d to the Pueblo of Mexico. The tribe paying tribute were
expected to deliver it at Mexico, but under the supervision of the
steward. Arrived at Mexico the tribute was received, not by the
so-called king, the Chief-of-men, but by the Snake-woman, or an officer
to whom this personage delegated his authority. This officer was the
chief steward, and made the final division of the tribute. We are not
informed as to details of this division. A large part of it was reserved
for the use of the tribal government. It was upon this store that the
Chief-of-men could draw when supplies were needed for tribal hospitality
or for any special purpose. The stores required for the temple, its
priests and keepers were gathered from this source. The larger division
must have gone direct to the stewards of the gentes, who would set some
aside for their official uses, some for religion or medicine, but the
larger part would be divided among the members of the gentes.

In our review of the social system of the Mexicans we have repeatedly
seen how the organization of gentes influenced and even controled
all the departments of their social and political system. One of the
cardinal principles, we must remember, is that all the members of a gens
stand on an equal footing. In keeping with this we have seen that all
were trained as warriors; yet the great principle of the division of
labor was at work. Some filled in their leisure during times of peace by
acting as traders; others became proficient in some branch of work,
such as feather work, or making gold and silver ornaments. Yet under a
gentile system of society, persons practising such callings could
never become very rich or proficient, simply because, being members of
different gentes, there could not be that cooperation and united efforts
among workmen in these various trades and callings that is necessary to
advance them to the highest proficiency. It required the breaking up
of the gentes and substituting for that group a smaller one, our modern
family, as the unit of social organization, before great progress could
be made.

From what we have just said it follows that it is not at all likely that
there was any great extremes in the condition of the people. No very
wealthy or extremely poor classes. This brings us to consider the
condition of trade and commerce among them. They had properly no such a
thing as money, so their commerce must have consisted of barter or trade
and exchange. S