HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



5 



goddefs named Miftlanoihuatl. I am of opinion that 

 they believed hell to be a place in the centre of the 

 earth (c) ; but they did not imagine that the fouls un- 

 derwent any other punifhment there than what they 

 fuffered from the darknefs of their abode. 



The Mexicans, with all other civilized nations, had a 

 clear tradition, though fomewhat corrupted by fable, 

 of the creation of the world, of the univerfal deluge, of 

 the confufion of tongues, and of the difperfion of the 

 people ; and had actually all thefe events reprefented in 

 their pictures (d). They faid, that when mankind were 

 overwhelmed with the deluge, none were preferved but 

 a man called Coxcox (to whom others give the name of 

 Teocipaflli), and a woman called Xochiquetzal, who faved 

 themfelves in a little bark, and having afterwards got to 

 land upon a mountain called by them Colhuacan^ had 

 there a great many children : that thefe children were 

 all born dumb, until a dove from a lofty tree imparted 

 to them languages, but differing fo much that they could 

 not underftand one another. The Tlafcalans pretended 

 that the men who furvived the deluge were transformed 

 into apes, but recovered fpeech and reafon by de- 

 grees (e). 



Among 



(c) Dr. Siguenza was of opinion, that the Mexicans placed hell in the nor- 

 thern part of the earth ; as the fame word Micllampa, fignified towards the 

 North, and towards Hell. But, I rather think they placed it in the centre, for 

 that is the meaning of the name of Tlalxicco, which they gave to the temple of 

 the god of hell. After all it is poflible that the Mexicans themfelves might 

 hold different opinions upon the fubject. 



(d) Their idea of the deluge appears from the reprefentation in the plate 

 annexed, which is copied from an original painting of the Mexicans. 



(e) For an account of the opinions of the Miztecas and other nations of 

 America, with refpecl: to the creation of the world, I muft refer the reader to 

 Father Gregorio Garcia, a Dominican, in his work entitled, The Origin of the 

 foiians. 



