The Sun.
London, England, 1853-07-12 00:00:00

THE AZTECS.

We have within the last few years had opportunities
of seeing specimens of at least two races of diminu-
tive people, not above one-half the height or dimen-
sions of the ordinary average. of the human race.
First, the Bushmen, who appeared to have no ar-
ticulate language ; and next, the Earthmen, who are
now partially civilised. Both these races were stated
by their introducers to be the degenerated remnants
of ancient nations ; but it seemed just as likely that
they were from the first as they are now—pigmy
races, varying, for some inscrutable reason, from the
natural standard of man. But if the Bushmen and
Earthmen were curious, the children now being exhibited
in the Hanover-square Rooms are most marvellous.
The first glance at them utterly astounds the spectator.
They are so small—their heads are so strangely formed
—their little limbs are so meagre—their cries are so
shrill—their pranks so strange, that one in the first
flush of astonishment thinks rather of sprites and
hobgoblins than of human beings. A closer
inspection, however, soon removes the impression,
and we begin to try to trace the race of these wonderful
creatures, whose home was undoubtedly in the recesses
of the Cordilleras. But first let us describe them.
They are boy and girl, and from their dental condition,
so it is stated, are believed by medical men to be of
respectively seventeen and eleven years of age. We
confess that we could form no satisfactory judgment on
the point. The appearance of the Tittle creatures is so
utterly anomalous that we gave up the attempt.
Their height, however, is another matter. The boy,
the elder, is certainly under three feet in stature ; the
girl measures only two feet six inches. As. we have said,
the limbs of the Aztecs are very thin ; but they are
evidently full of life and spirit, and gatnipol and run,
and look through a lorgnette, and ride amocking-horse,
and scrape a fiddle with great glee and ap parent enjoy-
, ment. The head is, of course, the most interesting por-
tion of their development. It corresponds in size to the
diminutive proportions of the body which bears it, while
the hair is of a glossy black—thick, soft and silky, with
a tendency to curl, stronger in the male, than the female.
The forehead is low, and recedes almost at an animal
angle, but just under the hair there is a. sort of ridge
.which encircles the brow. The eyes are piercingly bright,
and black, and the nose of exaggerated Hebrew propor-
tions, forming, indeed, the main feature of the face, as
the under jaw recedes from the upper, and the chin again
recedes rapidly from it. This construction of the lower
part of the face gives the whole countenance a peculiar
expression, the reverse of that of persons endowed with
mental faculties ; but, on the other hand, it is only fair
to say that the children exhibit marked proofs of intelli-
gence, that they are as inquisitive as they are lively, and
that they are beginning to understand the words which
Professor Anderson—our old wizard friend, who has
brought the little creatures from South America—ad-
dresses to them. As a whole, then, the expression of the
face is strongly Jewish. The remark was general in the
room, and universally agreed in. The nose, the black lus-
trous eye, and the hair with a tendency to curl, all cor-
roborated the opinion. But a resemblance more remark-
able still is to be traced in the features of the Aztec to the
drawings of the basso-relievos in Mr. Stephen's volumes
describing the wondrous ruins of the ancient Mexican
cities. These remains are to the full as remarkable and
interesting as those of Nineveh, to which indeed they bear
no slight resemblance, both in architecture and ornament,
and a figure exhibited upon the wall, copied from Mr.
Stephens' drawings, is a perfect fae-simile of the profiles
of the little Aztecs, particularly of the boy.

CRICKET.

MARYLEBONE CLUB AND GROUND v. ALL

ENGLAND.

This match was opened yesterday at Lord's, and
played in the presence of a large gathering of spectators,
amongst whom were a considerable number of the aris-
tocracy. The ground was in beautiful condition. The
Marylebone Club commenced operations, Mr. Ward and
Adams taking the bat. The score of this innings
amounted to 119, the highest contribution, 39, being
made by Mr. Haygarth. The representatives of All
England then went to the wicket, and a reference to the
score will show that their combined efforts were not
very productive, inasmuch as that 43 was the amount of
their score, one double number only being shown, and
that by Sherman,—viz., 21. The Marylebone Club
then essayed upon their second innings, and it will be
found that Wisden "tucked" them up, so far as the
innings had proceeded, when " time' was called—six
wickets at this hour had been demolished for a score of
23, Wisden having bowled two, having had two caught
from him (one by himself and the other by J. Lillywhite),
whilst Adams had his stumps scattered by Tinley, and
Grundy contrived to run out. At this stage of the pro-
ceedings the ominous word of " time" was heard to issue
from the pavilion, and play ceased for the day with the
following score :