SIX MONTHS IN MEXICO. 61 



They made paper of the leaves of a cer- 

 tain species of aloe, steeped together like 

 hemp, and afterwards washed, stretched, and 

 smoothed. They made also of the palm 

 icxotl, and the thin barks of other trees, 

 when united and prepared with a certain 

 gum, both silk and cotton : but we are 

 unable to explain any particulars of this 

 manufacture. We have had in our hands 

 several sheets of Mexican paper : it is similar 

 in the thickness to the pasteboard of Europe, 



but softer, smoother, and easy for writing.'" 

 # * * * 



"In this respect we have also to lament 

 the furious zeal of the first bishop of Mexico, 

 and the first preachers of the gospel; who, 

 in order to remove from the sight of their 

 converts all incentives to idolatry, have de- 

 prived us of many valuable monuments of 

 the sculpture of the Mexicans. The found- 

 ation of the first church which was built in 



