HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



141 



for many years, until the prefent time, has been import- 

 ed from Mexico into Europe. 



The Chiapanefe have been the fird peoplers of the 

 New World, if we give credit to their traditions. They 

 fay that Votan, the grandfon of that rerpe6lable old man 

 who built the great ark to fave himfelf and family from 

 the deluge, and one of thofe who undertook the build- 

 ing of that lofty edifice which was to reach heaven, went, 

 by exprefs command of the Lord, to people that land. 

 They fay alfo that the firfl peoplers came from the quar- 

 ter of the North, and that when they arrived at Soco- 

 nufco, they feparated, fome going to inhabit the country 

 of Nicaragua, and others remaining in Chiapan. This 

 country, as hiflorians fay, was not governed by a king, 

 but by two military chiefs, ele62:ed by prieds. Thus 

 they remained until they were fubjc^led by the laft kings 

 of Mexico to that crown. They made the fam.e ufe of 

 paintings as the Mexicans, and had the fame method of 

 computing time ; but the figures with which they repre- 

 fented days, years, and months, were totally dliferent. 



Of the Cohuixcas, the Cuitlatecas, the Jopas, the Ma- 

 zatecas, the Popolocas, the Chinantecas, and the Toto- 

 nacas, we know nothing of the origin, nor the time 

 when they arrived in Anahuac. We fliail fay fomething 

 of their particular cuftoms when ever it will illuftrate 

 the hiftory of the Mexicans. 



But of all the nations which peopled the region of 

 Anahuac, the moft renowned and the mod fignalized in 

 the hiftory of Mexico, were thofe vulgarly called the Na- 

 huatlacas. This name^ the etymology of v/hich we have 

 explained, in the beginning of this hiftory, was princi- 

 pally given to thofe feven nations, or rather thofe feven 

 tribes of the fame nation, who arrived in that country 



after 



