Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-12-28
AMERICAN DOMESTIC ANIMALS,

For reply to this question the cor
respondent Is referred TO historical
works that treat OF the discovery and
settling of the western hemisphere. In
the History Of the Conquest Of Mexico,
by WIN II. Prescott, Vol II, page llS,
and following, we find an interesting
description of the establishment main
tanned by the Aztec emperor, Monte
yuma. He had edlnces devoted TO var
ious objects and among others, one
for birds, such as golden pheasants,
parrots aud humming birds These
We're kept especially for their feathers,
which were collected In the moultIns
season, lie also kept turkeys, five
hundred Of which were consumed every
day by the yultures and eagles that
had separate building in the immense
aylary,
Then there was a collection Of wild
animals gathered from the mountain
forests. what species Of animals were
represented IN this menagerie, the his
torian does not say, There was re
semblance' 1t Is stated, between them
and those found in the Old World but
yet they were IN some respects differ
emit The fact is that the unscientihc
followers Of Cortes seem 10 have been
more interested in snakes, ana freaks
than in useful animals, and their i'm
pressons on beholding the monsters Of
the New World were consequently the
most vivid It is stated, though, that
the emperor had flshponds, and various
tribes Of waterfowl.
In describing the emperors meals, the
historian tells US that, the royal bill
of fare comprehended, besides domes-
tic animals game and fish.
Here domestic animals are ex-
pressly mentioned, but no particulars
are given, beyond this, that they were
dressed in manifold ways, for the Aztec
artists had penetrated deep into the
mysteries OF culinary science"
In description OF the dress Of the
Mexicans, Mr. Prescott says, they had
also the art Of spinning a fine thread
of the hair Of the rabbit and other an
imals, which they woye into delicate
web that took permanent dye" This
would indicate that animals of the
goat, sheep or camel species were kept
Further on in the volume we find a
vivid picture Of an Aztec fair. In the
market place were exhibited for sale
cotton, in bales or made into fabrics for
domestic use, ornaments Of precious
metals, and toys and trinkets; pottery;
hatchets OF copper alleged with tin;
there were razors and mirrors. books
and maps, and hides raw and dressed,
and various articles for domestic or
personal use, made of leather This,
again, indicates that various domestic
animals were kept and the historian
expressly states that, animals, both
wild and tame, We're offered for sale"
In another place the historian says
81 must not omit to mention, however,
the display Of provisions, one of the
most attractive features Of the liam
guez meats Of ALL KINDS, domestic
poultry. game from the neighborng
mountains, fish from the lakes and
streams" Again the meats of all
kinds are not specifically enumerated
but that they were different from both
poultry and game is clear from the
text. They must then have been the
meat of domestic animals kept for food,
such as are usually kept by highly civ
ilized peoples, as the Aztecs were at
that time, according to the narrative Of
the conquerers, even allowing for exag
geration.
In the Book Of Mormon we are told
that the Nephltes were successful
stock-raisers, their flocks and herds
forming a considerable portion Of their
property. We are specially told that
the company Of Nephi, on arriving in
the land of promise, commenced by
tilling the ground and raising abundant
crops, and then went into the forests
and mountains where they found cattle,
horses, donkeys, goats and numerous
kinds OF animals that could be made
useful. They also found ore Of various
kinds, such as gold, silver and copper.
We can see nothing in this statement
Of the Book Of Mormon that conflicts
with the history Of this country at the
time Of the discovery and conquest
on the contrary there seems to be per-
feet agreement
Some are inclined TO the view that the
domestic animals of these continents
We're entirely unknown until after the
European conquest, But that is a too
hasty conclusion There is, for instance,
no proof on Egyptian monuments Of the
existence OF the morse IN that country
before the expulsion Of the shepherd
kings, and yet we are told in the BIZ
bic that Joseph during the time Of fam
inc took horses in exchange for corn.
The domestic animals may not have
been in the earliest times what they
are today IN qualities or appearance.
But II they were the ancestors Of the
now living species they are entitled
TO the name by which their descendants
are known no matter IL the difference
between them Is as great as that be-
tween a modern racer and the eohippus,
that Is said 10 have lived in the remote
tertiary period Of our earth's history,
BACK TO PAGANISM,