[578] Ixtlilxochitl, Relaciones, in Kingsborough's Mex. Antiq., vol. ix., p. 387; Veytia, Hist. Ant. Mej., tom. iii., p. 423; Duran, in Kingsborough's Mex. Antiq., vol. viii., pp. 243-4; Torquemada, Monarq. Ind., tom. ii., p. 380; Las Casas, Hist. Apologética, MS., cap. ccxv.; Ortega, in Veytia, Hist. Ant. Mej., tom. iii., pp. 224-5.
[579] Las Casas, Hist. Apologética, MS., cap. ccxiii., ccxv.; Mendieta, Hist. Ecles., p. 136.
[580] Las Casas, Ibid.; Torquemada, Monarq. Ind., tom. ii., p. 380-1.
[581] Las Casas, Ibid.; Torquemada, Monarq. Ind., tom. ii., p. 380; Mendieta, Hist. Ecles., pp. 137-8; Clavigero, Storia Ant. del Messico, tom. ii., p. 133.
[582] Torquemada, Monarq. Ind., tom. ii., p. 381; Ortega, in Veytia, Hist. Ant. Mej., tom. iii., pp. 225-6; Clavigero, Storia Ant. del Messico, tom. ii., p. 133.
[583] Torquemada, Monarq. Ind., tom. i., p. 165. In the following works more or less mention is made of the system of jurisprudence that existed among the Nahua peoples. Pimentel, Mem. sobre la Raza Indígena, pp. 31-5; Carbajal Espinosa, Hist. Mex., tom. i., pp. 593-605; Amer. Ethno. Soc., Transact., vol. i., p. 153; Klemm, Cultur-Geschichte, tom. v., pp. 35-6, 53-4, 69-75, 96-7, 105, 205; Cortés, Aven. y Conq., pref., p. 13; Delaporte, Reisen, tom. x., pp. 264-7; Incidents and Sketches, pp. 60-1; Simon's Ten Tribes, pp. 263-70; Bussierre, L'Empire Mex., pp. 150-8; Chambers' Jour., 1835, vol. iv., p. 253; Baril, Mexique, pp. 205-7; Touron, Hist. Gén., tom. iii., pp. 29-31; Soden, Spanier in Peru, tom. ii., p. 14.
[584] 'Tambien las minas de plata y oro, cobre, plomo, oropel natural, estaño y otros metales, que todos los sacaron, labraron, y dejaron señales y memoria.' Sahagun, Hist. Gen., tom. iii., lib. x., pp. 110-11. To obtain gold 'se metian al fondo del agua y sacaban las manos llenas de arena, para buscar luego en ella los granos, los que se guardaban en la boca.' Diaz, Itinerario, in Icazbalceta, Col. de Doc., tom. i., p. 299. In Michoacan 'trabajaban minas de cobre.' Beaumont, Crón. Mechoacan, MS., p. 48. 'The traces of their labors furnished the best indications for the early Spanish miners.' Prescott's Mex., vol. i., pp. 138-9; Carbajal Espinosa, Hist. Mex., tom. i., pp. 99-100; Acosta, Hist. de las Ynd., p. 198 et seq.
[585] 'Whether a man desire the rude mettall, or to haue it molten, or beaten out, and cunningly made into any kinde of Iewell, hee shall find them ready wrought.' Peter Martyr, dec. v., lib. iv. Gomara and Gama state that they mixed gold and silver, as well as tin, with copper, for the manufacture of gimlets, axes, and chisels. Conq. Mex., fol. 318; Dos Piedras, pt ii., p. 26. Clavigero states that in Zacatollan two kinds of copper were found, hard and soft, so that there was no need of any hardening process. Storia Ant. del Messico, tom. iv., pp. 210-11.
[586] 'Porras claveteadas de hierro, cobre y oro.' Ixtlilxochitl, Relaciones, in Kingsborough's Mex. Antiq., vol. ix., p. 332. 'Nous avons eu entre les mains de beaux outils de cuivre rosette.' Viollet-le-Duc, in Charnay, Ruines Amér., pp. 86-7. 'Hazen muchas cosas, como los mejores caldereros del mundo.' Herrera, Hist. Gen., dec. iii., lib. iii., cap. ix. Some had plates and other vessels of tin. Oviedo, Hist. Gen., tom. iii., p. 465. 'Contuttociò si sa, che lavoravano bene il rame, e che piacquero assai agli Spagnuoli lo loro scuri, e le loro picche.' Clavigero, Storia Ant. del Messico, tom. ii., p. 196. Peter Martyr speaks of large copper stands or candlesticks which supported pine torches to light the courts of the better houses. Dec. v., tom. x. 'Il existait de si grands vases d'argent qu'un homme pouvait à peine les entourer de ses bras.' Baril, Mexique, p. 209; Brownell's Ind. Races, p. 94; Edinburgh Review, July 1867.
[587] 'Todo variadizo, que en nuestra España los grandes Plateros tienen que mirar en ello.' Bernal Diaz, Hist. Conq., fol. 69. 'Los Plateros de Madrid, viendo algunas Piezas, Brazaletes de oro, con que se armaban en guerra los Reyes, y Capitanes Indianos, confessaron que eran inimitables en Europa.' Boturini, Idea, p. 78. 'Non sarebbero verisimili le maraviglie di cotal arte, se oltre alla testimonianza di quanti le videro, non fossero state mandate in Europa in gran copia sì fatte rarità.' 'Finalmente erano tali sì fatte opere, che anche que' Soldati spagnuoli, che si sentivano travagliati dalla sacra fame dell'oro, pregiavano in esse più l'arte, che la materia.' Clavigero, Storia Ant. del Messico, tom. ii., pp. 195-6.