e to adore the idol, they were taken
before the council to acquaint them with whatever they had learned of
importance on their trip. In addition to this, their own gens would give
them appropriate receptions. From the nature of things but little profit
remained to the trader. They had no beasts of burden, and they must
bring back their goods by means of carriers; and the number of such men
were limited. Then their customs demanded that the most highly prized
articles should be offered up for religious purposes; besides, the tribe
and the gens each came in for a share. But the honors given were almost
as great as those won in war.

The Mexicans had regular markets. This, as we have already stated, was
on territory that belonged to the tribe; not to any one gens alone.
Hence the tribal officers were the ones to maintain order. The chiefs
of the four phratries were charged with this duty. The market was open
every day, but every fifth was a larger market.<39> They do not seem
to have had weights, but counted or measured their articles. In these
markets, or fairs, which would be attended by traders from other tribes,
who, on such occasions, were the guests of the Mexicans, and lodged
in the official house, would be found the various articles of native
manufacture: cloth, ornaments, elaborate featherwork, pottery, copper
implements and ornaments, and a great variety of articles not necessary
to enumerate.

We must now briefly consider their arts and manufactures. Stone was the
material principally used for their weapons and implements. They were
essentially in their Stone Age. Their knives, razors, lancets, spear
and arrowheads were simply flakes of obsidian. These implements could
be produced very cheaply, but the edge was quickly spoiled. Axes of
different varieties of flint were made. They also used flint to carve
the sculptured stones which we have described in the preceding chapter.
They also had some way of working these big blocks of stone used in
building. But they were not unacquainted with metals--the ornamental
working of gold and silver had been carried to quite a high pitch.
Were we to believe all the accounts given us of their skill in that
direction, we would have to acknowledge they were the most expert
jewelers known. How they cast or moulded their gold ornaments is
unknown. They were also acquainted with other metals, such as copper,
tin, and lead. But we can not learn for what purpose they used lead or
t