152 THE PYRAMIDS. 



Acolhuans. They finally adopted the monarchical form 

 of government, and gaining the ascendency, maintained 

 it till the arrival of the Spaniards. At that time remnants 

 of the most of the tribes here mentioned were to be found, 

 here or there in the country, mingled with small primi- 

 tive tribes of quite a distinct race, some of which are sup- 

 posed, with apparent reason, to have inhabited New Spain 

 before the arrival of the Toltecs. 



And now, who built the pyramids of San Juan Teoti- 

 huacan ? who laid the foundations of the colossal teo- 

 caili of Cholula ? Some say the Toltecs — others the 

 Olmecas or the Xicalancas, people of an equally remote 

 origin ; and all agree in attributing them to the earliest 

 times of which traditional record exists. 



There is no saying by what people, or at what epoch 

 they were raised, nor to what forms of idol worship they 

 were in succession consecrated ; but from the tangled 

 thread of tradition, sufficient may be unravelled to show 

 the original design of these monuments, and what were 

 the facts of which they were to be the remembrance to 

 future ages : and tradition, while perhaps it does the wise 

 and skilful Toltecs but justice, when it ascribes to them 

 the elaborate sculpture strewed over the face of New 

 Spain and Central America, might do them no wrong in 

 attributing these vast erections, and many of the great 

 works extant on the table land, to a far higher antiquity. 

 At what epoch of the world's history the vast western 

 continent became peopled by the human race, is a ques- 

 tion which has given rise to many discussions and differ- 

 ent hypotheses. 



The idea of its early occupation would appear to be 

 perfectly consistent both with analogous reasoning, and 

 with the testimony to be gathered from the traditions 

 and customs, civil and religious, of the aborigines them- 

 selves, throughout the continent. Is it not to be supposed, 

 that, however brought about, the same Almighty hand 

 which scattered the congregated descendants of Noah 

 abroad upon the face of all the earth, would fulfil its de- 

 sign with regard to this portion of the habitable surface 

 of the globe also, and that speedily? And if the coun- 



