HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



141 



in their nature, as every year it was neceffary to re- 

 peat the form of inveftiture, nor were the vaffals of 

 feudatories exempted from the tributes which were paid 

 to the king by the other vaffals of the crown. 



The lands which were called Altepetlalli, that is, 

 thofe of the communities of cities and villages, were di- 

 vided into as many parts as there were diftri&s in a city, 

 and every diftricl: poffeffed its own part entirely diflin£t 

 from, and independent of the others. Thefe lands could 

 not be alienated by any means whatever. Some of them 

 were allotted to furnifh provifions for the army in time 

 of war ; thofe were called Melchimalli^ or Cacalomilli, 

 according to the kind of provifions which they fupplied. 

 The catholic kings have affigned lands to the fettlements 

 of the Mexicans (/), and made proper laws to fecure 

 to them the perpetuity of fuch pofTeffions ; but at pre- 

 fent many villages have been deprived of them by the 

 great power of fome individuals, affifted by the iniquity 

 of fome judges. 



All the provinces that were conquered by the Mexi- 

 cans were tributary to the crown, and contributed fruits, 

 animals, and the minerals of the country, according to 

 the rate prefcribed them; and all merchants befides 

 paid a part of their merchandizes, and all artifts a cer- 

 tain portion of their labours. In the capital of every 

 province was a houfe allotted for a magazine to con- 

 tain the corn, garments, and all the other effects, which 

 the revenue officers collected in the circle of each diftricl:. 

 Thefe officers were univerfally odious on account of the 

 diflreflbs which they brought on the tributary places. 



Their 



(*) The royal laws grant to every Indian village, or fettlement, the territory 

 which furrounds them to the extent of fix hundred Caftilian cufcits, which arc 

 «<jual to two hundred and fifty-feven Parifian perches. 



