MIGRATION OK THK NAHUAS

country lying between thèse extrêmes at nearly right angles. Hence to pursue a straight route would to day be a task ofdifficulty fora marching body of people, provided with horses. A people without draught animais or beasts of burden, even if it should attempt to strike a bee Une across Texas, would be turned off by the rivers either to the right or tho the left. If to the left, it will quickly arrive atthe coast oftheGulfof Mexico, and coasting along the shore would touch the civilized or more fertile sections of the South at Panuco, the very place, where tradition tells us, the Olmecs appeared.

But if the wandering tribe allows itself to be turned towards the right by the rivers which it otherwise would hâve to cross, the map shows that it would inevitably be carried to the région of the headwaters of the Arkansas river. This would certainly be the case, if it issued from a higher latitude, f. i. from the présent state of Missouri, and did not care to fight its way through the territories of the more southern tribes (bf Louisiana. etc. etc).For ail such, the Arkanzas river valley, both by geographioal situation and because itis ofmore fertility, than any other valley intersecting the vast western plains, as well as because the river is easily navigable for canoës nearly to the foot of the mountain range, forms the natural highway. Having reached the head of their navigation, they would of course hâve to abandon their canoës and floes, and carrying their baggage on their shoulders, to scale the steep mountain range. A difficult task of that nature would even to day force a marching army to rest and recruit its strenghth in the next available camping ground. This is found in the caiions and narrowvalleys of the San Juan river. It is there, where every tribe will hâve to make a station, it is there where not a single tribe will bother its heads about the name of the station, since they will spontaneously call it Oztotlan, or if there be seven subtribes — and seven was a sacred and favorite number with the Na-

o3i2 r.O.NGUKS DES améiucaxistes. 8

huas — Chicomoztoc, « llie sevengrottoes». Itis Lhere, UiatbuL lately extensive ruins hâve ijeen found, sh^wing that thèse narrow valleys were formerly cullivated by a people, quite similar in their habits and manners to the other Pueblo tribes of New Mexico. (1) It is this part of Lhe country, tho tradition of the living' Moqui Indians refers to, (2) when it says : our ancestors once hved in thèse valleys, but strangers came from the North (fromtheheadwaters of the San Juan ?)and our people was scattered and had to retire before them. It is lhere where thèse fugitives, hoping that the strangers would speedily leave again, built those wonderful little cliff-houses in the recesses of the vertical sides of the rocky mesas, which resemble the nests of swallows or eagles, but still are human habitations, built with a great deal oi" ingeuuity, risk and lal)or. And Aztec tradition says (3) it was in Lhe land of grotloes, where tliey told Iho other six Nahuatlaca tribes, hitherto united with them, to move on, which they did, until they reached Anahuac, w^hile the Aztecs themselves, settling down, tarried there for quite a while. And when they iinally left, they did so in company of a portion of the former population of thèse or adjoining valleys, and the leader of the latter was called Chaleiuh TIatonac wich, it is not altogether unreasonable to conclude, bas some relationship with the Chaco valley, bordering the San Juan valley on the South, and containing seven Pueblo cities, even at the time of Goronado's expédition, Avhich may perhaps explain that seven grotloes are mentioned in ail the other traditions as well!

We do not propose to rest at this point. For we consider, our third argument is even stronger. Traditional history, as transmitled, leaves no rational doubL that the Tulan Zuiva of

(1) Jaekson in Bulletin U. S. Survey, 1875. •■ ■ ^2) Bancroft t. IV. 730. ' ■ ,','''''''

(3) Ibid. V. 308. '' ' " , .

y MIGRATION (IK THE NAHUAS. 833

llie Popol Vulch, Ihe Hueliuo Tlapallan ol' Ixlilxochitl and other writers, where the Tollecs setout l'or Anahuac^ isidentical wilch the Aiiiaqueinecan, whence the later Chichimecs issued. Even if this were not proved by the fact, that in neai'Iy ail of thèse instances Amaquemecan or Huehue Tlapallan is mentioned as the next station after Ghicomoztoc, the close relationship, which we are told, existed between the impérial houses of the Toltecs and of the Chichimecs would indicate it. It is stated (1) that when the Toltecs, who during their migration and some lime afterwards ; had a sort of republican government, felt the désire for or necessity of a stronger monarchical régime , in order to secure their newly won position on the highland of Anahuac, they aecepted the advice of their prophet, priest , and migration leader Hueman , and sent to the Ghichimec emperor of Hueliue- Tlapallan, in order to reçoive in the shape of one of his sons a prince of their own impérial family. For it is stated (2) that the Toltec were indeed nothing- else originally, but a body of dissatisfied rebels, who by a civil war had been driven out of this empire of Huehue Tlapallan, before they set out on their migration. It is further stated (3) that when several centuries later the Toltec empire broke up, the last emperor himself and anumber of Toltec nobles fled to the court ofhis or their near relatives, the Ghichimec emperors. Hence if we are told, that this Ghichimec empire was then in Amaquemecan, a country described as being of immense extent, we cannot for a moment doubt that Amaquemecan and Huehue-Tlapallan is the same country. And we would remind the advocates of the Southern descent theory, that no tradition of the southern

(1) Bancroft V, 245.

(2) Ibid. V, 211.

(3) Ibid. V, 284.

334 CONGRÈS DES américanistes. 10

nations refers to or knows anything- about the existence of a Chichimec empire of immense extent in the lO^** century, while the tradition of the Pueblos (1) speaks of a proudemperor, called Montezuma, reigning- about this time, and whose return they still look for ; and thu migration tradition of the Aztecs (2) knows this emperor Monlezuma hkewise, as exactions, which he imposed upon them, while they lived in Oztollan, are described as the cause of their exodus thence into Mexico.

But stronger proof than this remains. Gamargo in speaking of the migration of the Teo-chichimecs (3), the tribe which i acquired power in Gulhuacan, and which appears to really' hâve been the main-stay of the Toltec empire, says, they came from Amaquele])ec (4).

This account whatever its historical value, gives us the etymology of the words Anmque-mecan as being a composite meaning probably the « land of the Arnaques » just as Anmque-tepec means « the mountains of the Arnaques ». And I freely confess, that I am astonished, that the similarity nay,

(1) Bancroft, III, 77-172.

(2) Brasseur do Buurbourg. Hist. Nat. civil II, 292.

(3) The Tiguex says that the Coinanehes, Navajoes and other* are of the same race race (with themselves) and descended fromi Montezuma. They (the Tiguex) first appeared at Shipays or the Nortlncest source of the Rio ciel Norte. Whence they came, is not known. They icere icandering and sought shelter in the canons of the river in caves which yet remain. They sojourned awhile Acoti, the birth place of Montezuma, who became leader and guide of the subséquent migration. He taught them to build pueblos with lofty towers and estufas, and to kindie sacred fires, to be guarded' by priests. Taos was the first pueblo, he established, and frora

thence he proceeded southward, forming settlements Acoma

was strongly built and fortified by liim Pac. lia. Rep. III.

Ind. tribes. P. 36. I

(4) Baucroft, V, 242, ' I