The Project Gutenberg eBook of Anahuac : or, Mexico and the Mexicans, Ancient and Modern
Title: Anahuac : or, Mexico and the Mexicans, Ancient and Modern
Author: Edward B. Tylor
Release date: August 4, 2004 [eBook #13115]
Most recently updated: October 28, 2024
Language: English
Credits: E-text prepared by Carlo Traverso, Keith M. Eckrich, and
the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreaders Team
Anahuac
or,
Mexico and the Mexicans,
Ancient and Modern
by Edward Burnett Tylor
1861
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
Cuba. Volantes. A Cuban Railway. Voyage. Passports. Isle of Pines. Mosquitos.
Pirates. Runaway slaves. Baths of Santa Fé. Alligators. The Cura. Missionary
Priest. Florida Colonists. Blacks in the West Indies. Chinese and African
slaves.
CHAPTER II.
Players and Political Adventurers. Voyage. Yucatan. Slave-trade in Natives. The
Ten Tribes. Vera Cruz. Don Ignacio Comonfort. Mexican Politics. Casualties. The
City of the Dead. Turkey-buzzards. Northers. The “temperate
region.” Cordova. The Chipi-chipi. The “cold region.” Mirage.
Sand-pillars. The rainy season. Plundered passengers. Robber-priest. Aztec
remains. Aloe-fields. Houses of mud-bricks. Huts of aloes. Mexican churches.
Mexican roads. Making pulque.
CHAPTER III.
Palace-hotel of Yturbide. Site and building of Mexico. Changes in the Valley of
Mexico. Dearth of Trees. Architecture. Drunkenness. Fights. Rattles.
Judas’s Bones. Burning Judas. Churches in Holy Week. Streets. Barricades.
People. Women. The cypress of Chapultepec. Old-fashioned coaches. The canal of
Chalco. Canoe-travelling. “Reasonable people.” Taste for flowers.
The “Floating Gardens.” Promenade. Flooded streets. Earthquakes.
CHAPTER IV.
Tacubaya. Humming-birds and butterflies. Aztec feather-work. Bullfight. Lazoing
and colearing. English in Mexico. Hedge of organ-cactus. Pachuca. Cold in the
hills. Rapid evaporation. Mountain-roads. Real del Monte. Guns and pistols.
Regla. The father-confessor in Mexico. Morals of servitude. Cornish miners.
Dram-drinking. Salt-trade. The Indian market. Indian Conservatism. Sardines.
Account-keeping. The great Barranca. Tropical fruits. Prickly pears. Their use.
The “Water-Throat.” Silver-works. Volcano of Jorullo. Cascade of
Regla. “Eyes of Water.” Fires. The Hill of Knives. Obsidian
implements. Obsidian mines. The Stone-age. The loadstone-mountain of Mexico.
Unequal Civilization of the Aztecs. Silver and commerce of Mexico. Effect of
Protection-duties. Silver mines. The Aztec numerals.
CHAPTER V.
A Revolution. Siege and Capitulation of Puebla. Military Statistics.
Highway-robbery. Reform in Mexico. The American war. Mexican army. Our Lady of
Guadalupe. Miracles. The rival Virgins. Sacred lottery-ticket. Literature in
Mexico. The clergy and their system of Education in Mexico. The Holy Office.
Indian Notions of Christianity.
CHAPTER VI.
To Tezcuco. Indian Canoes. Sewer-canal. Water-snakes. Salt-lakes. A storm on
the lake. Glass-works. Casa Grande. Quarries. Stone Hammers. Use of Bronze in
stone-cutting in Mexico and Egypt. Prickly Pears. Temple-pyramids of
Teotihuacán. Sacrifice of Spaniards. Old Mexico. Market of Antiquities. Police.
Bull-dogs. Accumulation of Alluvium. Tezcotzinco. Ancient baths and bridge.
Salt and salt-pans. Fried flies’-eggs. Water-pipes. Irrigation.
Agriculture in Mexico. History repeats itself.
CHAPTER VII.
Horses and their training. Saddles and bits. The Courier. Leather clothes. The
Serape. The Rag-fair of Mexico, Thieves. Gourd water-bottles. Ploughing.
