152 



HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



earthen pots, diflies, and jars, and little looking-glaffes of 

 the flone Itztli (/). 



From hence, traverfing the deep mountains of Tara- 

 humara, and dire^ing their courfe towards the fouth, 

 they reached Huicolhuacan, at prefent called Culiacan, 

 a place fituated on the gulf of California, in 24^ deg. of 

 latitude, where they flopped three years (g). Here it 

 is probable, that they built houfes and cottages to dwell 

 in, and fowed fuch feeds for their food as they carried 

 •with them, and ufually did in every place where they 

 dayed any confiderable time. There they formed a fta- 

 tue of wood reprefenting Huitzilopochtli the tutelar deity 

 of the nation, that he might accompany them in their 

 travel, and made a chair of reeds and rufties to tranfport 

 it which they called Teoicpalli^ or chair of God. They 

 chofe priefts who were to carry him on their fhoulders, 

 four at a time, to whom they gave the name of T^eotla- 

 macazque^ or fervants of God, and the a6i: itfelf of carry- 

 ing him was called Teomama^ that is to carry God on 

 one's back. 



From Huicolhuacan journeying for many days to- 

 wards the eaft, they came to Chicomoztoc, where they 

 flopped. Hitherto all the feven tribes had travelled in a 

 body together : but here they feparatcd, and the Xochi- 



milcas, 



(y) Thefe are the reports I received from two perfons who had feen the 

 Cafe grandi. We ftiould wifli to have a plan of their form and dimenfions ; but 

 now it would be very difficult to be obtained, the whole of that country being 

 depopulated by the furious incurfions of the Apachas and other barbarous na- 

 tions. 



( g) The ftay of the Aztecas in Huicolhuacan, Is agreeable to the teftimony 

 of all hiftorians, as well as their feparation at Chicomoztoc. There is a tradi- 

 tion among the northern people of their paffage .through Tarahumara. Near 

 to Naiarit there are trenches found which Were made by the Cori, to defend 

 themfelves from the Mexicans in their route from Huicolhuacan to Chico- 

 moztoc. 



