The Yale expositor., 1910-06-10

lens which have for years been the despair of
the historian. In fact, Mexico may today very
properly claim the title of THE Egypt of Amer.
lea Why, indeed should the archaeoogist go to
Egypt, when Mexico offers to him such rich and
inexhaustibe fields Militia Monte Alban, Paen-
que, San Juan de Teotihuacan, the ruins of Tx
NAL, and of Chi Chen liza in Yucatan, and many
others which are just being unearthed?
The museum located at the national capital is
generally the first place sought out by the thou
sands of tourists who pour into the country each
year. And II is well worth visit for 1t offers
tain things which other museum In the world
could offer to the eyes of the curious.
The best brief sketch of its history is given by
its director Lie Genaro Garcia himself notable
historian and archaeoogist, in the introduction
of volume 1, No. l. of the annals of the National
Museum of Archaeology. History and Ethnoogy."
a most credtable publication which is issued
monthly by the institution, under the direct super
vision of Lie. Garcia. In speaking of the founda
ton of the museum which he has brought up to
such a creditable standard, Lie. Garcia says:
Under the Spanish domination there existed
only a small collection of antiquities in Mexico
consisting, for the greater part, of the codexes
and native manuscripts which cavalier of Milan,
Italy, Don Lorenzo de Boturini Benaduci. Senior
de la Tore Homo, had been able to collect, at
the cost of unheard-of sacrifices, and which were
confscated in the most unjust manner by the
vice-regal government In 1743. These antiquities
were first kept in the office of the viceroys secre
and Ponthcal University of Mexico. where they
were taken by order of His Excelency Antonio
Maria de Bucareli Ursua, viceroy of New Spain.
In one and another place they were greatly dam
aged by neglect humidity. rats and thefts.
Upon the contamination of Mexicos indepen-
dence the national government not only directed
that the existing antiquities be kept at the same
university, but assigned in addition, the of
81 s92 / real and "grano," for the salaries of
directing professor of botany, gardener. and the
expenses of the garden.
When this appropriation made the gov
eminent did not as yet have In mind the establish
ment of a national museum which, according to
Cen Lucas Alaman, then secretary of state and
foreign relations, in a memorial presented to con-
gress on January II, 1925, was to be matter Tor
the future Notwithstanding all this, Don Sebas-
tan Camacho successor TO General Alaman. an
nounced to congress during the latter part of the
same year that the National museum had been
established. under the most happy auspices, with
a keeper intrusted with its arrangement safety,
and development" and with many projects for
scientific trips, discoveries, excavations, and
other operations" which never made. The
museum, therefore. had other end than that
of the conservation of few antiquities, unclas-
sifed, and in generally bad shape.
The museum proper had its birth by virtue OF
the decree OF November 81 which ordered Its Tor
NAL creation and its division into three branches
--antiquities products of natural history and In
dustry and botanical garden.
The chief executive of the republic proceeded
at once TO the organization of the museum In &C
cordance with the foregoing decree, and appointed
az members OF the directive board Messrs. Fable
de In Lave lsidro Ignacio Icaza, Miguel Busta-
mantle. Jose Mariana Sanchez Mora, isnacio Gu