HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



95 



former. Laftly, that they drew their origin from the 

 curfed fon, and therefore went aim oft naked ; that the 

 Spaniards, as they were well clothed, defcended per- 

 haps from the other. 



The Mexicans ufed to call Noah Coxcox, and Teoci- 

 pattli; and the Michuacanefe, Tezpi, They ufed to fay, 

 that there was once a great deluge, and that Tezpi, in 

 order to fave himfelf from being drowned, embarked 

 in a (hip formed like an ark, with his wife, his children, 

 and many different animals, and feveral feeds of fruits ; 

 and that as the water abated, he fent out that bird which 

 bears the name of aura, which remained eating dead 

 bodies, and then fent out other birds, who did not re- 

 turn either, except that little bird (the flower-fucker) 

 which was much prized by them on account of the va- 

 riety of the colours of its feathers, that brought a fmall 

 branch with it ; and from this family they all believed 

 they drew their origin. If therefore we refer to the fa- 

 cred writings, or the traditions of thofe Americans, we 

 muft feek for the peoplers of America among the de- 

 fendants of Noah. 



But who were they ? Which of the fons of Noah was 

 the root of the American nations? D. Siguenza, and the 

 very ingenious Mexican Sifter J. Agnes de la Cruz, be- 

 lieved or conjectured, that the Mexicans, and other na- 

 tions of Anahuac, were the defcendants of Naphtuhim, 

 fon of Mezraim, and nephew of Cham. Boturini was 

 of opinion, that they defcended not only from Naphtu- 

 him, but likewife from his other five brothers. The 

 learned Spaniard Arias Montano was perfuaded that the 

 Americans, and particularly the Peruvians, belonged to 

 the pofterity of Ophir, fourth fon of Shem. The rea- 



fons 



