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rites. It is so natural^ especially to womeii^ on 
account of the suppleness of their limbs, that in 
several countries of Italy the female peasants as- 
sume this posture habitually in the churches. 
We ought not then to be surprised, that it was in 
use among the Aztech women. We find it in 
some of the symbolical paintings of this nation ; 
in the 26th plate, the goddess of water, who 
throws herself on the earth to drown it, is repre- 
sented seated on her heels ; and several other 
figures, in other Mexican paintings, are nearly in 
the same position, except that they have only one 
knee on the ground. As to what relates to the 
statue, on which I have now the honor of ad- 
dressing you, it seems to me, that the back part 
of this figure (Plate II) furnishes a certain proof 
of what I have just advanced. We distinctly 
see the feet, the toes of which are very clearly 
indicated ; they are placed one against the other, 
and the shading discovers in the drawing (Plate 
I) the prominence of the knees, concealed under 
the stiff and plain drapery, which envelops the 
whole figure. 
Not to enlarge farther on this curious specimen 
of the arts of a nation almost extinct, I shall 
confine myself to the remark, that the excessive 
size of the head is a common defect in the greater 
part of the works of this people. The same de- 
fect is very perceptible in the figures sculptured 
