HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



197 



from the rain or the fun. Thefe balkets are ftill a good 

 deal ufed for journeys by the Spaniards, who corrupt 

 their name into petacas. 



The commerce of the Mexicans was by no means em- 

 bar raffed, either by the multitude or variety of lan- 

 guages which were fpoken in thofe countries j for the 

 Mexican tongue which was the mofl: prevailing, was un- 

 derftood and fpoken every where. It was the proper 

 and natural language of the Acolhuas and the Aztecas 

 (J>), and as we have obferved elfewhere, likewife of the 

 Chechemecan and Toltecan nations. 



The Mexican language, of which we wifli to give 

 our readers fome idea, is entirely deftitute of the confo- 

 nants B, D, F, G, R, and S, and abounds with L, X, 

 T, Z, Tl, Tz; but although the letter L is fo familiar 

 to this language, there is not a fingle word in it begin- 

 ning with that confonant. Nor is there a word of an 

 acute termination, except fome vocatives. Almoft all 

 the words have the penult fyllable long. Its afpirates 

 are moderate and foft, and there never is occafion to 

 make the leaftnafal found in pronunciation. 



Notwithftanding the want of thofe fix confonants it is 

 a mofl copious language ; tolerably polifhed, and re- 

 markably expreffive; on which account it has been high- 

 ly valued and praifed by all Europeans who have learn- 

 ed it, fo as to be efleemed by many fuperior to the La- 

 tin, 



( b ) Boturini fays, that the excellence of the language which we call the 

 Mexican, was the reafon of its being adopted by the Chechemecan, the Mexi- 

 can, and Teochechemecan nations, and of their relinquifhing their native 

 tongue ; but befides this opinion being different from that of all other writers, 

 and of the Indians themfelves, there are no traces in hiftory of the event of fuch 

 a change. Where has there ever been a nation known to abandon its native 

 idiom to adopt a better, and particularly a nation fo tenacious as the Mexicans, 

 and all the other nations of thofe countries of their particular language ? 



