27 



victim was laid by the priest; where the heart, whilst yet living, was 

 torn from the bosom of the wretched captive, presented reeking to the 

 idol, and then mixed with copal, slowly consumed before it. The 

 body was afterwards delivered by the priest to the captors, or owners 

 of the slave, by whom it was devoured with the greatest avidity; 

 Above 30,000 human beings were said to have suffered in this manner 

 at the coronation of Montezuma; and it is believed that nearly 70 

 of the Spaniards, taken prisoners on the unfortunate night of their 

 first retreat, were dragged to sacrifice and immolated before this idol, 

 on the altar, in the sight of their countrymen, who, by the lights of 

 the fires, witnessed the horrid transaction, and heard the unavailing 

 shrieks of their expiring companions in arms. 



THE GREAT KALENDAR STONE. 



No. 67 This fine specimen of Mexican workmanship and know- 

 ledge was found in the Plaza Major, under the pavement on the site 

 Teocalli, or Temple, and not being visibly connected with the ancient 

 religious rites, was allowed to be placed against the south side of the 

 Cathedral. It is formed out of a heavy basaltic rock, and is up- 

 wards of 36 feet in circumference, exclusive of part of the unsculp- 

 tured stone on which it is cut, and which still remains attached to it. 

 It weighs more than five tons, and the modern Mexicans speak with sur- 

 prise of the power of the ancients in moving such ponderous masses. 

 This celebrated piece of antiquity is known to the Indians by the name 

 of Montezuma's Watch. It has excited the surprise of many authors 

 who have written on the subject, and is in itself a complete refuta- 

 tion of the opinion of such speculative authors as Robertson and Du 

 Paw. Gama has published, in Mexico, figures of it and of the great 

 idol of the goddess, with an elaborate description, occupying about 

 70 quarto pages, but it is much too long, learned, and hypothetical 

 for the general reader. In the centre of this immense tablet (larger 

 than the Zodiack of Denderah) is represented the figure of the Sun, 

 the rays in the direction of the Cardinal points ; round the head, the 

 Seasons are exhibited in hieroglyphics, and, in the next circle, the 

 name of the twenty Mexican months of eighteen days, thus making 

 the calculation of time, nearly the same as ours— a remarkable coinci- 

 dence in a people who were ignorant of the existence of the other 

 three quarters of the world. The use of iron was unknown to the 

 people of America; and the examination of the sculptured blocks ot 

 basalt and porphyry, must therefore surprise us the more. We are 

 still ignorant of the mode employed in cutting both them, and the 



