22 



HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



of the province of Tepeyacac, and in the country of the 

 Mixtccas : of Tezontli, in the vale itfelf of Mexico, and 

 in many other places of the empire. The ftone Tet- 

 zontli is generally of a dark red colour, pretty hard, 

 porous, and light, unites mod firmly with lime and fand, 

 and is therefore more in demand than any other for the 

 buildings of the capital, where the foundation is marfliy 

 and unfolid. There are befides entire mountains of load- 

 ftone, and among others one very confiderable between 

 Teoitztlan and Chilapan, in the country of the Cohuix- 

 cas. Of ^etzalitztli commonly known by the name of 

 the nephritic fhone, the Mexicans formed various and cu- 

 rious figures, fome of which are preferved in different 

 mufeums of Europe. Chimaltizatl^ which is a kind of 

 talc, is a tranfparent white ftone, dividing eafily into thin 

 leaves ; on calcination gives a fine plaifter, which the an- 

 cient Mexicans ufed to whiten their paintings. There 

 arc befides infinite quantities of plaifter and talc; but 

 refpe£^ing this laft we do not know what ufe it was put 

 to. The Mezcuitlatl^ that is, moon's-dung, belongs to 

 that clafs of ftones which, on account of their refiftance 

 to the a6lion of fire, are called by chemifts lapides refrac- 

 iariL It is tranfparent and of a reddifli gold colour. 

 But no ftone was more common with the Mexicans than 

 the itztli, of which there is great abundance in many 

 places of Mexico. It is femi tranfparent, of a glafTy fub- 

 ftance, and generally black, but it is found alfo white and 

 blue; they made looking-glafifes of this ftone, knives, 

 lancets, razors, and fpcars, as we fliall mention when we 

 treat of their militia ; and after the introdu£^:ion of th 

 gofpel they made facred ftones of it which were much 

 valued (^). 



However 



(/>) Itztli is k»own in South America by the name of the Pietra del Galinazzo. 

 The celebrated Mr. Caylus proves, in a manufcript Differtation, which Mr. Bo- 

 mar 



