Volume 1

The history of Mexico. Collected from Spanish and Mexican historians, from manuscripts and ancient paintings of the Indians. Illustrated by Charts and other copper plates. To which are added, critical dissertations on the land, the animals, and inhabitants of Mexico / By Abbé D. Francesco Saverio Clavigero. Translated from the original Italian, by Charles Cullen.

  • Francisco Javier Clavijero
Date:
1787
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The history of Mexico. Collected from Spanish and Mexican historians, from manuscripts and ancient paintings of the Indians. Illustrated by Charts and other copper plates. To which are added, critical dissertations on the land, the animals, and inhabitants of Mexico / By Abbé D. Francesco Saverio Clavigero. Translated from the original Italian, by Charles Cullen. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    fpring out fo hot, that in a few moments any kind of fruit or animal food is boiled in them. There are alfo petrifying waters, namely thofe of Tehuacan, a city about one hundred and twenty miles, diltant from Mexico towards the fouth-eaft, thofe of the fpring of Pucuaro in the ftates of the Conte di Miravalles, in the kingdom of Michuacan, and that of a river in the province of the Queleni. With the water of Pucuaro they make little white fmooth ftones, not di{]deafing to the tafte ; fcrapings from which taken in broth, or in Atolli (i) are moft pov/erful diaphoretics, and are ufed with remarkable fuccefs in various kinds of fevers (k). The citizens of Mexico during the time of their kings, fupplied themfelves with water from the great fpring of Chapoltepec, which was conveyed to the city by an aquedud, of which, we fliall fpeak hereafter. In mentioning the waters of that kingdom, if the plan of our hiftory would permit, we might deferibe the ftupendous falls or cafeades of feveral rivers (IJ, and the bridges which nature has formed over others, particularly the Ponte di Dio : thus they call in that country a vari; volume of earth thrown acrofs the deep river Atoyaque, dole to the village of Molcaxac, about one hundred miles to the fouth- eaft from Mexico, along which, coaches and carriages conveniently pafs. It is probable, it has been a fragment of a neighbouring mountain, thrown from it by fome former earthquake. The climate of the countries of Anahuac varies according to their fituation. The maritime countries are hot, and for the mod; part mold and unhealthy. Their heat, which occahons fweat even in January, is owing to the perfedl flatnefs of the coads compared with the inland country ; or from the mountains of fand that gather upon the Ihore, which is the cafe v/ith Vera Cruz my native country. The moidure proceeds not lefs from the fea than from the abundance of waters defeending from the mountains which BOOK I. Sect.IV. Climate of Anahuac. (/) Atolli is the name given by the Mexicans, to a gruel made of maiz or Indian corn ; of which we fliall fpeak in another place. (^) The little Hones of Pucuaro have been known but a fliort time. I have myfelf been an eye witnefs of their wonderful effedV, in the epidemic of 1762. The dofe preferibed for one who is eafily brought to fweat is one drachm of the fcrapings. (/) Amongfl the cafeades there is one famous, made by the great river Guadalaxara, in a place called Tempizque, fifteen miles to the fouthward of that city. C 2 command