HISTORY OF MEXICO. 383 



Alfonfo de Qjeda, and Alfonfo de Mata, in their me- 

 moirs, Las Cafas, in his work entitled, the Destruction 

 of the Indies ; B. Diaz, in his hiftory, Motolinia, Saha- 

 gun, and Mendieta, in their writings ; all eye-witneffes 

 of the ancient population of America : Herrera, Goma- 

 ra, Acofta, Torquemada, and Martinez, are all of the 

 fame opinion with refpecl: to the great population of 

 thofe countries. M. de Paw cannot produce a fingle 

 ancient author who does not confirm it by his teftimony ; 

 whereas, we can cite feveral authors who do not make 

 any mention of that fuperftitious rite of the Mexicans, 

 namely, Cortes, Diaz, and the anonymous conqueror, 

 the three mod ancient Spanifti writers on Mexico. Not- 

 withftanding M. de Paw affirms, that we cannot doubt 

 of fuch a rite, becaufe of the unanimous teftimony of 

 the Spaniards ; who then would doubt of the great po- 

 pulation of Mexico, or rather deny it. fo ftrongly againft 

 the uniform depofitions of ail the ancient hiftorians ? 

 But if the population of Mexico was fo great in 151 8, 

 why in 1521 was it neceffary to bring people there from 

 the Lucayos, and afterwards from the coaft of Africa, 

 to people it ? We confefs ingenuoufly we cannot read 

 this objection of M. de Paw, without being extremely 

 offended at his affirming with fuch hardinefs, that which 

 is directly falfe, and contrary to the accounts of authors. 

 Where has M. de Paw read that it was neceffary to 

 tranfport people from the Lucayos to people Mexico ? 

 We defy him to produce a fingle author who fays fo ; 

 we know rather the contrary from many writers. We 

 know from Herrera and others, that from 1493, when 

 the Spaniards eftabliftied themfelves in Dominica, to 

 1496, the third part of the inhabitants of that large 

 ifland periflied in war, and through other diftreffes. 



In 



