Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-01-04
THE TARASCAN EMPIRE.
q NATION WHO WERE NEVER CON-
 QUERED BY THE AzTEcS.

An Indomitable Nation of Warriors
 Which Existed in Mexico at the
 Time of the spanish Conquest-How
 They Planned Their Campaigns.
 The Indians living around Lake Patzcuaro were an independent nation when the Span iards invaded Mexico, nearly 400 years ago. They had come from the north, and had never been conquered by the Aztecs, who who lived in and controlled the country south and east of here. They lived in towns and cities, and they had laws Their capital city was on the border of the lake They called it Tzintzuntzan, in imitation of the sound made by the humming birds, which are very numerous. They had a king, who designated his successor. They were divided into four provinces, and at the head of each was cacique, or chief. There was, accord ing to Cubas, the Mexican ethnologist, a great variety of subordinate officials in the Tarascan empire. There were tribute gath erers who collected from the rich, and an- other set who saw that the poor contributed to the government. There was a head game keeper, and chief falconer who looked after the birds. There was chief for the fishermen who fished with nets, and another for the fishermen who used hooks and lines Every industry had its representative in the government. These Indians raised cotton, manufactured domestics, quarried and carved stone, cultivated sugar cane, fermented wine from the maguey, made Heather garments and did a great many other things, ell under the supervision of the sub-delegates, as Cubas calls the representatives of the government.
 There was chief woodsman. The princi- pal feather worker directed the artists in that branch. The Curinguri had charge of the making of drums. The carpenters had their master. A treasurer general kept in his safe untold quantities of gold and silver or naments, while the grain collected for the crown was housed in great granaries under charge of a store keeper.
 A EXTERNAL GOVERNMENT.
 It was strong paternal form of govern ment which raised and made all that its peo- pie had any use for, which directed and con- trolled great variety of industries in such a manner that there was little export or i'm port, no overproduction and plenty of time to go to war. The painters, potters, earthen- ware makers, sweepers, flower makers, shop keepers, and even the doctors, had their masters. And all this vas before Christo- pher Columbus discovered America
 But the Tarascans were more interesting as warriors They were simply indomitable. It does not appear that it was their policy to extend the boundaries of the Tarascan em. pire by conquest. They fought battles, whipped surrounding nations, settled imme diately with the conquered on a cash basis and returned to Lake Patzcuaro to enjoy the fruits of victory. There are 200, 900 Taras cans now, and they were probably more nu merous before the Spanish invasion.
 When war was declared against another nation the chiefs of the provinces commenced mobilizing the fighting material without 6 days delay. The whole army was com. manded by a captain general called the Eazonci He was magnifcently accoutered A plume of green feathers nodded above hi: head. A silver shield was slung over hi: shoulder. His quiver was of tiger skin. Hs had ear rings and bracelets of gold. A doub let of scarlet cotton clothed his hips and thighs. Leggings of tiger skin completed hi. | dress.
 The war spirit was very strong in the ma ton. Tarascans did not wait for invasion They marched to their frontier and ther, gave battle. While they were on the roat | She people came to them, fed them ane cheered them on. One branch of the servic, was an organization of war spies under com maud of chief. The vazanoti had trained corps of couriers and messengers