xii 



PREFACE. 



on America, that is, the altering of names, for the pur- 

 pofe of foftening them, until they are rendered unintel- 

 ligible. Who would be capable of divining that De 

 Solis fpeaks of Quauhnahuac, when he fays Suatlahaca ; 

 of Huejotlipan, where he fubftitutes GitaUpar ; or of 

 Cuitlalpitoc, where he writes Pilpatoc? I have therefore 

 thought it moft fafe to imitate the example of thofe 

 modern writers, who whenever they introduce into their 

 works the names of perfons, places, or rivers, of any par- 

 ticular country of Europe, write them in the language of 

 its refpedive nation ; and in the writings of thefe authors 

 there are names taken from the German, and other 

 tongues, fully harfher to the ear, from the greater con- 

 courfeof rough confonants, than any of the words I have 

 made ufe of. I do not, however, reje<5]: names that have 

 been formerly altered, by which there is no danger of 

 being deceived, as rhey are generally known. 



With refpedi: to the geography of Anahuac, I have 

 ufed every endeavour to render it correal ; availing my- 

 felf of the knowledge which I gained in many excurfions 

 through that country, as well as the information and writ- 

 ings of others ; after all, I have not entirely fucceeded ; 

 for, in fpite of my mofl: earned attempts, I have not been 

 able to procure the few incomplete aftronomical obferva- 

 tions which have been made on thefe places. The fitua- 

 tion, therefore, and diftances mentioned in the body of 

 the hiPcory, as well as in the chart, are not to be con- 

 fidered as being afcertained with that precifion and ac- 

 curacy which are required from a geographer ; but ac- 

 cording to fuch computation as could be made by an 

 attentive furveyor who judged by the eye. I have in 

 my hands innumerable ancient and modern charts of 

 Mexico, of which it would have been eafy to have copied 



the 



