the Pilgrimage and civilization of the toltecs. 
By David Cerna, M. D., Ph. D. 
Bead June 19, 1893. 
I need not state, perhaps, that of the three principal branches of the 
historical human races, the Hamitic, the Semitic, and the Aryan or Indo- 
European, this last one has always been considered as the most important 
in every respect. From it, undoubtedly, have sprung the peoples that 
have more largely contributed to the progress and development of civili¬ 
zation. The Semitic branch is especiallay noted for having given to the 
world three religions, each one of which proclaims, singularly enough, 
the existence of One, All-Powerful God, Ruler of the Universe: the 
Jewish, the Mohammedan, and the Christian. The Hamitic branch com¬ 
prises chiefly the venerable Egyptians and the Chaldeans. To another 
Eastern nation the world is indebted for modern civilization, although 
not generally admitted, but nevertheless true. I mean, of course, China. 
Regarding the contributors to modern human progress we shall not, nay, 
we can not stop here. We shall find, if we carefully consult and examine 
the annals of human existence, that two other peoples have also con¬ 
tributed to the common stock of civilization, and that these two peoples 
belong to our own Continent. As } 7 ou may surmise, I have reference to 
the Peruvians and the Mexicans; especially to these latter tribes that 
once inhabited and held full sway over beautiful Anahuac: tribes to 
which belonged Netzahualcoyotl, the king-poet, and the poet-king of our 
primitive Continental literature; Guatimotzin the Aztec Philopoemen, 
the last and heroic martyr of his race, and a host of other brilliant stars 
that shall forever shine in the firmament of our own history. 
There is no doubt that all these Mexican tribes contributed more or 
less to the establishment of the great Aztec Empire and to the origin and 
development of a wonderful civilization. 
Whether all these ancient peoples had or not a common origin; whether 
they were aborgines or had- sprung from Eastern nations, a topic in itself 
extremely interesting from a historical and scientific point of view, the 
matter remains unsettled, notwithstanding the many beautiful theories 
promulgated on both sides of the question. 
It has been maintained that the Mayas and the Maya-Quiches, the races 
peculiar to Yucatan and Chiapas, perhaps the most ancient of American 
peoples, proceeded either directly or indirectly from Egypt and other 
Eastern nations, their appearance on this Continent being accounted for 
in different ways, but without the light of positive proof. 
Be this as it may, these tribes differed in many respects from the rest 
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