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rites. It is so natural, especially to women, on 

 account of the suppleness of their limbs, that in 

 several countries of Italy the female peasants as- 

 sume this posture habitually in the churches. 

 We ought not then to be surprised, that it was in 

 use among the Azteck women. We find it in 

 some of the symbolical paintings of this nation ; 

 in the 26th plate, the goddess of water, who 

 throws herself on the earth to drown it, is repre- 

 sented seated on her heels ; and several other 

 figures, in other Mexican paintings, are nearly in 

 the same position, except that they have only one 

 knee on the ground. As to what relates to the 

 statue, on which I have now the honor of ad- 

 dressing you, it seems to me, that the back part 

 of this figure (Plate II) furnishes a certain proof 

 of what I have just advanced. We distinctly 

 see the feet, the toes of which are very clearly 

 indicated ; they are placed one against the other, 

 and the shading discovers in the drawing (Plate 

 I) the prominence of the knees, concealed under 

 the stiff and plain drapery, which envelops the 

 whole figure. 



Not to enlarge farther on this curious specimen 

 of the arts of a nation almost extinct, I shall 

 confine myself to the remark, that the excessive 

 size of the head is a common defect in the greater 

 part of the works of this people. The same de- 

 fect is very perceptible in the figures sculptured 



