CORTEZ PORTRAIT ARMOR PEDRO DE ALVARADO. 273 



borough on Mexican antiquities, are preserved in this apartment, 

 while on the surrounding shelves, are deposited specimens of the 

 pottery, vases, pipes, idols, images, bows, arrows, axes, masks, 

 sacrificial instruments, beads and altars of the Aztecs. 



Around the frieze of this room, as around that of the preceding, 

 are portraits of Mexican viceroys, at the head of which is the pic- 

 ture of the conqueror Hernando Cortez, from which the engraving 

 in these volumes has been accurately copied. Its authenticity is un- 

 questionable, for its history has been carefully traced to the period 

 of the third viceroy, Don Gaston de Peralta, Marques de Falces. 

 This portrait represents the hero of the conquest differently from 

 any other picture we have found either engraved or in oil, and ex- 

 hibits the mingled air of elevated veneration and command, of 

 firmness and dignity, reflection and resolute action, which are the 

 chief historical characteristics of this personage. In a corner, be- 

 neath the portrait, is a plain, unornamented suit of steel armor, 

 which belonged to the hero. Its small dimensions convey no favor- 

 able impression of the hero's size or strength. The armor, and 

 patent of nobility granted by Charles V. to Pedro de Alvarado, the 

 companion of Cortez, are also preserved in this saloon. The royal 

 document is exceedingly interesting from the fact that it contains 

 the autographs of the emperor and of Cortez, who signed it as El 

 Marques del Valle de Oajaca. 1 Near these relics of two of the 

 leaders of the conquering army, preserved religiously under glass 

 in a golden frame, is the crimson silken banner, bearing the image 

 of the Virgin, crowned with a golden coronet and surrounded with 

 twelve stars, under which that army is alleged by the antiquarians 

 to have marched the second time against the Aztec capital. 



In the apartment west of this, and facing on the plaza del Vola- 

 dor, are the collections in natural history, which have been chosen 

 apparently, rather as curiosities than for scientific purposes. The 

 specimens of birds, beasts and reptiles, are indifferently preserved 

 and classified, and even the collection of minerals, which, in Mexico, 

 ought to be of the most perfect character, scarcely deserves mention 

 as an important illustrative cabinet. 



The number of small images, which are usually called idols, con- 

 tained in the cases of the principal saloon is very large, and speci- 

 mens are presented from most parts of the territory comprised in the 



1 This armor and patent of nobility, were offered to the author of this work in 

 1842, before they were purchased by the government, for one hundred and forty 

 dollars, and, at his recommendation, they were tendered, as a first choice, to the na- 

 tional authorities who bought them. 



