192 



HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



not find them neceffary, as others have affirmed, or be- 

 caufe if they did ufe them the Spaniards never knew 

 it (J). 



To prevent fraudulent contracts and diforder amongft 

 the traders, there were certain commilfioners who were 

 continually traverfing the market to obferve what hap- 

 pened, and a tribunal of commerce, compofed of twelve 

 judges, refiding in a houfe of the fquare, was appointed 

 to decide all difputes between traders, and take cogni- 

 zance of all trefpaffes committed in the market-place. 

 Of all the goods which were brought into the market, 

 a certain portion was paid in tribute to the king, who 

 was on his part obliged to do juftice to the merchants, 

 and to protect their property and their perfons. A theft 

 feldom happened in the market, on account of the vigi- 

 lance of the king's officers', and the feverity with which 

 it was inflantly punifhed. But it is not the lean 1 fur- 

 prifing, that theft was fo rigoroufly punifhed, where 

 the fmallefl diforders were never pardoned. The labo- 

 rious and mod: fincere F. Motolinia relates, that a quar- 

 rel having arifen once between two women in the mar- 

 ket of Tezcuco, and one of them having gone fo far as 

 to beat the other with her hands, and occafion the lofs 

 of fome blood, to the amazement of the people, who 

 were not accuflomed to fee fuch an outrage committed 

 there, fhe was immediately condemned to death for the 

 offence. All the Spaniards who faw thofe markets ex- 

 tolled 



(v) Gomara believed, that the Mexicans made no ufe of fcales or weights; 

 becaufe they were ignorant of fuch a contrivance ; but it is very improbable, 

 that a nation fo induftrious and commercial fhould not have known the manner 

 of afcertaining the weight of goods, when among other nations of America, 

 lefs acute than the Mexicans, ftillysrds were made ufe of, according to the re- 

 port of the fame author, to weigh gold. Of how many circumfcances relative 

 to American antiquity are we {till ignorant, owing to the want of proper exa- 

 mination and enquiry! 



