The Native Races [of the Pacific states], Volume 2, Civilized Nations / The Works of Hubert Howe Bancroft, Volume 2

by Hubert Howe Bancroft

[678] Brasseur de Bourbourg, Hist. Nat. Civ., tom. iv., pp. 89-90.

[679] Mexico is generally taken to be derived from Mexitl, or Mexi, the other name of Huitzilopochtli, the favorite god and leader of the Aztecs; many, however, think that it comes from mexico, springs, which were plentiful in the neighborhood. Tenochtitlan comes from teonochtli, divine nochtli, the fruit of the nopal, a species of wild cactus, and titlan, composed of tetl, stone or rock, and an, an affix to denote a place, a derivation which is officially accepted, as may be seen from the arms of the city. Others say that it is taken from Tenuch, one of the leaders of the Aztecs, who settled upon the small island of Pantitlan, both of which names would together form the word. 'Ce nom, qui veut dire Ville de la Tuna.... Le fruit de cet arbre est appelé nochtli en mexicain, car le nom de tuna ... est tiré de la langue des insulaires de l'île de Cuba.... On a aussi prétendu que le véritable nom de Mexico était Quauhnochtitlan, ce qui veut dire Figuier de l'Aigle.... D'autres, enfin, prétendent que ce figuier d'Inde n'était pas un nochtli proprement dit, mais d'une espèce sauvage qu'on appelle tenochtli, ou de celle que les naturels nomment teonochtli ou figure divine.' 'Elle avait pris du dieu Mexix celui de Mexico.' Camargo, Hist. Tlax., in Nouvelles Annales des Voy., 1843, tom. xcix., pp. 174-5. 'Los Indios, dezian; y dizen oy Mexico Tenuchtitlan; y assi se pone en las Prouisiones Reales.' Herrera, Hist. Gen., dec. ii., lib. vii., cap. xiv. 'Tenoxtitlàn, que significa, Tunal en piedra.' Acosta, Hist. de las Ynd., p. 466. The natives 'ni llaman Mexico, sino Tenuchtitlan.' Torquemada, Monarq. Ind., tom. i., p. 293. 'Tenuchtitlan, que significa fruta de piedra.' 'Tambien dizen algunos, que tuuo esta ciudad nombre de su primer fundador, que fue Tenuch, hijo segundo de Iztacmixcoatl, cuyos hijos y decendientes poblaron ... esta tierra.... Tampoco falta quien piense que se dixo de la grana, que llaman Nuchiztli, la qual sale del mesmo cardon nopal y fruta nuchtli.... Tambien afirman otros que se llama Mexico de los primeros fundadores que se dixeron Mexiti.' Gomara, Conq. Mex., fol. 113-15; Motolinia, Hist. Indios, in Icazbalceta, Col. de Doc., tom. i., p. 180; Clavigero, Storia Ant. del Messico, tom. i., pp. 168-9. 'Tenochtitlan, c'est-à-dire, auprès des nopals du rocher.' 'Ti-tlan est pris pour le lieu.' Brasseur de Bourbourg, Hist. Nat. Civ., tom. ii., pp. 446-9.

[680] He is also termed god of the earth in the fable.

[681] Torquemada, Monarq. Ind., tom. i., pp. 91-4, 289-91; Brasseur de Bourbourg, Hist. Nat. Civ., tom. ii., pp. 443-9.

[682] Acosta, Hist. de las Ynd., pp. 465-7. See also Clavigero, Storia Ant. del Messico, tom. i., pp. 167-8. Nearly all the authors give the whole of the above meanings, without deciding upon any one.

[683] Carbajal Espinosa, Hist. Mex., tom. i., p. 313; Heredia y Sarmiento, Sermon, p. 95.

[684] It means islet, from tlatelli, island. Herrera, Hist. Gen., dec. ii., lib. vii., cap. xiv. Veytia says it is a corruption of xaltelolco, sandy ground. Hist. Ant. Mej., tom. ii., p. 141; Gomara, Conq. Mex., fol. 115.

[685] Carbajal Espinosa, Hist. Mex., tom. ii., p. 218; Brasseur de Bourbourg, Hist. Nat. Civ., tom. iv., p. 5.

[686] The Anonymous Conqueror says two and a half to three leagues in circumference, which is accepted by most authors. Relatione fatta per vn gentil'huomo del Signor Fernando Cortese, in Ramusio, Navigationi, tom. iii., fol. 309. But as the embankment which formed a semi-circle round the town was three leagues in length, the circumference of the city would not have been less. Brasseur de Bourbourg, Hist. Nat. Civ., tom. iv., p. 4. Cortés says that it was as large as Seville or Cordova. Cartas, p. 103. Aylon, in Id., p. 43, places the number of houses as low as 30,000. Las Casas, Hist. Apologética, MS., cap. l., who is usually so extravagant in his descriptions, confines himself to 'mas de cincuenta mil casas.' Gomara, Conq. Mex., fol. 113, 60,000, each of which contained two to ten occupants. Torquemada, Monarq. Ind., tom. i., p. 291, places the number as high as 120,000, which may include outlying suburbs. The size and business of the markets, the remains of ruins to be seen round modern Mexico, and its fame, sustain the idea of a very large population.

[687] See Carbajal Espinosa, Hist. Mex., tom. ii., pp. 216-17, on former and present surroundings. Herrera, Hist. Gen., dec. ii., lib. vii., cap. xiv.; Cortés, Cartas, p. 103.