Travelling by Diligence. Indian carriers. Mules. Breakfast. Bragadoccio.
Robbers. Escort. Cuernavaca. Tropical Vegetation. Sugar-cane. Temisco.
Sugar-hacienda. Indian labourers. The evensong. The Raya. Strength of the
Indians. Xochicalco. Ruins of the Pyramid. Sculptures. Common ornaments. The
people of Mexico and Central America. Their civilization. Pear-shaped heads.
Miacatlán.
CHAPTER VIII.
Cocoyotla. Indian labourers. Political Condition of the Indians. Indian Village
and huts. Cotton-spinning. The Indian Alcalde. Great Cave of Cacahuamilpán.
Optical phenomenon. Monk on horseback. Religion of the Indians. Idols. Baptism
by wholesale. Village amusements. Dancing. Chalma. The meson and the convent.
Church-dances. The miller’s daughter. Young friar. The Hill of Drums.
Sacred cypress-tree. Oculan. Change of climate. Grain-districts of Mexico. The
Desierto. Tenancingo. Toluca. Lerma. Robbers.
CHAPTER IX.
Museum. Fate of Antiquities. War-God. Sacrificial Stone. Mexican words
naturalized in Europe, &c. Chamber of Horrors. Aztec Art. Wooden Drums.
Aztec Picture-writings. The “Man-flaying” Mr. Uhde’s
Collection. Mr. Christy’s Collection. Bones of Giants. Cortes’
Armour. Mexican Calendar-stone. Aztec Astronomy. Mongol Calendar. Peculiarities
of Aztec Civilization. The Prison at Mexico. No “Criminal class.”
Prison-discipline. The Garotte. Mexican law-courts. Statistics. The
Compadrazgo. Leperos and Lepers. Lazoing the bull. Cockfighting. Gambling.
Monte. The fortunate Miners.
CHAPTER X.
A travelling companion. Mexicans who live by their wits. Jackal-masks, &c.
Mexican words used in the United States. Miraflores. Cotton-factory. Sacred
Mount and Cypress-tree. Rainy Season. Ascent of Popocatepetl. The Crater. View
of Anahuac. Descent from Popocatepetl. Plain of Puebla. Snow-blindness.
Hospitable Shopkeeper. Morality of Smuggling. Pyramid and Antiquities of
Cholula. Hybrid Legends of Mexico. Genuine Legends. Old-world analogies among
the Aztecs.
CHAPTER XI.
Puebla. The Pasadizos. Revolutions in Mexico. Festival of Corpus Christi.
Mexican clergy. Their incomes and morals. Scourging. Religion of the People.
Anomalous constitution of the Republic. The horse-bath. Debt-slaves or peons.
Great fortunes in Mexico. Amozoque. Spurs. Nopalucán. Orizaba. Robbers.
Locusts. Indian village. Inroads of Civilization. Lawsuits. Native Aristocracy.
The vapour-bath. Scanty population. Its explanation. Unhealthy habits.
Epidemics. Intemperance. Pineapples. Potrero. Negros. Mixed races.
“Painted men.”
CHAPTER XII.
Barrancas. Indian trotting. Flowers. Armadillo. Fire-flies. Singular Fandango.
Epiphytes. The Junta. Indian Life. Decorative Art. Horses. Jalapa.
Anglo-Mexicans. Insect-life. Monte. Fate of Antonio. Scorpion. White Negress.
Cattle. Artificial lighting. Vera Cruz. Further Journey. St. Thomas’s.
Voyage to England. Future destinies of Mexico.
I. The Manufacture of Obsidian Knives.
II. On the Solar Eclipses recorded in the Le Tellier MS.
III. Table of Aztec roots.
IV. Glossary.
V. Ancient Mexican mosaic work (in Mr. Christy’s Collection).
VI. Dasent’s Essay on the Ethnographical value of Popular Tales and Legends.
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS:
PLATES:
WOODCUTS:
(The cuts of smaller objects of antiquity, and articles at present in use, have been drawn from specimens in the Collection of Henry Christy, Esq.)