adoration of their heavenly lord, from whom so 

 many and such essential benefits were received. From this eventful 

 discovery, who, among the astonished people, dared to question or deny 

 the Inca and his family being the offspring of their heavenly protector 1 



Like all other nations acquainted with the use of bronze, the 

 Mexicans and Peruvians partook of improvements in the materials 

 more immediately wanted for domestic purposes. Implements for 

 cutting and splitting wood,* for agricultural use, the plough-share and 

 the hoe, became known ; these latter previously had been made of the 

 alloy of copper and gold. Though far below that of the Greeks and 

 the Romans, the advance in social development reached by the Astecs 

 and the Empire of the Inca, no doubt originated from the discovery 

 of copper and tin. 



About the time tin became known, silver was discovered in 

 Peru and Mexico ; and there is reason for supposing that the latter 

 was the first known, because native silver was found at the sur- 

 face of the silver deposits of Potosi, and other silver mines, which 

 at that time produced those argentiferous minerals, when under such 

 circumstances there was an inducement for attention being given to 

 the pebbles of per-oxide of tin, the " stream-tin," of a dark shining 

 appearance and glittering fracture. 



The art of casting having been introduced from an earlier period, 

 at the discoveries of gold and copper, improvements had taken place ; 

 so that at the discovery of silver considerable perfection was displayed 

 in the castings made in Mexico and Peru, where silver was ex- 

 tensively used. The records of the conquest of the American em- 

 pires inform us "that Montezuma and Atahualpa were served in 

 cups and plates of silver and gold, and that silver was used for cer- 



* The saw was not used by the Komans ; the use of this implement was 

 also unknown to the Peruvians and Mexicans. 



