SIX MONTHS IN MEXICO. 09 



china-like substance, and the eyes of others 

 are of different-coloured stones ; a peculiarity 

 common to most of the Mexican statues. 



Beads of jade and bloodstone have been 

 found, but no other precious stones that I 

 could hear of, although many are enumerated, 

 as well as pearls, among the presents sent by 

 Montezuma to the Spaniards. Cortez, in his 

 celebrated letters to the king of Spain, greatly 

 extols the Mexican workmanship in gold, nu- 

 merous specimens of which he transmitted to 

 Spain ; but I could not learn that any thing 

 of this kind exists at the present time in either 

 public or private collections. What was sent 

 to Spain, however exquisite the workmanship, 

 was melted by order of the government ; for, 

 from the earliest period to the last day of her 

 possessing power in Mexico, Spain studiously 

 kept from the rest of the world all informa- 

 tion relative to her American dominions, and 

 more particularly of New Spain. 



