136 



great resemblance to the Egyptian paper, made 

 with the fibres of the reed ( cyperus papyrus ) . 

 The plant, which was employed in Mexico for 

 the fabrication of paper, is known in our gardens 

 under the name of aloes. It is the pit e (agave 

 Americana), called metl, or maguey, by the 

 people of the Azteck race. The mode of 

 making this paper was very similar to that em- 

 ployed in the South Sea islands with the bark of 

 the paper mulberry tree ( broussonetia papy- 

 rifera). I have seen pieces three metres long 

 and two broad. The agave is cultivated at 

 present not for paper-making, but for preparing 

 with its juice, at the unfolding of the stalk and 

 flowers, the intoxicating liquor called octli, or 

 pulque ; for the pite or metl may be used as a 

 substitute at the same time for the hemp of 

 Asia, the paper reed of Egypt, and the vine of 

 Europe. 



The painting, a copy of which is at the bottom 

 of the twelfth plate, is five decimetres long and 

 three broad. It is well preserved, the colours 

 are vivid, and the agave paper yellowed by 

 time is of a very fine and equal texture. It ap- 

 pears that this fragment of hieroglyphic writing, 

 which I purchased at Mexico, at the sale of 

 Mr. Gama's collection, was formerly a part of 

 the museum of the chevalier Boturini Benaducci. 

 This Milanese traveller had crossed the seas with 

 no other view, than to study on the spot the 



