Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-08-10
SALT LAKE CITY, AUGUST 10. 1903
a HISTORY OF OLD MEXICO.


a. us In English by Elders Joseph 30
Adams and AlonzO l.. Taylor who are
laboring as missionaries In that lana
and as II will prove interesting to be-
levers In the Book of Mormon and TO
persons investigating its claims, we
present the translation in these coll
umns, as additional evidence 70 the
authenticity OF the only Book that
Aiyes reliable particulars Of the ori-
gin and history of the two different
races that colonized this, continent IN
anoient times. The Spanish work
quoted from opens as follows
CHAPTER |,
"situatlon OF New Spain: Coming OF
the First Inhabitants; KNOWLEDGE they
Ilel Of the Creation OF the World, etc.
'The rich and fertile kingdom Of New
spain whose ancient history | under
teke to write, was called by its ancient
inhabitants Anahuac, meaning lahp
lying between the waters, called TO-DAY
,he north sea and the south sea
"WAs THIS CONTINENT PoPuLAT-
ED BEFORE THE FLoop?'
"rhe great difficulty existing among
authors has been the origin of so many
diverse peoples that populated these
regions. From where did they come
uitd VIII nher by sea or land or whether
sith a definite destination in view or
lot 10 tie question. Some say they are
Indians Of the ten tribes dispersed IN
the time Of Shalmanezer, king OF Az
syria, who drove them from Samaria
and populated that land with the Baby
loniaus e Kings ~, Others say they
are Spaniards who came to these lands
from the Islands OF BarloyentO which
they say were populated by the Span
iards In the time of King Espero, Others
say they we're Tartars, and In short,
every author disposes OF the question
IN his own way and produces proofs
and conjectures that sustain his opin-
ions.
This can be plainly seen by the critic
IN nearly all the authors that have
written upon the Indians These di-
verse opinions viii be noted IN the plo-
found writings Of Friar Gregorio Car
ella Dominlcano. In his book entitled,
origin Of the Indians
Without taxing part In any Of these
speculations and discussions, but cons
filming myself TO The manuscripts ard
ancient monuments that have studied
and which Interpret the historical maps
OF the Toltecs, ! maintain that the
origin CT all these tribes was seven
families who at the time of the dispes-
sion OF the people and confoundlng Of
tongues at the tower OF Babel, united
on account OF speaking one language,
the Manual (Mexlcan). These families
made a pilgrimage to these lands where
they established themselves, multiplied
and were divided into many peoples and
nations. The Toltec nation was the
most learned Of all these tribes and re-
tanned D clearer memory OF their origin
and antiquity. being talented Ia hand
ing down from one generation to an
other the account of their history, in
venting hireoglyphics and characters
which were worked upon skins of ami
mails and paper OF the magney and
palm plants, with colored threads 10
which were given the names Of "Nepo-
hualtzltzin," meaning account OF pre-
decessors."
The art Of interpreting these maps
and legends was kept in the royal FAM
lily and handed down from father TO
creation OF the universe for they said
that the heaven and earth and all
found therein IL the work OF the pow
erful hand Of one supreme God to whom
they gave the name Of 1'loque Nauaque
which means creator OF all things"
they also called him lpalnemohualln
which means, by whom we live aud
are. lie was the one Deity that they
Norshlpped IN those primitive times
and even after idolatry and false teach
inss were introduced, they always be-
lieyed him superior TO an their gods
and invoked him raising their eyes
heayenNard
This belief continued here, In Peru
ond IN other parts until the advent
OF the Spanards.
They also say that this Supreme Be
ing created a man and woman a. a
beautiful garden, and that from these
Two individuals the whole human race
Was propagated. They painted them IN
their mapa nearly according 10 our
ideas, but as TO the sin
they committed which caused their
expulsion from that place, nothing can
be found In all the writings and histor-
ical maps that have. Notwithstanding
this fact | am not persuaded that the
ancient Toltecs were ignorant OF this
event on the contrary / have positive
evidence for believing that this knowl.
edge was preserved among them and
WIS something that they We're very
careful TO pass from one generation to
another by paintings; for among the
maps that have seen, there Is one very
ancient formed upon strong paper of
Maguey which contains the picture OF
garden with lone tree, at the foot OF
which is a coiled snake and In the midst
Of the coils its head is represented as
the face Of woman. This same figure
Is found In other maps and those who
explain It's significance say II is one
Of the gods that they afterwards wor-
shipped in times OF their idolatry and
20 whom they gave the name OF Cihua-
oohuatl meaning the woman snake
f0rQuelnada says that the knowledge
az the fall Of Adam existed among them
and he concurs with the Indian histories
width say that this was the first woman
that gave birth 10 children In the world
and from whom proceeded all men. thus
they gave her the name OF Osomosco.
which translated means The pregnant
they also gave her the name Of Tittl.
meaning. our mother 10 her honor
they dedicated one OF the months Of the
year In which they celebrated feast 10
cOmmemoratlon o. their dead and erect
ed famous temples, as We shall see later
This makes me believe that the ancient
Toltecs had perfect knowledge OF the
sin Of the first man, committed al the
Insugstion OF the woman who was de-
ceived by the serpent which tempted her
with the fruit OF the forbidden tree.
They say that In the beginning OF the