Identifier: mexicoitsancient01enoc (find matches)
Title: Mexico, its ancient and modern civilisation, history and political conditions, topography and natural resources, industries and general development;
Year: 1910 (1910s)
Authors: Enock, C. Reginald (Charles Reginald), 1868-1970
Subjects:
Publisher: New York, Scribner
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

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of Spanish archbishop—The poet-king and hisreligion—Temple to the Unknown God—Aztecs and Incas com-pared—The Tlascalans—The Otomies—Cholula—Mexican tribes—Aztec buildings—Prehistoric art—Origin of American prehistoriccivilisation—Biblical analogies—Supposed Asiatic and Egyptianorigins—Aboriginal theory. Like the misty cloud-streaks of the early dawn, thebeginning of the story of the strange empire of pre-historic Mexico unfolds from fable and fact as welook back upon it. We are to imagine ourselves uponthe shores of Lake Texcoco, in the high valley-plateau ofAnahuac, the land amid the waters. It is the year1300, or a little later, of the Christian era. Theborders of the lake are marshy and sedgy, the sur-rounding plain is bare and open, and there is novestige of man and his habitation. Far away, east,west, and north, faint mountain ranges rise, shimmer-ing to the view in the suns rays through the clear upland air, whilst to the south two beautiful gleaming 20
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j^.-/v; THE DAWN OF MEXICO 21 snow-capped peaks are seen,i and over all is the deepblue vault of the tropic highland sky. We have said that there are no vestiges of man orhis structures to be seen, yet upon gazing penetra-tingly towards the north-east there might be observedthe tops of two high ruined pyramids,^ the vestigesof the civilisation of the shadowy Toltecs. But weare not for the moment concerned with these ruinedstructures, for, as we watch, a band of dusky warriors,strangely clad, comes over the plain. They comelike men on some set purpose, glancing about them,at the shores of the lake, at the horizon, expectantly,yet with a certain vague wistfulness as of deferred hope.Suddenly their leader halts and utters an ejaculation ;and with one hand shading the suns rays from hiseyes he points with outstretched arm towards the watersedge. His companions gaze intently in the directionindicated, and then run forward with joyous shoutsand gesticulations. What is it that has aroused th

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