Constantine republican. [volume] (Constantine, Mich.) 1836-1838, 1837-03-22

phic and scientific speculation as it hereto.
fore has been OF land. JUDGE HyER, who
has examined the ruins more thoroughly
than any one else, has given the city tho
name OF Aztalan, from the following pas.
sage in the writings of Baron lIumbolt,
viz: "From which it appears the people in
hablting the vale of Mexico, at the time tho
Spaniards overrun the country, were called
Aztecks or Aztekas, and were, as the Spa
nish history informs us, usurpers, having
come from the North; from a country
which they called Aztalan." Which coun- :
try 1--WE must look for at least North of the
AID degree of latitude" But some may ask
why so splendid and well fortified city
should have existed here? The only an.
swer that we can give is, that it is in the
vicinity of one of the most extensive and
inexhaustible mineral regions in the world.
The soil is superlatively fertile and the
climate remarkably salubrious. The pros
pect from the high walls of the Citadel must
have been beautiful. We can give our
readers q no more accurate description
than by quoting the following from the letter
of Judge HYER to the Editor of the Mil.
waukee Advertiser.
"About the first of January, a settlement
having been commenced there, and good
winter road made, again, in company with
other friends visited the place,prepared with
compass, chain and pck.axc, to make
more thorough examination and an accurate
survey Of the surface about the ruins ofthe
Citadel, and obtained numerous specimens
of the brick, of which the walls were made,
but the severity of the season prevented our
pursuing our researches so extensively as
we intended and indeed we were prevent.
ed entirely from examining the outer bounds
of the city. have therefore confined this
description to what appears TO have been the
Citadel, which cncloses about twenty acres,
the wall on the north end Is thirty-six rods
in length, eighty.four rods on the west side,
and forty.two on the south. This appears
to have been built for military purposes, and
by people far more advanced in civiliza.
ton and the arts, than the Indian race ever
appear to have been; and | am not pre-.
pared to say that they were ignorant Of the
advantages of commerce, for the stream
on which their town was built is now navi-
gable for STEAMBOATS, Of light draught, to
this place, from the Mississippi.
But in what manner they employed them
selves, except so far as we can see of their
works, we must remain ignorant, as no kind
:. spirit will condescend to rise from these
ruins to inform us, and time which destroys
all things has left us not so much as tho
name of its founder.
The walls were probably three times as
high as they now are, and as they decayed
and crumbed down, now appear much wild.
or than they were built. Besides what is
described in the interior, is the appearance Of
numerous cellars and besides the mounds
or tumuli here described, there is in the
vicinity several hundred and on the top Of
every cminence there is one or more
mounds, which appear to have been places
Of "look out"
There is much here to indicate that this
has once been the location of an ancient
,oalled city. But of this fact am not fully
satisfied, yet one thing is certain, that this
section of country has been densely popu.
lated and from present indications The time
is not far distant when it will be so again !;
but VIC are determined preserve these ruins
from being ruined"